Vorsprung Suspension

Snow covered trails or frosty temperatures got you feeling down? Now is the best time to delve into maintenance & upgrades to freshen things up for summer. Check out @send__it__steve__ 's build featuring our Secus.

We are back open at normal capacity as of today. We are working flat out trying to catch up on order shipments and service work from the past couple of weeks - apologies for the delays if you are one of the affected!

We design our parts to make a legitimate improvement, not just another product in an ocean of similar parts. One of the goals with the Secus was setup simplicity. The complicated stuff is done automatically - for the rider it’s just one air valve and standard volume reducer tokens. More air is stiffer. More volume reducer tokens ramps harder. Easy. #Repost @thesuspensionlab with @make_repost I’m a huge fan of this Secus upgrade from @vorsprungsuspension . Performance is... like a luftkappe on steroids but with a wider range of fitment options, and best of all only one air valve to adjust! So it will outperform any other air spring while still being a doddle to set up #makingbikesbetter #ifyourenotmeasuringyoureguessing #itsnotrocketscienceitsmtbscience #enduromtb #suspensiontuning #mtbsuspensiontuning

If you’ve ever stopped by our shop in Whistler you’ve probably noticed a constant background hmmm. That’s the sound of all our product parts being machined in house.

Santa’s never been great at giving riding gear. Treat yourself to a smooth ride in 2021 vorsprungsuspension.com/collections/all

Shortest daylight day doesn’t mean shortest work day.

Following a positive Covid test result from one of our staff today (Jan 20), our staff are isolating until further notice. Due to our small size and now two separate facilities, we may still be able to have one person working in isolation at each facility in the interim to take care of shipping and receiving, but please be aware that service work and product shipments may be delayed as a result. We don’t have a timeline yet for a safe return to normal operating capacity, it may be a few days or it may be a couple of weeks. In the meantime, please use email to contact us if necessary, and I apologize for any inconvenience. Thanks for your understanding. Steve

Oh heck yeah. The Secus has won Bikerumor.com2020 Editor's Choice for suspension.

@bcsuspension That’s our demo @vorsprungsuspension Secus away on it’s first outing Holy hell the feel of this @rockshox Lyrik is now insane Looking forward to hearing some feedback soon Interested in finding out the difference for yourself? Just get in touch and we can arrange getting it fitted to YOUR fork to check out @basecampbikes

@nsdynamicsmtb Check out @vorsprungsuspension products for your next upgrade. @g_imagery #smashpot

Make it black and white and it’s art. . Is your shock overdue for a service? We can help you out with that.

Christmas tinsel?

Torn whether to do a coil conversion? The Lost Co breaks down the pros and cons of making the change. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ala6sP46vTw We ship Smashpots right to your door. Get yours here:... https://vorsprungsuspension.com//vorsprung-smashpot-fork-c See more

Secus spotted in the wild. Majestic.

Our first storefront used to be a pizza shop. Can you tell? We’ve come a long way since then.

Fresh lathed eggs #vorsprungsuspension

Cheers off.road.cc for including the #secus on your list

Why Luftkappe? Jed MTB breaks it down with this review and explainer. Convinced? You can get yours here --> bit.ly/3nLdrTX

The wait is over. Here's part 2 of How much travel do you really need. Sure the video has been up on our YouTube since February, but now we're sharing with you FB scrollers.

Secus Certified hot by The Lost Co.

Congrats on 2 years @thesuspensionlab Today marked of The Suspension Lab and #. In that time, we have completed 1,840 jobs from a variety of different brands. I want to say a big to everyone that has supported us so far. It’s been great to see how many people have been coming back for another annual service as we head in to summer! Finally, I need to give a huge shout out to @vorsprungsuspension who backed me from the moment I decided to start this venture!

Any guesses what Vorsprung product this goes into?

How much travel do you really need? Join Steve for a deep dive into the finer details on the limitations on too little and too much travel.

