Front suspension on gravel bike

Considering doing this in the future mainly because where I live I want to do more bridleway touring than road. IV seen some rock shox paragon that would do the job but wonder if an there are any older models that I can get that would be a bit cheaper that would doo a similar job,,  700c wheels which I know is roughly about 28inch

Not cheaper, but loving the Cannondale Lefty Oliver I’ve got 😉

Just put bigger tyres on. Unless you’re riding lots of washboard I can’t see the need TBH.

The bike will still do it…

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Jesus, only a mother could love that!!!

I have a Diverge with a bit of bounce, it works well but is a bit ugly in the head tube area.

I’m not sure I see the point really …

If you have the clearance, I’d just run bigger tyres, set up tubeless, lower pressures. Most Gravel bikes (and many CX-type) bikes will have clearance for 700 X 38-42c or 650b X 1.7-2in tyres, which will be perfectly fine on all but the rockiest off road.

Or get a Monster cross with 29×2.3 rubber.

If you need to ride something gnarlier, you’re on the wrong bike …

I think there is growing overlap between gravel/monstercross/MTB, but in my view, once you start wanting a suspension fork, you want a MTB.

Hardtail only…the suspension on my diverge is not meant for control really, its just to take the sting out works well on the road too so you can have higher pressure and faster rolling tyres. Bigger softer tyres arent always wanted.

There are a few hybrid /commuter type options out there from Suntour e.g.. Swing Shock, and other models with a bit more travel. They should work ok but will add a bit of weight. I considered something like that but ideally would want a lockout option for road Use, in the end I fitted 650b wheels and fatter tyres.

works well on the road too so you can have higher pressure and faster rolling tyres. Bigger softer tyres arent always wanted.

You might want to do some reading on tyre width & pressures.

You might want to do some reading on tyre width & pressures.

We did this few weeks ago and no one could point out any evidence beyond about 32mm tyres being a bit quicker, when a bit softer maybe, if you discount any aero impacts.

Why not go the whole hog?

The roads I like to ride are mainly used by farmers and , and I love pushing the boundaries of the gravel bike  taking it on rides I would normally take my MTB, the odd drop. I really want to use my adventure/gravel bike to explore places and cover some big miles so any advice to make it a softer ride is great, i will definitely look at the tyres, at the moment it has vee tyres 40c on it which are ok but not the grippiest,, I’m looking at getting a suspension seatpost also.

Drop bar off road is a bit wierd, bigger volume more psi is more comfy for me than less psi- maybe similar to getting the rebound on your forks right and using the drops does mute out front end buzz from more metal to where you’re holding on to. Geometry us the key though, for me getting a smaller frame and a DIY bike fit really helpful for comfort.

Just orders some 45mm WTB Riddlers to go on my bike which I reckon is a nice sweet spot for riding my local trails and being able to run lower pressures safely. I actually like the fact that the bike beats me up a bit – it keeps me fit.

I was given one of the redshift sports stems which has about 15 to 20mm of play in them.

Really rate it and I live in a place with literally thousands of miles of real gravel roads.

It just takes that buzz out of the front end with the additional compliance it haves.

Basically it like running tyres ultra ultra low but with the added benefit of not banging your rims on the dirt.

Inexpensive solution which does enough to make worth trying at least

You might run into problems with downtube/crown clearance if you fit a normal sus fork.  To be honest, I’d be using something like my El Mariachi:

Either rigid like this or with an 80mm fork.  I ride road too, but this bike with 2.35 Ralphs is more comfortable and just as positive to ride long distances on road as my actual road bike, and not much slower. I hold road PRs on it.  If I had the option I’d be tempted to get a gravel bike, but only for rough road surfaces – Even on fire roads and local hill tracks I’d choose this over a 40c gravel bike.  Ok so you might not have been after a complete new bike, but you know.. n+1 🙂

700c is the same as a 29″ wheel.

To be honest I’d go the whole hog and get an xc 29er. It will be better suited and the geometry will work. There wasa GCN video where their test showed the mtb was fastest over the Classics cobbles when compared to road and CX.

