I'm highly skeptical of how much suspension movement you really need, and will even be utilized, when your rear wheel is locked up. Just to start, the impact forces of a locked wheel being unable to "roll-over" obstacles is probably going to be a lot more than the added impact force from a stiffer suspension. The friction of dragging the wheel up and over a square edge minimizes the upward force vector drastically compared to rolling up and over, meaning suspension movement that usually allows the wheel to "get out of the way" is just not going be generated to begin with, so there is less for the suspension to deal with no matter the stiffness.
Add in anti-rise squatting the suspension a bit, and at it's maximum force just before/around lock-up, and probably other forces I'm nothing think of... And I'm starting to think pedal kickback is just one \[minor?\] factor in a whole bunch of things effecting traction with a locked up wheel.
A bike with moderate anti-squat, pedal kickback, and anti-rise can diminish most of the detrimental effects on traction from a locked up wheel, and it will do it all the time without the inconsistency of a low-engagement hub.
March 15, 2023, 10:58 a.m. - Justin White
I'm highly skeptical of how much suspension movement you really need, and will even be utilized, when your rear wheel is locked up. Just to start, the impact forces of a locked wheel being unable to "roll-over" obstacles is probably going to be a lot more than the added impact force from a stiffer suspension. The friction of dragging the wheel up and over a square edge minimizes the upward force vector drastically compared to rolling up and over, meaning suspension movement that usually allows the wheel to "get out of the way" is just not going be generated to begin with, so there is less for the suspension to deal with no matter the stiffness. Add in anti-rise squatting the suspension a bit, and at it's maximum force just before/around lock-up, and probably other forces I'm nothing think of... And I'm starting to think pedal kickback is just one \[minor?\] factor in a whole bunch of things effecting traction with a locked up wheel. A bike with moderate anti-squat, pedal kickback, and anti-rise can diminish most of the detrimental effects on traction from a locked up wheel, and it will do it all the time without the inconsistency of a low-engagement hub.