M i c C u l l e n Wrote:


I've commuted with and without suspension (currently without). I'd
agree that it's not necessary on bitumen, but if you're finding that
the potholes and kerbs on your route do shatter you a bit (I know
when
I took off my suspension forks and put on a *very* rigid set of
forks
it took me a while to adjust) then a simple set of forks might help
take the sting out, which can help you feel better/fresher and thus
enhance your ride. When I commuted on a dual suspension bike (it was
all I had at the time) I'll admit it was overkill, but geez, was it
cushy and smooth...

And hard work :-)

Funnily enough, it wasn't really all that much harder! It was a fairly
lightweight (no heavier than my old commuter i now use), firmly sprung
slick-shod duallie which served me well for a couple of years of
bitumen-commuting. Some wasted effort no doubt, but not as much as it
could have been.



Or you could experiment with some other options.
Bigger/fatter/softer
front tyre. Bigger softer grips. Something with riser bars and a
more
relaxed posture. Or find a suspension stem somewhere (do they still
sell those??).

Would putting a taller stem and different bars on the Avanti Sport be
a
viable idea (I liked the bike) or would it screw up the geometry?


My gut reaction says that should be ok... If it makes you more
comfortable, then by all means do so. You could even get one of those
adjustable stems if you want to experiment a bit with your position, at
the expense of a bit more weight. Then once you've worked out what's
right you can replace it with a fixed stem...

Since it's your neck that's the problem, I'd probably say that position
and fit are more important than suspension, given that your arms and
legs give your far more potential shock-absorption than even the
longest travel forks and shocks, and would probably be easier to find a
solution in your price range. You can always retrofit a good suspension
fork onto it later if you find you still want some more comfort.


--
eddiec