by Abram Mcconnell

Created on: September 24, 2008

Bicyclists have been battling over the pros and cons of suspension setups for years, and likely will continue for years to come. In one corner we have the lightweight, in the other, the heavyweight. But is there really reason for the battle at all? Both front suspension and full suspension bicycles offer plenty of advantages and drawbacks to them. In fact, your choice of bicycle is decided almost entirely by the style of riding you intend to enjoy.

First, let's look at front suspension bikes.

Bicycles that have a front suspension, also called hard tails, are generally lighter and more affordable than their super soft counterparts. Front suspension bicycles are, by far, the more efficient of the two species. By this, I mean that when you pedal, the energy you exert is put to use in a few ways. The goal is to maximize the distance you roll forward when you pedal. In front suspension bikes, you are less likely to cause the bike's suspension to dip when you pedal, thus providing more efficiency. This is extremely important when time is of essence. Also, because the frame of a front suspension bike needs less reinforcement, less moving parts, and lacks the rear shock, it is much lighter. In fact, the weight differences of similar bike frames from the same manufacturer may be 5 pounds or more! This may not seem like a lot, but dead weight on a bike affects your riding ability greatly. For these reasons, cross country bikes are more likely to be front suspension bikes.

Now let's take a look at full suspension bikes. Full suspension bikes are heavier, generally more expensive, but offer greater levels of impact dampening. These bikes support a totally different riding style than hard tails. Full suspension bikes come in many forms and have different pros and cons for each. Briefly, the styles are: All-Mountain, a riding style that includes all mountain terrains such as moderate to steep hill climbing and downhill segments including significant drop-offs and jumps; Free-Ride, a riding style that includes less climbing, but offers greater ability to handle large drop-offs and bigger jumps; and Downhill, a riding style that excludes uphill riding of any kind (except for those in much, much better shape than I), but compensates for having the ability to handle massive drop-offs and mind boggling jumps. Bikes in each of these areas are built with progressively longer travel and get progressively heavier to handle the rigors of the riding style, respectively. That said, it

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