Dr Dremel
Fat Chance Fan
I was doing a lot of reading lately, but the fundamentals did not really change in the last 10 years (last time I was really "into it")I’ve looked at Starling and Cotic and have also looked a little at Marino, on Instagram.
Because I’ve never had rear suspension and never really thought about it I don’t really know about the types and pros/cons of them!
Horst Link type back ends are smooth and provide a largely de- coupled rear brake (suspension does not firm up during braking)
Single pivot feels more natural/linear (to me), depending if it´s linkage driven (like Cotic) or directly (like Orange). Braking will firm up the suspension.
DW Link (like Santa Cruz´s VPP) give a more stable pedal platform and suspesnion firms less up during braking.
Pedal feedback (suspension action is felt in the pedals) can be noticable for all three depending on pivot location.
Bottom line for me is that all three have matured to a high level of sophistication so as an average rider I can´t go wrong with either of the choices. And modern shocks really have the adjustability to counter certain negative aspects of each system. Single pivot for me largely due to natural feel and ease of maintenace.
I´m also seriously debating if I should go with coil suspension after riding a friend´s bike. Night and day difference in smoothness.