It probably never really crossed your mind unless you ride a lot, and I mean a lot (or hang out with a bunch of spandex junkies), but there are total bike geeks too. Just like folks get all wiggly over computer and new high-tech coolness, the same can be said for those of the bike persuasion. I’m both, and the new Simon suspension system from Cannondale is awesome on both sides of the geekiness fence.
This single pillar, left-sided suspension dispenses with all of the usual components you would expect to find in a suspension fork, and creates the perfect ride a electro-mechanical system that can be infinitely adjusted all from the little cyclometer looking device on the handle bars.
There isn’t a lot of information to be had on Cannondale’s website about Simon, but there is a good article over at Engadget from their coverage of CES with more information from last years Interbike show.
For now though, it’s still just another high-tech cool toy that you can’t get, and I’m not sure anyone would even buy it at this point. It’s a pig! The thing weighs in at 4.5 lbs, which can be twice as much as it’s high-end brothers, but they’re not as cool. Nevertheless, Cannondale’s Engineer Stanley Song expects that Simon will start to show up on bike soon. Check out the video clips at Engadget for more information from Song.
Hopefully this will get more traction, and actually find it’s way into a bike shop near you, unlike some of the other cool ideas that have come and gone. Remember the AWD Mountain bikes? No? Either do I.