Flip Chips and Modifiers

Configuration

Bike modifications such as flip chips, cockpit adjustments, suspension changes can be modeled through the Modify tab of the left sidebar.

Unlike creating a new bike model, modifiers use the existing frame and link geometry. A solver engine resolves the resulting geometry and link positions. This offers instant feedback on how current platforms can be adjusted using new linkages and components, and can save significant time compared to traditional CAD-based analysis.

Select a Chip Configuration

Each chip configuration is composed of a complete set of linkage point-offsets and bike modifiers. Bikes can have multiple chip configurations to store different chip settings or bike setups. A chip can be loaded from the Chip Selection dropdown or a new chip can be created by clicking New.

Modified configuration select

Chip Structure

Chips are composed of both bike modifiers and linkage point-offsets. Every bike will have a Default chip configuration which sets all modifiers to zero and provides the nominal bike configuration.

Geometry modifiers

  • Fork Length: Adds this amount to the fork length. Shows the impact of under/over forking a bike.

  • Fork Offset: Adds this amount to the fork offset.

  • Shock Length: Adds this amount to the total shock length (shock length + shock extension length) and moves the linkage to accommodate the change in shock length. This is useful for evaluating the impacts of changing shock extensions and long/short shocking a bike.

  • Shock Stroke: Adds this amount to the shock stroke that the linkage will be solved to. No impact on geometry or point positions.

  • Tire Diameter: If set to zero all geometry and kinematics are computed using the stock tire diameter. If the values are non-zero the tire diameter used for solving will be overridden with the value given. Useful for evaluating the impacts of different tire and wheel selections on a platform.

Linkage Points

Linkage pivot points can be adjusted on either connecting link with different results for each. As an example with a Horst-link bike moving the Horst pivot -10mm in x on the chainstay will lengthen the chainstay link and push the wheel further back. Moving that pivot on the seatstay -10mm in x will instead change the seatstay geometry and pull the wheel closer to the bottom bracket. Link attachments such as idlers, wheels, and shock are only adjusted on the link they connect to.

Modified linkage points

Note: Point modifiers are offset distances from the base position with respect to the original frame coordinate system (shock at full extension). This allows associated CAD models to reference a static coordinate system when laying out flip chip options.

Geometry Analysis

Complete geometry tables for the chip configurations can be viewed by clicking Geo Analysis from the Modify tab. As flip chip configuration parameters are changed, the resulting geometry will be updated instantly. The bike's nominal geometry parameters can also be adjusted here, identically to the table accessible from the Geometry tab.

Modified geometry

Troubleshooting

The flip chip design engine is designed to be as flexible as possible. However, many chip configurations are possible that will not lead to a valid result. In general chip displacements in the range of [-10mm, 10mm] are quite safe. Larger displacements and certain linkage types can be more prone to invalid configurations due to linkage locking or inversions.

There are some caveats to the chip design module:

  • The resulting linkage must be a valid 2/4/6 bar linkage with the nominal shock length. For example, you cannot have a linkage that is locked out or inverted at the stock shock length and rely on the Shock Length change parameter to create a valid solution. For this case you must model the linkage arrangement as a separate bike file.

  • Linkage connections cannot be changed. For example, you cannot reassign which links the shock or wheel attach to using chips.

  • Slider bikes do not allow movement of the slider rail connection points. Other points can still be chipped.

Note: If the linkage locks up partially through the travel you will still get plotted curves until there is a lockout or shock reversal. Open the Bike Info panel by clicking on the bike's name to see how much shock travel was able to be used.