Unless you plan on doing some serious downhilling,
suspension on a bike is an utter waste. Particularly rear suspension, as it just absorbs power from your pedalling, to make you bob up and down.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 13:18, 2 replies)

That's what I used to think...
...before I bought my first full suss.

If you've tried a DW Link bike or a Quad Link then they tend to stiffen the suspension under pedalling. Older Horst-Link bikes do bob a little, but since the advent of pedal platform damping some eight or so years ago, the low frequency bobbing motion gets filtered out.

There's a vast difference between a low end Halfrauds type full suss and a premium bike.

/nerd
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Fri 30 Sep 2011, 13:26, closed)

Unfortunately you still need to spend
the thick end of two grand to get a decent full suss bike. Anything below that is ropy kit.

You can get a very decent front suspension MTB for ~600 though.

Oh, also - for Jib - the suspension is not to be comfortable while pootling along. It's to keep your wheels in contact with the ground while you're bombing down a rutted stony hillside, so you don't die (as much). You still need to actively stop your cock and arse from going numb.
( Fronds are waving gently on, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 13:35, closed)

That's true
But you don't have to buy current year kit. I saved myself £1300 by buying a 2009 bike instead of a 2010 bike last year.

If you buy a full suss for bridleway tootling then it's a bit like popping to the shops for a pint of milk in a Unimog.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Fri 30 Sep 2011, 13:44, closed)

Yeah, it was just a front suspension bike, and I do - or did - cycle on a pretty bumpy riverside path to get to and from work, not on a road. I won't be replacing it.
(cutofyourjib, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 14:58, closed)

*Coughs*
The notion that a full suss is useless on anything other than a full on DH course has been bugging me. Certainly I know which I prefer riding all day epics on, so I did some research. Cross country full suss bikes have come a very long way since the late 1990s:

Answer
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Mon 3 Oct 2011, 17:07, closed)

My elbows and knees still function.
I can't see that adding extra complication/expense to my bike will help in any way.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Wed 5 Oct 2011, 20:14, closed)

Have you ridden a full suss then?

(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 6 Oct 2011, 10:03, closed)