Is MTB Pedal Kickback Even REAL?

What’s the deal with pedal kickback on a full-suspension mountain bike? Is it even a real thing a rider should have to think about? Charlie Sponsel wanted to know, so he went to the infamous Stairsteps trail in Laguna, California, which features big compressions, harsh bottom-outs and high speeds for some proper enduro bike testing. He logged multiple runs on a standard MTB drivetrain setup, then took out the pawls in his freehub to try to isolate forces. Next, he put the pawls back in but added the OChain chainring which provides up to 12 degrees of float in the crank arms to see if pedal kickback would be mitigated. Finally, he completely removed his chain and zip-tied his derailleur tight to the frame for the ultimate decoupling of suspension movement from the pedals. Does this pedal kickback denier get converted? Watch, enjoy and find out. #MTB #bike #suspension #biketech