Suspension on a commuter

DaveB said:

Is suspension really of much value on a commuter where the roads are of
a pretty good quality?

Having run my commuter with a RockShox Duke (that's a proper MTB fork that actually works) and then a rigid (aluminium of all things) fork, I'd say no. My 26x1.5" 80psi slicks gives me plenty of cushion. At first I got a shock went I went over curbs etc, but I quickly got used to it. Now I've had it for a while, I prefer the feel of the rigid fork. Hard to say why, but it just seems right.

For $400-500, any suspension you get is going to be terrible too.

DaveB said:

The search has started for my new commuter bike for my 40th birthday
present to myself. The budget is $400-500 (although that CELL SS101 with
the hub gears at $750 is looking nice). My commute is very hilly and
I've always done it on a rigid fork.

Around that price you're looking at real budget hybrids or so-so mountain
bikes. If you can stretch to $600 you move into what I consider the low
end of decent commuters - things like the Kona Dew, Norco VFR or Giant
CRX. They tend to be 8/9 speed but with OK wheels, decent frames, and
reasonable rigid forks, not the drain pipes on K-mart specials.

I'm assuming here that when you say hybrid you're after something like a
flat bar roadie, possibly fairly upright. If the default position on those
bikes is too low it's easily adjusted with a new stem, and can probably be
done at time of purchase for little to no cost. I know that I flipped the
stem on my Dr Dew because I preferred the longer/lower setup, and it could
still be a touch longer.

Anyway, so long as the fork has a little give in it it should be fine for
commuting - mine has a steel fork that I've taken down firetrails far too
fast for comfort but still mostly in control (32mm tyres @ 80psi don't
have the same cush or grip as ~50mm tyres @ 30psi, strangely enough). At
the cheap end suspension forks are better than they used to be, but still
fairly heavy and not that useful on road. A decent rigid is also more
efficient.

--
Dave Hughes | [email hidden]
Oh, loneliness and cheeseburgers are a dangerous mix.
- Comic Book Guy

I've commuted on hardtail and dual suspension, and now on fully rigid, and would see no reason to go back to any form of suspension unless your back/wrists are dodgy and/or you do a lot of potholes and curb hopping. And even then it's not essential.

Remember also that suspension = increased maintenance, which can be a pain on a commuter...

I'd say go for a rigid model - and if you find yourself getting a bit weary of the ride you can pick up a good quality s/hand short-travel fork for little money these days that will fit the bill nicely.

DaveB said:

The search has started for my new commuter bike for my 40th birthday
present to myself. The budget is $400-500 (although that CELL SS101 with
the hub gears at $750 is looking nice). My commute is very hilly and
I've always done it on a rigid fork.

The choice of forks on the various hybrids appears to be, in $$ value of
the bike:
1, rigid
2, Suspension with no lock-out
3, Suspension with lock-out

I've heard that cheaper suspension forks with lock-out are still
absorbing some of the shock, ie. they don't completely lock. Is that
still the case?

Is suspension really of much value on a commuter where the roads are of
a pretty good quality?

I commute on a roadbike, so bear that in mind, but I'd suggest that the
sort of suspension you'll get on a bike at that price will be heavy,
clunky and generally not worth having. Go fully rigid, and if you need
it, maybe ride on floaty tyres like 28's or 35's or similar. That'd be
my advice anyway ... check out, as well as the giant, avanti etc, the
Trek 7.x series bikes Be sure to testride as many as you can before
you splash your cash, and in an LBS won't let you have a decent
testride, find another LBS. The trek 7.0 retails for $399 : T

http://www2.trekbikes.com.au/catalogue.cgi?rm=product&product_id=168&category_id=7&subcategory_id=51