Semi-active, fail-safe magneto-rheological fluid dampers for mountain bicycles

This paper presents the development and evaluation of field-controllable, semi-active fail-safe magneto-rheological fluid (MRF) dampers for a mountain bicycle. A fail-safe damper refers to a damper that retains a minimum required damping capacity in the event of a power supply or electronic system failures. Two new MRF dampers are designed and tested with the intent of being used on the front and rear suspension of a mountain bicycle. The MRF dampers are designed to emulate the performance of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) shock absorbers in the passive off mode (i.e., no magnetic field). Procedures and results are presented for the design and experimental characterization of these MRF dampers.