Front suspension - effectiveness?

On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 10:11:42 +1000, eddiec wrote:

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.

Actually, "wasted effort" doesn't mean too much to me - all of my current
'riding' is done on an exercise bike, so there's not much more wasted than
that :-)

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...

Good point.

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.

Yeah. Thanks for that.

--

cheers, mic (yes, the email address works)

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)

M i c C u l l e n wrote:
On 26 Sep 2005 17:22:36 -0700, Bleve wrote:

Having ridden an Avanti Blade Sport today and suffering this arvo
(possibly) as a result, I'm even more inclined to buy something a bit
softer.

Out of curiosity (now I've read the rest of your followups, and
the neck injury), what does your physio say? Most bike riding

It depends on which one I talk to :-) Honestly, I haven't been to the
physio too much lately - I bought a SpineMelter 2000 chair from HN, and sit
in it every day, and it achieves about the same, and costs a LOT less. (As
well as being on call 24/7.)

I'm not so much refering to massage, as strengthening work. Without
knowing the nature of your injury, most of the time I've been to
see a physio (and there are good physios and hacks ...) they've put me
on an exercise progam. As riding a bike will almost always involve
canting your head forward and loading your neck muscles, if they
haven't been used much (due to injury etc) then they may benefit
from some exercise?


About the most expensive I can run to is an 05 Innova ($700), unless
someone can convince me a Revive or something else is REALLY worth the
extra :-)

A $700 hybrid will be one very flash bit of kit.

You'd hope so, eh?

the Blade is about $400, but I don't want to buy it and then spend the rest
of the difference optioning it up, trying to get it to the same as the
Innova.

You'll spend that anyway, on helmet, seatbag, tubes, patches,
a pump, knicks etc ... but it's way cheaper than petrol and a
lot more fun!

On 26 Sep 2005 18:07:55 -0700, Bleve wrote:

It depends on which one I talk to :-) Honestly, I haven't been to the
physio too much lately - I bought a SpineMelter 2000 chair from HN, and sit
in it every day, and it achieves about the same, and costs a LOT less. (As
well as being on call 24/7.)

I'm not so much refering to massage, as strengthening work. Without
knowing the nature of your injury, most of the time I've been to
see a physio (and there are good physios and hacks ...) they've put me
on an exercise progam. As riding a bike will almost always involve
canting your head forward and loading your neck muscles, if they
haven't been used much (due to injury etc) then they may benefit
from some exercise?

That approach has pretty much been given up on, although I'm about to get
back into my weights program. (Just moved house a month ago, still getting
everything setup...)

the Blade is about $400, but I don't want to buy it and then spend the rest
of the difference optioning it up, trying to get it to the same as the
Innova.

You'll spend that anyway, on helmet, seatbag, tubes, patches,
a pump, knicks etc ... but it's way cheaper than petrol and a
lot more fun!

Ah, that's OK - that's just ancillary stuff and thus not part of the
"purchase cost" I've got to explain to my wife! :-)

--

cheers, mic (yes, the email address works)

On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 10:11:42 +1000, eddiec wrote:

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.

Something like this, you reckon? :-)

http://www.giant-bicycle.com/au/030....005&model=9866

(There's one for sale used here in Perth :-)

--

cheers, mic (yes, the email address works)

"LotteBum" wrote in message
...

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.

If you're worried about bumps, then get a hybrid or something like
that. 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.
Oh... and a $700 bike with suspension is a piece of sh!t. You'd get an
alright hybrid for that sort of money.

********. A $700 mtb will do way more than most people need in the bush. My
first suspended mtb cost $1100 way back in mumblety four. 1" of low quality
travel forks, skinny tyres, canti brakes. That bike did many, many hours off
road, and I loved it. My wife's new mtb retails around $700, and is a far
better bike than my old one ever was. Her bike has more suspension (3"), and
while it's not great, it's better quality (not just an cylindrical block of
elastomer ), a light alloy frame, fatter tyres and Shimano disc brakes. I
was amazed at what you can get for the money now.