@cjsuspension putting the goods to work for the kiwi ride season. . Tune it Tuesday, getting it done here, she's all go! The Rockshox Super Deluxe is one of the best OEM products I've seen in a while and with the Vorsprung Tractive Tuning Kit this thing can suit a wide range of bikes and rider weights! This is my go to shock at the moment!

It's service season Book online and drop off at our Whistler location, or ship it to us from anywhere worldwide Learn more --> bit.ly/34UEsNT

@angrybikemechanic Alpine bound customer getting the Smashpot treatment

Did Aaron Gwin dropping a chain in Leogang 2015 actually give him an edge? Steve dives into the science of the relationship between your chain and suspension.

This summer NSMB.com put the #secus to the test and shared their thoughts. Do you agree? Disagree? Unleash below.

How often do bike parts come with crash replacement? We will replace any parts of your Secus damaged in the event of a crash or other accident for the first 12 months of ownership - no questions asked. Yeah really. https://bit.ly/2HQ4VmO

@slickandslidesuspension . About to check this Super Deluxe Ultimate that we have fitted a @vorsprungsuspension Tractive tune in. The @forbiddenbikecompany Druid it’s going on is going to feel amazing.

It got a little lost when COVID hit, but we're still buzzing from Pinkbike shouting us out as one of 10 Canadian Manufacturers Making Exciting Stuff.

We figured out that it was easiest to assemble the Secus first and laser etch the top caps once fully assembled, to ensure the logo lines up straight. Any guesses why we didn’t do the same with the body?

If you’ve been waiting for Fox 38 compatibility for the Secus, today is your lucky day! In stock and available now.

Psst... if you missed it, Smashpots are back in stock!

So we bought an EMA dyno. Probably should have bolted that one down prior to trying out full speed tests. Turns out these things can jump themselves off the floor. #thatwasntinthemanual #infactitspecificallysaysnoanchoringrequired #needstrongergravity #ifyourenotmeasuringyoureguessing

After significant amounts of faffing around, we’ve been able to confirm Secus fitment for the Zeb. And boy does it feel nice!

Do we have a future in spark plug manufacturing, or does this mean Smashpots are nearly ready to ship again?

#secus getting out there all round the world!

Sound on - quick run through of some of the less obvious features of the Secus, designed to prevent damage. And if you manage to damage one despite that (let’s face it, occasionally someone is going to get unlucky and damage one), we offer a 12 month crash replacement program.

For the first time, we created an air spring with a truly better spring rate than a coil - everywhere in the travel. Introducing the Secus air spring upgrade system. https://vorsprungsuspension.com/pr/secus-air-spring-upgrade

We're always on the hunt for elite-level partners around the world - so if you're an experienced, high-level suspension professional, please get in touch. . . . #Repost @proflowsuspension ... --- BIG NEWS! We are a @vorsprungsuspension Elite Tuning Centre. ProFlow can now supply and fit Luftkappes to Smashpots, Fractive Kits and Tractive Kits, all of the goodness Vorsprung has to offer. Want some more info? Get in touch +64273311144 [email protected] #proflowsuspension #vorsprung #proformance #Tractive #Fractive #Smashpot #Luftkappe #performancesuspension #mtb #suspension #queenstown #newzealand You thought that was rad? There’s still more to come

We've added some extra servicing slots for next week as the weather warms up, so come see us if your suspension is in need of some TLC.

Take a deeper look inside the new Fox 38 and hear what we thought of it.

The 38 is Fox's first entirely new fork platform since the 34 was launched in 2012, and it comes with a raft of new features and details. Who wants to see a video digging into the new tech?

It's the little things that brighten your day. Like making your suspension feel awesome.

Why DOES your suspension seem to work better when you take the chain off? What's pedal feedback? Does it actually happen when you're coasting? How about braking? Check it out - new Tuesday Tune episode is up.

New Tuesday Tune! This is Part 2 of our discussion on grip, and covers the fundamentals of dynamic grip and variation in contact patch load.

