Hello,


I am looking to buy a bike and need this forum help to understand if I would benefit from bike having suspension.
I want to ride to/from work - about 6km (4miles) each way. Most of my ride is on the sidewalk that are built from 6 feet cement blocks, so there are bumps every 6 feet. When I ride using mountain bike with front and back suspension, then I do not feel any bumps. I tried one day to ride road bike with very thin tires and I felt every bump in my back and in my hands and I hated that ride.
So I am considering buying hybrid bike and one of the options is Giant Roam 2 (or Escape without suspension). But I am not sure if I need suspension. My understanding is that hybrid bikes have bigger tires than road bikes and most of these bumps would be absorbed by tire and maybe there is no need for suspension.


So my question is - do I need suspension on my new bike if I am riding on sidewalks most of the time?

If you're only cycling is a short commute on level ground, and you "hate bumps", then I suggest you go for a bike with full suspension. On a bike with suspension you have to work a little harder pedaling but I doubt it would be noticeable in such a case. Wider tires at a lower than optimum road pressure will give you a suspension effect but will add a lot of drag to your trip. You'll have to work harder IMO than if you had tires inflated near their maximum and had suspension.

Most riders probably do not for normal sidewalk bumps. Your hybrid will have wider tires and run at lower tire pressures than road bikes and it makes a big difference IMO. Sensitivity varies though so it is best to take a test ride over your commute first.

Stay off the sidewalk, and get a bike without suspension.

I have owned a hybrid with a suspension fork and seatpost. My current hybrid has no suspension. Both have 700 x 35c tires. I ride a lot on both sidewalks and on a concrete bike path with joints every 10 ft or so. To tell you the truth, I have never really noticed the bumps on either bike. I suspect the width of tire and the tire pressure has the most to do with it.

Thank you for your replies!

I would point you towards the Escape (#2 city, my preference).
Explain your concern about the sidewalk cracks. Ask if you can take it for a fairly long test ride. Keeping in mind what some have said here about their preference to a solid bike (no suspension) for city commuting, etc. If you lead off with the idea of a suspension, expect a real sales pitch on that type of bike.
I much prefer no suspension in town. Tires are so important in both comfort, and rolling resistance.

Hope this helps.



-Snuts-

You DONT need a full suspension bike to ride on the sidewalk. lol. Do you hear yourself? Full suspension bikes are for going off jumps and rolling down rock gardens. Wider tires are NOT going to add nearly as much drag as a fork bobbing up and down, nor are they going to add an extra 5-10lbs of dead weight.

If skinny tires scare you, get something with a 700x35. It'll be fine I promise. If its still too harsh, get a carbon fork.

Thanks! Due to my location/schedule/other I am not going to be able to get bike for trial. I will just have to make up my mind at the bike store. But I wanted to narrow down my options before going to the store. But it is not an easy choice, so I'll have to test few options.

Thank you for suggestions! I will look into these options.
I am not considering bike with full suspension, at most just front suspension.
I also would like hydraulic disc breaks that Giant Escape does not have, so now more decisions for me..

My last three bikes have all had suspension (front only). I personally prefer this, but I also ride a lot of of unpaved areas.
If I were buying a bike for commuting primarily on road and sidewalks, I would go for a lighter bike without any suspension.

I'd go for the lightest hybrid with front suspension fork I could find. Put on 700x38 or wider tires, run below maximum pressure to soften the ride.

In fact, that's what I already did, although my hybrid with suspension fork is fairly heavy, above 30 lbs. You can get 'em lighter.

The suspension fork won't make much difference in speed or efficiency on a 4 mile commute. I average 12 mph on my comfort hybrid; 14 mph on my rigid fork hardtail mountain bike with much lighter tires. Not a huge difference in speed. I mostly notice the weight of the bike and tires on hill climbs.

But the comfort hybrid with suspension fork is much more comfortable on rough roads, chipseal, bombed out pavement, and parts of our local MUP. Some of the local multi-use path is just a sidewalk re-designated for cycling, jogging, walking, etc. Same width, same construction, with slabs of concrete and jolting seams every few feet.

When my back and neck are aching (old injuries from a car wreck) I ride the comfort hybrid. On good days I prefer the slighter lighter, more nimble mountain bike. But actual speed over 5 mile to 60 mile rides? Negligible. It's mostly perception.

Regarding cushioning the rear of the bike, if the tires run at a lower pressure don't cushion it enough try another saddle. You can get suspension seat posts but I'm not sure they're really necessary. My hybrid has a heavily padded saddle with springs. Very comfortable. Only minor gripe I'd have is it's too wide for my narrow sit bones. It's very slightly less efficient than the mountain bike's more rigid saddle but, again, not enough to make more than a 2 mph difference over long rides. I might get a narrower saddle, maybe with slightly less padding and a lighter saddle and seat post (both are very heavy on my bike). But I wouldn't trade that comfort on days when my back and neck are aching.

