Interbike 2009: Computer-Controlled Suspension from Cannondale
By Ron Koch
Like many years before this, day two of Interbike was kicked off by watching the sun rise on the Vegas Strip—but not because we were out all night. This time, the promise of groundbreaking technology meant getting up early only to be part of a rather involved production that probably had everyone thinking, “this better be good.” Cannondale delivered with a fork system that made getting up before the sun and almost getting motion sickness while riding around in the back of a dark Unimog well worth it.
For the last five years, Cannondale has been working on a programmable electronic suspension system that they’ve dubbed Simon. Its chassis is a standard Lefty fork that we’re all familiar with, but inside sits something that seems like it’s straight off a Formula One race car. An on-board high-speed computer system allows for situational suspension that can adapt for travel management and damping rates depending on the map setting you choose and terrain input the fork senses. With 10,000 terrain response maps, there should be an ideal setting for almost any rider on nearly any terrain. Instead of a traditional shim-damped system, Simon’s oil is pushed through an electronically controlled linear force motor that controls the rate of flow every two milliseconds based on the chosen map setting and feedback given by an accelerometer located on the lower fork leg. A small bar mounted joystick allows the rider to quickly select one of five settings on the fly while an LCD screen offers a mind-numbing amount of info. A rechargeable lithium-ion cobalt battery pack is located inside the Lefty’s steerer while the LCD screen pops in the top. This system can even guide you through the setup process: just enter your weight and Simon will tell you the correct air pressure, your current sag and recommend any needed changes. This is exciting stuff but at this point Cannondale says that there’s no release date and no price tag.
Unlike many promising technologies we hear about this one isn’t just vaporware - we were able to ride and feel what Simon is all about but only in a parking lot. Even then you could feel the damping system in each if it’s five available modes and how it reacted to impacts. As exciting as this technology is on its own the potential is huge - just imagine an electronically activated front and rear suspension system combined with a Shimano Di2 like electronic drivetrain powered by solar or some kind of brake activated generator. It’s not unrealistic for such things to start surfacing in the near future.
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