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Are Pedal Kickback Devices the Best Upgrade for Your Suspension?

Let's talk about it!

You’ve probably heard the term pedal kickback thrown around a lot lately. While it’s not a new phenomenon, there’s definitely been a recent surge in products designed to reduce or even eliminate it. So what’s the deal?

What Is Pedal Kickback?

Have you ever been flying down a rough, choppy section of trail and felt your feet getting bounced around, your vision rattling, and your legs fighting the bike? That harsh feedback can sometimes be traced back to pedal kickback.

Pedal kickback happens when movement from your suspension causes the chain to tighten as the rear wheel moves through its travel. That tension pulls the cranks backward, and by extension, your pedals. This pull creates resistance at the exact moment when your suspension is supposed to be absorbing impacts.

The ironic part is that pedal kickback is often the outcome of some of our favourite bike design choices.

Why Would Bike Designers Do That?

Pedal kickback is closely tied to anti-squat, which helps make bikes more efficient while pedaling, especially when climbing. The tradeoff is that the same chain tension can limit suspension performance on descents, making the ride feel harsher and more tiring.

In short:

• More anti-squat = better climbing efficiency = more pedal kickback = rougher descents.

Eliminating pedal kickback in this case would be similar to the reason we are all searching for the elusive "do-it-all" bike. More anti-squat can improve climbing efficiency, but it often comes at the cost of downhill sensitivity and comfort. If you want both? You’d benefit from a pedal kickback device.

How Does That Relate to Bike Design?

Bikes with higher levels of anti-squat tend to exhibit more noticeable pedal kickback. Designs like high-pivot bikes often manage chain growth differently and generally experience less pedal kickback than more traditional, efficiency-focused layouts like four-bar designs.

That said, no suspension design completely eliminates pedal kickback, unless you’re riding without a chain.

But… I Don't Want to Ride Chainless :(

Honestly, that’s fair. A chainless bike would be pretty tough to pedal uphill.

Thankfully, there’s now products like the Ochain, DT Swiss DF DEG kit, and the e*thirteen Sidekick hub (which we’ve dubbed our 2025 product of the year!) have changed the game.

These systems allow a small amount of free rotation between the drivetrain and your cranks, reducing chain tension during suspension compression. The result?

• Smoother suspension performance
• Increased traction and control on rough descents
• Less fatigue overall

All without removing your chain!

Does This Really Matter?

We think so! Watch our video (posted above) and let us know your thoughts in the comments. We’d love to hear what our ridership thinks about these products.