The reason full suspension isn't great for bike commuters is two fold. First it's WAY more heavy. You're going to be using more energy to get your bike moving. Secondly, you cannot fit mudguards, a rack and even panniers on a bike with rear suspension.
Never go full suspension when you plan to ride long distances. The flat handlebars give you a stable and comfortable riding experience but your hand positions are limited. This might get a bit uncomfortable when you're riding for a couple of hours but there are solutions that allow you to reposition your hands.
Commuter bikes seldom have suspension. Commute routes are generally not rough enough to justify the cost or weight of suspension. Instead, look for a commuter bike with relatively wide tires.
Mountain bikes are a common choice for tough terrain commuters, being naturally upright and sturdy for the bumpiest of rides. Although, they can be slower on road due to their chunky tyres and suspension.
You want a more comfortable ride: A full-suspension mountain bike will soak up most of the jarring bumps that would otherwise be sent to your body (and in some cases, buck you off your bike). This can help reduce fatigue, which in turn can allow you to ride faster, for longer, with greater comfort.
The hardtail, with its lower weight and rigid rear end, is more efficient when your ride consists of road or smoother trails and plenty of pedalling.
As a type of mountain bike, hardtail bikes are used for cycling on many terrains and environments. Their versatile and resilient nature means they'll perform well in most places ride. Suitable areas for hardtail mountain biking include mountain trails, fire roads and pump tracks.
Yes, you can ride a mountain bike on the road. Many people like to have a mountain bike instead of a road bike or hybrid because they like the option of being able to ride off-road should they choose.
Mountain bikes are slower than road bikes and gravel bikes because they typically have larger tires, less aerodynamic body position, longer frame geometry, heavier bike weight, suspension, and even slower gearing.
You can ride your mountain bike on pavement. Just keep in mind that it will be harder to pedal (i.e. slower), and the pavement is hard on traditional knobby mountain bike tires.
A) When a full suspension bike is 1.5 lbs heavier, it's slower. That's just physics. 1.5 lbs might not seem like a lot but in the course of a 90 minute XC race it can be as much as 10 or 15 seconds.
Road bikes are meant for one thing, to get from point A to point B in a quick manner. So one of the major reasons that road bikes don't have suspension is because of the added weight. Suspension is a heavy component on a bike, and those added pounds just aren't conducive to what road bikes are meant to do.
If you're sensitive to vibration and you want to cruise in comfort, it's worth considering a suspension fork. Riding on cobblestones in cities, crossing tram or train tracks, single trail, and gravel, you can take advantage of a front shock. It definitely feels good not feeling every single bump shaking your arms.
Unless the landowner permits it, cycling on a footpath in England and Wales normally constitutes trespass, making it a civil but not a criminal matter. A local by-law or Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) covering a particular footpath, however, can make it an offence.
Mountain bikes are good for long rides in off-road areas; you can reach great distances without worrying about durability and function. However, if you're using mountain bikes on pavement, you may find yourself pedaling harder yet you are not going much faster.
A mountain bike can keep up with a road bike after making some simple adjustments: Switch your knobby tires with high pressure slicks to reduce the rolling resistance. Lock out your suspension to minimize the loss of momentum through shock absorption.
Generally, a biker who rides fast on rough and rocky trails 5 days a week, can expect the rear tire to last 2-3 months before needing replaced. If you're a more reserved rider, sticking to softer dirt and smooth pavement every other weekend, you may be able to get 2 – 3 years out of a set of Mountain Bike Tires.
No. Just No. Some knobbies are actually fairly quick rolling (for a knobby) due to tread pattern, but perhaps just as importantly casing construction. Some full slicks are actually quite slow (compared to other slick tires) for the same reason - casing construction.
On average, Hybrid bike is faster than a mountain bike with 3.9% on a super flat road, while a 5% grade hybrid bike is still faster but a bit less by 2.9%, even when speed increases over 40kmh the margins are still small, this means these two bike are very close for speed perspective.
Put simply, the rougher the surface, the greater the workout - shown by the fact that full-on mountain biking can burn upwards of 100 calories more than your standard road ride.
How much faster is a road bike than a mountain bike? A road bicycle is 10 to 30% faster than a mountain bike and is 15% faster on average at the same power output on smooth, paved surfaces.
Really, you don't ever need to switch to a fully. Most everything can be done on a HT. Fully's just tend to make rough stuff smoother, and bigger drops and jumps not so harsh = you can go faster, go longer etc.
More Versatile
Simply put, when riding on a full suspension, you can take on any trail with ease. Even if you aren't planning on hitting some snags along your route, you never know where the road can take you. These mountain bikes are designed to blaze new trails without looking back.
So, are hardtail mountain bikes good for jumps? Hardtail mountain bikes are good for jumps. It is also easier to jump on a hardtail mountain bike compared to a full-suspension mountain bike. However, because of the lack of a rear suspension, the drop on a hardtail won't be as forgiving compared to a full suspension.
Full-suspension bikes are more forgiving and less likely to buck a rider over the bars. If you live in an area where most of the trails are smooth and flowing, the difference between a hardtail and a full-suspension bike is marginal.