Throwback to ripping tyres off during some product testing at @maydenabikepark in January. If you haven't ridden Maydena, make it a priority once COVID19 is under control. Some of the best trails in the world for sure.

Even Wednesdays are Tuesdays when it's April 1st! New Tuesday Tune now up - this is part 1 of a 2 part episode where we discuss the fundamentals of mechanical grip.

There couldn't be a better time to get on top of your bike maintenance and have your suspension serviced. We understand a lot of people's incomes are affected by the lockdowns right now, so to ease the cost of bike maintenance we're offering a 15% discount on servicing of 2 or more items per customer. This offer only valid until 15th April.

We've made some important changes to the way we're operating to ensure the best quality service while maintaining the safety of everyone: - Please do not enter the store - Please reach us via phone or email should you have any enquiries ***... For Service Drop Offs: 1. Please place items for service in the blue tubs, or bikes in the rack outside. 2. Knock on the window and step away at least 3 metres. 3. A team member will come outside to assist you. *** For Service Pick Ups: 1. Knock on the window and step away at least 3 metres. 2. We will place your sanitised item outside. 3. Once we have re entered the store please take your items. ** Thank you for your cooperation and stay safe!

Fresh Smashpot coil install ready for the weekend - this one for a 120lbs rider. . Lighter riders tend to suffer disproportionately more from friction and the non-scalable aspects of an air fork (eg air ramp up from lower legs). . The Smashpot allows lighter riders to enjoy the same performance benefits as heavier riders.

We hope everyone is enjoying some social distancing time out on the trails. We will remain OPEN for servicing with extra cleaning procedures in place, and by limiting the number of customers in the store. Updates will be posted here, but for now, enjoy the sunshine and epic trail conditions!

COVID-19 update: we are still open for business (servicing/tuning/sales) as normal for the foreseeable future, following the news about the closure of the Whistler Blackcomb operations for the next 8 days, and in light of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Sea to Sky area. We are taking the viral threat seriously however, and ask that any customers bringing items in for service are diligent about basic personal hygiene (hand washing in particular, and not coming in if you're sick) so that we can ensure that we are not facilitating the spread of the disease. It goes without saying that we are doing the same. On a positive note, we as a community are quite fortunate that riding your bike in the woods is a pretty healthy and enjoyable way to practice social isolation for the time being.

That's not a lathe part, how very odd.

We're hiring! We're looking for experienced and capable people to fill Suspension Technician and Customer Relations/Marketing roles for 2020 and beyond. Email Steve at Vorsprung suspension dot com for more details or to apply. We offer a competitive wage, fair working conditions and other benefits... Such as being able to live, work and ride in Whistler!

For our Spanish-speaking compadres - check out Eddy Quiroz's review of the Luftkappe and the Smashpot.

#Repost @peaotter (@get_repost) Traction in spades the @vorsprungsuspension tractive tune from @nsdynamicsmtb is fantastic. In the moon dust conditions that Australia has been under for what seems like forever, having a supple and supportive compression tune brings you a whole new level of stoke to my rides. #happy #teamfran #mountainbiking

There are some genuinely switched on, no-bullshit people in this industry, and Jono @thesuspensionlab in Rotorua is unquestionably one of them. We've been working with The Suspension Lab for a while now and we are stoked on what they're doing.

Fall riding this year has been incredible. Michael Watt

Sleepless nights dreaming of insomnia

@andreulacondeguy on an actual rampage! You absolute maniac, there are no words to accurately convey how loose that is!

Should we be buying a Swiss lathe yet?

Consistency matters. Our proprietary Tractive Tuning software allows us to quantify exactly what damping we're giving you, given your weight and frame kinematics. It also allows us to assist directly and efficiently with our Elite Partner Tuning Centres worldwide. As an example, this particular tune is going to a customer of @nsdynamicsmtb in Australia. You know how it goes - if you're not measuring, you're guessing.

