FULL SUSPENSION MTBs, are great uphill too!

[srands]

Just sharing an important revelation: Mountain Bike Rear suspension DEFINITELY AIDS TRACTION.

What to do on a "precious" day off from work? After brief contemplation I decided to go offroad cycling (MTBing) on my new air Full Suspension Mountain Bike.

Well I went round Hull/Humberside: Swanland, Melton, Brantingham, Elloughton, South Cave, Little Weighton, 25 miles in 3 hours 15 mins, not bad, considering most of it was uphill or wet trails, that’s about an average of 8 miles per hour, my max 40 mph down Swanland Hill.

Made an interesting observation, in comparison to a RIGID bike, the rear suspension definitely aids traction uphill, it gives greater traction as on steep uphills, you move forward to prevent the front wheel from lifting from the ground, however by doing so this takes weight off the rear wheel, increasing the probability that the rear wheel will loose traction.

The rear suspension improves rear wheel traction, as rear suspension has a small amount of sag depending on riders weight, so when the rider leans/moves forward to prevent the rear wheel from lighting off the ground, then as the rear wheel becomes unweighted, instead of the rear wheel loosing traction as it would normally lift off the ground in the instance of the riding moving forward, INSTEAD the rear suspension sags less, hence increasing the chances/probability of the rear wheel remaining on the ground.

Well full suspension MTBs are good at going uphill as well! Almost cheating physics/gravity isn’t it. In all fairness my FULL SUSPENSION bike is at least 6 lb’s lighter then my RIGID bike, so can greater miles in less time, it’s a fun little bike, tell you what after looking at the year 2011 version, I like bikes, and these are very nice bikes, but I say who’d pay £3000 for one?

 

[suburbanreuben]

You're not wrong .

 

[FluffyChicken]

Bet i'm still quicker on my 'ardtail bike up the hill.

 

[orange71]

and don't forget the energy lost in the suspension movement. I used to ride full suspension (still do soemtimes) but at the end of the day the constant bobbing up and down did my head in. Sure you can lock out to prevent this, but then you lose any benefits in extra traction.

 

[Rumble]

Hardtail may be lighter and faster up many climbs but for a proper technical climb i'd take a well set-up full suspension bike any time. There's only so fast you can go without your back wheel on the ground

 

[cyfa2809]

Nice bike.

Is that an rp23? And thus lockout-able?

I keep wondering lately actually, when you get pedal bob it also unweights you on the return stroke and thus kind of balances?

Is that a different explanation of above?

 

[srands]

HARDER suspension, depends where/how you ride.

Bet i'm still quicker on my 'ardtail bike up the hill.

Well in all honesty Ben you accelerate away from most people, AS IF you were on a motocrosser.

Still FRONT suspension forks does do most of the work, REAR suspension further takes the brunt of rough terrain, and also large jumps/drop offs.

I still think many people ride with their shocks too soft, I ride my rear suspension at highest reload (300psi), slowest rebound and with ProPedal on (Hardest setting). And I ride my Front Suspension at highest reload (125psi), 2 clicks away from slowest rebound, and with LockOut on at ½ (Medium approx).

Still If I lived nearer the North Yorkshire Moors, guess I'd have the Front Suspension Forks at a SOFTER lockout. However I don't live that near the Moor, and ANY SOFTER then my current setting I find the absorption takes the edge off my effort exerted offroad, especially on jumps.

 

[srands]

RP2 at its HARDEST

Nice bike.

Is that an rp23? And thus lockout-able?

I keep wondering lately actually, when you get pedal bob it also unweights you on the return stroke and thus kind of balances?

Is that a different explanation of above?

The bike standard spec, it's RP2, which is PRELOAD (Upto 300psi), REBOUND dial 8-10 clicks, and PROPEDAL lockout.

I have my shocks very firm, so pedal bob is not noticeable to ride, only noticeable by looking at rear shock rubber o-ring, and the front shock upper stanchion zipties.

IF the settings are too SOFT, then suspension would compress too easily and take you by surprise, some analogies here, like an object being far heavier then you expected, or a very big dog yanking on hard on its lead catching you by surprise. Thus at softest or too soft, the bikes reaction isn't predictable like a RIGID, HARDTAIL or firm/hard FULL SUSPENSION.

 

[Pfennig]

But surely then your suspension is set up for someone a lot heavier than you? Then you don't get the full advantage of it on the downhills??

 

[Andy B]

But surely then your suspension is set up for someone a lot heavier than you? Then you don't get the full advantage of it on the downhills??

Yup. and also on any terrain, with less than the optimal sag the suspension will not follow the terrain as well as it should and it will be just like riding a rigid bike

You should get full travel of the suspension at least once a ride or what is the point in having all that travel?

Sag should be set @ 30% on forks and shocks whilst sat on the bike in your riding gear, then the suspension can follow the ups and downs of the terrain

Suspension has almost nothing to do with helping a rider jump their bike, correct technique helps a rider jump their bike

Propedal is not a lock out, it's an anti bob system designed to remove low speed compression created by the pedalling action of the rider