Comments on: Bombproof Project: Rigid vs. Suspension

By: Ellydozer

Ellydozer — Mon, 28 May 2007 21:36:32 +0000

If we are reffering to the ? of rigid vs. suss. fork for novice to intermediate riders, I have this to say: Consider the dynamic handling abilities on trail (turns and bumps), suss. forks not only absorb impact, but function as shocks on your car would function, they keep the tire on the road (or trail), during bumps and inconsistantsies in the road. The less contact you have with the ground, the less you can control braking and turning. Also, the inertia created when peddling forward at speed can push a rigid fork into the ground, and when turning can slide out due to the inability of the fork to absorb that forward motion. I have seen this in action on trail with a novice rider on a ridgid frame, and he had far more “slide outs” with his front wheel than we did having front suspension (we were novice too!) Imagine if Dirt Bikes (the motorized kind) had no suspension, they’d be hard to keep on the trail when its bumpy! So I would argue its less a question of comfort, but handling.

By: Stuart

Stuart — Mon, 21 May 2007 00:49:22 +0000

Since the project is for a bombproof bluecollar Joe ride, I’d have to say that the Instigator fork is the best choice. It is relatively inexpensive and the rider can always upgrade in the future. To get a decent suspension fork is as much as the frame. The bucks would more wisely spent on good components, then the rider doesn’t have to upgrade these in the very near future.

Upgrading to a suspension fork is easy!

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 16:50:45 +0000

I guess I might be whatcha call one o them “new riders”. I learned trail biking from a very good friend and co-worker on a front-sus bike and would never buy anything else, comfort factor aside…I can see the arguments for both sides of this debate and I surely don’t have enough knowledge of the sport to recommend any particular type or brand of hardware but would never ride with a rigid fork. Guess I’m just not good enough for that yet…
The safety factor is what I had in mind. There have been plenty of times when I didn’t have my line just right and a sus fork took up impacts that would have otherwise jammed my elbows straight through my shoulders, not to mention caused a classy wipe out!
If you guys are talking entry level then, absolutley, suspension fork.
I’ll be watching the info in these posts closely as I’m looking for a new ride. The one I learned on (D-back Sorrento) got ripped, damn-it! Oh well, upgrade, right? Anyone got a suggestion for now???

By: Slippery Pete

Slippery Pete — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 20:59:49 +0000

If you went with a low-to-mid range priced fork, I would nominate the Rock Shock Tora.

By: Grant

Grant — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 23:22:29 +0000

“Keep in mind we’re talking about mountain biking here too. I think the evidence points to getting a susser fork. Preferably some sort of coil type with at least a pre-load and rebound adjuster.”

Rock Shox Dart. One model has rebound adjust, the other not. Both have lockout, are coil sprung, have preload adjust.

Manitou Axel. Again, coil and preload. Fluid based damping. The bottom level does not have adjustable damping, the Super (it’s in the name!!) has adjustable damping, rebound and travel.

Two pretty common choices. The Axel looks a lot like the Skareb I still use sucessfully on my singlespeed.

By: slide

slide — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 09:53:15 +0000

It seems to me that simply letting the air out of the tires would be the way to go with ridged forks. I’ve tried the newer things and went with a Specialized Rockhopper (much to my regret it’s only good for about five miles before becoming uncomfortable). I’m going with a K.M. with ridged fork.

By: Guitar Ted

Guitar Ted — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 01:45:35 +0000

Hey guys, great discussion here. Here’s my take:

Old school guys, (I are one!) that say rigid forks are good enough, they make you a better rider, etc…while the points are all valid, the premise is disingenuous. Yes, because when you were just starting out, there wasn’t a choice. Rigid or go home. I think if we had a choice to enter our favorite pastime with a susser fork back in the 80’s, we would’ve jumped at the chance. More moto and less roadie. Brrraaaap!

As to the “blue collar/ bombproof” nature of the project, I can say that a rigid fork is probably a winner there. No maintenance, no set up, nothing to wear out. However; I have one reservation that sways me the other way, and it is the same reason I wouldn’t go with a single speed for this project.

That reason is the encouragement to ride. Anything that encourages riding a bike more outweighs anyting else in this experiment. My judgement is that gears, for all their inherent problems, are better for the encouragement of riding. In other words, the benefits outweigh the evils for almost all entry level and casual cyclists. Once they move on to being an enthusiast, they might develope different tastes. I think suspension does the same thing. For all of the drawbacks to it, the benefits to the people we’re aiming at: for the everyday, “average joe” types, I think the benefits are greater.

Keep in mind we’re talking about mountain biking here too. I think the evidence points to getting a susser fork. Preferably some sort of coil type with at least a pre-load and rebound adjuster.

By: jdb

jdb — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 01:15:39 +0000

Hmmm… seems like sus forks are the preferred choice. Guess that’s the way to go if you’re planning high speed downhill, or truly very rough trails. Gotta say, though, there’s an awful lot of singletrack out there that would be just fine in a rigid fork. I’ve spent time in NY/PA, WYO/UT, TX, OR/WA and now CA. Frankly, central PA cobbled trails are about the only place I felt I *needed* full suspension just to consider riding. Then again, most of my other singletrack adventures are not of the high speed type.

I’m very happy after regressing to a rigid fork last year. Reasons were to drop unnecessary (for me) weight and provide a set of low rider rack bosses for serious load hauling. I guess there are times though, when flying down washboard roads, where I think about getting old school 1/2″ thick foam grips for the occasional wrist abuse…

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 00:04:02 +0000

It sounds like some younger riders need to learn to pick a line. Suspension is great, but you’ll become a better rider if you don’t have it to rely on. I’m talkin’ general cross country riding here, not gonzo downhill.

The problem with suspension forks is that the cheaper ones are pretty worthless, especially if you are a clydesdale. The better ones add to the cost of the bike considerably.

People keep referring to this Bombproof bike as an entry level bike, but I don’t think that was the original idea. A bike that will last as long as possible, cutting weight where possible, but using strong, reliable, and easily serviceable components rather than the newest carbon fiber wunderpart.

By: nathan

nathan — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 16:36:16 +0000

does the reliability of coil sprung outweigh the relative difficult of picking the right spring? i dunno. i’d guess that coil sprung is the way to go. it’s tough to spec something because all after market forks are sold “on sale.” there don’t seem to be any fixed prices.

this would be reasonable, it’s air sprung:
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=86&subcategory=1183&brand=&sku=18403&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20ATB%20Forks