What is i-track suspension? The inventor explains how it works

Ever wondered why the Rogue has been reviewed as the e-bike with the best rear end in the market?  Or why the Rogue doesn't sag under power? The answer is i-track suspension, and the best person to explain it is the man who designed it.

Hugh McLeay is the Australian inventor behind i-track. In the video below, he walks through the system on the Rogue and explains what riders should feel out on the trail.

So what is i-track and how does it work?

In short, it’s a suspension system built around an idler pulley that moves. On most full suspension bikes the chain runs straight from the chainring to the cassette. On an i-track bike it runs over an idler that can move relative to the rest of the bike.

That moving idler is the clever part. It lets the designer control how the chain pulls on the rear suspension. The bike can be set up to pedal well without giving up how it handles the rough stuff.

As the rear wheel moves up into its travel, the idler moves up with it. Hugh explains that this adds anti-squat, and the Rogue carries a fairly healthy amount of it.

Anti-squat is what stops the back of the bike sinking every time you push on the pedals. With too little, some of your effort disappears into the shock. With the right amount, the bike sits up in its travel and drives forward when you put the power down.

Why it matters on an eMTB

This is where i-track earns its place. A motor puts a lot of extra force through the chain, and the Rogue's Avinox M2S makes up to 150Nm of boost torque and 1,300W of peak power. Hugh says that with motors this strong, a good amount of anti-squat keeps the bike from sagging and gives it a supportive pedalling platform.

Because the linkage is already doing that work, the shock doesn't have to. It can be tuned for soaking up bumps, so you get a firm platform on the climbs and a smooth rear end when the trail turns rough. Hugh calls the Rogue "pretty much like a magic carpet sort of bike." It's stable and planted, and it's made for riders who want roots and small hits to disappear so they can plough straight through.

On the Rogue, that ride comes from a mid-pivot i-track layout with a 16T CNC idler on oversized bearings, 165mm of rear travel and a Fox Float X2 shock custom tuned for the bike. Flip chips at the rear wheel and shock mount let riders adjust the setup to suit how and where they ride.

Built down under, with more to come

Velduro started in New Zealand, and Hugh is Australian. He says the partnership has felt like a real community on this side of the world, and he's enjoyed watching the brand grow from nothing into what it is today. He also reckons Velduro is going to take over the world, and Velduro is happy to let the bikes do the talking on that one.

The next of those bikes is the Vandal, Velduro's all-mountain eMTB. It runs i-track too, and it's in development and testing now, with release planned for 2027.

Want to know more?

• Short on time? The Velduro FAQ gives the quick answer on what i-track is and how it works.
• After the technical detail? Head to i-tracksuspension.com for more on the system and the brands that use it.
• Keen to ride one? Explore the Rogue and its build options online or find your local Velduro dealer to test ride in person.