How Does Pre-loading Of Spring Help A Bike Suspension?

In everyday life and work, we all come into contact with springs. In some of our construction equipment, springs are used for effects like cushioning or shock absorption. And we take you today to understand the spring on the bike.

Some people may not be able to find springs on many bikes. In fact, the springs on some bikes are hidden in these three places, inside the seat, under the seat, or inside the fork. And the use of springs makes riding on bumpy roads much easier and more comfortable.

So what is the effect of spring stiffness on the effect of shock absorption? In a certain situation, the deformation of the spring is proportional to the force, in general, the stiffer the spring, the worse the damping effect, the softer the spring, the better the damping effect, so in the cross-country race on the ground in bad conditions, the rider needs softer springs.

The spring is damped by deformation, and the small deformation of the hard material also has a certain damping effect. The frame undergoes a small deformation during the ride, which plays a role in shock absorption. The seat of some bicycles does not have a spring inside, but it is soft and can also provide some shock absorption. In addition to these damping effects, there is another very important part of a bicycle that provides shock absorption, and that is the tire. If the tires are not inflated and are completely hard, then I'm afraid that the damping effect of the previous ones would be minimal.

There are a variety of shock absorption methods for bicycles, which can be divided into the following categories.

Front fork shocks

Front fork shocks are mostly used in mountain bikes. The front fork is designed with a shock system of spring, resistance rubber, air chamber, or oil chamber, so that it can produce a shock absorber effect when subjected to bumps, and can generally be divided into spring fork, rubber spring fork, oil pressure fork, oil and gas fork, and air pressure fork.

Frame shocks

Frame shocks are mostly used for mountain bikes of medium strength and above. The shock is installed in the middle part of the frame, and the front and rear triangle of the frame is designed as two independent parts with turning points, which are connected with each other by bearings to form a suspension structure, thus producing a shock effect during riding. Like the fork, there are also springs, resistance more, oil pressure, air pressure, and other types.

Seatpost shocks

Some seat posts have springs and other shock structures, mostly used for mountain bikes without shock systems in the frame. The internal structure is similar to fork shocks, and the shock stroke is short, generally used in hardtail mountain bikes that only need a light shock.

Saddle shocks

Commuter bikes tend to have springs under the saddle, while sport bikes hardly ever use such shocks. However, sports bikes do have cushioning materials such as silicone in the saddle to achieve shock absorption.

Handlebar shocks

Some handlebars will come with a spring shock structure, occasionally used in early mountain bikes.

The shock module

The shock module is mostly used for road bikes used on complicated roads. This type of shock absorber is usually embedded in the front fork and rear fork of the road bike, as well as the connection between the frame and the seat post. The frame does not have an independent turning point structure, only some slight vibration absorption, not to destroy the overall pedal rigidity.

Handlebar cover and tire

Bicycle handlebar cover and tires also have a certain vibration absorption function.