MTB - Full Suspension or not?

[Az_lefty]

I've been looking at purchasing a mountain bike to commute to work on. Presently I ride a road bike but have to transport it about 5 mile before I can even begin my ride as I live on 5 miles of dirt road. BTW, I'm just southeast of Tucson, Az. With a MTB I'll start out on a fairly rough dirt road (washboard and some hills) then transition to pavement for about another 10 miles. Given all the different types of MTB's on the market now, could someone make a suggestion as to what to look for? I want a quality bike but can't afford anything outrageous. Also, would a full suspension bike be best or a traditional rigid frame? I'm not sure of the advantages or disadvantages between the two other than one has a full suspension.

thanks in advance...

[Shine]

1. Sorry, can't help ya out. I'm a roadie girl, myself.

:kick: :hi:

edit: good luck, though!

[appal_jack]

2. i'm a fan of the hardtail

I only got my first mtn bike with suspension forks in 2002, so I guess I'm a Luddite (and even then I took the clipless pedals off the new bike and replaced them with some Mt. Christoph toe clips and bear claw pedals from my 1989 Trek - I like to wear hiking boots when riding). But I really do like the responsiveness and power transfer that this hardtail with suspension forks provides. My commute is somewhat similar to yours (and regrettably, I hardly ever find time to ride recreationally these days, but I do bike commute now and then). A suspension fork really helps with washboard roads, but I guess your butt would jiggle a little less if your rear was suspended too.

Note that I've only ridden a full-suspension bike a few times, so feel free to value my advice at precisely the price you are paying for it... but I couldn't stand the way I bounced along with each pedal stroke with the rear suspension. I live in a hilly area too, and also have to carry a pretty big bag when bike-commuting, so every bit of extra efficiency & power helps.

My only other suggestion for mtn bike commuting is to be sure to get some handlebar extensions (the kind that look like goat horns at the outer ends of your bar). Not only do they make climbing steep hills easier (their intended purpose), but they also allow for varied hand positions on long straightaways, etc.

As for brands, I wound up with an aluminum Raleigh that was equipped with a Rock Shox Judy fork and Shimano LX components, since that was the best I could afford. I test rode Trek, Gary Fisher, and a few others before buying. I chose the Raleigh based on fit, frame design, and a few nicer components than its competitors.

Cheers,

-app

[Gregorian]

3. It depends on your riding.

A friend of mine just bought a Gary Fisher 29er full suspension bike for $1400. I rode it a bit a few weeks ago. He is pretty happy with it. And I might add he was Gary Fisher's first bike mechanic. So he totally knows his stuff. I don't recall the model off hand. But he claims it's the best bike for the price. 29 inch wheels are pretty nice.

There are a lot of ways to go. Fixed gear. Rigid frame. Full suspension. It depends on what you want, what your level of fitness is, and what riding you want to do.

I'll just say that I prefer full suspension because not only does it make for a more fun riding experience, but it also makes a big difference in riding comfort over longer rides. I'm riding trails that would jar the hell out of my body without suspension. But in the 80's we rode everything without it. I remember riding babies heads, and just being totally amazed at how incredible some of my friends could ride them. Like a football field of large rocks.

[Kolesar]

4. That's a long commute so I would optimize for energy conservation

I would go with no suspension or maybe front suspension, and only if suspension is what it takes to handle the washboard surface (as the other poster described up thread). There is shock absorption in the front tire. I would get a tire of 1.5 to 1.9 inches width and inflate it to 40 psi. Or try a few different pressures.

Note that competition riders have controls to lock out the suspension travel so that they don't lose energy on a good surface or when they are climbing and not going fast. The suspension fork is also going to add weight to your bicycle, and that is a consideration on your long ride.

There is suspension in a solid fork. If you can, look for a fork that has a lot of rake (the forward curve). That springy shape gives the bicycle some shock absorption. Steel would be great. A carbon fork might do the trick, but I have never looked into the shock absorption effect of carbon forks. Avoid aluminum; the material does not have the properties you are looking for. The large-amount-of-rake is going to mean that you want a bicycle with a slack (less steep) head tube angle.

There is a styling trend of bicycles with 700c wheels that they call "29ers". The application is like off road racing, also known as "cyclocross". Forks can be rigid or low-travel suspension known as cross-country. You certainly don't need a long travel fork specified for coming down a ski slope. Read the 29er forum at www.roadbikereview.com . Beware that there are some snobs there and a few impolite posters.

