Have you ever wondered how all of the suspension gadgets that professional trail racers strap to their bikes actually benefit their ride? California based, Motion Instruments, brings suspension setup analytics to the masses with their new Motion IQ app and squish-analyzing instruments. Apart from polished titanium cranksets, suspension components are often the most costly bits bolted to our frames, and by far the most adjustable. Motion Instruments aims to help tune them for peak performance, efficiency, and comfort through scientific data analysis.
With a set of on-bike measuring devices that send suspension performance analysis to a phone app, riders can better assess their position on the bike, cockpit setup, fork and shock rebound and compression settings, and how much air or coil spring pressure is needed for optimal performance. Greg Minnaar, who was the first athlete to test the system, says “with MotionIQ, I now have data to match the feeling on the bike. Data specific to your bike gives you an unfair advantage. If you want to push boundaries, the science of bike setup needs to be in your tool box.”
While there are a few products on the market that analyze a bike’s suspension setup while riding, Motion Instruments claims that theirs is “the only system that quantifies bike balance, comparing front and rear bike-to-ground interaction for compression and rebound movement, which is a key element to great handling and stability.” The analysis is influenced by your body measurements, your frame’s leverage ratio, and your bike’s overall geometry, all of which can be entered into the system before hitting the trail.
Once the data is recorded by the app it can be shared or saved for future comparisons. Data is available immediately, without an internet connection, so you can test a variety of adjustments throughout the day to find what best suits your riding style, terrain, and suspension.
Motion Instruments is offering a 25% pre-order discount on their XC, Enduro, and DH analysis units. The systems are split between three segments — XC, enduro, and DH — and each segment is divided between an “Expert” and a “Pro” version. The XC Expert System retails for $359.99 and the XC Pro for $519.99, while the enduro Expert/Pro systems sell for $799.99 and $999.99 respectively. The DH analysis systems are $839.99 and $999.99. From there, subscriptions to the MotionIQ App range from free to $29.99 per month, depending on the features you are looking for. Those prices may seem steep, but many athletes are paying as much or more for power meters and coaches, and suspension tune can be an equally important consideration.
Learn more at Motion Instruments’ website.
