No Suspension

[Lizt]

I am considering buying a Wisper 806 T or a 705 T 24 in. Neither have suspension forks. Does this make them an uncomfortable ride? I would like to ride on canal paths and forest trails. I live in Somerset so difficult to access one to test.
Thank you in advance for any advice.

 

[Edward Elizabeth]

Not unduly. You have to pay decent money to get suspension forks worth a damn anyway.

 

[Bikes4two]

I can't say I've ever worked out why suspension forks are so favoured on bikes that are not used for mountain biking (and by mounting biking, I don't mean forest trails, canal paths and the like).

They are heavy and add to the weight of the bike. With the right width tyres and tyre pressure, a good level of comfort can be achieved.

The trouble is, the marketeers have decided we (the public) need suspension forks.

 

[Lizt]

I can't say I've ever worked out why suspension forks are so favoured on bikes that are not used for mountain biking (and by mounting biking, I don't mean forest trails, canal paths and the like).

They are heavy and add to the weight of the bike. With the right width tyres and tyre pressure, a good level of comfort can be achieved.

The trouble is, the marketeers have decided we (the public) need suspension forks.

 

[Lizt]

Thank you for those interesting comments. There has been a comment by Wisper which inficates the 705 might be easier over bumps but maybe that’s because the wheels are larger.
Could any owners of the above bikes comment on the comfort of the ride please?

 

[Gavin]

Thank you for those interesting comments. There has been a comment by Wisper which inficates the 705 might be easier over bumps but maybe that’s because the wheels are larger.
Could any owners of the above bikes comment on the comfort of the ride please?

Comfort is such a personal issue that I doubt you'll get enough of a scientific answer to base a purchase decision on.

There really is no substitute for a test ride.

If you do take a punt and buy without a test ride, there are always options available to improve comfort. Suspension seatposts and (less common) suspension stems can take the shocks out of impacts. Softer tyres, fat handlebar grips and fat saddles can reduce vibration.

Or if you enjoy tinkering then buy a secondhand set of suspension forks and fit them (be mindful of any warranty implications)

 

[Woosh]

I can't say I've ever worked out why suspension forks are so favoured on bikes that are not used for mountain biking (and by mounting biking, I don't mean forest trails, canal paths and the like).

it's an age related thing.
weight is not a problem for e-bikes and most of my customers are over 70.

 

[Lizt]

it's an age related thing.
weight is not a problem for e-bikes and most of my customers are over 70.

Interesting. When you say age related is that to do with comfort or the look of the bike?

 

[Bikes4two]

@Woosh

weight is not a problem for e-bikes and most of my customers are over 70

is that 70Kg or 70 years (or both). So are you saying that front suspension gives an added layer of comfort or as @Lizt asks, is it for aesthetic reasons?

if the latter ...... then them blessed marketeers have a lot to answer for!

 

[Gringo]

On my acid one the stock suspension forks were pointless on tarmac and canal paths and not up to the rougher trails, so I upgraded to air forks. Now I ride it with the forks locked for everything but the rougher trails when they come into there own.
The same thing goes on my analog mtb, as I’m only riding it on light trails it’s locked forks most of the time. If it wasn’t for the front wheel and forks being the through axle type, I’d fit it with my spare carbon ridged forks.
I have a third bike built from spare parts, it’s a mtb frame with suspension adjusted ridged forks and its my nicest ride, noticeable lighter on the front end and nimbler on the twisty bits.

IMHO most Suspension forks are heavy and ineffective and it’s a shame the industry thinks we want them.

 

[MikelBikel]

Haha, careful when talking about weight, some of us are built for comfort, not speed!
A suspension seat post is a big help (e.g. Suntour ncx). Just wish there was an equally cheap and cheerful fix for the front end.
Fatter tyres help, check max size the frame, rim & mudguard can take and run them at lowest permitted pressure.
Inefficient but comfy

 

[Mars]

I was looking for a quill suspension stem on ebay and spotted the attached. Was unused and still in original box. Works a treat on Powys poorly maintained roads.

My front hub motored bike was bouncing all over the shop. My 70 odd kg was obviously not enough to keep it in contact with the road. I had visions of being bounced into oncoming traffic. The suspension stem has solved that. Pity the company went out of business in 2008 as it is a solid bit of kit.

 

[Laser Man]

Cyclists managed without suspension for nearly 100 years!

Similar to a question which popped up on a photography forum along the lines of "Iv'e been given a camera but it doesn't have image stabilisation - will it it take pictures?"

The NCX seatpost is well worth getting if the price is right, but cheap coil-spring forks are pretty ineffective new and rapidly degrade as well as adding several kg weight.

 

[Bikes4two]

Fatter tyres help, check max size the frame, rim & mudguard can take and run them at lowest permitted pressure....... Inefficient but comfy

Lower tyre pressure will increase rolling resistance a little bit but compare that to carting a pair of heavy shocks on the fork around.

For those who have not ried it yet, lower your tyre pressure by 0.5bar at a time to feel the suspension effect of pneumatic tyres - you might be pleasantly suprised.

