NAHBS 2012 – Priority Cycles’ Insane Dual Drive Carbon DH Bike Prototype

That bike doesn’t have a “virtually vertical axle path”, it’s quite rearward. The belt idler pulleys are questionable. Gates specifically doesn’t allow them. It’s a hack, Zerode has done it all better.

That is some janky looking carbon. Not very reassuring on a bike let alone a dh bike.

Where does the marble fall out? after the dominos fall or before the teeter totter?

Thanks Dave – You can contact me at http://www.hippietechsuspension.com for policy info !!

The actual pivot is at the bolt below B and C with the silver gaurd on it holding one of the pulley tensioners ! Axle path is rearward slightly than up ! Remember 20 years ago when Paul Turner showed the first Rockshox and people laughed – NOW LOOK at MTB Suspension !!!! HMMMMM

Damon’s design is SOUND and his bikes pedal and descend much better than anyone can Imagine !! That is why I ride his machines ! Once you ride one – YOU TOO WILL BE A BELIEVER !!

See it in action at Sea Otter soonest and more throughout the season

So – basically he took all the rear drive and brake components and reloacted them to the center triangle, thus centralizing the mass ?? And somewhere I remember reading about the benefits of reducing the “sprung” mass – thus making it easier to control wheel movement. Regardless of how it looks, the engineering principles seem solid. And any first iteration of something this different will look a little rough. But I’m sure interested to see how it works in a DH race. I love to see someone push the envelope lioke this. Who knows where it may lead?

I wasn’t even thinking of “cost”… just “what does this do that the other top designs don’t do?”.

Sorry this thing does not hold water- No amount of pivots, shock rates, or floating brake gimmicks will overcome frictional losses in trying to pedal the beast.

As someone touched on, the point of this is that it reduces unsprung weight. The lighter the unsprung weight (tire, wheel, hub, etc.), the less force is required to get suspension moving… therefor the more responsive the suspension is to small bumps or other irregularities in the trail. More responsive means the wheel will stay connected to the ground more which leads to more traction.

There is obviously a trade-off. In reducing unsprung weight he has increased the total bike weight — probably substancially. That said, prototypes are generally ugly, heavy things that attract ridicule. I hope bike rumor does some follow up on this. Would be interesting to see where this goes.

So essentially its a Zerode bike laid up in Carbon and using a belt drive? Just like all of Zerodes concepts.

http://www.zerode.co.nz/

@Wil: I’m not judging, just asking the question that wasn’t answered until Peter and S W’s comments. I never said or implied that “different just for the sake of being different” is not an acceptable answer.

I find it amazing that most people are so negative. Every one rips Specialized apart for going after the little guy and now everyone rips apart the little guy. Outside of Jerry and myself I don’t believe any one on this forum has ridden a bike by Damon. His designs are sound. He has been building bikes for years. Granted the carbon is not a clean as one we are used too but he does it completely by hand. Lets wait and see how Jerry does and see what changes he and Damon want to make after time in the saddle. Currently Damon has no big money behind him. He does this for the love of riding and building.