Franco Fratton's guest appearances

Franco Fratton

Bikes & Big Ideas

OwlTail

EXT Suspension founder Franco Fratton is a wealth of information when it comes to all things suspension, and in the third installment of our deep dive on suspension series, Franco and I cover everything from the tradeoffs between air and coil springs to the history of coil springs being used on wheeled vehicles; EXT’s new Aria air shock; inverted vs. conventional forks; and Franco teases an upcoming EXT project as well.TOPICS &amp; TIMES:Air vs. coil springs &amp; their historical uses (1:28)EXT’s Storia vs. Aria (13:39)Packaging limitations &amp; the modularity of bikes as a double-edged sword (22:15)Why EXT started with coils, and the lessons learned to get to building an air shock (32:55)EXT’s upcoming dual-crown fork (38:59)Inverted vs. conventional forks (39:29)The future of MTB suspension (41:42)Active suspension &amp; how we could get there (52:42)RELATED LINKS:A Very Deep Dive on Suspension, Pt.1 (Ep.140)A Very Deep Dive on Suspension, Pt.2 (Ep.146)BLISTER+ MembershipBLISTER+ Real World TestimonialsBlister LabsThis Week’s Gear GiveawayBlister Mountain Bike Buyer’s GuideOUR OTHER PODCASTSOff The CouchGEAR:30Blister PodcastCRAFTEDHappy Hour Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EXT Suspension founder Franco Fratton is a wealth of information when it comes to all things suspension, and in the third installment of our deep dive on suspension series, Franco and I cover everything from the tradeoffs between air and coil springs to the history of coil springs being used on wheeled vehicles; EXT’s new Aria air shock; inverted vs. conventional forks; and Franco teases an upcoming EXT project as well.TOPICS &amp; TIMES:Air vs. coil springs &amp; their historical uses (1:28)EXT’s <a href="https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/ext-storia-lok-v3-shock" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Storia</a> vs. <a href="https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/ext-aria" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Aria</a> (13:39)Packaging limitations &amp; the modularity of bikes as a double-edged sword (22:15)Why EXT started with coils, and the lessons learned to get to building an air shock (32:55)EXT’s upcoming dual-crown fork (38:59)Inverted vs. conventional forks (39:29)The future of MTB suspension (41:42)Active suspension &amp; how we could get there (52:42)RELATED LINKS:<a href="https://blisterreview.com/podcasts/a-very-deep-dive-on-suspension-with-exts-franco-fratton-pt-1-ep-140" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">A Very Deep Dive on Suspension, Pt.1 (Ep.140)</a><a href="https://blisterreview.com/podcasts/a-very-deep-dive-on-suspension-with-exts-franco-fratton-pt-2-ep-146" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">A Very Deep Dive on Suspension, Pt.2 (Ep.146)</a><a href="https://blisterreview.com/industry-news/major-announcement-blister-spot-insurance-membership" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">BLISTER+ Membership</a><a href="https://blisterreview.com/industry-news/blister-spot-real-world-testimonials" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">BLISTER+ Real World Testimonials</a><a href="https://blisterreview.com/blister-labs/blister-labs" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Blister Labs</a><a href="https://blisterreview.com/blister-gear-giveaway" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">This Week’s Gear Giveaway</a><a href="https://blisterreview.com/blister-mountain-bike-buyers-guide" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide</a>OUR OTHER PODCASTS<a href="https://blisterreview.com/off-the-couch" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Off The Couch</a><a href="https://blisterreview.com/gear30-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">GEAR:30</a><a href="https://blisterreview.com/blister-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Blister Podcast</a><a href="https://blisterreview.com/category/podcasts/crafted-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">CRAFTED</a><a href="https://blisterreview.com/blister-member-clubhouse" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Happy Hour</a> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

