Suspension - Hercules Montfoort Operating Instructions Manual

3.3.2
Figure 5:
034-11572_1.0_29.08.2018

Suspension

Both forks and suspension forks are fitted in this model
series. A suspension fork is based either on a steel
spring or air suspension. Unlike a rigid fork, a
suspension fork has two functions which improve floor
contact and comfort: suspension and damping.
1
Bicycle without suspension (1) and with suspension (2) when
riding over an obstacle
The suspension prevents an impact, such as one
caused by a stone lying in the bike's path, from being
channelled directly into the rider's body via the fork.
The impact is absorbed by the suspension system
instead. This causes the suspension fork to compress.
The compression can be disabled so that a
suspension fork reacts like a rigid fork. The switch to
disable the fork is called a remote lockout.
After compressing, the suspension fork returns to its
original position. If there is a damper, it decelerates
movement, preventing the suspension system from
springing back in an uncontrolled manner and
stopping the fork from vibrating up and down.
Dampers which dampen compressive deflection
movements, i.e. a compression load, are called
compression dampers or compression dashpots.
Description
2
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