Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 55 total)
  • How much advantage is suspension, gears?
  • epicyclo
    Full Member

    Let's say you are starting from a base of a single speed rigid bike. Let's call it 100%.

    How much improvement would you expect from a suspension fork?

    Then add gears. How much improvement for that?

    grumm
    Free Member

    😕

    thomthumb
    Free Member

    depends more on the rider than the bike.

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    Three_Fish
    Free Member

    qwerty
    Free Member

    whats the axle to crown? where was the frame designed? coil or air?

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    Ah, so there's no advantage then? They're just dead weight?

    jimmyshand
    Free Member

    0% improvement for gears, maybe 5% for front suspension and 0% for everything else.

    becky_kirk43
    Free Member

    There's so many factors to consider, depends on the rider, the bike and where you ride amongst other things.

    MrSparkle
    Full Member

    becky_kirk43
    Free Member


    twice as long as half it 😛

    stevet
    Free Member

    Roughly 2367.85% better

    DezB
    Free Member

    The forks would improve bump absorption for the front wheel.
    The gears would improve gear ratios. The ability to ride up at a chosen cadence and the ability to ride down without spinning out.
    Both features would add weight and complication.
    None of these things are quantifiable with figures (apart from the weight gain).
    What sort of answer are you looking for?

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    0% improvement for gears,

    Utter piffle!

    A SS will max out at 15-16 mph on the flat, gears will nearly double that if you have the legs, and I can cruise at 18-19mph!

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    Depends on 101 other things…………..

    A fixie is the quickest thing arround a velodrome (probably)

    A road bike is the quickest thing arround the tour de france

    A downhill bike is the quickest thing down the fort william track.

    So from that its fairly obvious theres more to it than gears and suspension.

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    So basically people are buying bikes with gears and suspension for other reasons than performance? I was under the impression there was some sort of advantage. Is it just a plot to sell expensive consumable parts to gullible fashion victims?

    Has anyone any idea where I can see some numbers, eg actual testing not just waffle?

    Grimy
    Free Member

    Eh? Jesh, just what are you trying to achive?

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    Ehh, we've all said about the same thing, theres a lot more to it than just those 2 variables, a V10 wouldnt be winning the tour de france, just as an on-one inbred is never going to win the world cup downhill.

    thomthumb
    Free Member

    So basically people are buying bikes with gears and suspension for other reasons than performance?

    suspension for comfort? see what FS for backpain threads.

    I was under the impression there was some sort of advantage.

    gears are more efficient, ie lazy.

    TheFlyingOx
    Full Member

    So basically people are buying bikes with gears and suspension for other reasons than performance? I was under the impression there was some sort of advantage. Is it just a plot to sell expensive consumable parts to gullible fashion victims?

    Has anyone any idea where I can see some numbers, eg actual testing not just waffle?

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    Dead serious.

    I have an entry in the World Solo 24 Hour Championship. I usually race single speed on a rigid bike.

    There is a SS class with no age category, so I'll get flogged by younger riders if I nominate that class. Doesn't worry me too much, I wouldn't expect to do much good against the competition there.

    I was going to ride in the age category on my rigid SS, but it has been suggested to me that I would do much better if I rode with gears and suspension (hopefully a placing)

    So I'm trying to work out whether it is worth learning how to use those new-fangled gear things and vibration absorbing suspension, or whether I should simply just ride my SS anyway.

    I don't want to buy one of those heavy complicated bikes unless there is a clear advantage (faster lap times). 🙂

    njee20
    Free Member

    How on earth do you think that would be quantified though? Your bike will weigh more, so in that respect it'll be slower, but you'll be less fatigued, and you'll be able to match your gearing to your speed, so you'll be able to maintain a more comfortable cadence on varying terrain.

    Sorry, I mean it'll be 39 seconds a lap quicker. Better?

    grumm
    Free Member

    Has anyone any idea where I can see some numbers, eg actual testing not just waffle?

    I have 35% more fun on my full suss than on my hardtail.

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    I was hoping someone had quantified this. Surely somewhere there is evidence.

    Please no more guesses – I can guess too 🙂

    Dasha
    Free Member

    Get a demo bike and feel the difference yourself!

    uplink
    Free Member

    truly bizarre question

    crikey
    Free Member

    This place gets worse by the day..

