Not really ‘news’, but “a significant number of major bicycle manufacturers have recognised the advantages metric sizing offers frame design”… you don’t say.

There is no doubt that the bicycle world is caught in the middle of an imperial/metric battle, a battle that has been raging on for years (we wrote a great piece on it in the mag… that I can’t find right now!). And it is a bloody nightmare! Travel measured in inches and millimetres, wheels in inches, bar diameters in millimetres… we could go on. In Europe metric rules supreme (in fact the original idea that the metric system is based on came about in 1799 in France!), in the US (and oddly only Myanmar and Liberia too – so says Wikipedia!) imperial is king.

So the ‘news’ is that a bunch of seemingly unrelated suspension brands (Cane Creek, DVO, Manitou, RockShox, Suntour and X Fusion) have got together and decided that all the measurements and fittings on their rear shocks will now be metric (what about forks?). We told you that it wasn’t really ‘news’… and it’s not even April Fools yet. Here’s the release:

SUSPENSION MANUFACTURERS INTRODUCE METRIC SHOCK SIZING

SIX OF THE BICYCLE INDUSTRY’S MAIN SUSPENSION MANUFACTURERS ANNOUNCED
TODAY THAT, BEGINNING WITH MODEL YEAR 2017 BICYCLES, CONSUMERS WILL SEE
SEVERAL NEW SHOCK LENGTHS AND FITMENT OPTIONS.

The new lengths are based on metric dimensions instead of the imperial-based dimensions of most current shock offerings. Cane Creek, DVO Suspension, Manitou, RockShox, SR Suntour, and X-Fusion are each working independently to develop shock options within their own product lines, and each brand will announce its metric sizing offerings separately.

The group of suspension manufacturers says that metric sizing allows both suspension and frame manufacturers to significantly simplify rear shock sizing and fitment, while also providing performance benefits to both suspension and frame designs.

A significant number of major bicycle manufacturers have recognised the advantages metric sizing offers frame design, and will be introducing new bikes equipped with metric rear shocks in the near future.

Though the group is enthusiastic about the future of metric sizing in suspension, each company says it will remain committed to supporting its imperial shock sizes as long as market demand is relevant.