Front suspension - effectiveness?

On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 09:02:22 +0800, M i c C u l l e n
wrote:

But the Innova is a hybrid with suspension for $700... (OK, it was nearly
$1K until they marked it down.)

The Innova is a comforty hybrid. But if you aren't comfortable on the
Blade then ...

The Mongoose equivelent has lockout on the suspension so you can ride
it either way (with the extra weight of course).

Suspension adds weight and makes it inefficent to stand on the pedals
(you use lower gears instead). It's designed for going over rocks on
trails and isn't that useful for riding on the road, though it will
take a bit of the bumps riding on roads, cycleways etc.

It is more efficient to use your arms, legs and back as shockabsorbers
on the road.

dewatf.

If it is a neck issue then get a hybrid, position will be much better.
Your arms are better shock absorbers than a cheap fork anyhow.


--
Paulie-AU

LotteBum Wrote:
My personal opinion is that if you ride a mountain bike with suspension
on the road and it looks like you never ride it off road, then you're a
poonceMine usually gets a wash & lube after it's been in the dirt, does that
still make me a poonce?


--
Peka

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 20:51:28 +0800, M i c C u l l e n wrote:

G'day all.

As per my other posts, I'm looking to get a bike to ride to work.

OK, home from looking and testing bikes. (This might get a bit rambly - I'm
using it to think my way through the process as much as get further ideas -
being a journalist, the written word is something I like and relate to...)

Rode both some flat bar road-bikes (Giant CRX-3 & CRX-4) and some hybrids
(Giant Innova 05, Giant Farrago 05, Giant Farrago 06, Merida Crossway 8800
& 8500).

First point - the flat bar bikes beat me up, the hybrids don't. So I'm
getting a hybrid, irrespective of how bad I look. (And frankly, it's not
going to make a lot of difference, no matter how bad it is...)

Don't get me wrong, I liked the flat bars. But I liked the hybrids more,
because although they were slower, they didn't hurt. Pain is a demotivator.

So, the hybrids.

Giant Innova 05 $699
http://www.giant-bicycle.com/au/030....005&model=9896
Liked it a lot. Liked the brakes, and the changers. Good tyres. Good seat.

Giant Farrago 05 $550
http://www.giant-bicycle.com/au/030....005&model=9895
Comfortable, nice to ride.

Giant Farrago 06 $749
http://www.giant-bicycle.com/au/030....006&model=9992
Comfortable, brakes better than the 05.

Merida Crossway 8800 - $899
http://www.merida.nl/bikes2005/crossway8800.html
Nothing special, too expensive

Merida Crossway 8500 - $599
http://www.merida.nl/bikes2005/crossway8500.html
Nothing special

Best Salesman - Wayne @ Cyclemania in North Perth ('Salesman' is used in a
good way here :-) Joe from Cyclerama was also very good.

Unfortunately, Cyclemania only have the 06 models.

A point is that the 06 Giant's have a lifetime warranty on the frame.

My gut feel is to go for the 05 Innova, or the 05 Farrago (Only one of each
remains...). I preferred the 05 Innova.

I'll sleep on it.

Thanks to all for their input so far.

--

cheers, mic (yes, the email address works)

On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 03:09:25 GMT, dewatf wrote:

But the Innova is a hybrid with suspension for $700... (OK, it was nearly
$1K until they marked it down.)

The Innova is a comforty hybrid. But if you aren't comfortable on the
Blade then ...

The Mongoose equivelent has lockout on the suspension so you can ride
it either way (with the extra weight of course).

Suspension adds weight and makes it inefficent to stand on the pedals
(you use lower gears instead). It's designed for going over rocks on
trails and isn't that useful for riding on the road, though it will
take a bit of the bumps riding on roads, cycleways etc.

Yes, I'm sold on it (on the 'better' bikes, anyway). I'm about fitness, not
speed, so the inefficiency isn't a huge problem at this stage.

