We have reached “virtually” Giacomo Gasparella, founder of DH Sign and now the inventor of FixShox, a system to make the shock absorber work in axis. And now so many doubts arise in riders: but until now have I ridden with the shock absorber off axis? That's why, with that type of bike, every year I took out a shock absorber!
DHSIGN is a Venetian company, born in 2012 with the aim of producing high quality gravity components. Giacomo is a super passionate biker and can often be found at the start of the toughest races (Downhill, MaxiAvalanche), always with a smile on his face.
If you don't know exactly what FixShox is all about, take a look at before reading the interview this article.
Where did the idea of FixShox come from?
The idea comes from a universal consideration: motorcycles, cars and airplanes have these spherical alignment systems everywhere on shock absorbers, dampers, electronic linear actuators and much more, precisely to make the system more fluid and not influenced by all rear and front oscillations. where it will be fixed. In the bikes no one had managed to make a plug-and-play product that went into the original eyelets of the shock absorbers with the typical 15mm hole with 13mm wide seat (I don't go into the thousand details of the tolerances).
A question that many have asked themselves: but can it really happen that the shock absorber does not work perfectly in line? Even in the hottest models that we believe are perfect?
ABSOLUTELY YES! All frames make the shock absorber work off axis during their use with some differences. There are suspension schemes which, combined with material and design, should absolutely make use of them from the first installation. As if it were an obligation. All steel frames, perhaps monochrome without references and with long excursions. Just take the rear wheel and shake it hard and you can see that the whole system flexes. The first customers who came to attention are British companies that are leaders in these looms. It was an honor to receive their orders.
Then all systems with shock absorber with reference to the top-tube area. They too suffer a lot. Typical of many e-bikes and XC Downcountry where, for opposite reasons, they have very important flexions: one for the high weight, the other for the lightness of the materials.
Then there are the systems with a low and very boxed pivot. These suffer much less. Only one is needed in the position towards the frame.
But for everyone there is a but and a but. In your opinion, your dear bearings of the wagon joints and connecting rods are eternal? Beware that after two days, or many more, in the park with the bearings destroyed that made the whole system work off-axis, certainly some damage was done.
Another answer comes from the EWS teams, with whom I started working from Canazei in the first place. I can't name names but many had to keep an air shock absorber because the spring shocks, for all the reasons described above, broke the stems.
What is the primary benefit a user feels when installing FixShox on their MTB?
The advantages are many: less overheating of the internal seals due to misalignment of the air or spring rods. Some famous looms that literally eat the color of the ammo only on one side. Consequently, the maintenance of the shock absorber does not lengthen much but certainly the risk of greater damage is reduced for the same time.
More specifically, make us a list in pure marketing style
Weight advantage: only 6 grams in the size of 30mm;
Psychological advantage: knowing that everything flows online;
Technical advantage: The shock absorber does not work stuck;
Safety advantage: knowing that if you loosen a bearing, the system will straighten anyway, especially if they are mounted in both directions;
Social advantage: in short, giving satisfaction to an Italian company, I would add in the European context, is not bad.
Price advantage: they cost like an original set of regular compasses from famous brands.
I would like to clarify a couple of important points that make us happy in perseverance: the "plastic" was developed by a large European company that mixed a polymer specifically for us, obtaining crazy results to date. And we remind you that we were able to go out in presale and sale only after receiving the approval of the patent. This is to say that they have been running in great secrecy for over a year.
Is the assembly simple? Do you suffer from any incompatibilities?
The FixShox is practically Plug-and-play: aWe have also developed the two removal and insertion tools in order to work in greater safety. Each Fixshox is coupled with precise quality standards.
The time required to insert a FixShox with a shock absorber already freed from the old DU bushings is about 30 seconds. We have developed all the most popular sizes: 18/19/20/22/25/26/30/35/40/45 for pin with hole of 8.
Are you working on, or do you have in your head, any other interesting projects in the coming months?
Future projects ? Yes. Expand the range of stems with our patented system and expand compatibility with as many shock absorbers as possible. Oh yes, because there are some with non-standard sizes. Then there would be an idea that should have to do with electronics…. For now only in the head!
COMMENT WITHOUT FILTERS
Andrea C. on our facebook page, had expressed his concern about FixShox with this comment:
What do you think ?? Is there anyone who can show a kinematic analysis or all Cepu? It is a connecting rod: it works only at the tip (if the end hinges, which constrain two degrees of freedom each, do what they have to). If the hinges do not rotate, that is, they do not do what they were designed to do, then the ammo no longer works peak and additional internal stresses are introduced that deform the shock absorber as per the drawing (it is called "elastic line"): in in this case the moment diagram does not reset at the hinge, as it should, but this transmits a part of it. The hinge normally transmits the axial and shear stress (responsible, together with that of the moment, if the hinge does not work well, for the exaggerated deformation shown). The cut, however, is absolutely negligible if the hinges work well.
The deformation due to shear forces parallel to the axis of the hinges is different: these must be absorbed by the seat stays and therefore transmitted from the triangle to the frame, more precisely to the seat tube: everything should be more rigid than at least two orders. larger than the shock absorber. It is clear that if they see the chainstays, the triangle and the seat tube, the cutting effort is all supported by the shock absorber.
In any case, the design is misleading.
Here is Giacomo's answer: To answer the very prepared user, I say that no bike could do without it. I think that in a hundred meters they would break any ammo if axially constrained. Then, as per the renderings already published with 3D movements and forces applied, it is clear that the whole system can work off-axis. Analysis software would immediately fail with axial constraints. In short, we have been using CAD of a certain level for years and they prove us right with flying colors.
Here is the video in question:
Do you need more information?
Here the Official website
