A guide to suspension: Mountain bike suspension made easy!

If you have ever been on mountain biking excursion, you might have learnt a thing or two about suspension, the hard way.

There’s nothing quite like a bumpy mountain bike ride to put the importance of suspension into focus.

With the right suspension, mountain bike riding can be a wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable pastime. Without it, you might as well get used to walking like a penguin while your bruises heal!

This article will look at the importance of suspension, for mountain bikes, and how to select the perfect level of suspension to suit your needs.

Suspension: 101

The term “suspension” literally means to be suspended. When talking about suspension and cars or vehicles, the word “suspension” refers to the method by which a vehicle is supported on its axles.

When it comes to suspension, mountain bikes are probably some of the most sophisticated designs you can buy. Designed with your absolute comfort in mind, these bikes are the cutting edge of suspension technology to deliver a powerful ride that is both comfortable and easy.

A mountain bike comes with anywhere between 4 – 10 inches of suspension travel. The level of suspension you need depends entirely on the type of bike riding you do as well as the type of area you intend on mountain biking through.

When choosing suspension, you can generally choose between full suspension and dual suspension. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages for the average mountain biker.

Full suspension is great for beginners and competitive bikers, while dual suspension (and any variation thereof) is generally better suited to the average cyclist who rides in intermediate level paths.

Good suspension gives you better traction, better control and a smoother ride, so it’s well worth spending a bit extra and taking advantage of technological advancements.

Now that you know a bit about suspension, mountain bike selection should be easy!