Is it worth locking out my front suspension?

[JamesM]

I got a Specialised CrossTrail Sport last year. I had been using it to commute on the tow paths but after finding a stretch of tow path closed, it turns out it's faster by road anyway!

Apparently I can lock out my front suspension (although I've not looked into how yet)

Would it be worth doing? The roads I'll be cycling home on are hilly without a ridiculous amount of pot holes.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

I lock my suspension out for most of my commute. It does make a difference and I just find it easier going on roads .. I took Little-LC for an amble round a reservoir at the weekend and had the suspension "on", forgot to lock it back out and then got halfway up the hill at the start of my next commute before I realised why the bike felt strange.

Mine is just a knob you turn on the top of one of the fork legs.

 

[JamesM]

Thanks for the replies. I did lock the suspension - turn of a knob, the same as LC's. Not sure what difference it made as I'm used to the canal. I think I was a little faster up the hills than yesterday...

 

[Helly79]

on commutes I lock out my front suspension and I feel that its a bit better.

 

[Bigtwin]

Only really makes a difference when you are climbing or really putting power through the bike another way - harsh acceleration etc. Then, if unlocked, the front bounces, and you are losing energy that ought to be going into forward motion. Riding along on the flat is psychological only.

 

[PBancroft]

I've got a push button lock-out on my GT Avalanche. Noticeably better riding, faster riding too on the flat.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Don't know what it means, voted yes, and was in the majority.

Result

 

[yenrod]

>Poll: Should I lock out my front suspension?

Take the forks off the bike - no need for them !

 

[HLaB]

Would it be worth doing?

There's no harm in trying.

 

[Cubist]

Yes. Last night's ride alternated between road climbs, off-road climbs, seriously technical moorland paths, steep rocky downhill descents, really steep road descents, flat canal towpath with tarmac, flat canal towpath with cobbles, flat canal towpath with potholes, beautiful flowing singletrack woodland paths with lots of jumps and drop-offs, grinding climbs on unmetalled roads, thrashing sections of gravelled tracks with potholes, an old railway line with boggy bits and obstacles like branches across the path, in other words absolute hardtail heaven. I lock the fork for steep climbs, on or off the tarmac, every time I'm on the tarmac, and unlock it anywhere where I want the front end to absorb bumps jumps and drops, to track along paths where the tyre could be deflected by rock, stones and ruts and generally improve the handling.

When I commute to work on the MTB it's locked.

 

[XmisterIS]

I only ever unlock the sus forks on my MTB when I'm flying down a bumpy hill offroad.

 

[maurice]

>Poll: Should I lock out my front suspension?

Take the forks off the bike - no need for them !

Wow, you must be a real wheelie expert!