Originally Posted by
Who Dey3334
Exactly, I agree 100 percent! A big majority of the people who don't like them are also younger riders. Its just like I told a friend of mine, I told him don't go to the local bike shop and let a 20 year old kid talk you out of a bike with a suspension fork or a comfort hybrid with a nice cushy seat because he doesn't have a clue how a your out of shape 50- 60 year old body feels. When you are young you don't have the aches and pains of an older person and you feel so good that you think you are going to live forever. Hell when you are young you can ride a hundred miles on the seat post probably and it wouldn't bother you.
I am 48 and have my share of aches and pains and not a fan of cheap suspension forks. In recent years, I have ridden them as rentals (Trek and Specialized models) and the best I can say about them is, they don't suck as bad as they used to. Given most if these bikes come standard with 700 x 35 or 700 x 38 tires, it really isn't needed for casual riding, and few of any take their comfort hybrids to do single track.
IMO it is mostly about marketing. Easier for the customer to see a cheap suspension fork, whereas a better wheel, tire, or shifter looks exactly the same to many bike customers as a cheaper model.