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/#articles">Sheldon Brown, the favorite source in this forum, recommends that you get a seat with springs in it instead of getting a suspension seat post. It just works better. There are leather saddles with springs by Brooks. The closest that I came was this Trico saddle I bought that was engineered with layers of shock-absorbing polymer material. Better than steel springs, they said. I like it. They don't make it any more.

Hope this helps. You now have me dreaming of building a bike and riding it.

[Az_lefty]

5. Thanks, I'm going to take a look at a 29er bike...

it sounds interesting and may be more in line with what I need.

[Kolesar]

6. Oops. The 29er forum is at MtbREVIEW.com

http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay.php?f=61

I tested the Bianchi Volpe and thought it was a pretty nice ride. I am for drop handlebars instead of straight bars.

[Gregorian]

7. You could just get cyclocross tires.

I didn't realize you are only looking for a bike to commute on. Given the ten miles of pavement, I'd keep the road bike and just change tires. It's a simple solution. Although, the geometry of a road bike is rather unwieldy on gravel roads.

Just another thought.

[happyslug]

8. The real issue is how small a tire you can get away with of the dirt road

First you MUST understand tire pressure and how the tire interact with the road surface. The higher the tire pressure the less roll Resistance the tire hits as it rollover the road surface (thus it is easier to peddle). On the other hand lower pressure gives the tire more "grip" on the road and thus better traction. Thus you want the highest tire pressure that does not cause to to lose traction.

As to tire strength, the wider the tire the stronger the tire has to be to not burst under high tire pressure. It is easier to build a narrow tire to take high tire pressure than a wide tire. Thus high pressure tire tend to be narrow, while wider tires tend to have lower tire pressure.

In addition wider tires have more area in contact with the ground, providing additional grip (And Narrow tires tend to minimize area on the ground thus less road Resistance). In simple terms, Narrow tires with high tire pressure do better on pavement, while wider tires do better on dirt. Thus the big issue on dirt road is TIRE SIZE not suspension.

As to suspension, front suspension first came to keep the front tire on the ground as off-roaders went off road (i.e. NOT on dirt road, but paths and single tracks). Rear Suspension came later, but out of off-road racing but this time to keep the rear tire on the ground (and thus to keep the tire on the ground as the rest of the bike jumped up and down).

Thus front suspension came in NOT for better traction, but control as a bike went up and down while going off-road. Rear suspension came in to keep the rear "Drive" tire on the ground more than a hard tail would (and thus NO wasted effort as the rider peddles while off-road).

Please note when I write "Off-Road" I mean not only off pavement but also dirt roads. If the road you mention permits you to keep both tires on the road, then you do NOT need any Suspension. If roots and rocks are in the road and you have to bounce off them, you then need a front suspension to maintain control of the bike when you hit those roots and rocks. If you are going truly off-roading, at speed, then you will need rear suspension. On top of this front suspension adds weight to the bike, rear suspension not only add weight, but lose "Rigidity" in the frame, and with the lost of "Rigidity" you lose peddling efficiency (the more rigid the frame the easier it is to peddle, the less rigid the harder it is to peddle).

All told, if you can get away with NO SUSPENSION, that is the way to go. Tires width is more important and the narrower the tire you can get away the better. Sounds like you need wider tires than you road bike can handle, but the first things I would look at would be getting wider tires for you present road bike and see if that works.
Then I would look at a front suspension fork (if possible to fit on your bike). If you can NOT fit a suspension front fork (and most road bikes can NOT fit a Suspension fork), then look at a mountain bike with a front fork. I do NOT think the extra cost of a Rear Suspension bike is worth the effort.

[appal_jack]

9. OK happyslug, but...

I think that if the original poster is not a super-skilled bicyclist (as I am not), then front suspension could be a worthwhile investment, both in $$$ and weight.

On my commute (with, as noted above, a full-on mt. bike, with front suspension forks) I enjoy the added safety and comfort that the wide tires and suspension afford. The suspension has saved me at times when I've had to hit a curb (such as when forced off he road by a wide truck).

When riding my previous bike (a rigid-framed Trek mt. bike), I took several unwanted trips over the handlebars wheen such automotive mishaps occurred. In my mind, safety is worth the weight.

-app