Patent ID: 7296815

Claim:
A bicycle, comprising a main frame, which comprises a top tube, a down tube positioned below the top tube, a seat tube, and a bottom bracket; a rear wheel suspension system which comprises an upper rocker arm comprising a rearward pivot point and a forward pivot point, the upper rocker arm forward pivot point providing a connection between the upper rocker arm and the main frame, a lower rocker arm comprising a rearward pivot point and a forward pivot point, the lower rocker arm forward pivot point providing a connection between the lower rocker arm and the main frame, a seat stay pivotally connected to the rearward pivot point of the upper rocker arm and pivotally connected to the rearward pivot point of the lower rocker arm, and a shock absorber apparatus comprising a bell crank linkage device, the shock absorber apparatus being coupled to the main frame and the rear wheel suspension system of the bicycle, the suspension system tracks a chain force torque line with an instant center, and a plurality of chain sprockets and a chain located thereon, at least one of the chain sprockets positioned in proximity of the rearward pivot point of the lower rocker arm, and at least one of the chain sprockets positioned in proximity of the bottom bracket, wherein the instant center is defined as a point at the intersection of a first imaginary straight line drawn through the rearward pivot point and the forward pivot point of the upper rocker arm, and a second imaginary straight line drawn through the rearward pivot point and the forward pivot point of the lower rocker arm, and wherein the instant center is located in front of the bottom bracket when the suspension system is not compressed, and a perpendicular distance between the instant center and the chain torque line decreases to zero as the suspension is compressed, and the chain force torque line is defined as a parallel line extending along the tension side of the chain while the chain is positioned on the chain sprockets of the bicycle.