It is more efficient to use your arms, legs and back as shockabsorbers
on the road.

Mmmmm, if they're in good nick, I'd agree.

--

cheers, mic (yes, the email address works)

M i c C u l l e n Wrote:
G'day all.

As per my other posts, I'm looking to get a bike to ride to work.

I've been told various stories regarding front suspension, the most
believable being that the cheap ones simply add weight,

Nah, even a low-end elastomer suspension fork will swallow some lumps
and bumps. But they're no fun even on easy trails and I've had two of
them freeze up on me. (Better maintenance would have avoided that, but
the nice Marzocchi saw just as little TLC and still works somewhat.)
If a cheap one is still worth the cost/weight tradeoff I can't say,
that's far too dependent on your requirements and riding conditions.

...and the more expensive ones are OK. Push enough money into an XC fork and you can just about make the
weight penalty go away, particularly if we're talking about a commuter
bike application. But they usually offer far more adjustability and
reliability. You can have it softer when you're starting out and set it
stiffer when you want a more responsive bike.

If I were to set up a comfy bike for road use for myself I'd take a
close look at suspension front hubs and a suspension seat post. To me
that looks like a close to ideal way to get rid of small bumps and
vibrations with the least penalty in stiffness and weight. Curbs and
potholes are fewer and more easily spotted and would have to be dealt
with by rider action instead.


--
dabac

M i c C u l l e n wrote:
On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 20:51:28 +0800, M i c C u l l e n wrote:

G'day all.

As per my other posts, I'm looking to get a bike to ride to work.

OK, home from looking and testing bikes. (This might get a bit rambly - I'm
using it to think my way through the process as much as get further ideas -
being a journalist, the written word is something I like and relate to...)

Rode both some flat bar road-bikes (Giant CRX-3 & CRX-4) and some hybrids
(Giant Innova 05, Giant Farrago 05, Giant Farrago 06, Merida Crossway 8800
& 8500).

First point - the flat bar bikes beat me up, the hybrids don't. So I'm
getting a hybrid, irrespective of how bad I look. (And frankly, it's not
going to make a lot of difference, no matter how bad it is...)

Good. Flat bar roadies are an abomination. Suggestion, if you'll
be riding anything with any sort of flat bar (hybrid, MTB etc)
then get bar ends, and put them *inside* not on the end of the bars.
Makes for a more comfortable alternative for your hands.

http://www.giant-bicycle.com/au/030....005&model=9896
Liked it a lot. Liked the brakes, and the changers. Good tyres. Good seat.

Don't buy a bike for the seat, you can swap them trivially easily.


A point is that the 06 Giant's have a lifetime warranty on the frame.

That's worth having. Trek do the same. If there's a trek dealer in
WA, take a few of their bikes for a testride too.

On 27 Sep 2005 04:55:58 -0700, Bleve wrote:

First point - the flat bar bikes beat me up, the hybrids don't. So I'm
getting a hybrid, irrespective of how bad I look. (And frankly, it's not
going to make a lot of difference, no matter how bad it is...)

Good. Flat bar roadies are an abomination. Suggestion, if you'll
be riding anything with any sort of flat bar (hybrid, MTB etc)
then get bar ends, and put them *inside* not on the end of the bars.
Makes for a more comfortable alternative for your hands.

Got a link with a pic for that?

http://www.giant-bicycle.com/au/030....005&model=9896
Liked it a lot. Liked the brakes, and the changers. Good tyres. Good seat.

Don't buy a bike for the seat, you can swap them trivially easily.

Sure, but it's nice to have it there to start with, all other things being
equal. (Which they're never going to be, I know, I know :-)

A point is that the 06 Giant's have a lifetime warranty on the frame.

That's worth having.

Mmmm, but how much is it worth, that's the question I'm looking at here.
$200-$250 is a fair bit in this price range.

Trek do the same. If there's a trek dealer in
WA, take a few of their bikes for a testride too.

