spinconn

I started with a road bike and loved it.

Then I got an entry level MTB just so I could add more routes to my daily rides. After riding on trails just a few times I found I prefer it to road riding, though there are no technical trails around me and I am an old guy with no business trying them anyway. Funny thing is, I like my MTB so much that I even ride it on the road now and on the many miles of paved/concrete MUPs around here. In the 3 weeks I have owned it I have put almost 300 miles on my MTB and none on my road bike.

I don't know for sure but I suspect the same things that make my MTB able to ride off road also make it comfortable for my old body on the road. It just feels stable, soft and rugged. I particularly like how I just bail out on the road anytime traffic gets a little too much and I just go over the curb and onto the grass and never even get close to the cars.

So, I don't think I need anything more than what I have for the kind of riding I do. But, need and want are different things and I am thinking about trading my road bike for another MTB, but one with full suspension.

I do not need FS for my riding. But my thought is a FS might even be more comfortable than my hardtail. I know it will be more expensive, more maintenance and heavier. I also know that I do not need any greater off road capability than I have with my current bike. I am only asking about comfort and stability for an old guy that enjoys comfort. But it occurs to me that slow easy riding may not ever even bring the FS into play. I don't think any short test rides are going to answer my question.

Its probably hard for you young chargers to understand but does anyone have any thoughts on whether there might be any value in a FS for no purpose other than a more comfortable ride?

PS, don't know why but I have tried comfort bikes, hybrids and fitness bikes and for whatever reason I don't enjoy any of them as much as my MTB, maybe its the frame geometry or something else I don't understand.

rumrunn6

fwiw - I've read where ppl recommended suspension seat posts like the "thudbuster"

might save you from buying another bike

CodyDog

I think it comes down to what type of bike you enjoy riding more regardless of terrain.

If your not doing any trails that require a lot of suspension travel, you can find a FS with minimal suspension travel that will be comfortable riding on road or single track.

OldCruiser

Never owned a FS MTB , but I share your like of the MTB . I find them to be comfortable rides once I raise the handlebars up to where I put the weight about even front and rear to where I can shift my weight to take weight off my hands when they start to go numb on me .

cpach

That all sounds reasonable. For your uses I'd recommend getting a XC or short travel trail full suspension bike--it'll have less travel than bikes designed for rougher terrain and will handle better on road and up hill. For your use you can also go down market without much consequence--lower end suspension doesn't have as much adjustability, but for your purposes will work fine. Still, decent FS bikes start (generously) at $1600 new in a bike shop. Generally speaking on the new market you'll have better luck finding low travel trail bikes (about 120-130mm of travel) than real XC bikes (80-120mm travel). At a relatively reasonable cost the Giant Stance 29 series is pretty good (disclaimer: I work at a Giant retailer).

Leebo

Look at something like a 29er plus hardtail. So, front suspension and 2.8 to 3.0 tires. Should be less $$ than full sus, with the bigger tires providing a little cushion.

Darth Lefty 

+1 from me for plus tires. It’s what I’ve got. They do squirm, though.

Mountain bike suspension linkages are designed to harden up under both pedaling forces and braking forces. This is called anti-squat and anti-dive, if you wanted to look into it further. The effect isn’t total. But it does mean that a full suspension bike is more efficient than you might expect.

Also, many, maybe most FS bikes have a valve on the shock you can turn by hand that makes it harder or softer for climbing vs descending. I think a lot of people just leave it open unless they’re going to spend a long time on a road. It’s too easy to forget about when you head into the rough.

FrenchFit 

Put a cane creek Thudbuster seatpost on the hardtail. Similar result, $100-150. I've used the short travel and long travel, I like the long travel better.