    _tom_
    Free Member

    I would just suggest ride what you're used to rather than faffing around with new kit!

    I think suspension is meant to make you faster as the front wheel will contact the ground more over bumpy surfaces rather than bouncing off roots etc. As for gears.. well they slow me down because I'm lazy and rely on sitting/spinning. And if they skip that will kill the momentum and thus end a climb!

    ooOOoo
    Free Member

    How much better would an iron sword be? I only have experience with rocks.

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    Let me think, World Cup XC racers on the whole run at least 2×9 or 2×10, and in the vast majority of cases Front bounce, with quite a few running FS.

    So wold it be safe to assume that for any given WC trail, gears and at least boingy forks are quicker than a SS with rigid forks, no?

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    steve_b77 – Member
    …So wold it be safe to assume that for any given WC trail, gears and at least boingy forks are quicker than a SS with rigid forks, no?

    Yes. But before I lash out £2,000 odd on a bike I will ride once, I'd like to know if anyone has quantified the difference. If it's 10% then it's worth it. If it's 2% I'll take my chances on the SS.

    pop-larkin
    Free Member

    Surely it depends on the course and conditions on the given day?

    scaredypants
    Full Member

    it's a world championships – presumably either it'll be full of world class riders in all classes and you'll get you ass kicked, or it's for fun. If the latter, don't spend 2 grand on a bike for it; just enjoy the experience

    (I am, of course, ignoring the 3rd option – that YOU are a world class rider, based on your question and the fact that someone else isn't giving you a 5 grand bike)

    crikey
    Free Member

    Dear sweet jesus….

    If you can ride a singlespeed, then you can ride a geared bike faster.

    In almost every singlespeed ride, there are points at which a harder gear will allow you to go faster….that bit when you spin out.

    In almost every singlespeed ride, there are points at which an easier gear will allow you to climb using less energy… that bit when you are thrutching up a climb.

    A geared bike can do EVERYTHING a singlespeed bike can do, only it can do it at a wider range of speeds, and in mountain biking terms, a wider range of gradients.

    No, there is no percentage evidence available for my suppositions, but that doesn't make it untrue.

    Suit yourself.

    singlespeedstu
    Full Member

    If the smiles on faces to number of gears on the bike ratio is anything to go by then singlespeeders win hands down.
    One gear events = big smiles from 95% of participants.
    Other events = some right grumpy feckers.

    As for advantage. Nah there ain't none of that as we're all so good we need to give ourselves a dissadvantage so the frowningfeckers have a chance of having any fun. 😉

    yesiamtom
    Free Member

    When on earth would you be wanting to spin faster than 20mph on a mtb anyway???

    If you ride rigid SS usually ride that ffs, dont go adding suspension and gears. Just price it up if you want to see why you shouldnt do it.

    Ive ridden my SS with rigid carbon and then 130mm travel forks. Whilst i learnt to ride some stuff and do drop offs wit hteh forks i can now do everything on the rigids i can on the forks. So in my case, suspension made 0% difference. In fact it slows me down as it weighs about 2 or so kg more than rigids.

    crikey
    Free Member

    If the smiles on faces to number of gears on the bike ratio is anything to go by then singlespeeders win hands down.
    One gear events = big smiles from 95% of participants.
    Other events = some right grumpy feckers.

    As for advantage. Nah there ain't none of that as we're all so good we need to give ourselves a dissadvantage so the frowningfeckers have a chance of having any fun.

    Apparently, unless you have any double-blind controlled trial evidence regarding the above, it's inadmissable as evidence….

    Edric64
    Free Member

    A SS will max out at 15-16 mph on the flat, gears will nearly double that if you have the legs, and I can cruise at 18-19mph!

    How can you quote figures without knowing the ratio being used or the cadence the rider can sustain?

    singlespeedstu
    Full Member

    crikey.

    That sounds great but I have no idea what you're talking about. 😆

    thomthumb
    Free Member

    there is an old adage; train what you race.

    i wouldn't change for racing.

    futonrivercrossing
    Free Member

    Don't change – ride what you know.

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 55 total)

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