Originally Posted by wphamilton

The stock tires will have higher rolling resistance, slowing you down.

The front shock costs you energy, which is why you don't see them on road bikes. I'd lock it out for around town, unlock it if going on trails or mountain biking.



Visualize the kinds of jars that the front shock will absorb, and the seat or rear shock. Bumps on the front tire basically pitch the front of the bike up and down, and some bit in the direction you're going. Springs on the saddle would reduce jars straight up through your back.

On the streets I prefer to let the tires do the job of absorbing the bumps which are generally smaller. For rougher streets, larger tires which can run at lower pressure.

For a mountain bike or hybrid at those speeds, reducing rolling resistance and increasing efficiency is the most effective way to get a bit more speed, if that's the goal.