Hard or Soft Tail for a XCountry riding Clydesdale
 

Hey Guys,

I am currently training for a mtn bike triathlon at Wildflower.

I need a new bike. All the bike shop guys are trying to put me on a full suspension. ALL of them.

Back when I rode, Full Suspension was just being developed, and never would have considered it.

Now, I am older, and my body is a bit more fragile so i wonder what the benefits of f/s could be for the my body's durability.

I also wonder what the cost of my uphill times will be. I test rode a gary fisher hifi, and could feel the suspension compressing anytime i was pushing hard on the pedals.

I need to get a bike and start riding it, I can't take too many more spinning classes before I freak out.

Advice!?!?

Ride hard this week.

-Alex

If you have the BUdget, Look at Trek's Top Fuel......

I could give you buzz kill answers or the other side.

I would try and do a pro/con. Here are five in no special order to start it rolling.
Con-
it is more parts to break
more weight
saps energy from pedalling
expense
more maintenance

Pro-
wow-factor
comfort
they say that it increases your endurance
more parts to replace (if you are a techno weenie)
downhilling is a blast!

If you are unsure, I would test ride a few and see if they can preload the shock enough to accomodate your weight. That is the real issue for bigger guys.

Bicycling.com has a video review of a Mongoose Teocali Super. I'm not endorsing the particular model of bike, but it has lockouts on the suspension, the video shows how they work and the editor claims they are the best of both worlds. I would bet Trek, Cannondale, or the other brands offer something similar.

There are a number of different full suspension categories now. You sort of have to decide what sort of terrain you're going to be riding before you pick something out. One of the categories that might interest you is the XC full suspension. They tend to offer less travel but on a lighter chassis.

Full suspension is nice for clydes like me who eat up rear wheels on their hard tails. The main thing is that you don't want to buy cheap suspension. Speaking from experience, the only thing worse than eating up wheels is eating up suspension forks.

If you buy a full suspension bike, you'll have to learn to ride it differently in order to maintain efficiency. This means staying seated on climbs! You'll eventually get the hang of it.