So What of Sociotechnical Change and Rear Suspension?

Rear suspension on mountain bikes has completed the requirements presented by Bijker for Sociotechnical change. Just to review, the relevant social groups of the rear suspension and their respective interpretations are: the non-users who saw rear suspension as a hindering bike and the users who saw the rear suspension as a downhill bike. Closure on this topic meant the acceptance of the downhill interpretation. Stabilization meant the development of a new artifact, the downhill bike. This brings the thought process to present day with the definition of a mountain bike including both downhill bikes (with rear suspension) and cross-country bikes (without rear suspension); the term cross-country bike being defined out of necessity to distinguish itself from the downhill bike artifact. The reason rear suspension is a lasting technology while the high wheeler disappeared is because the interpretation of the users was accepted for the rear suspension and rejected for the high wheeler.

In analyzing the sociotechnical change of the rear suspension I have made some generalizations in order to make the argument more clear, in which case I have likely insulted some users of rear suspension and if that is the case I direct you to a special explanation.

Back | Site Map | Title Page