Are front forks with shocks worth the dough? I know that ultimately it is a matter of opinion. I am looking for opinions however Thanks.

Depends... If your commute takes you over badly-paved roads with rough surfaces and potholes or you got to do a lot of curb-hopping, then yea a suspension fork might be a good idea. Riding like that tends to beat up on the wrists and a suspension fork would make it more tolerable.

But if you got a smooth commute, I'd say don't bother.

The hybrid I had had a front shock. I thought it was cool and would absorb shock from my arms. I found it to be pretty useless for most road riding. It absorbed some bumps but stole my energy from my pedaling that I received in benefit. My current bike had a rigid fork and I don't miss front shock even with some rough roads and the occasional curb hop. Off-road riding is a completely different story of course.

I wouldn't even use a suspension fork for that. If your commute takes you down a rock and root garden then a front suspension would be useful. I swapped the susp. fork on my mtb for a lighter, inexpensive cro-mo fork and now it's lighter, faster and more nimble.

For pavement in any kind of decent shape the short answer is no.

I agree with the folks above, but:

- I've got a suspension on my bike, and I'll bet that it only causes a trivial slowdown. According to most of the folks on this forum, even a road bike versus mtn bike full suspension will only chop off about 5 minutes max from a 45 minute commute. If you have a shorter commute, the time difference is even shorter. I'll bet a fork versus no fork will be only a fraction of the time savings above.

- I probably wouldn't pay extra for a suspension, but unless you're doing a big commute > 10 miles on a regular basis, I also wouldn't pay to remove it either.

- You can go trail riding with a suspension!

- I do, however, suspect it's true that having suspension makes your bike more attractive to thieves. To help deter them, I ride my bike off-road, and don't clean it down to a sparkle. Even though it's a great bike probably worth more than the cheapos on the bike rack around it, it looks like it's got the heck beaten out of it!

I am using my mountain bike to commute until I can get my hands on a road bike I like. I have found that the suspension fork has no real benefit for road riding. I go through bumpy roads all the time (I live in Pennsylvania which is notorious for its horrible roads). The fork is great for when I go off-road, but on the road it really isn't necessary...

My urban assault bike has a suspension fork and I get around town plenty fast on it. The fork is nice for rough stretches of pavement. I don't feel it makes me much slower compared to my rigid bikes and while it is definitely not essential it is nice to have.

For normal commuting I wouldn't bother with a suspension fork for the following reasons:

1) Additional cost to purchase
2) Additional maintenance, especially if the bike is a daily ride and is routinely operated in lousy weather conditions. I am a firm believer in KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) when it comes to equipment that gets me to work.
3) Additional weight

Worth it? I'd say if you're riding off road over rough surfaces they are worth it. If you're commuting on paved roads then I'd say they aren't worth it.

Yeah, but it's so much fun to pass guys commuting on a mtb!

My commute is just under 10 miles and I can do it in 40-45 minutes depending on traffic and lights. It's pretty hilly too.

There is no doubt that you are more efficient on a non-suspended bike when travelling over relatively smooth terrain. That said, there was a woman who rode the final 100 miles of STP with us at over 22 mph (we were on road bikes!!!!) on her gary fisher mountain bike with front suspension and slick tires. I could not believe her strength. It taught me a new respect for our 26 inch wheeled bikes. That chick was flying. She dropped a bit on the climbs but always caught back on to the group.

Personally, for commuting purposes, it would take a very rough road to make me want to ride my suspension bike. I don't like ANY of my energy going to sag and bob.

Not worth it unless you are buying a high end bike to ride through the woods.

I generally agree with the comments here, but I'll mention that I think the energy-robbing effect of a front fork is overrated, especially if you ride mostly in the saddle.

I wouldn't bother unless your commute goes through the woods. I would rather put my money into better components, good gloves/shprts, a nice Brooks saddle, racks, lights, saddle bags, etc.

before i got my Redline i commuted all over on my Fisher hardtail w/ a front fork and slicks
I still use the mtb for riding to and from class cause it's slow speed handling is much much better than the Redline's for avoiding people on campus too - plus it helps smooth out all the curb hopping and obstacle tackling i do - but if you are strictly commuting i really wouldnt say it would help all that much, my rigid Redline does just fine on the crappy roads here in Raleigh (and its a faster commuter too)

No. Its is easier to use a larger tire size and a sprung saddle.

My hybrid has a suspension, and I generally agree with the comments here, especially agarose2000. It doesn't really slow you down if you already have a heavy bike. I wouldn't pay extra for it, but I'm not going to pay to remove it, either.

Thanks. I'll do without it. PA roads are horrible which made me consider it. I did get a flat on a curb this morning

I commute on an old Cannondale SM2000 MTB with a Softride Suspension stem. Works very well in taking the the small jarring and vibrations out of the road. Arms and hands feel good after my ride to work and back, 9mi. each way. Much lighter than a fork.

Lenny

I have a hybrid with front suspension. It's useless. I ride 4 of my 10 miles each way per day over gravel road that is at best slightly washboarded, and at worst is practically made of potholes. At one point last year I discovered that the front suspension had seized solid due to lack of lubrication (I was neglecting it completely) and I didn't notice. I took the fork off the bike and broke it free; it works now but I can't tell the difference.

I'm sure a high end shock for offroad use would be good, but these cheesy 2" travel springboxes they put on cheap hybrids are just added weight. IMHO.

I put front suspension on my MTB because my hands were taking a beating on the C&O. I wouldn't put it on a commuter. When I stand on the MTB on pavement the shocks bleed off the power. I find the MTB sheer pain on my commute vs a road bike and much slower. That said, the suspension does smooth out tree roots, potholes, bumps, curbs, etc.

If you're riding on paved roads, shocks are counter-productive. They add weight and friction, and don't smooth out the ride enought o be worth it. If you're riding off-road, though, they're pretty handy.

I just purchased a Diamondback Response with the intent of making it my primary commuter. It has a suspension fork and I was concerned about the speed sucking effect it might have. After my first week with it....I am as fast, read slow, as ever. I make my 6.5--7.0 mile commute in 25--40 minutes. My average is about 12mph or so. I carry about 50lbs (24Kg) of gear with me. My hands are not hurting as bad as with the hybrid and I am much better on hills than the recumbent. I don't worry about being forced off-road either. I added trekking bars, back rack, lights, etc., the bike, the gear, and little-ole-me seem to be getting about just fine. I think that suspension forks for commuting are very good, you don't know what is going to happen, best to be prepared.

Where in PA are you ?
I commuted PA in a few different places for years. The roads werent
ideal but screws, glass and homicidal drivers were the worst problem
I faced in both Chester and Lancaster Co's. I used a Surly Crosscheck
cyclocross bike and it worked well for the hills and bumps. I prefer
efficiency over comfort so I cant ride a suspension fork.