Meet the Shout: Longer-Travel Multi-Link Front Suspension from Trust Performance 5

Trust Performance, innovators in suspension technology, today announced the launch of Shout, a new trailing multi-link front suspension platform for 29” and 27.5” aggressive trail and enduro mountain bikes. Shout delivers 178mm of contour travel through a twin-tube thru-shaft damper and a trailing linkage assembly that allows the front wheel to move back and away from impacts simultaneously. With a structurally stiff carbon chassis and minimal stiction, Shout greatly improves front-end traction and preserves handling for a more stable, controlled ride. Trust Performance’s Shout is available starting September 16, 2019, from authorized retailers worldwide and also at www.trustperformance.com for $1,975.

“Shout is long-travel suspension, designed to match the performance capabilities of today’s long-travel enduro bikes,” remarked Trust Performance Founder and Technical Director, Dave Weagle. “For those of us who ride long-travel bikes aggressively, if there are two things we know we need more of, they’re traction and stability. Shout delivers on both.”

The key performance characteristics in both Message and Shout stem from Trust’s trailing multi-link design. By employing a linkage system, Trust Performance suspension reap the benefits of a leverage ratio—something typically only found in rear suspension bikes. A leverage ratio allows Trust Performance engineers to make incremental adjustments to leverage rates and fine-tune the suspension through its total range of travel. The linkage platform also separates the function of the chassis and damper, meaning the steerer-tube, crown, and chassis are purpose-built for strength and stiffness, while the suspension can move freely, with minimal stiction.

Shout is the second multi-link design from Trust Performance. In 2018, Trust Performance launched Message, its debut 130mm contour travel suspension platform for aggressive trail riding. With an axle-to-crown measurement of 580mm, Shout is designed for aggressive trail and enduro riding. But because Shout has a dynamic wheel path, mechanical trail increases along with front-end stability as the suspension moves through its range of travel, making Shout capable of replacing a variety of 160-180mm telescopic forks on 29” mountain bikes and 160-170mm telescopic forks on 27.5” mountain bikes.

Technical Specifications

• Design: Trailing multi-link front suspension
• Construction: Full carbon chassis, steerer tube and linkages with aluminum pivots
• Travel: 178mm contour travel
• Wheel Size: Fits 29” / 27.5+ / and 27.5” wheel sizes
• Tire Clearance: 29”x 2.6” (762 x 66) max or 27.5” x 2.8” (744 x 78) max
• Rotor Size: Direct-mount 180mm rotor (with adapter: 203mm)
• Suggested Bikes: 29” aggressive trail and enduro bikes designed for 160-180mm telescopic travel; 27.5” aggressive trail and enduro bikes designed for 160-170mm telescopic forks
• Damper Technology: Trust engineered twin-tube, thru-shaft damper
• Adjustments: External rebound adjustment; 3-way compression adjust (Open, Mid, Firm) with adjustable low-speed compression on mid-mode and open-mode settings.
• Hub Spacing: 15x110mm BOOST thru axle standard, or with “torque caps”
• Axle-to-Crown: 580mm
• Steerer Tube Diameter: Tapered (11⁄8 - 11⁄2 inch)
• Weight: 2,170g (axle-in)
• Price: USD $1,975

Shout’s 3-way mode adjust provides on-the-fly adjustments controlling compression performance across three positions: open, medium and firm. Coupled with a high-speed blow-off characteristic, the firm setting provides a firm pedal platform with an industry-first sag point firm mode. This increases traction on climbs by utilizing 20% sag before the lockout mechanism engages. The medium mode is designed for flow and jump trails while the open mode is used for rowdy, rough terrain. Riders can also further adjust open and medium compression settings to fine-tune the suspension’s reaction to small bumps, G-outs, weight shifts, and slow compressions.

Shout is designed to be incredibly easy to set up and operate. The air springs, rebound, and compression settings are matched to the rider’s bodyweight—rider weight in pounds is equal to the air spring pressure in PSI (1-to-1). At these settings, the rider is nearest to the suggested sag point of 20%, which can be confirmed via the Travel Indicator Dial. PSI and sag can always be further adjusted to match a particular application or riding style.

