Saracen's Prototype 6-Bar DH Bike Uncovered - Taipei Cycle Show 2023
A picture of a picture still counts, right? The Madison Saracen Factory Race Team had been aboard a different – and very not production – downhill bike for the 2022 race season, but it's almost always been sporting a cover zip-tied in place to hide the new bike's suspension system. Obviously, that only makes me want to know what's going on even more, so it's convenient that I happen to run into long-time Saracen engineer Ryan Carroll this morning at the Taipei Cycle Show.
It's even more convenient that he didn't tell me to get lost when I asked to see what he's been working on...
While there's not much detail in the photo, it does show the aluminum prototype's six-bar suspension layout and what looks to be a concentric axle pivot, although that last part isn't confirmed. The current production bike is pictured above and employs a linkage-driven single-pivot layout. We've seen a number of downhill bikes move from four to six-bar suspension recently, with the more complicated (and no doubt heavier) layout suiting that sort of riding. Carroll explained that they had been using a floating brake mount on the previous bike, but this system allows him to get away from that while still keeping the bike active and making for more tuning options.
How many bars are the right amount of bars?
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Depends on the beers they serve and if you are just going out or if you are going out out.
Bingo. You're gonna buy the 7 bars.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB2di69FmhE
Specialized, Canyon, Intense, now Saracen? Who's next? Trek? So we can keep the 'looks like a session' meme?
Depending on what exactly is going on at the BB area, it's either a (split) single pivot with an overly elaborate linkage or a five-bar with split pivot. But definitley not a six-bar.
There are very few true 6 bar systems out there, at least that would be considered even sort of main stream. Probably the most well known/widespread 6-link bike were (or are, haven't seen one in s a while) the Felt line of suspension bikes a few years back. And more recently (but much more niche) is the DW6 linkage on the Atherton line of bikes (developed originally for Robot Bike Co). Most DW systems are 4 bar systems, but the DW6 went to 6 link as a way to accommodate the 'custom geometry build' business model of Robot Bike Co.
The Felt and Atherton bikes are both 6-bar systems, but are actually pretty different. On the DW6, it is basically a standard 4 bar linkage where the chain stay link has been replaced by a small four bar linkage (so that basically the seat stay changes length as the suspension goes through it's travel.
The Felt, as well as this new Saracen bike are kind of like modified short bar, 4 link system. Typically for s short bar 4 link system like a classic DW link or VPP, etc, there are two short links that connect a solid rear triangle to the frame. In the case of these two bikes, there are 2 short links that have a 'connection rod' link somewhere between the two pivot points of each of the short links. This means that the distance between the 'free' pivot point at the end of the two short links changes. In this case, you cannot use a solid rear triangle to connect to the two short links as it would lock-out any suspension movement, as a solid triangle would not allow for then end pivots of the two short links to change. So, instead of using a solid rear triangle to attach to this mini-four bar linkage attached to the frame, they use a scissor linkage (consisting basically of a long chain stay and long seat stay linkage, which does allow for movement when the distance between the end pivots of the short links changes. In the case of the Felt, the wheel axle was mounted to the chain-stay link. In the case of this new bike, they have a concentric axle pivot like the Trek suspension bikes.