Originally Posted by njkayaker

Front suspension is there (on mountain bikes) primarily to keep the front wheel from being thrown off-course. There is less need for rear suspension because the rear wheel will tend to follow the genaral path of the front wheel. Basically, the rear wheel is being pulled by the rider's mass (which is ahead of the rear wheel). Even with suspension, mountain bikers need to use the same suspension that riders without suspension use: their legs.