Are certain suspension designs more lively/fun than others?
My experience of full suspension is fairly limited having always ridden hardtails. I spent a little time on a 2006 Spesh enduro/Kona Coiler. It struck me that the ride was massively different. The enduro ate up the bumps much better than the coiler but was not as fun as the coiler. The enduro just did not like getting airborne and stayed stuck to the ground whilst the coiler (with much cheaper suspension) bounced into the air at any opportunity. Admittedly I paid no attention to fork/shock setup but I'm intrigued to know if its simply a case of cranking up the rebound on a bike like the enduro to make it livelier in the air?
I'm no racer and am looking to have as much fun down the hill rather the fastest time. I'm thinking of demoing a few bikes and I'm put off fancier suspension designs with the idea that they are a little less lively. Am I talking rubbish? Are single pivot bikes livelier?
I'd say you have 2 things here:
1) Suspension design - some are more "supple than others"
2) Suspension quality - it's not meant to be "bouncy", it's meant to smooth the trail and keep the wheel on the ground for traction/grip.
lockout 😛