Looks like it's only Bikeforce, which I've never thought of as any good at
all. I'll try to get along there tomorrow.

--

cheers, mic (yes, the email address works)

"M i c C u l l e n" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 10:25:54 +1000, LotteBum wrote:

My personal opinion is that if you ride a mountain bike with suspension
on the road and it looks like you never ride it off road, then you're a
poonce.

At 42, I care FAR more about how my body is coping than I do about how I
look.

If you're worried about bumps, then get a hybrid or something like
that.

Yes, that one of the options.

If you want to ride in the bush, then a $700 bike will never cut
it anyway, regardless of how much movement the fork is capable of.

I don't.

Oh... and a $700 bike with suspension is a piece of sh!t. You'd get an
alright hybrid for that sort of money.

But the Innova is a hybrid with suspension for $700... (OK, it was nearly
$1K until they marked it down.)

Did I mention that you'd look like a poonce?

Yes, but I'm past such superficial things, I'm far more interested in my
health. I just want something that will work - it can be pink with fluffy
bunnies for all I care if it will do the job. (Well, I'd prefer it wasn't
pink.)

--

cheers, mic (yes, the email address works)

My 2 cents:
I've recently returned from pootling around in Tuscany before riding the
Rhein through Germany. A bit more than the average commute. I've got
deteriorated C3 & 4 as well as carpal tunnel problems in both hands (right
has been operated - didn't work). That means having to be careful on my
bikes as far as position and load is concerned.

I've had drop bar bikes. Good, but they became very uncomfortable for me
over more than about 20km. With the crook neck and wrists the range of
alternative hand positions wasn't much use - I could only ride comfortably
on the hoods anyway. I prefer the fit and feel of my mountain bikes.

The bike I took with me to Europe is a crom-moly GT frame with a suspension
post, a fairly high adjustable stem (weighs a bit, but who cares?!) with 1
1/2" riser bars and Judy forks adjusted to minimum travel (63mm). It worked
well for me, especially when I installed a pair of Ergon grips. No real pain
even when doing 80 or 100km in a day.

I also have rigid forks for the bike. They work OK but I do find the shock
transferrs to my hands and neck when I hit bumps. Normal riding is OK - I
keep an eye out and avoid potholes and so-on when I can. It's the unexpected
hits that get me occasionally, and they can hurt! Neck and wrists jarred
good and proper! I find the suspension forks are more of an insurance
against the unexpected or the unavoidable. They're not worth the weight as
far as usual riding n the road is concerned.

I'm in Roleystone - Perth hills. You're welcome to borrow the GT and ride
with and without the rigid forks. I don't use it much right now - I've just
bought a Giant CRX3. Email me off list on pangloss@(take this bit
out).iinet.net.au Once you've tried with and without you might be in a
better position to make up your mind.

After a couple of weeks on the Giant I've found that the 700c wheels help
with bump absorbtion (a bit!) and the suspension seatpost helps too. It's
really no quicker than my GT for commuting, but I'm a sucker for a new bike!

Cheers,

Frank

M i c C u l l e n wrote:

At 42, I care FAR more about how my body is coping than I do about how
I
look.


I would be too. But trust me, your body is hardly going to take a
battering from riding a bike with no suspension.

But the Innova is a hybrid with suspension for $700... (OK, it was
nearly
$1K until they marked it down.)


Then sure... whatever. Do it.... In case you don't remember, I
specifically stated that it was my personal opinion. People can ride
whatever they want, I just think it's important to buy a bike which is
suitable for what you want to do with it.

Yes, but I'm past such superficial things, I'm far more interested in
my
health. I just want something that will work - it can be pink with
fluffy
bunnies for all I care if it will do the job. (Well, I'd prefer it
wasn't
pink.)

I reiterate my above comment - riding a bike with no suspension won't
kill you. Getting run over might... and that's far more likely.

Lotte


--
LotteBum