Blackburn CL-1 Custom Low-rider rack

This is an opinion on a matter I feel particularly strongly about. It is on the subject of Full Suspension Mountain Bikes. You may think this is placed in a completely irrelevant category, but my suggestion of a category has been rejected. Although I do not intend to sound pompous, I obviously cannot understand how my advice on the type of suspension, cannot be of use to consumers who are considering buying a bike.

Therefore I have ...
...have made an extremely tenuous link between carriers and suspension. After all, the suspension carries you, doesn't it. I felt that this issue plays a large part when considering the purchase of a bike, so I have posted it anyway. I hope you do find it useful. So onto the opinion...

I have seen hundreds of children riding round the streets on full suspension bikes. I understand that parents want to buy the best for their children and ... more

This is an opinion on a matter I feel particularly strongly about. It is on the subject of Full Suspension Mountain Bikes. You may think this is placed in a completely irrelevant category, but my suggestion of a category has been rejected. Although I do not intend to sound pompous, I obviously cannot understand how my advice on the type of suspension, cannot be of use to consumers who are considering buying a bike.

Therefore I have considered all the available categories in the bike section and have made an extremely tenuous link between carriers and suspension. After all, the suspension carries you, doesn't it. I felt that this issue plays a large part when considering the purchase of a bike, so I have posted it anyway. I hope you do find it useful. So onto the opinion...

I have seen hundreds of children riding round the streets on full suspension bikes. I understand that parents want to buy the best for their children and sometimes give in to the constant "want, want, want", but by doing this, they may not be doing their children any favours at all.

I will start my analysis of childrens bicycles with the main over-riding factor which is cost. Many parants are a little tight on budget when their child wants their first bike, which usually means that the full suspension bike (FSB) they buy will be at the lower end of the range utilising fairly average components. A rigid bike of the same price will tend to be of a far higher quality and will also tend to be more reliable in terms of mechanical failures.

The next thing I will look at is the actual use of the bike. You will find that many children riding FSBs rarely, if ever, venture from the pavement. Everyone knows that suspension is designed for offroad use and when used on the road or pavement, it actually affects handling negatively as the bike will sag when you turn into corners. Also, due to the lower level of feedback through the suspension, I have found that children riding FSBs find it harder to read the conditions on the surface of the ground. I feel personally that children should use a rigid bike as their first, as it teaches them more about the way a bike reacts to different conditions.

Another point I need to make is that FSBs are a lot more complex than rigid bikes, and if something goes wrong with the suspension, it will normally need a trip to the bike shop to fix. A rigid bike, although still quite complex in todays standards, can normally be "fixed by dad". There is a wide range of books to aid you in fixing suspension if you are serious, but even then, it will be a technical job if you are not well up on bikes.

Lastly I will look at why most people buy a FSB for their child. If you think honestly about it, you will find that ego is a large factor when choosing the bike, as the child will want to have the same, or better than his/her friends. Although I don't want to tell anyone how to bring up their child, I would suggest that a talk with the child about the advantages of the rigid bike may be a great help, and that although their friend's bike may look flashier, their friends may actually find that your child's bike is of a higher quality when he or she develops road skills faster.

Another factor thought about when you buy a FSB is comfort. Yes, the ride is more comfortable, but at the cost of handling, especially at speed. You may well think that it is OK as your child will ride slowly anyway. But as I did it myself, nine times out of ten, as soon as your parents backs are turned, you will be belting around trying to do stunts. Until the child can successfully handle their bike and stay on it without any falls, I would suggest a rigid bike, simply because when your child notices that he/she is about to fall off of a FSB, or there is a problem, it is generally too late to do anything to prevent it. This is because the suspension has been covering the loss of control.

Again, it is not my intention to tell you what bike you should buy, but I hope that my points have opened your mind to the fact that rigid bikes are still a very viable option and whatever bike you buy for your child, I hope you get a lot of fun and happiness out of it for years to come.
 

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