Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Soft Hip Exoskeleton Reduces Physiological Cost and Perceived Exertion In Older Adults During Uphill Walking
Published on: June 9, 2026
Full suspension mountain bike improves off-road cycling performance
T Nishii1, Y Umemura, K Kitagawa
1Laboratory for Exercise Physiology and Sport Biomechanics, School of Health and Sport Sciences, Chukyo University, Japan. tisii@cnc.chukyo-u.ac.jp
Aim:
The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of suspension systems on the cycling performance of cyclists during off-road bicycling.
Methods:
Eight elite male cyclists (67.8+/-5.8 ml/min/kg of (.-)VO(2max)) performed 30-minute riding tests on bicycles with 2 different suspension setups: front suspension (FS) and front and rear suspension (FRS). Heart rate, blood lactate concentration, pedaling power, cadence, cycling velocity, and completed distance during the trial were measured creatin kinase (CK), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) were measured before and after the trials.
Results:
The average cadence during the trial was significantly higher (p<0.05) with the FRS (73.6+/-6.1 rpm) than the FS (70.2+/-6.2 rpm). Subjects rode significantly faster (p<0.05) on FRS (24.1+/-2.6 km/h) than FS bikes (22.9+/-2.4 km/h), although no significant difference was observed in pedaling power (240.7+/-26.6 W vs 242.2+/-28.8 W, FS vs FRS, respectively). Serum creatin kinase increased significantly (p<0.05) at 24 h after the trial when cyclists exercised with the FS bike.
Conclusions:
We conclude that the FRS improved cycling performance over rough terrain. FRS might therefore be more suitable for cross-country mountain bike races.
Related Concept Videos
Rolling Resistance
For instance, imagine a hard cylinder rolling on a comparatively soft surface. The cylinder's weight compresses the surface beneath it. As the cylinder moves, the material in front of it slows down due to...
Torque Free Motion
Eccentric Loading
Muscle Stimulation Frequency
Wave summation
At low firing rates, motor neurons induce individual twitch contractions in muscle fibers. These twitches...
Carbon Skeletons
Design of Transmission Shafts