Without a doubt, a rear shock can enhance certain aspects of mountain biking, but it also adds weight and complexity.
An option is provided by the Rampage Innova cross-country bike’s streamlined leaf-spring rear suspension.
The full-carbon Rampage Innovation was developed by Italian mountain bike company Lee Coogan without the typical rear shock absorber and linkage. In its place, it has flexible chain stays, oil-damped pistons at the top of each seat stay, and a carbon fiber leaf spring that is attached to the seat tube at the bottom and the two pistons at the top.
The attached seat moves diagonally forward and upward when the connected chain stays flex as the rear wheel travels over trail bumps. They expand the leaf spring and compress the hydraulic pistons simultaneously, absorbing the impact energy.
After that, the spring and pistons push the stays and the back wheel back to their normal position.
This setup, called “Innova Structural Suspension” (ISS), lets you move up to 30 mm.
Even though that’s a lot less than what most cross-country rear shocks offer, the system is meant to put the Rampage somewhere between a hardtail and a full-suspension model.
No weight information has been given for the ISS, but the whole bike is said to weigh just over 9 kg (20 lb).
The Rampage Innova can be preordered right now in four different packages of parts.
Prices start at $5,159 and go up to $9,239. You can also buy just the frame by itself for $2,449
In the video below, you can see how the ISS works.
