Originally Posted by
LarDasse74
I am glad DOn In Austin enjoys his full suspension bike.
However, I have to agree with everyone else... don't get a full suspension bike for commuting. The bikes are heavier, weaker, require more maintenance, have cheaper components than a similar priced rigid bike, and are less efficient to pedal.. in short less fun to ride.
Get a rigid MTB or hybrid, and if you think the roads are too rough put on fatter tires and run a little less pressure.
And the problem with buying a box-store bike is not that the bikes are terrible quality (most bike shops sell a few models of bikes similar to the higher-end of what is found in the box stores), but that they have no knowledge of proper bike setup, no knowledge of proper bike maintenance, and no selection of sizes... at 6' almost every bike sold in XMart is going to fit you like a tricycle fits a bear in the circus.
Take your $300 and go to a bike shop, see what they have in your price range, and see if they havce anything used. Simplicity costs less and will save you headaches in the long run.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
I do enjoy my budget full suspension bike. Its not because of never having anything to compare it to. I used to own a Cannondale V800 -- sold it to a riding partner as it fit him better than me. I own two CF bikes I built myself. one is a front suspension MTB,, the other a flat-bar road bike. I own a Dawes full road bike. I own a Giant front suspension MTB. Support and advice from where the bike is purchased is not an issue with me as I do all repairs, upgrades and mods myself. I am hardly saying everyone should ride full suspension, just that cheap from a big box store does NOT necessarily mean unreliable or unrideable.
There is always be a tradeoff between rough road comfort and curb-hopping ability vs. speed. Fat soft tires slow you down immensely. When I took those of the Schwinn, it was like releasing brakes. IMHO the soft fat tires were far more of a drag than what the suspension is. What would I know, except riding the same circuits on many different bikes and comparing average MPH?
To each their own. I try not to put down anything that fits someone's needs.
Don in Austin