Originally Posted by
oneninetyseven
Here's a daft question: On "rough" but non-technical surfaces - let's say a somewhat bumpy gravel road with some loose stones and different sizes of gravel (not a rock garden by any stretch), would one notice the vibration of the uneven surface going up into the bike frame on a rigid CX bike any more than they would with a hardtail? Or does the front suspension of the hardtail really only make a difference when hitting actual bumps (tree roots, really bumpy dirt, rocks, etc.)?
I certainly do. There's a stretch of gravel path near home that on the rockhopper I'll usually take at 15-20mph (other path users permitting) but on the tricross will rarely go very high into the teens. I'm sure the tricross would cope with it faster, but I'm more aware of the uneven surface.
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