Avid social media users may have seen images of bikes running a frame-integrated suspension platform floating around Instagram, palming it off as fake or simply unbelievable. That may have been the case until today, where brand DIGIT BIKES has unveiled the DATUM, rocking a very futuristic ANALOG suspension platform. Here's what it's all about.

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This month, industry engineer and entrepreneur, Tim Lane has launched Digit Bikes and has introduced the DATUM, a new bike built with the futuristic, award-winning ANALOG suspension system. For those who are curious, it was Eurobike's Gold and Start-Up awards, being the only entrant to win two awards.

Moving onto that crazy-looking suspension platform. Dubbed ANALOG, it's a unique multi-link mechanism that's claimed to offer improved shock performance, chassis stiffness, and reliability over existing platforms. It's built around an integrated Strut type shock absorber (think Trek IsoStrut) named INTEGER. It uses fork bushings and is designed to deliver improved longevity, easier servicing, and a 2:1 motion ratio. That ratio is said to reduce loads on the frame, shock, and its oil.

Don't worry, the ANALOG suspension gets all of the adjustment you're used to, featuring an external adjuster for low-speed rebound damping and an external lever to adjust low-speed compression damping. That lever can also be used to lock the suspension out.

There is also a heap of other benefits. Because it uses less material in its linkage it's claimed to be hundreds of grams lighter than its competition. Then, because there are few bearings in the way of the seat tube, it has a deeper seat post insertion, offering more space for dropper longer posts.

Thanks to that interesting suspension the bike can also fit two water bottles in the front triangle with another couple of bosses underneath the downtube for good measure.

As for the DATUM itself, it runs 140mm of rear travel and can be set up with either a 150mm or 160mm travel fork. It's designed to be a mullet bike too, with a 650b wheel at the rear and a 29" hoop up front. At the moment, it's only available as a frame-only build with a Cane Creek Hellbender70 bottom bracket.

The geometry doesn't look too shabby either, with a large frame getting a 480mm reach, 65° head tube angle, 75° seat tube angle, and a 435mm chainstay. However, there are four sizes available from S up to XL with a chance that you can get a smaller or larger size still if you got in touch with the brand before purchase and if there was enough demand.

Although the company has reached 100% of its crowdfunding goal, if you're after one of these mental frames, they're only available through the brand's crowdfunding page with pledges ranging from an estimated (you'll have to take into account currency conversion) £2,159 up to £2,931.

• DigitBikes.com

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