Mountain bicycles are a relatively recent invention. They were born in the mountains of California in the late 1970s, when the Tom Ritchey, Joe Breeze or Gary Fisher threw themselves down the east face of Pine Mountain with some bicycles of the years of the great depression that they themselves modified.
Since then, mountain bicycles were evolving until the element that best defines them appeared: the suspensions. These have also experienced a strong evolution since they reached the market. The simple elastomere forks were soon filled with air.
As that of putting a suspension on the front wheel worked, the logical passage was to do the same in the rear, appearing the software and articulated suspensions. Today, almost all brands have wide ranges from both
rigid and semi rigid bicycles like
double suspension bicycles. What are the advantages of each other?
Advantages of double suspension bicycles
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Double suspension bike of the Norco brand (image: Pexels)[/caption]
The main virtue of double suspension mountain bicycles is their greatest comfort. When moving through irregular land, the vibrations that cause these irregularities are transmitted to the cyclist. When you wear a five or six hours route, to the slightest undulation can end up causing innumerable pain.
A good rear suspension mitigates those filtrations of the terrain making the experience of riding a bicycle much more comfortable. Directly related to this is the feeling of more physical rest we have when we finish a route.
If you are going to make long routes on tracks, trails and areas without asphalting, it is advisable to buy a double suspension mountain bike.
While doubles are usually heavier and uphill require another point of effort, no less true is that they save many blows that filter behind the back, which ends up resulting in less pain.
Double suspension bicycles are recommended for those who suffer from back pain.
With a double suspension bicycle and some expertise, you can go for more places than you could go with a rigid
Another very remarkable virtue is the greatest stability that these bicycles usually have. It is clear that this has a lot to do with the geometry of the painting, but although rigid usually have more vertical angles, and with it aggressive, double suspension bicycles are usually overcome the 69º in the direction angle, which added At a greater length of the pods, it results in greater stability of the bicycle.
In addition, when the shock absorber is compressed, the route between the wheels axes increases, and at a greater length of these, the bike more stable.
And the most fun of everything, with a double suspension bicycle and some expertise, you can go for more places than you could go with a rigid. When you throw yourself in what sections of stones, have a shock absorber that swallow the blow of the rear wheel when falling on the stones will be the difference between continuing on the bike or having to get off it, sometimes in a unorthodox way .
It is true that the technique of each one is what most counts, but inexperienced hands will find the same technical stretch with a double suspension bicycle of 140mm of travel than with a 100mm rigid. And some expert hands no longer tell you. It can even be said that they are faster than rigid, because when the rear wheel bounces less, you do not lose traction, and you can continue pedaling in areas where with a rigid you have to get up from the armchair and stop pedals.
Advantages of rigid mountain bicycles
If there is something that plays against all cyclists, especially when we are uphill, it is the weight, and in this aspect rigid bicycles are unbeatable. Without going into materials and ranges, normally a rigid suspension bike is lighter than a double, since it does not equip the entire rear damping system, which includes the rear triangle, the connecting rods, the shock absorber and the tornillery. All these pieces can add up to more than one kilo.
There is also the rigidity factor. When we pedal on a rigid bicycle the strength of our pedaling is directed to the pedalier, and as between the armchair and that pedalier, all we have is a straight and solid bar, we can almost completely transmit the strength of our pedaling, producing a greater thrust.
It is also important to take into account that a rigid suspension bicycle has greater simplicity. Regardless of all these manufacturing technologies of the painting that manufacturers tell us, in the end a rigid picture is four or five tubes welded with each other, or a piece made in a single mold. This saves us complex pieces and accessories, and less pieces, less things can be broken.
In addition, this simplicity is linked to the most important benefit in many cases: rigid bicycles are cheaper. Lacking the shock absorber and the suspension system of doubles, the rigid get cost savings that translates into a lower price at the time of their acquisition, or a better equipment for the same disbursement.
Comfort vs. agility
Which to choose? Are rigid mountain bicycles better or double suspension? Each type of suspension has its pros and cons. In the case of doubles, the main advantage is comfort. Rigid bicycles stand out for their agility and lightness. There are many factors that must be taken into account before deciding which one to buy: the type of land that is going to be filmed, age, health, driving technique, budget ...
