Rear suspension that relied on flex of the chain stays???

[Supratada]

I saw a DeKerf one on here. It would be interesting to know how the metal on these bikes has held up over the decades, if indeed they’ve been regularly ridden.

 

[madjh]

Sunn made a soft tail. Very nice looking.

Xircuit Flex

 

[mr-mac]

Re:

Some brilliant examples coming out here... thanks

 

[DeoreDX]

Litespeed Unicoi from the late 90's. That and the Merlin Newsboy were the two bikes I wanted most back then.

 

[pete_mcc]

Re:

The most complex solution to a simple design brief-the Ibis BowTi:

Hugely long chainstays that flex along their length to actuate a standard suspension shock. Great idea in theory, but those huge chainstays mean the flex is a little indiscriminate and, in its original guise with cantilevers, the brakes were massively affected by the stays being flexed out by the brake
Doesn’t stop it from being one of the coolest bikes I own though.

 

[CAPIN]

Later Morati softail had plate behind BB that made flex easier.. Also Cannondale Scalpel had flat tapered profile of seatstays to allow movement without pivot. That was in carbon fibre
Also Mountain Cycle MOHO had monostay machined out in a way to allow some supplenes.

 

[rrrroberts]

Re:

To the guy that was looking - I've got a 2002 KHS Team Soft Tail in an 18" - white with blue decals and disc tabs. Postage could be pricey though.

I built it into a gravel bike once and put the back wheel in last of all, only to realise that the shock reduces the clearance too much for 700c wheels.