Found this little gem whilst digging through some old parts. This was a prototype designed and built pre-Vorsprung days, in 2011 or so. It was built to fit a Mission Control DH damper, to test the idea that excessive very low speed damping caused harshness - by doing the opposite and having almost no LSC at very low speeds, enabling crazy supple initial response. . However, once a certain speed was reached, the front shim (top of pic) would snap shut, cutting off the free ble...ed and delivering strong damping support through a conventional shimmed system. This meant assymetrical damping, literally induced hysteresis, where the LSC curve on acceleration was much lower than that during deceleration. . It actually worked pretty well - well enough to prove the concept anyway, it was both comfortable and supportive to ride - but for a number of reasons wasn't something that ever went to market. The clicking sound from the bleed shim closing was annoying, stack tolerances were very hard to control, the bleed shims eventually got damaged, and the Mission Control dampers underperformed in many other ways. And back then the manufacturing budget of several hundred dollars meant it wasn't going anywhere either See more

If you're not measuring, you're ____.

We keep getting asked when we'll be offering Tractive tuning for the DPX2. We aren't, and this is part of the reason why. . These plots are with no valving at all on the main piston, all force coming solely from shaft displacement. What's the takeaway? The rebound adjuster hugely affects the range of the compression adjuster. The patented design layout of the DPX2 precludes the possibility of getting around this. ... . All the oil displaced by the damper shaft has to go through either the LSC adjuster orifice or the rebound adjuster orifice in the base valve. Because neither of those have a shimmed or otherwise speed sensitive circuit, it's very difficult to get low to mid speed support out of this damper without risking high speed harshness, unless the rebound is valved quite firmly, so that the rebound adjuster can be run quite open. . As a result, unfortunately we will not offer Tractive tuning for this shock, because it's actually not possible to achieve many of the damping curves we specify without redesigning about half the shock. . Note that this DOES NOT mean the DPX2 is a bad shock. It means it's unsuitable for our tuning, no more and no less. It is however a reliable, lightweight and moderately adjustable unit that works reasonably well in stock guise (where both rebound and LSC are able to be run fairly open). Don't interpret this as a failure on Fox's part, it is simply designed to do something other than what we want to make it do.

We've barely posted anything on social media this summer. There's a litany of reasons for that, but the main one is that in spite of the connectivity that social media offers the mountain bike community, spending too much time on it just isn't great for people's mental health (ours included). It's a tricky balancing act for us - we aren't into spamming our feed with every fork or shock we've worked on, or posting another hundred photos of something you've seen a thousand times already. But social media is a major channel for us to connect with riders and our customers too, and we want to actively engage with you guys as human beings rather than yell marketing buzzwords into the internet void, so we aren't about to abandon it. What do you want to see more/less of from us?

Linkage forks: fad or future?

NSDYNAMICS came by and did a tour of our workshop. Come take a look inside what we do on a day to day basis.

Rémy Métailler and Peter Matthews ripping the new Dirt Merchant. Who else is excited about this?!

This is what hand pain looks like. . The line in the centre is effectively zero net force, and time moves along this axis. As the bike smashes through rough terrain, substantial (translational) vibration occurs in primarily vertical (up/down) and horizontal (front to rear) directions. . There's a lot that can be seen from this. For starters, a large element of handlebar vibration is perpendicular to the direction the suspension actually moves in! ... . This is part of the reason we look at more than just spring or damper behaviour alone. It's also part of the reason why we don't default to "reduce HSC damping" every time someone has an issue with harshness - because it isn't always relevant. . Hand/arm pain and harshness can be the result of many things. Damper tuning may be the cause - but it may be unrelated. Other factors to consider include tyre pressure, grip diameter and durometer, bar stiffness, brake power, and of course geometry and cockpit setup. . Our job is to make suspension work better, but it's also just one component within a bigger system. See more

If you're not measuring, you're guessing.