Eschew Obfuscation
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 3,845
Bikes: 2005 Fuji Professional, 2002 Lemond Zurich, Folders - Strida, Merc, Dahon, Downtube, Recumbent folder
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I think the Full Suspension is more desirable in every respect except for portability. If you do want to do air travel, it's going to be challenging. First, the FS by itself is difficult (not impossible) to fit into a suitcase. It'll take some disassembly of the rear end. With the Cruzbike kit, you'll need 2 suitcases for sure. Secondly, the combined weight of the Cruzbike and FS will result in a bike in the high 30's weight-wise.
And be aware that the Non-Suspension is 3 inches shorter that the FS. It'll impact the ride quality.
Would you consider the Front Suspension model, which is in-between the two, spec-wise? It's got the same longer wheelbase as the FS. It has a front suspension (weight distribution on the Cruzbike will be close to 50/50). That's the base bike that my conversion is built on (before I took off the suspension fork).
Finally, I must say that I have not missed the suspension on my bike. I ride paved roads only. I have my tires at around 60psi, and it rides just fine.
All in all, it's a tough trade-off between portability and comfort. Unfortunately, there's no objective way to resolve this dilemma. Good luck with your choice!