I'd agreee that this bike (Giant Rincon) isn't a top level mtb, and if she
really gets into off roading, she'll grow out of it, as I grew out of mine.
But she's never going to race, do jumps, hammer singletrack, or get d00dish.
To say this $700 bike "will never cut it" in the bush is ********. Maybe it
wouldn't cut it with you or I riding, but that's not the point. ;^) Many
people only ride recreationally, and fairly gently. These bikes will cope.

You should have seen what the others in last week's newbie ride were riding.
Even a $100 Woolies bike coped (flattish firetrail), and even I wouldn't say
they'd cut it in the bush. IMNSHO, you start getting reasonable mtbs around
$500 (after negotiation with your LBS).

Tony F
http://members.iinet.net.au/~fathers/faulc_pt.htm

M i c C u l l e n Wrote:
On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 10:11:42 +1000, eddiec wrote:

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.

Something like this, you reckon? :-)

http://tinyurl.com/a4ull

(There's one for sale used here in Perth :-)

--

cheers, mic (yes, the email address works)


he he he... that's a bit more extreme than what i was thinking and what
i rode! way more suspension and weight/beefiness than you need there,
unless your commute includes stretches of technical downhill!

Although if you stumble across something second hand XC-ish with about
3 inches or so of travel then by all means give it a test-ride... you
may love the ride it gives you, and with some slicks, lighter wheels,
and tuned suspension it could be just the beez-kneez... May be a bit
slower for sure, but life's not *always* a race is it?

Eddie(poonce)c


--
eddiec

tony f wrote:
"LotteBum" wrote in message
...

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.

If you're worried about bumps, then get a hybrid or something like
that. 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.
Oh... and a $700 bike with suspension is a piece of sh!t. You'd get an
alright hybrid for that sort of money.


********. A $700 mtb will do way more than most people need in the bush. My
first suspended mtb cost $1100 way back in mumblety four. 1" of low quality
travel forks, skinny tyres, canti brakes. That bike did many, many hours off
road, and I loved it. My wife's new mtb retails around $700, and is a far
better bike than my old one ever was. Her bike has more suspension (3"), and
while it's not great, it's better quality (not just an cylindrical block of
elastomer ), a light alloy frame, fatter tyres and Shimano disc brakes. I
was amazed at what you can get for the money now.

I'd agreee that this bike (Giant Rincon) isn't a top level mtb, and if she
really gets into off roading, she'll grow out of it, as I grew out of mine.
But she's never going to race, do jumps, hammer singletrack, or get d00dish.
To say this $700 bike "will never cut it" in the bush is ********. Maybe it
wouldn't cut it with you or I riding, but that's not the point. ;^) Many
people only ride recreationally, and fairly gently. These bikes will cope.

You should have seen what the others in last week's newbie ride were riding.
Even a $100 Woolies bike coped (flattish firetrail), and even I wouldn't say
they'd cut it in the bush. IMNSHO, you start getting reasonable mtbs around
$500 (after negotiation with your LBS).

Tony F
http://members.iinet.net.au/~fathers/faulc_pt.htm



Or what he meant to say. A $700 Duel suspension Mtb will be a waste
of money.

On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 12:08:05 +1000, eddiec wrote:

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.

Something like this, you reckon? :-)

http://tinyurl.com/a4ull

(There's one for sale used here in Perth :-)


he he he... that's a bit more extreme than what i was thinking and what
i rode! way more suspension and weight/beefiness than you need there,
unless your commute includes stretches of technical downhill!

Flinders St is a TOUGH ride, man :-)

OK, I admit I was kidding a bit :-)

Although if you stumble across something second hand XC-ish with about
3 inches or so of travel then by all means give it a test-ride... you
may love the ride it gives you, and with some slicks, lighter wheels,
and tuned suspension it could be just the beez-kneez... May be a bit
slower for sure, but life's not *always* a race is it?

I'm doing it for the exercise, not the speed.

Eddie(poonce)c

Welcome to the club :-)

--

cheers, mic (yes, the email address works)

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.

There're cheap.

And every now and then the suspension comes in handy when you come
round the corner and find the Water Board has dug up a main and
forgotten to put the road back. I need to have another go at truing
the back wheel though.

dewatf.