Bottom out resistance is also designed to be simple for riders to modify; up to five Huck Pucks can be added or subtracted in each air spring. Riders can easily change these out by hand using two Allen wrenches to release the lower link and air spring assemblies.

Shout includes a two-year warranty, lifetime bearing replacement, no-fault crash replacement program, and has a 250-hour service interval.

“We’ve been working on Shout for nearly four years, refining every aspect to ensure it matches its application,” said Trust Performance Co-Founder and CEO Hap Seliga. “To expand our range of Trust Performance suspension is a big deal for us and a boon to all the riders who’ve been eager to bring confidence-inspiring Trust suspension to their longer-travel bikes. We’re beyond stoked for riders to experience Shout and encourage people to get in touch with us or their favorite retailer to be one of the first to ride it.”

Key Performance Characteristics

Shout’s trailing multi-link design provides riders with three main performance advantages: increased traction, improved stability, and a greater sense of control.

Traction

When encountering an obstacle, Trust’s trailing, multi-link suspension allows your front wheel to move back and up—not just in-line with the steering axis, as it does on telescoping forks. This ability to move in two directions at once means Trust suspension is better able to react to directional impact forces and follow the contours of the trail. By tracing bumps, Shout maintains contact longer, providing noticeably improved traction and small bump compliance. Trust's linkage design also isolates impacts between the wheel and the ground allowing the bike to track forward with minimal changes to the head angle and a corresponding adjustment in offset.

Stability

There is a simple understanding in mountain bike design. More “trail measurement” equals more stability. To increase trail, most modern mountain bikes with telescopic front suspension use slack head angles, larger wheels, and shorter fork offsets to achieve increased trail. The inherent issue with this design, however, is that as one’s suspension compresses, the bike's head angle steepens - actually decreasing trail. As the rider encounters impacts, handling becomes less predictable and the wheel tends to deviate from a chosen line. Worst of all, the rider tends to reduce speed to maintain confidence through rough and technical sections. Trust's trailing, multi-link front suspension design counteracts these steering angle changes, creating an entirely new axle path that generates a dynamic offset. This means that as Trust’s suspension cycles through its travel, trail actually increases, providing increased stability and control when you need it most.

Control

Trust Performance's trailing, multi-link suspension allows the front of the bike to reap the benefits that the rear has enjoyed for years. The addition of linkage to the front of the bike provides the rider with a ride experience where the bike is better able to better follow the contours of the trail and maintain contact with the ground. Furthermore, Trust suspension maintains the bike’s geometry by creating a dynamic offset that normalizes trail measurement throughout travel. By isolating rider inputs at the handlebar, the rider receives predictable high-speed handling and increased control no matter how deep they are in the travel.

Core Technology

Contour Travel

The most notable feature of Trust Performance suspension is its dynamic wheel path. When the front wheel encounters an impact, Shout’s axle moves back and up simultaneously creating a dynamic wheel path. This enables the tire to trace the shapes of bumps—both big and small—and maintain tire contact with the ground longer. More contact simply provides more traction, so the faster and rougher the terrain, the more Shout’s wheel path and dynamic offset allow you to attack as hard as you want.

Full Carbon Construction

When it comes to suspension lowers, it is fair to say that stiffer is better—especially on a long travel suspension platform. Shout’s single-piece steerer-tube, crown, and chassis generates very little fore/aft flex. And, because the structural and suspension duties are separated, Shout’s suspension system moves freely with minimal stiction and no binding. The result: more consistent handling and a more responsive suspension platform that tracks and remains stable as the rider charges through everything from loose corners to technical descents.

A Sag Point Firm Mode

Real climbs in the real world often have short descents, choppy bumps, and loose flats. Which is why Shout incorporates a real-world sag point lockout mode allowing the suspension to remain open and plush in the first 20% of the travel. This means the suspension absorbs bumps and carves turns, not only saving energy on uphill climbs, but also making for a smoother, more efficient pedal with optimal traction.

About Trust Performance

Trust Performance is a suspension design company founded by industry innovators Dave Weagle, Jason Schiers and Hap Seliga. Its operations, design and engineering staff are headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, while manufacturing and assembly take place at its own production facility in Taichung, Taiwan. More information at www.trustperformance.com.

Photos by Trust Performance and Brandon Turman