Horst-Link Superiority: Why Zink Bikes Simply Work
You may have already heard me proudly saying I have created my dream bikes, but building them took years of trial, error, and many prototypes. After experimenting with numerous linkage platforms, I ultimately chose the Horst Link (Four-Bar/FSR) suspension platform for its unmatched freedom, versatility and ability to achieve the exact leverage curve and wheel-path I envisioned.
A SOLUTION TO BRAKE-JACK
As a young racer, the bike I wanted most was one of the original Horst-Link designs—the legendary Intense M1. Sure, Shaun Palmer's influence was undeniable, but the M1 also had an undeniable allure: custom craftsmanship, high-end machining, and that small-batch, exclusive feel. Originally invented by Horst Leitner in the early '90s to combat brake-jack (the hot topic at DH races back then), since then the design has evolved dramatically. Today, we consider intricate dynamics like anti-squat, anti-rise, pedal kickback, and—most importantly to me—leverage curve and chain-growth/wheelbase-growth (or lack thereof).
TRIED AND TRUE
Horst Leitner originally patented the design under his brand, AMP. A myriad of companies, like Intense, used the platform, likely licensing the technology under a royalty structure, until Specialized bought the patent and all licensees then paid Specialized the royalties. After the statute of limitations was reached, it is now a royalty-free platform. YT, for example, waited until the patent expired to launch in the USA in 2015, with yours truly as CEO of YT USA until the end of 2017.
NOT ALL BIKES ARE CREATED EQUAL
Not all Horst Link-equipped bikes are created equal, however. Here's why: The bike industry's greatest strength isn’t just about creating new technology; it's about marketing mechanical advantages, real or perceived, to drive sales across countless brands. VPP, DW-Link, VP4, Split-Pivot—they all promise performance gains, but in the modern era, these gains have plateaued. The truth is, bikes today share many similar characteristics regardless of linkage type, as they are trying to achieve the same ride properties with different placement of pivots. Bikes have become homogenized where the variance is miniscule. Goals of creating something different for the sake of it simply being different is more of a marketing tactic than an engineering feat.
Just like how an expensive suspension setup can perform poorly or budget setups excel depending on the quality of its tuning, the same goes for linkage platforms. If there are many platforms that can achieve the same feel brands are striving for, maybe brands have been focusing on the wrong goal?
There are many great bikes—and garbage bikes—utilizing the same design platforms. (If you're a surfer or snowboarder: Lumping bikes together based on how their pivots are oriented is like claiming all thruster surfboards are the same, or all are full-camber snowboards created equal.)
We focus on the highest quality construction, quality control, customer service, lifetime warranty and the greatest experience available—these characteristics are the ethos of Zink bikes.
GO WITH FEEL, NOT TRENDS
I chose the Horst Link because it genuinely provides the platform to create the most enjoyable, versatile bike imaginable. My favorite bikes used to be YT, but they also fell victim to following the trends. Frame dimensions got longer, more chain growth and a more linear suspension curve to cater to a stopwatch. While World Cup DH has created a mass amount of innovation to go faster down a World Cup track, that's not what the majority of us are riding, and what speeds 99.999% of us aren't riding at. That is not my goal.
Even during my World Cup racing days, I spent more time on hardtails and slopestyle bikes because it was more fun, more accessible and modern trail bikes weren't yet a thing. We've now reached a point where a single bike can thrive in a variety of terrain, but I was still looking for something more free, more capable and more fun.
LOVE YOUR BIKE, LOVE YOUR LIFE
Rather than wasting your time over-communicating the nuanced difference of our linkage, the Vacay—and all future Zink Bikes—focus on the feeling you can achieve, the freedom you obtain, and the experience. I want you to enjoy your Vacay climbing local trails, ripping dirt jumps, ridge lines, chutes and still thrive on bikepark laps. I want you to unlock a new potential and give you that indescribable feeling that is comprised of accomplishment, gratitude, flow and that there isn’t anywhere else on earth you would rather be than riding this bike, at this moment.
I built this brand—and specifically the Vacay—for myself. But honestly, I think you’ll love it too.
Cheers,
Cam
