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Corratec Unveils Inside Link Full Suspension Platform on New 650B Marathon Race Bike

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2013 Corratec Inside Link full suspension platform and new 650B marathon race mountain bike

As if to exemplify German efficiency, the new Corratec Inside Link 650b full suspension race bike gets just 70mm rear wheel travel using an all-new suspension design called Inside Link.

They claim it’s “very light, very fast.” The virtual pivot point is about 5-6 inches behind the lower linkage, just behind the forward side of the rear rim. The effect, they claim, is that pedaling forces stiffen the rear triangle. The effect is designed to work in concert with your body’s position on the bike when climbing, ripping along or descending. Since the shock has sag, if you go to climb over a root or rock, it drives the rear wheel into it for solid traction where a hardtail or other design might slip and cause wheel spin. It also minimizes pedal bob. When your weight is more over the rear wheel for a steep descent, it gets more active since you’re generally not pedaling in such cases.

2013 Corratec Inside Link full suspension platform and new 650B marathon race mountain bike

This test mule was rigged with all sorts of sensors and doodads to measure suspension movement and forces.

2013 Corratec Inside Link full suspension platform and new 650B marathon race mountain bike

2013 Corratec Inside Link full suspension platform and new 650B marathon race mountain bike

On the finished bike, the effective pivot point would be about two inches behind the “L” in Ralph on the tire.

2013 Corratec Inside Link full suspension platform and new 650B marathon race mountain bike

Frame is full carbon fiber with a one-piece molded rear triangle and alloy linkages connected by heavy duty cartridge bearings. Bearings sit in a titanium axle to prevent corrosion between the alloy and the carbon frame.

Rear axle is the Syntace X-12. Bottom bracket is a Corratec UBBS design, which bonds into the frame and uses bolt-on end caps to fit any 24mm BSA or GXP crank type. BB30 bearings press directly into the internal piece with no endcaps.

2013 Corratec Inside Link full suspension platform and new 650B marathon race mountain bike

Starts shipping in October. Complete bike target weight is 9kg. Rear brake cable will run internally on production models, this one’s a late stage prototype. It’ll also have ports ready for the Stealth Reverb. An XT spec level will be also offered, prices ranging from €4,999 to €7,999.

The Inside Link suspension platform Is adaptable to longer travel and bigger wheels, so look for the design to spread thru their line in coming years.

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matt
matt
11 years ago

Sounds like its advertising to do the exact same thing the late 90’s ProFlex bikes were designed to do by having the pedal forces driving the suspension into the ground and stiffening it to reduce bob.

Steve M
Steve M
11 years ago

Boy am I confused. None of the photos show this Inside Link as described. Secondly you can’t force things into the ground. Gravity is a bitch that way. You can “pick the frame up” mechanically however.

daniele
daniele
11 years ago

this is nothing but a VPP…the lower link is above the bottom bracket, otherwise i see patent infringement

Tony
Tony
11 years ago

This bike looks like a VPP but it’s not. The lower link rotates the same direction as the upper link. it’s actually like a “reversed DW-Link” with the IC starting behind the lower link and going inside of it…

Anyway, the explanation in the website is not very good, and the press release it’s also pretty awful. I don’t know who is behind the design, but there is a “genius” behind it…. And I guess that they have tried to give a simple explanation so anyone can understand how it works, but they just made it worse.

The frame is 100% XC efficient, the travel is crazy short, the shock ratio is very XC, and on top of that it has a shock with a remote lockout. There is not magic behind it, it’s just a F1 type of suspension.

daniele
daniele
11 years ago

Tony, you are indeed right!
the lower link rotates in the same direction of the upper link…my bad!

Burzio Luca
11 years ago

The InsideLink lower arm doesn’t move in the same direction of the upper, it “floats” around his position, first go DOWN then up (we are talking about 2mm in each directions)…and is exactly that the difference with SantaCruz VPP. not only but the path of the Istant Center move from back (inside the rear wheel) to front sliding down, this path is patented from us, this is the InsideLink core.
The shock with the lockout is a mistake, simply we ordered the parts during developing, when we were searching the result we wanted. It will be without in mass production, in the catalogue photoshooting is removed with photoshop.
What was presented at the show is the Design Rev 3, the mass production will be the Rev 5 with some updates.
You all are right, the explanation at the moment is not so good, but you can “really” understand only with the Linkage file…we showed during press presentation.

Burzio Luca – Corratec
InsideLink Team

Flo
Flo
11 years ago

Looks Good. Finally some German Brands on bikerumor.
Can’t wait to ride it myself.

Warp
Warp
11 years ago

Wouldn’t it have more suspension stiffening due to brake forces as compared to current designs?

NannaFace
NannaFace
11 years ago

Burzio,
would like to please see some photos of the clearance in the front fork with regard to your 650b tire choice and the clearance in the rear of your frame as well.

That is a ton of graphics – a bit much IMO.

MTBmann
11 years ago

The suspension looks like an updated version of Marin’s Quad Link to me.
Lower link behind seat tube instead of in front of down tube.
The Marin Quad Link doesn’t suffer much from bob/dip when pedalling up hill.

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