Better known for its range of tyre inserts, Rimpact has been branching out into more niche products with its Chain Damper and Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) becoming a must-have for anyone looking to eke out extra speed and composure from their mountain bikes. Now, the brand has brought updates to its TMD to make it simpler, easier to install, and even better at damping front-end vibrations.
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Tuned mass dampers and other interesting technologies have been popping up on bikes throughout the elite-level racing scene for a couple of years now, and the TMD is Rimpact’s take on the design. It’s pretty interesting stuff, too, as it’s inspired by Fernando Alonso’s championship-winning Renault F1 car but boiled down to fit inside the steerer tube of a mountain bike’s suspension fork.
It works by adding 250g of sprung mass to the bike that absorbs vibrations caused by the front wheel before they reach the rider. Rimpact says that this phenomenon delivers a calmer feel to the bike through rough terrain. That’s while reducing fatigue and increasing confidence.
With the second version of the TMD, Rimpact has made it a much simpler device, mainly in how it’s installed. Now, it requires just a 4mm Allen key and a 10mm spanner. Before, a bit of bolt cutting was required on some bikes. The TMD V2 will fit any fork with a 1/8th metallic steerer tube, and it’s built to fit steerer tubes of 180mm+ in length. However, it can fit shorter tubes by adding headset spacers.
Also new for the TMD V2 are a pair of end-stroke elastomers. These have been added to boost the devices’ effectiveness. The brand has also done away with the range of different weights that came with the original TMD, instead choosing to offer the TMD V2 with just one.
The Rimpact TMD V2 is available for preorder now, with shipping due to begin on the 16th of March. If you’re up for some extra composure through vibration damping, the TMD V2 will set you back £200.
