Originally Posted by
Alan K
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It seems to me that springs returning energy idea, at least in my subjective assessment, works only to a limited extent, considering the example of mountain bikes with full suspension. If I ride them on streets or well packed bike paths, they simply suck the energy to never return. But they do keep me from getting sore on rough paths. 🤪
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Suspension systems are usually intentionally designed to lose energy. This is what "shock absorbers" do. The goal is to avoid having the vehicle bounce back up off the road, causing loss of control, etc.
An example of an undamped suspension is the Brooks Champion Flyer. I used to ride one, and the springs really soaked up the bumps! Pretty nice, and sorta felt like a severely underinflated tire. In fact, I couldn't feel a rear tire losing air, and I wouldn't know that I was getting a flat until I heard the rim banging on the road.
The downside was that if I hit a big lump in the road, the springs would compress and nearly launch me off the bike when they extended!
Well, the other downside is that the springs and the second framework add a pound (or more?) to the weight of a B.17, so it's more efficient to just lift my butt off the saddle for the few bumps that would justify the springs.
Steve in Peoria