Difference between suspension and no suspension...
- Thread starter PennyFarthing
- Start date
Yes, but Moulton did say his ideal was a rigid frame, very hard tyres and suspension. Theoretically that is a good approach and it's potentially very efficient, but what made Moulton wrong was that perfect suspension cannot be had on bikes*. He even proved himself wrong by using rubber bung suspension in isolation, by common agreement the worst controlled of all suspension types.Surely Moulton bikes had suspension, some sort of rubber block thing?
You can correct me if i'm wrong, it wont be the first time
*It's the huge weight variation that the rider introduces that prevents perfect suspension on bikes. Ideally suspension is designed to match the vehicle and load, and on cars for example, a near enough result is possible since the passenger load although variable is far less than the weight of the car. On bikes the widely differing rider weight always greatly exceeds the bike's weight so there are no design reference points.
P.S. I do remember the sixties well, one of the best decades of my life. Don't listen to prats like Tony Blair et al with their disapproval, they are either just jealous they missed that decade or didn't take advantage of it when they could.
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Shame you missed the 60`s Eddieo , the white heat of Technology under Harold Wilson , collapsing rear subframes on Minis , collapsing suspension and rotting cills on Austin 1100`s , Carnaby St Fashions , smallpox outbreaks , Dr Beeching demolishing our Rail Network . Now I have told you about it you won`t have to look at the History books !
No wonder you only remember the bad things!
Regarding all the criticisms you quoted, in 50 years time the same sort of comments will be made about our present day. I could even quote what they will say, but I won't upset you all by listing many of the things you think of as good!
Yes, Moulton was responsible for the Hydrolastic, subsequently Hydrogas, units on those BL cars from the mini through to the Austin 1800/2200 models and eventually, it was superceded because it wasn't really very good. I'm not aware of any bikes utilising his rubber suspension system today but perhaps somebody does.
Indalo
My response comes in two parts but has to same conclusion
Im different to most on here as i use my bike off road so suspension is very helpful and very welcomed
Cycling to work again it makes a positive improvement. My non ebike is rigid all around. It was far too hard to ride but as i had it for year i just got used to it. With a combination of the suspension on the Oxygen, oversized handle bar and chunky grips i feel that its much more ergonomic and when hitting bumps in the road or going over speed humps it soaks it all up. I would like to have seen a better spec suspension set up and i may yet invest in a different fork suspension set up. I hacve tried ebikes with no suspension and not a chance.
Like i say i ride differently to most on here and i like the option of going anywhere
Im different to most on here as i use my bike off road so suspension is very helpful and very welcomed
Cycling to work again it makes a positive improvement. My non ebike is rigid all around. It was far too hard to ride but as i had it for year i just got used to it. With a combination of the suspension on the Oxygen, oversized handle bar and chunky grips i feel that its much more ergonomic and when hitting bumps in the road or going over speed humps it soaks it all up. I would like to have seen a better spec suspension set up and i may yet invest in a different fork suspension set up. I hacve tried ebikes with no suspension and not a chance.
Like i say i ride differently to most on here and i like the option of going anywhere
D
Deleted member 4366
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What do you use the lockout for? It seems to me like buying a comfy bed abd then putting a board on it to sleep on.
helps pedal faster on up hills. I wouldn't say the front suspension fitted to my bike is great. I'll look at upgrading going forward but to be honest i only really ride road with occasional trip's down canals so i could probably get away without it.
For an ebike application though a front suspension bike its probably a good compromise of comfort and rider input. At least it ebike's you tend to get alot less bob as you don't have to put as much effort in.
For an ebike application though a front suspension bike its probably a good compromise of comfort and rider input. At least it ebike's you tend to get alot less bob as you don't have to put as much effort in.
My PC Disc has lock out suspension and I have been able to try both. I went for the suspension mode eventually as I think it helps a little on our poor roads.
I have found that hand grips can make a difference. My older PC without suspension has grips which when positioned correctly can take a lot of the shocks out of the ride.
A suspension seat post and good seat are much more important to have than front suspension.
I have found that hand grips can make a difference. My older PC without suspension has grips which when positioned correctly can take a lot of the shocks out of the ride.
A suspension seat post and good seat are much more important to have than front suspension.
Suspension for me every time, I've had a few instances of hitting big potholes in the dark winter nights and nearly coming off and I'm sure that if it was a rigid fork I would have. Also less wrist ache. BUT I agree it has to be good quality which means expensive but in my opinion it is worth paying the extra for. PS I have Fox forks but not sure which ones.
Yeah. I must admit that there are times when I think a smoother ride would be nice and would certainly improve my onbike front camera work. I keep looking at the Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra which when I found out Mark at Cytronex was using it to test their new kits ... is making me look even harder!
Suspension seat posts IMHO are dreadful, much better with a rigid tube so the relationship between backside and crank centre remains the same
I agree, even more useless for the lighter amongst us for whom they don't work, just add weight. They also add increasing rotation with wear, leaving the saddle poorly located.Suspension seat posts IMHO are dreadful, much better with a rigid tube so the relationship between backside and crank centre remains the same
There's also a separate issue on e-bikes with a rear of seat tube battery. The frame design of these often has a very angled seat down tube to keep the bike length compact, and this prevents the suspension post working due to the sidewall friction against the extreme angle.
Of course some of this doesn't apply to the heaviest among us whose mass overcomes all resistance.
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i quite like the suspension seat posts. But they do have a bit of a wobble on them. I've probably just got used to it to be honest. But when hitting a couple of bumps occasionally as there's no damping it can keep you bobbing up long after the bump has gone.
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