Learn something new each day @
Cubist
I think my brain shocks are supposed to do something clever to making climbing better.. Care to explain how this system works, or if it does not.
As far as I know the brain works like an external compression damper. It is situated near to the wheel rather than being part of the shock and is basically a hydraulic valve that closes and limits pedal induced bob or wallow when the rider is pedalling, and opens up to absorb big hits on rougher surfaces to increase the traction control of active rear suspension. The blurb tells us that the rebound from a large input through rough ground opens up the valve and allows the shock to operate to its full extent, then closes on smoother ground or when the rider is pedalling hard. It's very much a feature of XC bikes.
Other manufacturers have similar capability through settings and tune options, but Spesh claim their brain does the work for a rider without having to stop or alter settings. In essence this is my understanding of different compression damping settings, and my own experience is of Fox rear shocks and Rockshox and X Fusion forks.
The Fox RP 2 on my Canyon frame is a large volume air shock, with pro pedal. That pro pedal switches to limit high speed compression damping (think of riding over a series of little bumps) so it takes more bump input to make the suspension go into its stroke, which makes the bike more efficient when pedalling. Switching pro pedal off means the bike can use all of its suspension stroke quicker, so the bike is more compliant , with better traction where needed on bigger and more low speed hits. The downside of this is that the air volume means the shock is more linear, in other words the shock travels through all of its stroke quickly and easily, bottoming out if not setup correctly to the rider's weight and usage. They have air sleeves to limit the volume of air in the can for heavier riders on bigger hits. Setup properly for big hits like drops and jumps, the settings should aim for a sweetspot where the suspension travels all the way down, getting progressively stiffer as it does so, and reaching that point of full compression without bottoming. This gives the so-called "bottomless travel " effect.
The much better Fox RP 23 Kashima shock on my Ibis has a lower volume, better valved system, with a slightly different propepdal setting. The compression damping is similar, but I can adjust the amount of slow rate damping for bigger hit riding with a switch, not buggering about with volume reducers. In any case,pedalling efficiency on the Mojo HD is taken care of by the DW linkage, which itself removes a lot of pedal induced bob by the way the rear swing arm linkage is configured, so do not suffer the bob and wallow as much to start with.
Fork setup varies hugely between models and rider requirements. I have most experience of Reba and Revelation forks where spring progression is determined by the difference in air pressure in the positive and negative chambers, with adjustments to the rebound damping and compression damping made via changing settings in the motion control damper in the right fork leg. Again, this can make the fork responsive on small bumps, with the fork becoming active at different stages to make it taut and responsive on chattery stuff, without becoming willowy, or it can be set up to stay firm but go into its travel more progressively for bigger terrain. The adjustment options are many, and some avid fiddlers and fetters may never reach the sweetspot! I like my Reba on the Soul to be nice and plush, with a progressive squish, but not to dive under braking, or squat as soon as the bike points downhill, thus steepening the head angle.
