After getting a glimpse of the SussMyBike suspension setup tool, it left us with some questions of how it works and whether or not there would be interest in it, so we reached out for more information. Armed with more details, on paper it seems pretty impressive. Coinciding with the big reveal, the device is now on Kickstarter as well.
Spring past the break to see what it actually does and an update on the gadget’s status…..
We covered the basics of the device recently here and made some guesses as to what it would do, and now it has been confirmed. Their Kickstarter page is now live and in a short amount of time, they are just shy of their goal, so things are looking up for SussMyBike.
The unit houses a small Bluetooth 4.0 transceiver, microprocessor, battery and sensor. A metal cable is retained on a reel. This is held in tension by an extremely fast retracting spring so that the cable’s movement accurately measures that of the fork’s. Using a 3 volt coin cell battery, the unit should run for several months. Based in Scotland, the unit has been exposed to a lot of the wet and grimy conditions that the country is known for and they’re hoping to achieve an IP65 water resistance rating. They’re using zipties to mount the prototype but mentioned they’re looking into a more finished design that is secure and easy to mount and remove.
Above is a mock up of what the app’s screen could look like. SussMyBike monitors not just how much the shock moves, but looks for how it moves through its travel. It measures high & low speed compression rebound, records bottoming out, the dynamic sag while you are riding and the progressiveness of shock. You basically start the app, ride, check the app which will make setting reccomendations based on the fork’s performance. There is no calibration needed.
Here is what it takes into consideration:
- Bouncing suspension (overshoot – due to not enough damping)
- Packing down – this is where the rebound is too slow causing the suspension to not recover quickly enough.
- Bottoming out – full suspension travel used
- Incorrect ‘sag’ – i.e. where a fully loaded bike ‘sits’ in its travel
You then simply make the recommended changes and try it again. Once it’s reading a-okay on everything you’re set! Of course there is always room for personal taste, but if this works like it’s supposed to, we could be seeing this anywhere from the local trailhead to the world cup circuit.
They’re shooting for a June 2016 ship date so we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled and hope to give the unit a shot.