If that is too much I’d look at some 650b wheels and fatter tyres.

Love Mud Volution Road Plus Wheelset

Probably cheaper than a fork and again, wouldn’t mess with the geometry too much.

Massively more expensive I’m afraid, but MRP offer the Baxter gravel suspension fork which looks a serious bit of kit!

Mols has it. I’ve got some 29mm 29” wheels with 2.4 ardents that go in my rigid fat bike from time to time and it’s a much better at the gravel bits of a gravel ride than my ‘gravel’ bike with 700×42 tyres.

Id much rather take the rigid bigger tyred bike than a narrower tyred bike with what look like heavy, flexy, hybrid (so, shit) suspension forks off road, round say a trail centre blue/tame red.

that shortened fox 32 SC that they teased us with would change things, but that looks to have fizzled out 😪

Not sure if looking at a complete bike, but the Cannondale Slate would seem to fit the bill here. It’s a bit niche and a bit sturdy, but I’ve heard great things about it on here…

This discussion, and variations of it, have been had a few times on here and the same things come up. The main thing to consider is what is the right balance of compromises for the riding you want to do. All the bikes mentioned so far have compromises to contend with (rolling resistance, off-road competence/geometry, mud clearance, weight, comfort etc.). If you’re genuinely doing more bridleway than road and you feel a sus fork would be beneficial, then maybe a light XC mountain bike is the best tool for the job. But if it’s more road biased then just bigger tyres might suffice to help with off-road duties. You just need to figure out where you sit on the ever expanding gravel bike – mountain bike continuum.

Course the nice thing about my 29er is that as comfortable as it is on road, I can also take some proper steep singletrack to link the gravel bits if I want.  Very useful round here as I can barely think of a loop that doesn’t have some pretty rocky bits in it at some point.

I will change the tyres anyway, but don’t really want to run on low pressures because a fair bit of it will be road. That suspension stem looks good however probably the same price as some forks, so I wonder which would be better as I’m guessing other forks would throw the geometry out where the stem would keep everything pretty much the same

but don’t really want to run on low pressures because a fair bit of it will be road

You may not notice.  Seriously.  I set PRs on road sections (that I normally ride on a road bike) on my 29er with Ralphs at 25psi.

You’ll gain more on the off-road sections than you’ll lose on the road, I’d bet.  And have a better day out in the process.  I’d much rather ride my Salsa than a gravel bike with a boingy stem (with no lockout).

But otherwise, what Faustus said.  Choose your compromise.  Gravel bike with sus forks sounds like the worst of both worlds to me not the best.

I have quite tame trails round my way so a rigid MTB (which also happens to be SS) means it’s more interesting. I’d find a gravel bike not quite MTB enough for my liking (even though it really would be fine). Plus my gravel bike is currently my commuter

Theres the Fox AX 40mm travel fork too. But it ain’t cheap .

I rode a Surly Midnight Special with 650b Road plus tyres on for a 200k audax and it rode just like a normal bike. Didn’t feel excessively draggy at all, not like you’d expect 30psi on tarmac to feel. Not sure suspension would offer a better ride. Not least for the expense compared to trying a new tyre/wheelset.

https://advntr.cc/2018/03/surly-midnight-special-review/

Theres the Fox AX 40mm travel fork too. But it ain’t cheap .

or available to the public yet? That’s the shortened 32SC I mentioned. Fox said they’d look into it if there was demand. Nothing since though, that I’ve seen anyway

Looking at

Thanks for all the advice so far, and for the first time I haven’t jumped in to it and really read all the comments :). Before I do anything I think tyres are a must, any recommendations, my current wheelset are 700 x 40c I’m pretty sure they are unbranded as it’s a halfords bike Voodoo Nakisi. I’m guessing I can go up to about 45mm, some one has recommended WTB Riddler’s above so there is one option. I don’t have the funds for a hard tail so would really like to push the boundaries with this and have some fun. Grip and comfort is essential for what I want to do. Any recommendations on Tyres 1st I suppose?