I was wondering, how important is the use suspension in trail riding? i dont plan to do any 20' drops, just single or double trails with small drops but nothing too serious. i have a 8 yr old rigid cannondale mtb. its held its own. ive tried to do trails on it and it has served me well, but i think i should just get beefer tires and new brakes. i plan on hitting the trails with this girl i know, though she has a full suspension, i have a feeling she is gonna hand my rear on a silver platter.

Full suspension is really a personal preference. It will hold the ground a bit better as it absorbs the trail rather then bouncing over it. It will also reduce the amount of shock you take to your body. There are still numerous people who run only a suspension fork (hardtail) and love them. It makes a big difference up front. It helps keep the tire on the ground in rough corners and also reduces alot of vibration on the hands which can lead to numbness. Lets face it, the more you can keep the tires on the ground, the more traction your gonna get. The only down fall to full suspension is alot of systems suffer from pedal bobbing. Not all of them, but most. They do take away from your momentum in some cases, but the comfort is worth it to some of us. As for her handing your rear on a silver platter, dont sweat it. Enjoy the company and the ride. After all, thats what biking is about.

This really isnt about bike mechanics, more to do with sexual politics. If you take a girl out on the trail, should you:
a. show her your rear tyre and let her eat dust.
b. Ease up and let her see that she can only keep up with you if you let her.
c. Let her keep her mechanical advantage, so you need to work harder to keep up with her.
I think you need to consult the Women's forum for their perspective.
As a Gallant Gentleman Cyclist your idea that she is going to hand you your rear on a silver platter is probably the best option.

Agreed

i've biked with people who ride full suspensions, and i always burn them. the fact that hardtails accelerate much faster due to your pedal power not being wasted on the suspension can make you quite a bit quicker.


and sometimes pure leg power+no common sense is the key to fast trail riding >=)



(i'm on a hardtail rockhopper pro)

oh, and the sexual politics...



i like to burn them a little, then you gotta wait up, ride with them and make very charming conversation. then offer a playful race on the way back, and lose on purpose in a very "cute" way that she'll be certain to tell her friends about in a giggly fasion





unless shes a serious rider... then ride like you're with a guy

or you'll get WHOOPED

so even though i just have a rigid, upgrading the fork to a suspension fork should be no problem in terms of "will it fit my current frame". yes/no?

just make sure it fits your headset/headtube. also the more travel you get on the fork, the more it'll offset the "intended geometry" of a rigid frame.

im gonna have to do some more research into this before i go ahead and make a purchase.

now its just a matter of should i just upgrade my old bike or just get a new one. or do both! i just wish money grew on trees.