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What
are Suspension Forks All About ?
Suspension
forks are growing in popularity both as a standard feature of
new bikes and as an upgrade. The advantage of suspension on a
mountain bike is its ability to handle bumps at a greater speed,
allowing you to ride faster. What's more, the extra cushioning
means that your body suffers less from fatigue, allowing you to
ride longer and further in more comfort. Most riders appreciate
extra comfort, so suspension forks are becoming commonplace on
better hybrid bikes, and some road bikes too.
Types of suspension forks:
Suspension forks are now highly sophisticated and far more dependable
than the prototypes of 15 years ago. Different manufacturers offer
a choice of forks so you will see forks for road bikes with as
little as 1 inch/25mm travel, forks for cross country mountain
biking with 3 inches/80mm travel, and forks for downhill bikes
with as much as 8 inches/200mm travel. The 3 main spring systems
are:
- Air/Oil
- Elastomer
- Coil Spring
Each system has its own advantages and fervent supporters, but
to generalize:
- Elastomers work
especially well over the sort of continuous 'ripple'-type bumps
that can be so fatiguing on trails. They are also usually the
least expensive spring type.
- Air/Oil is the favoured
spring medium for the lightest weight forks (and you can usually
adjust the preload with a pump).
- Good old Coil Steel
Springs make up for their weight penalty by offering the most
progressive spring rate over the widest range of conditions,
and they tend to be the most reliable.
Many forks combine
these different springs systems - eg by using a coil spring damped
with an elastomer or a hydraulic cartridge - to create a best
of all worlds. If you are thinking about getting a pair of suspension
forks you should consider:
- how hard you ride
- what types of terrain
you are likely to cross
- how often you cycle
- what type of riding
you will be doing: e.g. racing, cross-country touring, downhilling
etc.
How Suspension
Works
a) When your bike hits
a bump the fork's spring compresses to take up the shock.
b) Once over the bump the fork begins to travel back to its normal
length. A damper in the fork controls the rate at which the 'spring'
expands back. The time taken to return to normal length is determined
by the damper setting. Most suspension forks have an adjuster
to control this setting and the loading of the 'spring'.
c) Once the forks are back to their original length your bike
is ready for the next shock.
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