The
Originally Posted by
PaulRivers
Full suspension definitely eats some pedalling power, it's just a question of how much.
They specifically design more advanced rear suspension systems to try to reduce how much power is lost.
There is an argument about how you can lose power with a hardtail when the rear of the bike comes off the ground where the full suspension bike keeps the rear tire connected to the trail.
But there is no doubt that rear suspension eats some of your power on flattish terrain.
In the strictest sense, suspension movement can eat some power.... this is part of the reason you do not see it being used on road or even gravel bikes much, and when you do, it is minimal.
However, the equation changes once there are bumps involved.... you know, like mountain biking. Flat, up, down, whatever.
The traction issue (which keeps power going to the ground) has already been mentioned.
The other issue is that with a suspended wheel, the whole bike does not need to be lifted over a bump, just the wheel (and part of the suspension).
The underlying reasons that suspension makes you faster over non-smooth ground is fundamentally the same as why lower pressure tires do.