Bicycle rear suspension

A bicycle, comprising:

• a front wheel;
• a rear wheel;
• a frame comprising a main frame portion and an articulating frame portion, said articulating frame portion carrying said rear wheel, said articulating frame portion having a relaxed configuration and a compressed configuration;
• the articulating frame portion comprising:
• a lower arm pivotally supported at a first axis by the main frame portion;
• an upper frame link pivotally supported at a second axis by the main frame portion;
• an upper arm pivotally coupled to the upper frame link and the lower arm;
• an upper shock link pivotally supported at a third axis by one or both of the upper frame link and the upper arm;
• and
• a lower shock link pivotally coupled to the main frame portion;
• a shock absorber having a first end and a second end, the first end pivotally supported at a fourth axis by the main frame portion, the second end pivotally supported at a fifth axis by the upper shock link and the lower shock link, the shock absorber configured to bias the articulating frame portion to the relaxed configuration;
• and
• a pedal crank rotatably coupled to the main frame portion at sixth axis, the first axis being forward of the sixth axis;
• wherein, when the bicycle is positioned on a horizontal surface with the articulating frame portion in the relaxed configuration, a horizontal distance from the sixth axis to the first axis is at least 1.5 inches.

A bicycle, comprising:

• a front wheel;
• a rear wheel;
• a frame comprising a main frame portion and an articulating frame portion, said articulating frame portion carrying said rear wheel, said articulating frame portion having a relaxed configuration and a compressed configuration;
• the articulating frame portion comprising:
• a lower arm pivotally supported at a first axis by the main frame portion;
• an upper frame link pivotally supported at a second axis by the main frame portion;
• an upper arm pivotally coupled to the upper frame link and the lower arm;
• an upper shock link pivotally supported at a third axis by one or both of the upper frame link and the upper arm;
• and
• a lower shock link pivotally coupled to the main frame portion;
• and
• a shock absorber having a first end and a second end, the first end pivotally supported at a fourth axis by the main frame portion, the second end pivotally supported at a fifth axis by the upper shock link and the lower shock link, the shock absorber configured to bias the articulating frame portion to the relaxed configuration;
• wherein the first axis is positioned at least 0.50 inches forward of the second axis when the bicycle is positioned on a horizontal surface with the articulating frame portion in the relaxed configuration.

A bicycle, comprising:

• a front wheel;
• a rear wheel;
• a frame comprising a main frame portion and an articulating frame portion, said articulating frame portion carrying said rear wheel, said articulating frame portion having a relaxed configuration and a compressed configuration;
• the articulating frame portion comprising:
• a lower arm pivotally supported at a first axis by the main frame portion;
• an upper frame link pivotally supported at a second axis by the main frame portion;
• an upper arm pivotally coupled to the upper frame link and the lower arm;
• an upper shock link pivotally supported at a third axis by one or both of the upper frame link and the upper arm;
• and
• a lower shock link pivotally coupled to the main frame portion;
• and
• a shock absorber having a first end and a second end, the first end pivotally supported at a fourth axis by the main frame portion, the second end pivotally supported at a fifth axis by the upper shock link and the lower shock link, the shock absorber configured to bias the articulating frame portion to the relaxed configuration;
• wherein the first axis is positioned forward of the second axis when the bicycle is positioned on a horizontal surface with the articulating frame portion in the relaxed configuration;
• and
• wherein the second axis is collinear with the fourth axis.

A bicycle, comprising:

• a front wheel;
• a rear wheel;
• a frame comprising a main frame portion and an articulating frame portion, said articulating frame portion carrying said rear wheel, said articulating frame portion having a relaxed configuration and a compressed configuration;
• the articulating frame portion comprising:
• a lower arm pivotally supported at a first axis by the main frame portion;
• an upper frame link pivotally supported at a second axis by the main frame portion;
• an upper arm pivotally coupled to the upper frame link and the lower arm;
• an upper shock link pivotally supported at a third axis by one or both of the upper frame link and the upper arm;
• and
• a lower shock link pivotally coupled to the main frame portion;
• and
• a shock absorber having a first end and a second end, the first end pivotally supported at a fourth axis by the main frame portion, the second end pivotally supported at a fifth axis by the upper shock link and the lower shock link, the shock absorber configured to bias the articulating frame portion to the relaxed configuration;
• wherein the first axis is positioned forward of the second axis when the bicycle is positioned on a horizontal surface with the articulating frame portion in the relaxed configuration;
• and
• wherein the fourth axis is positioned above the fifth axis such that a longitudinal axis of the shock absorber slopes downward from the first end to the second end in all positions between the compressed configuration and the relaxed configuration.

A bicycle, comprising:

• a front wheel;
• a rear wheel;
• a frame comprising a main frame portion and an articulating frame portion, said articulating frame portion carrying said rear wheel, said articulating frame portion having a relaxed configuration and a compressed configuration;
• the articulating frame portion comprising:
• a lower arm pivotally supported at a first axis by the main frame portion;
• an upper frame link pivotally supported at a second axis by the main frame portion;
• an upper arm pivotally coupled to the upper frame link and the lower arm;
• an upper shock link pivotally supported at a third axis by one or both of the upper frame link and the upper arm;
• and
• a lower shock link pivotally coupled to the main frame portion;
• and
• a shock absorber having a first end and a second end, the first end pivotally supported at a fourth axis by the main frame portion, the second end pivotally supported at a fifth axis by the upper shock link and the lower shock link, the shock absorber configured to bias the articulating frame portion to the relaxed configuration;
• wherein the first axis is positioned forward of the second axis when the bicycle is positioned on a horizontal surface with the articulating frame portion in the relaxed configuration;
• and
• wherein the fourth axis and the fifth axis are both positioned below the second axis throughout a range of motion of the articulating frame portion from the relaxed configuration to the compressed configuration.