Riverside Guy wrote: I'm very curious about the differences between a 7.3fx and a 7300. Couple of the rides I take can be pretty bumpy, so a front suspension may be of interest... so I'm looking at what are the negatives of a front suspension and if neither had suspension, what really (as in practically) would be the major differences?

My wife and I own 7300's. I also own a rigid forked hard tail MTB that I ride when biking solo. I like the 7300 for rail trails and our local roads which can be very jarring. Personally I've found that the front 35mm SPA suspension on the 7300 doesn't rob that much energy. Sure if you're doing a lot of hills you may not want any suspension. But IMO the 7300 is a nice smooth and relatively fast bike for cruising, short tours and rail to trail paths. The suspension is not a deal breaker to me. YMMV