The suspension question would depend on what kind of ride you are looking for on the road. I'm going to assume your talking about mountain bikes or hybrids as road bikes do not come with suspension on them.
If you are wanting the ride to be comfortable and are not worried about speed then yes the suspension would be a benefit. The shock whether a hardtail or full suspension would provide some comfort over any type of road surface. The BOB affect which occurs when you pedal and your suspension compresses slightly is almost non existent anymore. You will still feel this on big box bikes (walmart, target ect ) but buying a bike from a bike shop you should not see much of this if at all. On older full suspension bikes this could be very annoying just riding on the road as you would litterally see people bouncing up and down on their full suspension bikes. Shocks are built better today and many of them come with lockouts for stiffening the shock when you are riding on smooth surfaces. Except for a newly paved blacktop surface there are no completely smooth roads so the suspension will always provide some benefits for comfort.
If you are wanting to go as fast as possible and want a lightweight bike then stay away from a suspension. Now the reason you would not want suspension is that each time the suspension activates to compensate for a bump you lose a little bit of your momentum. If you are riding a fully rigid bike you will feel more of the bumps but will be slowed down less by those bumps than if you were riding a bike with suspension. The suspension also adds weight to the bike, weight will affect your speed on the bike. If you are talking mountain bikes on the road you can have a give an take situation, the bike is more comfortable with suspension but a little slower. So this comes down to preference and riding style.
2006-08-30 07:13:49
·
answer #1
·
answered by Dru 2
·
0⤊
0⤋
Benefits coming from suspension are outweighed by disadvantages if riding on the road unless you ride in 3rd world countries. It sucks a minute amount of your energy and added weight slows you down. I have a lockout on my suspension so I can compare both with or without suspension on the same bike. There is minimal benefit in the comfort department on the road.
2006-08-29 13:26:32
·
answer #2
·
answered by Ben P 4
·
1⤊
0⤋
No.... you would just get peddal induced bob. It will make your bike heavier, you won't benefit of plushness. It depends on what your want to ride.
If you're more into confortable riding around town, probably a hardtail will serve you well (only with suspension at the front), since you could lead sometimes off road and still be ok. But full suspension is more than you need, and probably just be heavier.
2006-08-29 15:41:02
·
answer #3
·
answered by Roberto 7
·
0⤊
0⤋
Suspension is the best for riding off-road. One reason is that if you do go off-road with out any kind of suspension( i.e. Front Shock) then you have the risk of breaking you fork! I would suggest you buy a bike with at least a Front Shock.
2006-08-29 12:21:07
·
answer #4
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
0⤋
suspensoin helps with some manuverability but without suspension it really lets you feel the road it depends on what kinda bike you got if its a chopper no suspensoin but if its a sport bike suspension is the way to go
2006-08-29 12:19:58
·
answer #5
·
answered by Anonymous
·
1⤊
0⤋
First, when you're going strait from the settee to an finished-on highway racing bicycle you're going to have some convenience themes. yet, in case you believe you studied any of the excursion (or any professional highway racing) on television you've talked about that professional cyclists race for 6-8 hours non-end each and each day. the line racing bicycle has advanced to that's modern state over more beneficial than one hundred years. The format of the bar/saddle/pedal relationship has replaced little or no over that aspect. A highway racing bicycle is designed for one purpose and one purpose in simple terms: To be ridden as quick as humanly conceivable over a paved floor (a 'paved floor' contains cobblestones and gravel roads). The using position available on a precise equipped highway racing bicycle facilitates the the rider to generate finished skill even as offering as little wind resistance as conceivable, therefore the drop handlebars. the most important to an excellent position on a highway racing bicycle is stability. even as using in the drops, little or no weight must be on the hands. in case you do not aspire to holiday as quick as you may, as others have reported, you received't choose a highway racing bicycle. There are notwithstanding, 'de-tuned' highway motorcycles at present presented by using pretty a lot each important manufacture. those motorcycles have more beneficial bars, a shorter attain and slower guidance. those motorcycles are an excellent decision for human beings that choose a highway motorcycle yet can't or received't favor to holiday totally stretched out with a flat lower back.
2016-11-23 13:32:03
·
answer #6
·
answered by killeen 4
·
0⤊
0⤋
ANY suspension is helpful. even the cheap bikes at walmart have suspensions on them. if any it makes for a smoother ride even if the components of the suspsension are inadequate.
2006-08-29 12:21:21
·
answer #7
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
1⤋
what kind of roads? if they're really bad then sure, if it's all smooth blacktop or bike path, why bother?
yes it'll slow you down a bit, especially front or rear shocks, especially when you stand to pedal.
if comfort is the problem you have other options - padding for your handlebars, seats with thicker padding or even springs, maybe raising your handlebars to take weight off of your hands.
2006-08-29 12:41:58
·
answer #8
·
answered by Anonymous
·
1⤊
0⤋