Suspension?

[NAILTRAIL96]

I was thinking of getting a raod bike for some fitness work over the winter but having ridden a little locally the roads are in a worse state than the bridleways.
Riding on smooth tarmac requires you to ride at least 2' from the kurb or your in the pot holes.
Just how tough are road bike wheels and tyres?.
Or would I be better off putting slicks and cross bars on a full suspension mountain bike?
Any thoughts?.

 

[FluffyChicken]

That's why we have Hybrids or Town bikes

 

[duffer2]

You just have to learn to bunny hop at high speed - with practice you'll be able to fly over anything in your way. I've done thousands of miles around THE crappiest of UK roads (Central London) and I'm still on my original 1986 700cx20 rims!

 

[hamster]

Personally I never ride closer than 2' to the kerb anyway, you have nowhere to go if a car passes too close.

 

[Midlife]

Are you thinking about getting a new bike ?

I looked at a new bike last year to get me off the sofa and onto the Cumbrian pot holed roads.....and nearly bought a Boardman from Halfords....no joke they have a lot of kit for the price.

http://www.boardmanbikes.com/cx/cx_team.html

Bought a Basso Road bike instead though LOL Mind you I could have got the same for a lot less if I had put my old bikes on the road

Shaun

 

[1duck]

central londons roads aren't bad, come up north if you want potholes that can swallow jack russels.

 

[JeRkY]

central londons roads aren't bad, come up north if you want potholes that can swallow jack russels.

This

Its like a snooker table down here by comparison!

(from Leeds, living in London)

 

[monty dog]

MTB suspension isn't really suitable for road - most suspension can't provide the degree of responsiveness, so it's just dead weight IME. For years pro-teams tinkered with suspension for Paris-Roubaix and then when Mapei started wiping the floor riding rigid Colnagos they gave up on suspension. As long as your wheels are well-built / maintained and you run the fattest tyres possible at a moderate pressure you'll easily cope - you'll start hurting way before your bike.

 

[NAILTRAIL96]

Thanks guys. I'm not thinking of a new bike as it's really just for over winter.
The roads were bad then we had the last two winters and I've yet to see a single pot hole filled in (with either jack russels or tarmac).
I just happened to ride a full suspension mountain bike along a road I often use with my ridgid and though it seemed more comfortable.
I wondered why road bikes had no suspension at all, and now I know.
I think I'll get some slicks on my spare wheels and see how it goes.
Cheers.

 

[pigman]

and then when Mapei started wiping the floor riding rigid Colnagos they gave up on suspension.

mmm ... wasnt a certain belgian, how can we put it? not so clean when he won those races?

but i take the point, unless its good (highly thought-out, expensive suspension), its as good as a chocolate fireguard