Lindemann Engineering is pleased to announce a major breakthrough in suspension technology – the world’s first Digressive springs. Through an ingenious combination of metallurgy, manufacturing process and particle physics,
Lindemann Engineering’s Ed Sorbo has found the Holy Grail of suspension technology.
Progressive and straight-rate springs are well known in the suspension world. But a digressive rate spring has long been sought for the ability to let the suspension move just as fast at the end of the travel as it can at the beginning.
The breakthrough came when Sorbo was doing a thought experiment. Says Sorbo, “The problem with making a digressive spring is getting the metal to act in two different ways. I was pondering light’s ability to behave as a wave and as a particle. Then I remembered something Jim Lindemann said to me, and that was the eureka moment!”
Sorbo says his recycle bin has some very expensive scrap metal in it after some spectacular failures. But three years of hard work has paid off. The first test was a complete success with Bill Wickersham riding the test bike, a Fisher MRX appropriately named Particle to a win in it’s first-ever race. The long delay since that win, which proved the value of digressive springs, was caused by the development of a manufacturing process. Sorbo made the first springs by hand. Says Sorbo, “Never again!”
Particle’s sister, Wave, is being built right now with the first set of production LE Digressive Rate Springs. Sorbo says the potential uses for his springs are limitless, “I think we will see a set on the next Mars rover. In fact, if NASA asks I’ll sponsor them a set. Heck, I’ll even give them a lifetime warranty. I wonder what April 1st is like on Mars.”
Photo Caption: Bill Wickersham at Willow Springs with LE Digressive Rate Springs equipped Fischer MRX “Particle” and his First place California State Championship trophy in the bike’s first-ever race.