Werehatrack <
[email protected]> wrote in message news:<
[email protected]>...
> On 4 Feb 2004 16:06:07 -0800,
[email protected] (wle) may have said:
>
> >whenever i ride a bike with shocks, it always feels mushy to me and out of control, so in general
> >i don;t like them.
>
> Ride a bike with better damping in the shocks.
>
> >but - is it true that any shock absorbing mechanism wastes energy that could be used to propel
> >the bike ahead?
> >
> >it seems that this must be true..
>
> Only for the ones with no real damping at all, which is most that are sold as original equipment
> on bikes under $800. With effective damping, so that the bob-bob-bob on hard pedaling is not
> present, this would not be true.
>
> But where shocks are useful, in an off-road environment, the trade-off may be worth it even with
> the bobbing. (I personally find that a crummy suspension fork has little to recommend it over a
> regular one even in an off-road setting, however.)
Dear Werehatrack,
As others have pointed out, working the suspension takes energy, but is worthwhile if it makes the
ride possible, saves the frame, or doesn't rob too much energy.
Interestingly, many downhill racers insist on hard-tail frames when they coast down dry ski-resort
runs at frightening speeds.
I think that the racers have found that they roll down the slope faster with as little suspension as
possible. Maybe someone familiar with this odd sport will explain what's really happening.
Carl Fogel