A Very Deep Dive on Suspension with EXT’s Franco Fratton, Pt. 3

When we first had EXT founder Franco Fratton on Bikes &amp; Big Ideas back in Ep. 110, we had plenty to cover with just the story of his long and remarkable career in suspension design and didn’t delve too far into the technical side of things. But Franco is an incredible wealth of knowledge when it comes to suspension design, so we’ve got him back on the show to share a whole bunch of that knowledge, in part one of a multi-episode series with Franco. So strap in, you’re going to learn some stuff in this one.TOPICS &amp; TIMES:Dampers vs. Shock Absorbers (2:21)Sprung vs. unsprung mass (8:12)Coil springs &amp; the need for dampers (9:32)History of damper design (10:04)Adjustability vs. damper quality (22:01)Orifice dampers (23:55)Valve types (28:36)High- vs. low-speed adjusters (30:15)Range of adjustments (36:22)Damping “knee” (42:20)Twin tube vs. monotube dampers (47:28)Damper design philosophy (59:58)RELATED LINKS:Franco Fratton (Ep.110)Introducing: CRAFTEDIntroducing: Open MicBecome a Blister MemberBlister LabsThis Week’s Gear GiveawayBlister Mountain Bike Buyer’s GuideOUR OTHER PODCASTSOff The CouchGEAR:30Blister PodcastCRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we first had EXT founder Franco Fratton on Bikes &amp; Big Ideas back in <a href="https://blisterreview.com/podcasts/ext-founder-franco-fratton-on-a-lifetime-in-suspension-ep-110" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Ep. 110</a>, we had plenty to cover with just the story of his long and remarkable career in suspension design and didn’t delve too far into the technical side of things. But Franco is an incredible wealth of knowledge when it comes to suspension design, so we’ve got him back on the show to share a whole bunch of that knowledge, in part one of a multi-episode series with Franco. So strap in, you’re going to learn some stuff in this one.TOPICS &amp; TIMES:<ul><li>Dampers vs. Shock Absorbers (2:21)</li><li>Sprung vs. unsprung mass (8:12)</li><li>Coil springs &amp; the need for dampers (9:32)</li><li>History of damper design (10:04)</li><li>Adjustability vs. damper quality (22:01)</li><li>Orifice dampers (23:55)</li><li>Valve types (28:36)</li><li>High- vs. low-speed adjusters (30:15)</li><li>Range of adjustments (36:22)</li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/immagine.png" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Damping “knee” </a>(42:20)</li><li>Twin tube vs. monotube dampers (47:28)</li><li>Damper design philosophy (59:58)</li></ul>RELATED LINKS:<ul><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/podcasts/ext-founder-franco-fratton-on-a-lifetime-in-suspension-ep-110" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Franco Fratton (Ep.110)</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/podcasts/introducing-crafted" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Introducing: CRAFTED</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/features/open-mic/introducing-open-mic" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Introducing: Open Mic</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/shop/blister-membership" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Become a Blister Member</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/blister-labs/blister-labs" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Blister Labs</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/blister-gear-giveaway" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">This Week’s Gear Giveaway</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/blister-mountain-bike-buyers-guide" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide</a></li></ul>OUR OTHER PODCASTS<ul><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/off-the-couch" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Off The Couch</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/gear30-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">GEAR:30</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/blister-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Blister Podcast</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/category/podcasts/crafted-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">CRAFTED</a></li></ul> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

A Very Deep Dive on Suspension with EXT’s Franco Fratton, Pt. 1

There are a lot of smart people working in bike suspension, but EXT founder Franco Fratton might have the most impressive resume — which includes working for the Ferrari and Lotus Formula One teams. And so we sat down with Franco to chat about his career and life story; his suspension design philosophy; how he went from focusing on motorsports to making some of the best bike suspension out there; and a whole lot more.TOPICS &amp; TIMES:Franco’s background in suspension and EXT history (2:34)Getting started in bike suspension (15:31)Upcoming EXT air shock (24:51)Twin tube vs. mono tube dampers (34:08)Coil vs. air springs (48:12)Novel ideas &amp; gaining acceptance (55:08)Franco’s Big Idea (57:56)RELATED LINKS:Introducing: Blister LabsGetting Here: Gunnison &amp; Crested ButteThis Week’s Gear GiveawayGear Giveaway / Newsletter SignupBecome a Blister Member / Get our new Buyer’s GuideBlister Mountain Bike Buyer’s GuideEXT Era ReviewEXT Storia Review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are a lot of smart people working in bike suspension, but <a href="https://www.extremeshox.com/mtbproducts/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">EXT</a> founder Franco Fratton might have the most impressive resume — which includes working for the Ferrari and Lotus Formula One teams. And so we sat down with Franco to chat about his career and life story; his suspension design philosophy; how he went from focusing on motorsports to making some of the best bike suspension out there; and a whole lot more.TOPICS &amp; TIMES:<ul><li>Franco’s background in suspension and EXT history (2:34)</li><li>Getting started in bike suspension (15:31)</li><li>Upcoming EXT air shock (24:51)</li><li>Twin tube vs. mono tube dampers (34:08)</li><li>Coil vs. air springs (48:12)</li><li>Novel ideas &amp; gaining acceptance (55:08)</li><li>Franco’s Big Idea (57:56)</li></ul>RELATED LINKS:<ul><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/blister-labs/blister-labs" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Introducing: Blister Labs</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/features/getting-here-gunnison-crested-butte" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Getting Here: Gunnison &amp; Crested Butte</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/blister-gear-giveaway" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">This Week’s Gear Giveaway</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/subscribe-to-our-blister-newsletter" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Gear Giveaway / Newsletter Signup</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/shop/blister-membership" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Become a Blister Member / Get our new Buyer’s Guide</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/blister-mountain-bike-buyers-guide" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/forks-shocks/ext-era-fork" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">EXT Era Review</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/ext-storia-lok-v3-shock" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">EXT Storia Review</a></li></ul> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.