Submitted by Mark Emerson a Triathlon rider from Ramona, CA

Date Reviewed: 09/23/01

My name is Mark Emerson and I am a triathlete. I am what is referred to as an age group triathlete. That is I compete in different triathlons in the 40-44 age group. I have been participating in triathlons, duathlons, cross country and swim races for approximately 12 years.

Morten Lund (the owner of Pantour) and I met by chance, which has become advantageous for both of us. Mr. Lund has introduced me to a new kind of bicycle performance part, the only one known to me in the world; a front suspension hub. 

The first day we put his bicycle suspension hub onto my Cannondale tri-bike, I rode around the block and was truly amazed. The ride was very smooth. It felt as if the bike was floating. I purposely looked for bumps or rough sections of the road to test out the performance of the hub. For me the most noticeable feeling was cornering, instead of the wheel "hopping or skipping" around the corner, the bike tire stayed down making full contact with the road, making cornering a breeze.

From that day on I have taken my daily ride with my new wheel. My daily ride is from my home in Ramona up Old Julian Hwy in North county San Diego towards the mountains surrounding Julian. The ride is approximately 30 miles and consists of steep hills going from 1500 feet to 5000 feet. These roads are paved, but rough with many bumps and uneven pavement. I really enjoy the suspension hub, it has made my training more enjoyable, with much less wear and tear on my body. I would definitely recommend the suspension hub to any athlete for use in training or racing. I believe this hub will help them be able to train more often because they won’t feel so "beat up." I found this out first hand when I dropped the wheel off at Pantour for inspection. I had to ride on my regular training wheel. After returning from my usual bike ride I felt tired, and the next day I had similar experience. I was very tired and felt "beat up." My neck and shoulders were tired as well as my arms. I couldn’t believe the difference.

The suspension hub also comes with elastomers for different rider’s weight and or particular taste. So you can go from a stiffer ride to a much softer ride in a matter of a 10 minute replacement.

I really enjoy the smooth shock free ride. I like coming home after a nice long ride and not feel fatigued. This suspension wheel gives you an awesome ride and has a cool look. The bike is smooth even on downhills over 50 mph. This wheel will completely spoil you.