legalian

I want to thank all those who gave me input on my previous thread about which new ride to get. I was curious if I get a hybrid that has a static/rigid fork. Can I add a supsension fork like the fatty ultra DL to the bike, and if so how much will something like this cost? For instance I love the GIANT FCR but is has no suspension, I know it will slow me down but was curious if I should just pay extra for a bike with this feature or buy a cheaper bike and add the suspension myself.

Thanks.

I'm still riding to work in the cold, windchill of 5 degrees this morning and an inch or two on the ground but the roads were mostly clear. Why did I move from SoCal to DC?

vik 

Nashbar had a 700c suspension fork in one of their catalogues recently. I can't remember the cost, but a quick search on their site will get you the info.

You won't be able to use a cannondale headsock on any bike other than a cannondale specifically designed to use a headshock. It requires a very large diameter headtube.

AggieWheeler08

Are you going to be doing much off-road riding?

JeffS

If other bikes in the line offer a front suspension you can. Actually, you can on any bike, it's just a question of whether you change your head tube angle by doing so.

Personally, I'd be looking for the bike without a shock.

legalian

I understand most people don't want the weight but speed isn't a huge factor. I'm always riding in short bursts trying not to stop at the next light. Hell half the time I'm riding my bike I'm standing instead of sitting down. The roads in DC are just to pot holed and bumpy not to have them. I only like riding in the city with traffic, good adrenaline rush, the paths are just too boring for me. Therefore I need the suspension. Thanks for letting me know about the cannondale. Besides looks is there any reason the top fork uni suspension like the fatty ultra is better or worse than a more typical two side suspension fork?

vik 

Headshok Pros:
- very stiff
- very low maintenance
- slight weight advantage

Headshok cons:
- usually more expensive than comparable standard forks
- performance is highly variable between models (try before you buy)
- tuning potential is highly variable between models (try before you buy)

I like Cannondale in general. I'd be fine with a headshok or lefty on my bike, but I would test ride it a lot to make sure I was happy with it and I'd check reviews user reviews on the fork to see what other people's experiences have been.

marqueemoon

one more thing to break

newbojeff

I don't think it's an issue of weight for most commuters. Have you seen the rigs we're riding? This is not the weight-wennie forum. Plus, we're all riding around on crappy, potholed streets. The shock just causes you to waste energy unnecessarily, especially if you are getting up and down out of the saddle frequently.

same time

NYCBikes has a few 700c suspension forks for very cheap:

https://www.nycbikes.com/catalog.php?..._cat=WAREHOUSE

which should be fine for DC potholes.

I think it would be much cheaper to buy a complete bike with a suspension fork, and switch to rigid if you don't like it, than it would be to buy a bike with a rigid fork and add suspension.

...and if you're interested in a Softride suspension stem, pm me.

joejack951

What do you love so much about the Giant FCR? I'm sure there's a bike out there with similar features that already has a suspension fork.

cerewa

Standing-up riding is the easiest time for your arms and legs to absorb potholes' shock, and the least practical time for you to avoid pushing your effort into a suspension system instead of forward motion.

If you're buying a bike and are sure you want front suspension, I'd highly recommend buying one with the suspension fork installed rather than adding it in.

But if I were in your situation I would want a bike with 1.75" or fatter tires, and no suspension.

GeoKrpan

700c road suspension forks are cheap and cheesy, stay away from them. If you want a quality 700c suspension fork get one made for a 29er mountain bike. A 29er mountain bike has 700c wheels.
I think the Cannondale Headshok is a really nice set up but, of course, you have to buy a Cannondale bike to get it. The Cannondale Street Premium is really nice but costs $1200.
Jenson USA sells 29er suspension forks for as little as $200 and a steel 29er frame for $249, the Zion.
I think you could build a pretty interesting commuter with that as the basis.
Better yet is the Surly Karate Monkey frame for around $450.
You don't want to slap a suspension fork on any frame. It will change the geometry and will not ride as the designers intended. You want to look for a frame that is supension corrected.

AndrewP

35 mm wide tires are happy eating potholes for breakfast.

phoebeisis

I agree that a front fork is really nice when riding on crummy streets.Yes, it sucks a bit of your pedal power, but it is worth it.
I'm kinda old-55- and I really appreciate a softer ride. When I was young, I didn't care.It is true that standing and getting your butt off the seat, and hands off the bar will take the sting out of most bumps, but you don't always see the bumps/potholes and you can't always react quickly enough to avoid them(besides they still pound the heck out of you and the bike).
Geo is right-many of the 700c forks are real cheapos-the 29's forks are much higher quality, but a lot more expensive.
If you don't mind frankenbiking, you could put a MTB fork and wheel on the front(if it is 1 1/8). You can get a good quality used MTB fork and wheel pretty cheaply.It will also allow a really wide,fat tire. Many here have pointed out that A high vol tire can take the edge off those potholes. Schwalbe makes shock absorption a main selling point for their high vol/low rolling resistance tires-Big Apple, and Super Moto. They are very nice tires-really pricy of course.By wide I mean wide-much wider than 35mm-more like 1.7 or more with pressure about 50 psi.
Get the suspension fork, and put a fat tire on the front; it will take the edge off those crummy streets.
A good MTB fork-coil spring-will be about 1800 grams-4 lbs-rigid steel forks are 700-800 grams-2 lbs well spent!!
Luck,
Charlie