sn0wchyld said:
its actually a good vid... it shows the tire's deformation all but maxing out on something as simple as poping up a curb. ergo, a hard tail would be worse off in the same situation.
Hardtails, let alone unsuspended bikes, do not get into the same situation. They require technique and reward finesse. For instance, you don't slam into a curb; you bunny hop up onto it, or you "pick up" the bike as the wheels encounter it.
In the following video of completely rigid MTB riding from 1992, you can see a lot of what I'm talking about between 5:30 and 6:30. You can tell by the way these guys "float" over obstacles and stairs that it is all about technique, and that it's easier on the equipment than larding it up with suspension and smashing into stuff. By the way, these bikes would make great platforms for e-conversion.
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So it's not actually making a direct comparison to say, "if I sit here like a sack o' taters and motor my bike into that square step, is it easier for the hubmotor if I have suspension?" If you do that, the vertical acceleration of the hubbie will be more violent with the suspended bike, and the stress on the
rim will be higher on the unsuspended bike, but the more relevant fact is that you just don't do it that way on an unsuspended bike.
The sort of riding in the video posted by GCinDC is an expression of the motor vehicle fetish I was talking about. Motorcycles are better tools for it. But riding a bicycle-- like a bicycle-- is more wholesome fun.
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