page_title: Bicycle suspension
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Bicycle suspension / History
caption_attribution_description: English: A Whippet safety bicycle now in the collections of the Science Museum (London) as copied from their ObjectWiki.
context_page_description: Bicycle suspension is the system, or systems, used to suspend the rider and bicycle in order to insulate them from the roughness of the terrain. Bicycle suspension is used primarily on mountain bikes, but is also common on hybrid bicycles.
  Bicycle suspension can be implemented in a variety of ways, and any combination thereof:
  Front suspension
  Rear suspension
  Suspension seatpost
  Suspension saddle
  Suspension stem
  Suspension hub
  Bicycles with only front suspension are referred to as hardtail and bicycles with suspension in both the front and rear are referred to as dual or full suspension bikes. When a bicycle has no suspension it is called rigid. Bicycles with only rear suspension are uncommon although the Brompton folding bicycle is equipped with rear only suspension.
  Although a stiffer frame is usually preferable, no material is infinitely stiff and therefore any frame will exhibit some flexing. Bicycle designers intentionally make frames in such a way that the frame itself can absorb some vibrations.
  Besides providing comfort to the rider, suspension systems improve traction and safety by helping to keep one or both wheels in contact with the ground.
context_section_description: As early as 1885, the Whippet brand of safety bicycle was notable for its use of springs to suspend the frame. In 1901 the famous author on bicycles Archibald Sharp patented air suspension for bicycles. He was involved with Air Springs Ltd and they developed an air sprung motorcycle in 1909, but they also loaned an air sprung bicycle to the correspondent to show how good the suspension was.
  It wasn't until 1983 when the first true suspension design came around.  A simple rear shock with a single pivot was designed by Brian Skinner and implemented onto a bike called the MCR Descender.  This bike had a rigid front fork as the technology to build a fork with a shock wasn't here yet, at least for a mountain bike.
  
  Front suspension first appeared on a bike in 1990 when the founder of Manitou, Doug Bradburry, designed and built the first front suspension fork in his garage.  The fork used elastomers and had no dampening effect, just a spring.  However, the stiffness was able to be controlled and functioned well except in cold weather.
caption: 1885 Whippet safety bicycle
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