Does your Santa Cruz or Stumpjumper get its bottom out too frequently? Do you want to stop feeling those small bumps? Chekc ou Cascade linkages.

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Most of us are happy with how our bike rides. We’re fine with leaving things as the bike manufacturer intended. But there are a few of us who aren’t really happy with something until we’ve meddled with it.

Truth be told though, not everyone is going to perfectly suit the bike that they end up buying. Riders who prefer to have their bikes set up significantly different from the mainstream advice are well served with a bit of tweaking. If you want to run loads of sag but have maxxed out your volume spacer allocation, or you want some of this new coil action but have a bike unsuited to the linearity of coil springs, then you’re going to struggle.

This is where Cascade Components comes in.

Cascade make replacement linkages for some Santa Cruz and (coming soon) Specialized Stumpjumper models. Their linkages do a few things, depending which bike they’re for. The linkages can change the leverage curve, increase the travel and/or increase chainstay length. Sometimes all of these factors.

Specialized Stumpjumper LT Link, $235

This linkage is not available yet but will be “soon”. It increases travel by 5mm, adds 70% progression to the leverage curve. The idea being to increase small-bump performance whilst also offering good ramp-up deeper into the stroke. It should significantly improve the performance of coil shocks on Stumpys.

Compatible with 2018-onwards Stumpjumper, Stumpjumper EVO and Stumpjumper ST.

Santa Cruz Nomad V4 Link, $249

One of the more popular linkages from Cascade. The Nomad was one of the first Santa Cruz models to switch to the low slung pierced seat tube suspension layout and it also dates back to before the current coil shock hype. This linkage again increases the progressivity of the leverage curve, adds a bit of exta travel and also increases the effective chainstay length. The result: increased small bump sensitivity, increased mid-stroke support and bottom-out ramp-up. One option this linkage enables Nomad owners to go for is the coil-sprung triple-clamp forked beast pictured above.

Santa Cruz Bronson V3 LT Link, $249

Although the Bronson is arguably ripe for a makeover, there are plenty of existing Bronson owners who’d rather keep their bikes and just splash out on a new linkage to get themselves some of this nu-skool progression action. Similar to the Nomad link above, this linkage adds progressivity (12% to be exact), lowers the BB by 2.5mm and ups the travel to 157mm. The link also, you guessed it, also means Bronson owners can try a coil shock now.

Santa Cruz Megatower T Link, $249

Cascade:  “We designed the leverage curve to help offset the high low speed compression damping tune that the stock shock has, which is the cause of some of the harshness people have experienced with this bike.” And it also opens up various options to increase the travel, albeit requiring the additional need for a new rear shock: up to 180mm travel with a 230 x65mm rear shock.