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Full suspension bikes for touring

Old 06-10-06, 07:10 PM
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Full suspension bikes for touring

Any suggestions for "touring worthy" full suspension bikes? I realize they are less than efficent, but they are so comfortable.
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Old 06-10-06, 07:45 PM
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Full suspension bikes for touring

Are you kidding? You must not be planning on touring very far. Further when you load down a full suspension bike with all of your gear I don't think it will be very comfortable.
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Old 06-10-06, 08:05 PM
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Fatter tires and susp seat post will cope with uneven road sufaces. The biggest problem with full suspension is carrying your gear - trailer perhaps.
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Old 06-10-06, 08:46 PM
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By current MTB has only a small bag on the back. I drag my gear with a Bob trailer.
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Old 06-10-06, 08:57 PM
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personally speaking

I really can't see using a full suspension bike for serious touring. Pedaling eficiency (especially up hills), weight and, if this is a long tour, moving parts to worry about repairing, are all serious issues. For a short (2-6 day) supported tour or a short tour with a trailer, it could be doable, but not the most pleasant choice.

Another factor is cost. Others may know better, but I don't know of any decent full suspension bike for under a grand, and I'd be leary about a used suspension. A good quality old school steel mountain bike, cyclocross bike or even a true tourer can be found used for a a few hundred.
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Old 06-10-06, 09:18 PM
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Originally Posted by Abbey
Any suggestions for "touring worthy" full suspension bikes? I realize they are less than efficent, but they are so comfortable.
Abbey,

Comfort is important, so I understand your question. Have you actually tried a *real* touring bicycle with good tires and a good saddle? There are many people like yourselves who prize comfort above all and would consider their non-suspended touring bicycle very comfortable. A sprung saddle or suspension seatpost, and a wider tire would soak the road vibration and bumps very well and all of them have advantages over a full suspension mountain bike, which is designed for different riding conditions and priorities.

Look at the touring bike picture thread and you will see what people will do for comfort.
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Old 06-10-06, 10:50 PM
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Rhino - fits the bill

In the last year or so suspension with lock-out ability has become common and available on the mid price point. Lock out allows the suspension to become stiff enough to prevent energy sapping bobbing when on the road. However as other have said, weight penalties must be paid.

My Rhino, with it's cyclo-cross setup, could be used as a full suspension tourer if I fitted Marathon tires and a rear rack. I prefer to keep it as a stripped down for dedicated off-road use, and use a lighter regular sized touring bike for road use.
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Old 06-11-06, 12:16 AM
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There are certainly people doing it on the great divide type tours. Full suspension is not a good deal on road surfaces the kinds of jolts on normally encounters are more like vibrations, and the long travel mountain bike shocks do not deal with them all that well. I have a recumbent touring bike with suspension, the suspension part works well.
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