Oh my god, that's horrible! I think my world fell apart just this very moment... seriously. When I was in Whistler I thought this had to be the one place on earth where nobody would even think about stealing a bike. It felt like the atmosphere was so friendly and familial.. and seemingly everybody had super expensive bikes on their trucks.

Haha, they sad that about the other steve too... must be the name!

It's the right of a person to exercise a risky sport. This is definitely not something you should have to ask the gouvernment for permission. It's just within your freedom and self-determination, which is a feature of a well developed state. Only thing a state needs for not 'footing the bill' is a mandatory health insurence with a compulsory risk settlement for which everybody has to pay financial contributions. A fat man with diabetes, adiposity and severe back problems does not cost less, than somebody crippled by an accident and it's at least as preventable. And then again it may be more dangerous to ride bike in traffic and get hit by a car... I for one think, that it's pretty commendable for the dad to have is son spending time with him and therefore teach him social life instead of have him playing videogames alone in a darkroom and become estranged from his parents and others - even if I like doing both, riding and playing games, I think riding is the more salubrious alternative. Apart from that, I agree with you, that a legally bound organization would help in many ways.

Oh well... so why are you breathing? I bet someone has done that before...

Exactly what I said in the last round. I actually didn't like those big sniffy promises he threw out there at all, so I had to get some substantiated criticism off of my chest. Apart from that, it's an outstanding piece of work and from those designs up there pretty much the flashiest one. But still, I have to insist it's not the only linkage that provides all of those three characteristics, as discussed already. I was about to say the vote just has to go to the DF-350 nonetheless... but then I decided, that the derailleur guide really is taking an unjustified back seat as it is a fairly underestimated and not so eye-catching design, yet it's a very solid construction on a technically challenging matter.

Well in my eyes, they do incorporate all three of those features... at least to a certain extent. The V3 has a rearward axle path throughout 65% of it's travel, yours has 75% based on your own statement - so how exactly does the V3 not have a rearward biased wheel path? I don't get the argument. However, for me the bike that seems to be the closest bet as to your mentioned features, is the GHOST DH bike, that also features a 75% rearward biased wheel path and the so called "boogy roll" - that you obviously implemented in your design, too - which eliminates chaingrowth and allows absolute free movement throughout the travel. Moreover it's based on a Horst Link, which enables it to eliminate/minimize braking induced suspension reaction compared to a VPP and saves weight over a floating brake. So the GHOST seems to have it all, and is well balanced either... or did I miss something? Now, one could argue, that the weight balance of your design is better (lower) with more of a horizontal lying damper, but then again your design seems to be heavier in the end. But really, this is criticism at the highest stage, I'll give you that your design is very well thought out and a functional combination of existing systems and features, so don't get me wrong... as I already said, I think your design is great and I wouldn't want to assume that I could do it better in any way... It was just your claim, that I could not take without giving my 2 cents. Thx for your reply, anyways. I apreciate you going into it. :)

Fair enough.. :)

Yario, read [b]LukeT66[/b]'s comment... "[...] http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3064/2888852970_8cd7ff202c.jpg" obviously the adapter does exist already! And about that electronic predictive system: I for one hate it, when machines take control over things I am supposed to handle.. Call me a dinosaur, but I like driving cars with manual gearbox and I even like driving through foreign countries without a navigation system. And moreover I like putting time and sweat into my hobby and my bike, to make it perform better and to perform better myself - because that's what a hobby should be about... having fun spending time and effort on it. Why don't you play a DH or motocross videogame... there you just have to push a button to control everything. And you can't even hurt yourself anymore, nice eh? Believe me, I am not technology-averse... I love technology, I really do... but what's the point in simplifying everything to an extent, that brings stultification of people? This kind of reminds me of the scene in the movie "Demolition Man", you know, where they are supposed to put them things on their heads to make love virtually... hahaha... I guess there are some things left on this earth, a man needs to do by himself. ;)

I keep wondering where the design of the footsie came from... ? http://toyreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/scooter2005.jpg ;)

I like the design of the DF-350, it's really neat and probably one of the most explicit and elaborated models... but sentences like "[...] however this is [...] the only frame design that incorporates a low and central center of gravity, fully active suspension under braking and pedaling forces, and a rearward biased wheel path." destroy it's achievement and credibility within a heartbeat for me, since this is pretty much what EVERY single manufacturer claims for their frames. Let's face it, today's frames are pretty much dialed and very comparable in their function. For instance a Mondraker Summum, Commencal Supreme DH V3 or Santa Cruz V10 all have those mentioned attributes, just to name a few of the most common designs... so how is this design supposed to be the only f*ckin one?