Too low a pressure will leave you vulnerable to pinch punctures of course.

(A pinch puncture being where on going over a hard object like a kerb, the tyre temporarily compacts enough to pinch the inner tube against the rim and puncturing the tube. Also known as a 'snake bite' puncture as it leaves two small holes in the tube akin to the bite of a snake).

 

[danfoto]

it's an age related thing.
weight is not a problem for e-bikes and most of my customers are over 70.

Oh dear. I'm well over 70 and I've just spent £2K on an e-bike that doesn't have suspension. Does this make me a silly person? Will other cyclists point at me and start tittering when they see me? Should I perhaps just venture out after dark now?

 

[Lizt]

Oh dear. I'm well over 70 and I've just spent £2K on an e-bike that doesn't have suspension. Does this make me a silly person? Will other cyclists point at me and start tittering when they see me? Should I perhaps just venture out after dark now?

after reading posts on the forum and discussing it with my off road mbiker son it would appear your choice may be a good one. Maybe a good suspension seat post might make things a little more comfy.

 

[Lizt]

after reading posts on the forum and discussing it with my off road mbiker son it would appear your choice may be a good one. Maybe a good suspension seat post might make things a little more comfy.

I recently fell and had a very serious shoulder fracture which required a reverse shoulder replacement which will probably not survive another fall. My son said I should avoid small wheels at all costs because they may risk further tumbles. This may be more of a problem than no suspension.

 

[Bonzo Banana]

Cyclists managed without suspension for nearly 100 years!

Similar to a question which popped up on a photography forum along the lines of "Iv'e been given a camera but it doesn't have image stabilisation - will it it take pictures?"

The NCX seatpost is well worth getting if the price is right, but cheap coil-spring forks are pretty ineffective new and rapidly degrade as well as adding several kg weight.

I'm not sure they did manage for 100 years, the tyres and tubes give a suspension effect as do the spokes, the front forks, the stays and tubes of the frame, the saddle also had springs on many models, the handlebars flex and you have the grips. Steel bikes can be pretty comfortable. Aluminium road bikes with super low profile tyres can be horribly uncomfortable. If you are approaching a pot hole with no time to avoid it just lift yourself out of the saddle and use your arms and legs to suspend your body above the bike to give additional suspension and reduce the impact of the pot hole on yourself and the bike.

Also many bikes have suspension at the front when more of the body weight is at the back so its often in the wrong place anyway.

Keeping bikes simple makes them more enjoyable I think, suspension sounds good but its only really off-roaders who really need it and if you have a bad back surely you need it on the rear of the bike, front suspension makes more sense if you have RSI. I had a Kona Lanai in the past a basic mountain bike, it used 7005 aluminium which could fatigue quickly if allowed to flex so the frame was very rigid and unforgiving but at the front had basic Suntour suspension it was one of the most uncomfortable bikes I'd ridden. It had fairly low profile road tyres on it as wasn't used off-road but that bike really needed thick mountain bike tyres to give road comfort.

 

[Woosh]

on balance, I think you should have some suspension to help with your shoulder injury.
It's true that cheap steel coil forks don't compare against high end air forks but they are not usually aimed at the same application.
In your specific case, a good suspension post such as the Suntour SP12-NCX may just do the job but it does not work the same way a suspension fork does.
You body moves backward when you hit a bump.
Adding a coil fork like Suntour NEX that you see on zillions of e-bikes does not cost much and the additional comfort that you get for your wrists and shoulders easily justify the expense. For ebikes, the additional weight is not a problem.
Also in most cases, the Suntour NEX does the job reasonably well, you can always replace it with a better one later.

Details - SR SUNTOUR Cycling

www.srsuntour.com

 

[Lizt]

on balance, I think you should have some suspension to help with your shoulder injury.
It's true that cheap steel coil forks don't compare against high end air forks but they are not usually aimed at the same application.
In your specific case, a good suspension post such as the Suntour SP12-NCX may just do the job but it does not work the same way a suspension fork does.
You body moves backward when you hit a bump.
Adding a coil fork like Suntour NEX that you see on zillions of e-bikes does not cost much and the additional comfort that you get for your wrists and shoulders easily justify the expense. For ebikes, the additional weight is not a problem.
Also in most cases, the Suntour NEX does the job reasonably well, you can always replace it with a better one later.

Details - SR SUNTOUR Cycling

www.srsuntour.com

Thank you Woosh for your helpful advice.

 

[cyclebuddy]

It's true that cheap steel coil forks don't compare against high end air forks but they are not usually aimed at the same application...

...Adding a coil fork like Suntour NEX that you see on zillions of e-bikes does not cost much and the additional comfort that you get for your wrists and shoulders easily justify the expense.

At the risk of disagreeing with the majority here, I'd agree with Woosh. As low-cost sprung forks go, the NEX is easily worth the slight cost and weight penalty. It's far, far better than the oft-found "trampoline" springing of cheaper coil forks, and much better than no fork suspension at all.

Being a heavier rider, there is also the issue of "unsprung mass" on a bike with no suspension; the potential wear and damage on tyres/spokes/wheels/frame.