Full suspension vs hardtail???

[sologrande]

Hey I need some help here.  I just got a new Giant and took it on a bikepacking trip in the San Juans.  I have been riding my singlespeed for about 7 years now and completely forgotten how to ride a geared/suspended bike.  The giant has 5" rear travel and on the road portions I just couldnt stand up with all the bobing.  Is there a trick to this or am I just going to have to deal with it.  BTW I just bought www.bikepackinglight.com but not sure what to do with it for now it feeds to my site on simplicity but I would like to turn it into a bikepacking showcase if anybody has any ideas.

[paxton coyote]

 Can't help you on the suspension deal as I'm 29", ridgid & single! Wanted to say nice Brittney on the home page though, that is what I have for my riding partner to.

[jp3d]

I think it comes down to pedaling style/technique. I personally have moved to a pedal stroke with smooth transition into/out of the downstroke, and keep my body still while pedaling. Using a smooth even pedal stroke (rather than snapping at the pedals) reduces a lot of the "bob" that you would get at each sharp power-stroke, and by keeping your body as still as possible (not bobbing your torso up and doing little mini pushups with each pedal stroke) eliminates a lot of "bob" as well, especially in the fork. I really do not understand why people feel the need to lock their fork out: any force compressing the fork wouldn't be going into propelling you forward anyway...

No matter what technique you use there is always going to be some weight transfer to and from the rear wheel due to the uneven acceleration that comes with each pedal stroke which will cause a tiny movement in the rear suspension, and a completely undetectable movement in the fork. Bike manufactures have always claimed that their particular suspension design is somehow counteracting this, but never quantify the amount of power that they are saving...

No one seems to have ever quantified how much energy would actually be lost due to suspension compression (could be easily measured using pedal and hub mounted power meters...) so I am of the opinion that work lost due to suspension compression under a reasonably smooth pedaling rider is negligible.

I can personally pedal my 42lb 8" travel Turner DHR uphill with absolutely zero movement in the fork, and extremely small movement in the rear suspension. However this style might not work for everyone, some people work better with an more "active" style which causes the suspension to compress as they move their weight around. There are certainly many very experienced pro riders with very active styles, although usually more side-to-side movement while still keeping their body level.

[sologrande]

Thanks guys and yes Brittanys rock.  I may have to dial my supension a bit more as it is a new bike.  My main issue is I am selling everything I own and heading off to bike with my dog for a year.  I can only take one bike and have had a 7 year love affair with my single but noe I just got this new bike free and its pretty sweet.  I could have worse problems in life but now that im 42 im trying to prolong my body.  I spent the first 40 years breaking it and it looks like ill spend the next 40 fixing it.  Cheers.  Alan

[jhl99]

In what style do you plan to spend your year biking?

Are you going on a year long bike tour?  Are you doing the van-dwelling thing like this guy:  http://www.runutsadventures.com/ ?  Or something else?

What type of surfaces are you riding on?  How much gear are you intend to carry?

Regardless, fewer moving parts generally translates into less maintenance and higher reliability. 

I would assume that if your primary ride has been a single speed, then you are programmed to stand and pedal as required... that might not be a good techinque for full suspension.