Yes, you can get by without suspension pretty much any place you might be that you`d want it. Still, if it makes the trip more enjoyable, springs, pivots, air cartridges, what-ever other kind of mechanical add ons are welcome. Why not? My first "longer than a weekend" tour was on my front suspension equiped mountain bike and I was awful glad to have the suspension to cush things out for a few hundred miles of dirt road. The same route COULD be done with a rigid bike and as fat a set of tires as will fit but that doesn`t mean I did it wrong. If any of you want to ride a few hours or a few days of cobblestones or nonstop washboard on a rigid bike, go right ahead- it`s plenty possible to do.