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Spring force vs damper force

381 views 0 replies 1 participant last post by  Fleijah 
#1 ·
I'm looking for some more insight into how spring/damper forces interact (not practical advice regarding my bike).

I'm riding a Sentinel V2 for which cascade components have developed a link.
The stock link creates a ramp-up of roughly 25% and the cascade link turns that into 29% at my desired stroke length, while also increasing the linkage ratio slightly in the entire stroke.

I'm wondering what the differences will be between:
1) stock link, coil shock with a sprindex coil that's 20% stiffer in the final 20% of the stroke, adding a total of 4% progression to turn it into 29%, obviously - without affecting damping.
2) CC link, coil shock with a regular coil; also 29% progression but obtained through a higher and more progressive linkage ratio.
The force progression in both setups should be fairly similarly linearly progressive throughout the travel, I believe - despite option 2 needing a higher springforce to compensate for the higher linkage.

Assuming travel is the same in both scenarios, I imagine option 1 will feel a bit more energetic/unsettled when dealing with big compressions because the spring:damper force ratio increases at the end, effectively storing more of the late stroke energy.
Option 2, I think, would feel a lot more supple in the early stroke and more calm deeper into its travel.
Midstroke support would feel roughly the same, I guess - because the damper in option 2 should feel 'lighter' / 'more open' in the early stroke because of the increased linkage ration, but because the ratio also progresses further, I guess it would roughly be the same in the middle.

Would option 1 then be a bit more poppy but more unsettled in big hits while being less sensitive to small bumps at the same time?

Any suspension wizards who can confirm / redirect my assumptions and imagined effects or explain a bit about what would happen?
 
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