Road bikes are one of the types of bikes that are very famous in today’s world. Why? Because road bikes are fast, durable, and lightweight, which is very easy to use on roads. There is a rapid increase in the percentage of people or cyclists around the world that are buying and riding road bikes.
However, there is one question most road bike users ask, most especially beginners. They often ask this in forums and social media. These people ask the reason why road bikes have no suspension? If you have not found the answer yet, do not get worried because today, I will answer this. Let me give you a concise answer first.
Why do road bikes have no suspension? The reason why road bikes have no suspension is that road bikes don’t need it. Road bikes are used for racing and suspension offers no advantage in races. In fact, bike suspension is an obstruction for road racers because a suspension adds additional weight to a bike.
The answer I gave you is concise and there is a broader one, which will explain more about the reason why road bikes have no suspension. Also, I will be answering various questions related to our subject. So, if you are ready to learn more about road bikes, let us move on!
The Reason Why Road Bikes Have No Suspension
Like I have said above, the answer I gave you is concise, which you can understand quickly the reason why road bikes have no suspension. However, for those who are finding a broad answer, this is for you! So, why do road bikes have no suspension?
Road bikes are built for speed. The spare parts of road bikes are all lightweight, which will make the cyclist go fast. That is why road bikes are ones used by cyclists who compete in road racing like Tour de France or Ronda Pilipinas.
Adding a suspension on a road bike will make it harder to go full speed during road races. The suspension fork is very heavy! It will add additional weight to the road bike if it has been connected to the road bike. That is why road racers don’t like the idea of road bikes having suspensions.
This is the first reason why road bikes have no suspension. The road bike users don’t need it! In fact, suspension can be a pain in the ass during road races because like I have said above, suspensions add additional weight to the road bike. And for road racers to win the race, one factor to win is how light the weight of their bike is.
Suspensions are used to suspend the rider and bicycle to protect the rider from the roughness of the terrain. Since road bikes don’t usually go to rough terrains, road bikes don’t need suspensions.
This is the second reason why road bikes have no suspension. Road bikes don’t need suspension because most of the time, road races happen on smooth terrain, not on rough terrain. That is why you will only see suspensions on mountain bikes, gravel bikes, and hybrid bikes.
However, some road bikes nowadays have suspension, but not suspension fork like on mountain bikes. Road bikes have suspension on the seat. This suspension was designed to give road bike users great power over cobbled surfaces while providing a greater degree of comfort. This type of road bike is usually expensive.
A suspension fork is not essential for road bikes since road bike users most likely don’t go to rough terrains. Also, having a suspension fork will make it hard for road bike users to go fast on the road, which is very essential during road bike races.
Do Road Bikes Need Suspension?
If road bikes have no suspensions, do road bikes need suspension nowadays? In today’s world, you can do everything you want, especially if you need to do it. But on road bikes adding some suspension? I don’t think so.
Do road bikes need suspension? My answer to this question is no. Road bikes do not need suspension. The reason why is because road bikes are built and designed for speed, which means it was built with lightweight. The lighter your bike, the easier to go fast on the road.
A suspension fork will become a hindrance to the speed you want to attain during road races if you put one on your road bike. However, there is a suspension made specifically for road bikes that were designed to give road bike users great power over cobbled surfaces while providing astounding comfort. This suspension is placed on the seat.
Is A Road Bike With No Suspension Good?
Of course! Yes! A road bike that has no suspension fork is good. The reason why it is good is that your road bike becomes lighter, which will help you to go faster on the roads. Adding a suspension fork will only add additional weight to your road bike, which means your road will become heavier.
Can You Get Road Bikes With Suspension?
Now that you know the reason why road bikes have no suspension, you now ask if there is any road bike that has suspension in the market. Let me give you an answer.
Can you get road bikes with suspension? Yes, you can! There are road bikes that have been designed to have a fork in today’s world. You can usually see these road bikes that have suspension forks in snowy and rough places. Road bike users living in snowy places usually have a road bike with a fork to ride easier on snow.
You can also build your own road bike with suspension. However, you just have to ask for advice from experts on the bike shop. Many video tutorials on the internet will teach you how to create a road bike with suspension. But if you have no time for that, you can ask a bike expert to do it for you. Of course, you have to pay some stipend to the builder.
Pros And Cons Of Suspension On A Bicycle
Now that you know the reason why road bikes have no suspension, let me give you more ideas about suspension in a bicycle. Below are the pros and cons of suspension on a bicycle.
Pros:
- More comfortable to ride
- You will have better control on your bicycle
- Better traction when cornering or braking
- Easier to ride on rough terrains
Cons:
- Heavier
- Expensive
- Requires regular maintenance
- Slow downs the bike during uphill climb
As you can see, all the cons of having a suspension on a bicycle are all about heaviness and slowness, which road bike users must avoid! If you desire to win a road race, you have to make your road bike lighter. Putting a suspension on your road bike will make it heavier and will slow you down!
Is A Road Bike’s Fork Durable?
The durability of a road bike’s fork depends on the brand, price, and how you use your road bike. Of course, the more expensive the fork is, the more durable it will be. You get what you pay for.
However, it does not mean that the expensive road bike forks will never be destroyed soon. If you always use your road bike, expect that your road bike fork will be destroyed after one year. The durability of a road bike’s fork highly depends on how you use your road bike.
Final Words
To conclude, the reason why road bikes have no suspension is that road bikes don’t need them. The suspension will slow down the road bike user, especially when climbing uphill. If you will compete in a road race, you must make sure that your road bike has lighter weight. The lighter the weight of your road bike, the faster you can go.
However, some road bikes in today’s world already have a suspension fork. But the users of these types of road bikes often ride on rough terrains. It is essential to have suspension if you often ride your bike on rough terrain.
