Bicycle rear suspension
A bicycle comprises a front wheel; a rear wheel; a frame comprising a main frame portion and an articulating frame portion, the articulating frame portion comprising: a lower arm pivotally supported at a first axis by the main frame portion; an upper frame link pivotally supported at a second axis by the main frame portion; an upper arm pivotally coupled to the upper frame link at a third axis; an upper shock link pivotally coupled to the upper frame link and the upper arm at the third axis; and a lower shock link pivotally coupled to the main frame portion and the lower arm at the first axis; and a shock absorber having a first end pivotally supported at a fourth axis by the main frame portion, and a second end pivotally supported at a fifth axis by the upper shock link and the lower shock link.
1 . A bicycle, comprising:
a front wheel;
a rear wheel;
a frame comprising a main frame portion and an articulating frame portion, said articulating frame portion carrying said rear wheel, said articulating frame portion having a relaxed configuration and a compressed configuration;
the articulating frame portion comprising:
a lower arm pivotally supported at a first axis by the main frame portion;
an upper frame link pivotally supported at a second axis by the main frame portion; and
an upper arm pivotally coupled to the upper frame link and the lower arm; and
a shock absorber having a first end and a second end, the first end pivotally supported at a third axis by a down tube of the main frame portion, the second end pivotally supported at a fourth axis by a shock link that is pivotally coupled to the main frame portion at a fifth axis, the shock absorber configured to bias the articulating frame portion to the relaxed configuration,
wherein the third axis is positioned above the fourth axis, such that a longitudinal axis of the shock absorber slopes downward from front to back, in all positions between the compressed configuration and the relaxed configuration when the bicycle is positioned on a horizontal surface.
2 . The bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the main frame portion comprises a crank axis, and wherein the fifth axis is positioned forward of the crank axis when the bicycle is positioned on the horizontal surface with the articulating frame portion in the relaxed configuration.
3 . The bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the fifth axis is positioned below the second axis and above the first axis when the bicycle is positioned on the horizontal surface with the articulating frame portion in the relaxed configuration.
4 . The bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the third axis is positioned forward of the first axis.
5 . The bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the third axis is positioned forward of the second axis.
6 . The bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the fourth axis is positioned below the second axis throughout a range of motion of the articulating frame portion from the relaxed configuration to the compressed configuration.
7 . The bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the main frame portion comprises a bottom bracket support member that extends between rearward ends of a top tube of the main frame portion and the down tube of the main frame portion, wherein both of the first axis and the fifth axis pass through the bottom bracket support member.
8 . The bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the main frame portion comprises a bottom bracket support member that extends between rearward ends of a top tube of the main frame portion and the down tube of the main frame portion, wherein the shock absorber extends through the bottom bracket support member.
9 . A bicycle, comprising:
a front wheel;
a rear wheel;
a frame comprising a main frame portion and an articulating frame portion, said articulating frame portion carrying said rear wheel, said articulating frame portion having a relaxed configuration and a compressed configuration;
the articulating frame portion comprising:
a lower arm pivotally supported at a first axis by the main frame portion;
an upper frame link pivotally supported at a second axis by the main frame portion; and
an upper arm pivotally coupled to the upper frame link and the lower arm; and
a shock absorber having a first end and a second end, the first end pivotally supported at a third axis by the main frame portion, the second end pivotally supported at a fourth axis by a shock link that is pivotally coupled to the main frame portion at a fifth axis, the shock absorber configured to bias the articulating frame portion to the relaxed configuration;
wherein the third axis is positioned above the fourth axis when the bicycle is positioned on a horizontal surface with the articulating frame portion in the relaxed configuration, such that the shock absorber is positioned sloping downward from front to back, and
wherein the fifth axis is positioned below the second axis and above the first axis when the bicycle is positioned on the horizontal surface with the articulating frame portion in the relaxed configuration.
10 . The bicycle of claim 9 , wherein the main frame portion comprises a crank axis, and wherein the fifth axis is positioned forward of the crank axis when the bicycle is positioned on the horizontal surface with the articulating frame portion in the relaxed configuration.
11 . The bicycle of claim 9 , wherein the main frame portion comprises a top tube and a down tube, and wherein the first end of the shock absorber is pivotally supported at the third axis by the down tube of the main frame portion.
12 . The bicycle of claim 9 , wherein the rear wheel is rotatably coupled to the upper arm at a hub axis.
13 . The bicycle of claim 12 , wherein the fourth axis is spaced from the hub axis a distance of at least 26 inches.
14 . The bicycle of claim 12 , wherein the upper arm is pivotally coupled to the lower arm at an axis positioned forward of the hub axis.
15 . The bicycle of claim 9 , wherein the third axis is positioned forward of the first axis.
16 . The bicycle of claim 9 , wherein the third axis is positioned forward of the second axis.
17 . The bicycle of claim 9 , wherein the third axis is positioned above the fourth axis in all positions between the compressed configuration and the relaxed configuration when the bicycle is positioned on the horizontal surface.
18 . The bicycle of claim 9 , wherein the fourth axis is positioned below the second axis throughout a range of motion of the articulating frame portion from the relaxed configuration to the compressed configuration.
19 . The bicycle of claim 9 , wherein the main frame portion comprises a bottom bracket support member that extends between rearward ends of a top tube of the main frame portion and a down tube of the main frame portion, wherein both of the first axis and the fifth axis pass through the bottom bracket support member.
20 . The bicycle of claim 9 , wherein the main frame portion comprises a bottom bracket support member that extends between rearward ends of a top tube of the main frame portion and a down tube of the main frame portion, wherein the shock absorber extends through the bottom bracket support member.