REVIEWS DEALS BIKESHOPS TRAILS

ATZ parallel-forks

3064 Views 10 Replies 6 Participants Last post by 24pouces, Aug 29, 2012

erol/frost

Discussion Starter · Dec 26, 2005

Anyone remember these or have pics or info? Some old DH-ace called Phillipe Perakis used them on his Cilo-DH bike i remember in some race but that`s about it.

Save

1 - 11 of 11 Posts

Oh Yeah...

In fact some how i end up with the two of them (Friends give them to me),,, the Re-fit for the Fork were you use the stock fork flip backwards and then the rear suspension that atach to the rear drop outs...

I like to think Perakis have a diferent and more evolve sistem or maybe he was a far better rider than i will ever be (I know that one already),, because the sistem was pretty lamme, the rear chainstays became 3 inches longer, the rear shifting was horrible, was flexible, with out much feedback, undamped and kind of scary at the end. so i took them off after a few rides

sorry No pictures, but i remenber how it works pretty well.

Save

DeeEight

· #3 · Dec 26, 2005

I think P.P.'s success with the ATZ Swing-Links had more to do with how poorly equipped his competitors were for suspension forks and frames at the time (he won his DH title in Italy in 1991 afterall) than how good the things actually were. He had a bike with 2" front and rear travel, when most everyone else had at best, 2" of front travel and nothing in back. You need only look at the results of say, the 1992 season and world championships to see how quickly the ATZ concept became obsolete.

Save

patineto

· #4 · Dec 27, 2005

DeeEight said:
I think P.P.'s success with the ATZ Swing-Links had more to do with how poorly equipped his competitors were for suspension forks and frames at the time (he won his DH title in Italy in 1991 afterall) than how good the things actually were. He had a bike with 2" front and rear travel, when most everyone else had at best, 2" of front travel and nothing in back. You need only look at the results of say, the 1992 season and world championships to see how quickly the ATZ concept became obsolete.

The boulder gazelles (i know not so great) were around for a lot time, along with the san andrea's, GT RT-S's among a few other, more "Togheter" designs,, Parakis i quess was incredible talented (i remenber the and for sure he was reallly good)

the part that atract me the most about this concept (being a design & bike geek) was the avility to refrofit a rigid bike into a soft tail, oviuslly did not work that well but at least was a interesting aproach, is just a shame i did not keep those parts, at the time they were just so bad and complicated in terms of performance and handeling i never think of them as a part of valuable bicycle history, but today i undertand even the worst designs have a place in the realm of bike lineage.

Hell I got my first full suspension less than a year ago, since i was convince technology was just not "there", i quess i'm much more or a vintage guy that I like to think.

Save

DeeEight

· #5 · Dec 28, 2005

Except remember the fact that the small brands that sponsored the "good" talent, didn't have the money leftover for good suspension designs, and the big brands who had the money, didn't have the good designs PERIOD.

John Tomac and Jimmy Deaton got some of their most notable success DH'ing for Yeti (and later Raleigh for JT) on hardtails. It'd be years before JT would DH on an actual full suspension frame.

Julianna Furtado had success in 1992 on an RTS at the Worlds, but that was it really. And by that time, PP's swing-links were obsolete. In 1991 there just was not much in rear suspension frames or front suspension forks to pick from. Racers pretty much had to buy their own bits and the whole "relabled" frames tradition didn't get into gear till the mid 90s.

Let's see... ignoring really fringe designs in 1991 like the Bushido and GP Cycles Rad-1... Boulder Gazelle, Mantis ProFloater, and ummmm, Offroad Proflex x50s, oh and the Cannondale EST's. That was about it. And none of them had any DH racers worthy of the top places. Cindy Devine won her world championship riding a Kona hardtail as I recall, and Elladee Brown took second on a schwinn-paramount hardtail in 1991.

The boulder was the longest travel at 3". I used to own a gazelle, in neon pink, with matching painted rockshox RS-1. I sold it to someone on here a few years ago. Anyways, the longest travel for forks... Rockshox really or Scott Unishocks. 2". Oh and Manitou, a whopping 1.25" at the time, so basically, not a whole hell of a lot.

As to the basic ATZ bolt on idea... Shockster rear suspension, similar concept, failed too. Laterally stronger/stiffer, heavier too, but same wheelbase issues and shifting woes.

See less See more

Save

patineto

· #6 · Dec 28, 2005

thanks DeeEight you make me feel right at home...

great compendium

Save

patineto

· #7 · Dec 31, 2005

I just saw this on E-bay a Sad but more "more current" version of the ATZ

See less See more

Save

surlytman

· #8 · Dec 31, 2005

patineto said:
I just saw this on E-bay a Sad but more "more current" version of the ATZ

The "Shockster" was being sold at Interbike int he late 90s, a day late and a doller short. I do remember the hotties in the booth trying to pitch the concept, that and the salesmen that obviously were right outta the used car business.

Save

24pouces

· #9 · Aug 29, 2012

very old post
I've got one of this ATZ fork.

See less See more

Save

Fillet-brazed

· #10 · Aug 29, 2012

24pouces said:
very old post
I've got one of this ATZ fork.

How's it feel?

Save

24pouces

· #11 · Aug 29, 2012

In comparison with the really first suspension fork, the system is very stiff and you keep a very precise fork.
I have used it for long time on my tandem !
Like other parallelogram forks (girvin for example) , the suspension works a lot. When you are riding, you could see it going up and down and absorbing shocks.
It's only elastomers, but the great idea was to use them with a lever, and not directly like the other telescopic elastomers fork (manitou). Only 3cm of travel, but you feel like there's more.

The main problem : you have to add 1kg to your original fork

Save

1 - 11 of 11 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month