Forgiving Ride, Relentless Performance
Since the invention of the traditional diamond-shaped bicycle frame over 100 years ago, a single fundamental challenge has remained: how to make a bicycle frame stiff enough to be efficient and handle predictably, yet compliant enough to reduce the jarring and fatiguing effects of a rough road.
Dozens—possibly
hundreds—of ideas for solving the stiffness vs. compliance trade-off
have been tried and tested with various results, including numerous
vibration-damping materials and suspension systems. But of all the
attempts, noble though they may have been, no options were both
effective and efficient enough for the more discerning tastes of
experienced riders. Until 2012. Until IsoSpeed.
IsoSpeed
challenges the traditional design of a bicycle frame. Devoid of the more
favoured approaches to the compliance quandary (such as suspension
systems, elastomers or a vibration damper), IsoSpeed maintains the
diamond-shaped frame set geometry but “decouples" the seat tube from the
top tube, allowing the seat tube to flex with the forces of the road.
The result is a bike that moves with the road while maintaining the feel
and efficiency of the traditional race bike design.
This
“decoupling” is achieved in two manners, depending on the bicycle model.
Both methods are equally effective in delivering a significantly more
compliant ride quality.