BikeRadar Tech Talk Ep 6 and 7: Suspension springs and MTB drivetrains

We discuss the science of suspension springs and ask why derailleurs still exist

Look that the sleek derailleur!

YT / SRAM

Tom Marvin

Published: October 16, 2019 at 4:57 pm

A double-whammy of Tech Talk Podcasts for you this time!

First, in Episode 6, tech editor Tom and tech guru Seb discuss suspension springs – whether that's air or coil. Coil springs disappeared for a little while from mainstream mountain bikes, but seem to be making a mini-comeback, while air springs are increasingly popular on downhill bikes, but why is that? We're also seeing a number of coil conversions for popular suspension forks coming to market.

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In Episode 7 the team chats drivetrains. For as long as gears have existed on bicycles, the derailleur has been the dominant way of shifting from one gear to the next. However, given that it's exposed to the elements, and hangs by the rear wheel, it seems rather vulnerable. Why haven't planetary gear systems taken off?

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Chainless MTB drivetrain
CeramicSpeed has a prototype MTB drivetrain that's certainly unique. - Oliver Woodman / Immediate Media

Previous BikeRadar Tech Talk Podcast episodes

Two mountain bike rear suspension shocks
Air sprung shocks (left) and coil-sprung shocks (right) do the same job, but there are subtle differences in performance. - Various

Previous BikeRadar Podcast episodes

Tom Marvin

Senior technical editor

Tom Marvin is a technical editor at BikeRadar.com and MBUK magazine. He has a particular focus on mountain bikes, but spends plenty of time on gravel bikes, too. Tom has written for BikeRadar, MBUK and Cycling Plus, and was previously technical editor of What Mountain Bike magazine. He is also a regular presenter on BikeRadar’s YouTube channel and the BikeRadar podcast. With more than twenty years of mountain biking experience, and nearly a decade of testing mountain and gravel bikes, Tom has ridden and tested thousands of bikes and products, from super-light XC race bikes through to the most powerful brakes on the market. Outside of testing bikes, Tom competes in a wide range of mountain bike races, from multi-day enduros through to 24-hour races in the depths of the Scottish winter – pushing bikes, components and his legs to their limits. He’s also worked out that shaving your legs saves 8 watts, while testing aerodynamics in a wind tunnel. When not riding he can be found at the climbing wall, in his garden or cooking up culinary delights.
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