rabbitt

I'm a bit of a noob (actually i AM a noob), and would like to know what kind of maintenance front and rear shocks require. when i say that, I'm referring to a basic suspension fork and the type of rear suspension that involves the huge springy looking thingy (note the sophisticated technical jargon). Do you have to oil/grease them? how long do they last, and are they easy to adjust to switch from soft to hard to ensure good power transfer uphill etc? Also, do they provide health benefits like better joint/bone preservation in the long run? I plan to get a 'bent soon and am wondering whether or not to get one with full suspension. thanks alot, i know i asked alot.

Bikewer

There are no general answers for your question as there are a wide variety of suspension units available.
They may be very simple (and fairly inexpensive) devices with nothing but "elastomers" inside for both spring and damping. These require very little maintenance other than occasional cleaning/lubing and replacement of the worn-out elastomers.

More complex (and expensive) units may have complex springs, oil-damping valves, spring rates provided by compressed air, and other things as well. It's easy to pay as much for high-end front suspension units as most would consider paying for a bike.

There seem to be two kinds of rear shocks (I always have referrred to the front suspension as "forks", and rear units as "shocks". Must be from motorcycling), very very cheap "spring holders" as you see on a lot of department-store bikes, and very expensive units like the Fox offerings. These too can have oil damping, air springs, steel springs, etc. Better ones are rebuildable.