<FONT
SIZE=”2″ FACE=”Arial”>Think your suspension is “plush” and smooth moving?
It’s positively sticky and graunchy by comparison to what’ll be available in the
future.

Using NASA inspired engineering principles, suspension designers are just starting
to use “ion implanted” bearing materials to make suspension systems work
better and smoother than ever possible before.

Reported in “Engineering” magazine, ion implantation is being used on cutting
edge World Superbike and Grand Prix racing cars as well as some car rally suspension
components.

Inside a vacuum chamber with an ion source, carbon and nitrogen ions are bombarded
onto the parent material, forming carbides and nitrides giving a hardening effect
and a reduction in friction. This is similar to the “titanium nitride”
coating on Pace’s RC36 ProClass forks, but more so.

The
technology has been developed by AEA Technology Race Engineering – a sister company
to the Atomic Energy Authority – the friendly face of Sellafield!

Who’ll be the first to pick up this technology and bring it to bicycle components
we’ve yet to see, but we’re expecting it to be included on 2001 product line.