Locking front shocks
 

Why do I want to lock the front shocks when riding on smooth roads? So I have to pull over and unlock if I want to ride on uneven terrain or the road gets bumpy?

Why do you have to pull over to unlock the suspension fork?

Because you don't need the shock moving up and down as you pedal. You need the shock moving up and down to absorb impacts. On smooth roads, the shock is just robbing you of power.

+1. Every shock I use has a lever on the top of the fork that is easy to flip open. Some even have remote cable mounts on the handlebars.

I never lock out my shock, no loss of power, better for rough roads.

I don't have much experience with front shocks. I had front shocks on a MTB that didnt have the option to lock out/in/on. The bike I have now doesn't have front shocks.

Even lower end forks today have a remote lockout switch on the handlebar.

It's the energy loss. You'll notice the losses from bobbing more if you're a stand and pedal type rider. Suspension damping and blow-off thresholds can help to minimize the bobbing. Do what feels best on the bike you're riding given how you are riding it.

So same for the shock on the seat?

Once you hit somewhere around the grand price point. $500 hybrids certainly do not, nor are their lockouts the easiest thing to use

Some people get an annoying amount of front-end suspension bob if they don't lock their forks. If you don't get lots of bobbing, then it might be reasonable for you to never lock out the fork. Do what works for you.

You shouldn't need to pull over.

The lockout is usually a lever at the top of a fork stanchion. You should be able to reach it while riding, if your bike fits.

My 26" MTB has a Rock Shox XC28 with remote lockout. That's a lower end coil spring fork.

If you're riding on pavement there is no need to activate the fork. It's just a flick of a switch on my handlebars while riding along. On another bike my old sid hydro airs were pumped up enough that a lockout wouldn't need required...some give but otherwise firm. On cheap old and new bikes the rebound is so crappy the fork just behaves like a spring robbing you of control and pedaling efficiency...full squish cheapos are even worse.

You have to spend more money on a bike to have a fork lock out, at all ..
and a bit more to have a remote lock out control lever.. on the handlebars

My Cane Creek thudbuster does not have any lock out,
you choose the elastomer density according to your body weight..




...

I definitely notice the power loss on climbs, out of saddle; if I don't have my front shock locked I'll tire so much quicker from the bobbing it's pathetic, that's even with the pre-load adjusted to the stiffest setting and I'm not even that heavy! Ihave to pull over to engage it, but that's a rare occasion these days; I'm certainly getting a solid fork on my next bike.

For many years I rode a rigid bike even on singletrack, which where I live is mostly smooth enough for just some wide tires and low pressures. I did cave in and go back to suspension for the sake of my back. Because getting old's a bummer! I still often grab the rigid bike though, and always do so for anything involving pavement or gravel or doubletrack.

I converted my mtb bike to a rigid fork for similar reasons (also weight savings). It was a crappy, non-adjustable, spring and hydraulic thing that came with the bike.

Is there nothing that can be done to reduce that energy sapping bounce if you don't have a lock-out???

does anyone know how much these shock absorber forks weigh compared to non shock forks.

Mid range shock fork like 29er Recon Silver will weigh 1800g. Mid range carbon fiber 700C road fork will weigh 400g

Lets see, I "upgraded" the fork from the basic shock to rigid in 2009 from parts bought on bikeisland... Once I had both forks in my hands the weight difference was obvious. If I had been less thrifty, I might've gone with lighter shock absorbers or even a lighter carbon fork, but I'm a cheap ba$tard...

Four pounds for the kind of fork you'll find on bikes under 1000. Under $500 expect it to weigh six. Good stuff runs just over three pounds and less.

Rigid forks from one to two and a half pounds.

My Rockshox Revelation have a sub-lockout (called Threshold) which is like lockout but will still cushion a heavy impact.

I don't notice any difference leaving it open. I'm light and the bikes not too old and I'm not hammering too hard.

The very first thing I noticed when I went to a suspension fork wasn't that it was more "comfortable"...I always used my legs and arms for suspension. I noticed that control was vastly improved. Where wheels used to get trapped and cause me to either be thrown off line or crash, suspension forks allow the wheel to climb up and over whatever is trying to trap it. That's why I am willing to carry around the weight of a suspension fork and was willing to deal with the bobbing. Modern shocks, especially good air ones, are a bit lighter and they do have lock outs for those times when you don't need the fork to bounce. Sure came in handy over the last 4 days.