At one point I was convinced I needed a suspension fork for urban riding too. It seems great at first and then you realize that trying to pedal around with the fork unlocked feels like you're peddling through mud and zaps all the fun out of riding. Then you notice that slowing down to lock and unlock the fork every time theres a rough patch in the road is obnoxious and stop doing it altogether. Then it occurs to you that your riding around with a 7lb fork that's locked 95% of the time and is essentially useless and wish it wasn't there in the first place. A good set of tires and bar grips is more than enough to dampen out the rough stuff. I ride all day on 25s and its totally fine, even on new york city streets. A 35mm hybrid tire is more than enough.

Disc brakes are overrated too, unless you're planning on doing some off roading. On pavement they do nothing but add unnecessary weight, drag, and resistance.

Thank you!

Thank you! I have a limited budget and would like to buy good brand bike. I can get Northrock CTM at Costco for 390CA$ + 13%tax with suspension and disc breaks, or Giant Roam 2 for 760CA$ + 13% tax with suspension and disc breaks and slightly better components. I am already at the top of my budget and buying lighter bike with suspension usually means getting carbon parts - and that is going to be out of my price range. So if with suspension, Giant Roam 2 is as good as light as I can get.

Thank you! I cannot make up my mind now if I want suspension or not. I thought I had an easy question, but I am getting even more confused.

Based on what you describe as your commute, a front suspension will take a lot of the sting out of the bumps you are traveling over. You don't appear to need knobby tires, 35-38mm tires with a relatively smooth tread should be fine. Front suspension, low-travel forks are increasingly common on hybrids.

It sounds like you have ridden a mountain bike and a road bike on your preferred route. Perhaps you should search out a friend with a hybrid and see how it performs. Or locate a bike shop that has a test ride area with similar terrain and try out both styles of hybrid. Everyone has an opinion, but the only one that matters is yours.

I avoided suspension stuff on bikes for the longest time. If I'm honest with myself, it was probably just because I didn't want to spend the money on it. I also liked the additional control achievable with a solid frame/fork.

Then I bought a Trek Verve used on Craigslist for a really good deal. I was mostly just looking for a BIGGER bike. This one popped up, a 2015 model Verve 3 with the beautiful Black Pearl/Liquid Blue paint, and I jumped on it. Being one of Trek's higher trim hybrid bikes, it has a (cheap) front suspension fork and a suspension seat post. I also upgraded the tires to 700x42 (nominal, 38mm actual) Continental Speed Rides. I rode it all last summer and was neither here nor there on the suspension stuff. I could take it or leave it, I told myself.

My folks were in town a few weeks ago and my dad and I went for a ride. I let him ride my Trek and I took out my old steel mountain bike. Before we got half a mile, dad said, "boy, this is a smooth bike". "Yeah", I said. We rode for about 10 miles that day (had the kids with us, and that's about all they're good for). This is the first time I've ridden that mountain bike since I put it up after buying the Trek, and the difference is truly remarkable. Even with soft-riding 26x2.0 Michelin Country Rocks (a smooth file tread pattern) aired only to a moderate pressure for comfort, it was much less pleasurable than the Trek. I got back on the Trek the next day, and it was like driving a Cadillac in comparison to a compact pickup. I decided that I was sold on suspension -- for me.

From what you've said about your situation, it sounds like you would enjoy it, too.

I went through the same decision. Thought I needed suspension on my hybrid for a rough bike path, went through 2 used suspension hybrids. After trying a used rigid hybrid I got for a good price, I got rid of my suspension hybrids.

I am happy I have front suspension when I ride my mountain bike on single track though.

Edit: I think in the end, it is really how you want to ride. Whether you prefer to putt putt around or push yourself. I found myself doing the later.

I should also say that I ride a lot, but I don't ride "correctly". That is, you're supposed to stand up and use your knees and elbows as shock absorbers. I do this to some degree, but not as much as I should. I'm a fairly upright rider, and I do it for pleasure and basic fitness -- not to condition my body or anything like that. As such, I tend to sit and ride over bumps more than a younger person might, or a person who is really riding for cycling skill or fitness. I think it's people like me who benefit most from hybrids with basic suspension.

Thank you for your replies!

Thank you for your story! This helped me make my decision!

OK, I decided that I will get bike with suspension. I can live with bike that is a bit heavier and pay more for maintenance. But reading your replies I realized that I do want comfortable ride and it is more important to me than driving faster.
I will try to buy Giant Roam 2 this weekend.


Thank you everyone who replied and helped me to make my decision - I really appreciate your time!

Trek removed the suspension fork on the Verve 2017 model, but added wider tires. You may be able to find a shop that has both the 2016 and 2017 so you can compare the same bike with a suspension and rigid fork.