Wisdom of Tarmac cycle riding with front suspension ?

[notgotc90]

I am trying to decide and prepare what sort of bicycle to arrange for use on tarmac roads during the winter dark nights and poor weather for use for eg 5 miles to 30+ miles on A and B roads, where I found in recent winters too many good roads have hidden deep nasty pot holes.

I am thinking a front suspension bike mountain bike with slick tyres is the best for safety when suddenly hitting bad pot holes in the dark an wet etc, but I have never ridden a bike with front suspension and slicks for any distance on tarmac and do not know if a rigid mountain bike with slicks, is the better option.

Previously riding my 27 inch on one city centre dual carriageway at 1.00am on a dark wet night, I hit a very large pot hole that could not be seen under a large overhanging tree. It stopped me at the pot hole at a steady 17 MPH so my lights fell off and landed on the road to tell me it had stopped me on the spot. I did not fall off, but as cub riders on this website, I follow the line of the centre of a lane as opposed to hugging the curb and if I had been in busy traffic hitting and being stopped by that pot hole could have been nasty. So I would like work out how to balance fatter wheels/tyres and possibly front supension for dark winter nights, to have a better chance.

[fly]

Avoiding the potholes in the first place should be your priority, as well as being seen by other road users. Get yourself a quality front light - as much as you can afford within reason. I wouldn't bother with suspension unless I was off-road mountain biking.

My winter hack is an old steel mountain bike (rigid forks) with Schwalbe 26" City Jet slick tyres. These are are good reliable tyres which are reinforced with kevlar to fight off punctures from glass, flints etc. My lighting is a Busch & Muller Cyo LED up front (nearly as bright as a car headlight's full beam) powered by a Shimano dynohub. I highly rate these lights.

Don't scrimp on your lighting.

[notgotc90]

thanks for the reply.

if you're in the fast flow of city traffic at car speed (my 27" often cruises at 22 to 28 mph and more) and the fast flow of traffic takes you at speed into some potholes, that suddenly appear under the car in front, it is just not possible to avoid them. No chance. If I were able to stop the vehicle behind would squash me.

so i was wondering if people manage ok with front suspension (stiffer type) over a distance on tarmac

the time i hit a pot hole was when i did not imagine that the most busy main city dual carriage way would be allowed to have freak pot holes that could stop a bike. So i was lights off into flash mode to save power.

i have started using michelin city protec 27", as much bigger/fatter then the old tradtional tyres.

the idea of a winter hack with big slick 26s may be a compromise as you say. and those rigid bikes go very cheaply second hand. What diameter tyre do you use 26 x 1.4? or 26 x 1.75? 26 x 2?

[fly]

Front and rear are 26 x 1.5. They are comfortable even at high pressures, typically 85psi. And they're very low rolling resistance for 26" tyres. But not the lightest of tyres

[Chimp]

agree wouldn't bother with suspension and if you've got good enough lights then chances of hitting a major pothole is slim even with some of the car drivers on the road. Most of my commute was unlit back roads til I hit town and trying to avoid wildlife. My front light was a cheap ebay special but its the equal of most cars and bikes and has never let me down, though I do have another smaller one fitted as back up and extra illumination. Also use 2 rear lights. Use Bontrager race lite hardcase tyres in 700x25mm and never had any issues.

[notgotc90]

The idea of avoiding pot holes with lights is utter nonsense. On the city roads the day is a real prooblem. So plenty of light but "long sections" of city main road can have mnay unceasing pot holes to be too rough for road bikes. Often media can report the reasons for cycle deaths are the experieced riders collide/fall into traffic while swerving to avoid pot holes.

So the bike needs a design to cope with modern road riding conditions where Govrnment has no method to stop bigger pot holes and more pot holes as the future.

The cycle commuter group in Denmark "Cycle Chic" criticise the UK road cyclist for unsuitably thin wheels and that the chunkier Danish bike are suited to all year round commuting. Also UK ridng is nwo on very mixed sufavces and the stiff kind of front suspension is better suited to UK kerb hoping short distance communting. But I am not sure when they are too hard work on longer routes

I have ridden 27 inch since the 1960 when riding in hilly areas at 40+mph on my old cable speedo on the way to school, but now the roads are so bad, and no hope of improvement, that thin wheels are becoming too dangerous

[fly]

Agree, potholes are becoming a real problem. Its not just a problem on urban roads, its equally bad if not worse on country roads and lanes. I'm forever having to dodge them, The last couple of winters seem to have done the most damage to the roads. Luckily I've not buckled a wheel yet where I've not been able to avoid one.

In your opening post you said that you want a bike setup for winter nights and poor weather. I think it was reasonable for Chimp to suggest adequate lights on your bike.

[Newtsalad]

Forget suspension, period. You don't need it on roads regardless of how bad they are. It's unnecessary weight, and will slow you down.

When I came up to Suffolk I had a Raleigh Criterium racing bike. I put fatter tyres on it, straight bars, changed the saddle and the pedals, added some lightweight plastic mudguards and some lights and it was awesome on the roads.

They now do 'hybrids' for just such riding.

I have two Saracen bikes with full suspension, but the one I ride most is my Claud Butler with no suspension. Get a tyre not too wide that runs at 60psi and has a continuous centre line to conserve your energy.

And as already said, good lights are a must.

[Chimp]

The idea of avoiding pot holes with lights is utter nonsense.

A tad ridiculous I think, it does help if you look where you are going and scanning the road ahead to look out for all potential pitfalls no different to riding a motorcycle. The suggestion was merely to provide oneself with a sufficient amount of light to help you see and be seen, just having lights isn't enough to avoid potholes.
As for thin wheels being dangerous? Depends how you ride and what you use them for and despite not having 40 years of riding experience, in my own personal experience of cycling roads here and abroad in town and out of town I've yet to come across any major issues.

[notgotc90]

Of course we need lights, but the appoach of avoidng pot holes, when they are such a growing problem is like approaching car safety design by saying use a car without safety improvement and just avoid accidents. Utter nonsense

(Just ordered so more fat michelin city pro link tyre)