Whereas most suspension designs have a wheel trajectory that only moves away from obstacles for part of their travel, Forbidden's high main pivot point results in a 100% rearward axle path. The rearward motion allows the rear wheel to move with, not against impacts, maintaining forward momentum through rough terrain.

The lengthening of the rear-center (the portion of the bike behind you) under compression stabilizes the chassis during bigger impacts, and the resultant weight bias is playful when high in the travel but inherently more composed when you need it the most.

The “Rate Control Linkage” is what Forbidden calls the brain of their Trifecta Suspension design. As some suspension systems push for ever-more progressivity, they sacrifice their ability to absorb the types of impacts that we most frequently encounter while mountain biking. In this design, Forbidden sought to provide adequate mid-stroke support without compromising on small bump sensitivity, with an end-stroke tuned to give you enough progression to protect you from hard bottom-outs.

The result are bikes that use less travel to provide exceptional traction while offering more pop than the longer travel mountain bikes that they feel like.

The final piece to Forbidden’s puzzle is their idler pulley, which results in astonishingly efficient pedaling while staying active to the trail. That means that your body’s motion doesn’t make the bike bob, but the rear wheel can still move out of the way of incoming bumps and holes.

One Ride

One of Forbidden's core philosophies is that everyone who rides their bikes should experience a similar ride characteristic. To this end they have put extra effort in to their geometry and sizing. One of the major contributing factors to a bike’s overall ride feel is its weight balance. The term weight balance refers to the relationship between the rear-center and front-center and the resultant position of the rider’s center of gravity between the tire contact patches. How each tire is weighted, directly affects the grip characteristics of the bike; furthermore, this weight distribution will also have a profound effect on the bike’s agility/stability. Many brands talk about their bikes having a balanced geometry, yet they only use a single rear-center (chainstay) measurement across all sizes of bike. If rear-center remains constant as front-center changes with size, then it stands to reason that each size of bike will see a different weight distribution and therefore a different ride characteristic.

At Forbidden, in an effort to ensure a consistent ride experience across all sizes, they employ a scaled rear-center measurement for each individual frame size.

A Better Fit

Forbidden's commitment to geometry and ride handling doesn’t end with their scaled rear-center lengths. They take great pride in every detail of their geometry and frame fit. Forbidden experimented with the extremes of the new school longer, lower, slacker trend and decided to come back to what they feel is a well-rounded geometry that suits a variety of riding styles and terrains. With the Druid, the goal was to create a capable and fast bike but also a bike that is fun and entertaining to ride on any trail.

A challenge on all modern bikes, especially those with 29” wheels, is the relationship between effective and actual seat angle. Forbidden is extremely proud of the fact that their actual seat angles change with each size and get steeper as frame size increases. Thus, ensuring taller riders have a better seated position than that of their competitors. Our commitment to a better fit for all riders also led them to larger than normal increases in head tube length that better suit each end of the size range. They feel that these small but extremely important details ensure that you, the rider, will feel instantly at home on the Druid.