What is a good full suspension mountain bike for urban riding?

Question

What is a good full suspension mountain bike for riding in an urban setting? Can you just take any downhill mountain bike and put slick tires on it? What is the best bang for the buck bike like that, meaning not a ton of money but still good?

Answer 1

Well if you only plan on using it as a commuter bike and don't plan on going off road then I don't believe a full suspension bike will help especially not a downhill bike because the massive suspension takes all of the power away from your pedaling. If you plan on being on the road a lot it is best to just go for a road bike and not a full suspension mountain bike because it is just extra weight. If you do plan to go off road every now and then a hard tail with a front shock will suffice. To answer your question simply there is no need for a full suspension bike in an urban enviroment.

Answer 2

No such thing, no matter how young and surly you are.

Answer 3

A DH bike wouldn't be much fun on the urban stuff, because DH bikes are heavy and they have very slack geometry (and good luck bunny hopping up a curb on one).  Urban Assault riding is actually much more fun on a hardtail because you can do a lot more technical tricks, and learn to land properly.  My Dobermann Pinscher is perfect for urban or park, or just goofing around, but you might also be into a Black Market Riot, Norco 250, Cannondale Chase, Specialized P, Kona Cowan ect...

But if you have you're heart set on a full suspension, take a look at the Transition Double, Kona Bass, or Norco xxxx...

Good luck!  Urban riding is fun if you have the right tool for the job...  

Answer 4

Yeah....ixnay on the full-on downhill.  Most people ride hardtails (that are made for the type of riding, not just any ordinary hardtail frame) because they're more maneuverable.  Also, stairgaps and drops to flat are the absolute worst type of abuse that you can hand out to a bike short of 50' Josh Bender type of drops.  

If you want to do more hucking, then full suspension is fine and it will make 6'+ drops a bit easier.  However, urban hucks are kinda rough on the linkage of a f/s bike so be prepared to replace bearings and bushings more frequently.   Also, you'll need to be careful when landing because with a f/s rear you want to land close to equal with your wheels, slightly rear wheel first.  If you land too much on your rear wheel and the front is riding high then when the shock compresses you can loop out and crack your noggin.   Bad mojo.

For full suspension rigs that are decent for urban riding and dj's, check out the Jamis Parker and Kona Bass.  Those will handle most of what you're likely to ever throw at them.  If you're really going big, look into a 6" or 7" freeride frame.

Really, you'll probably be happier with a beefy hardtail and a 4" to 5" fork....maybe a 6" fork if you get a hardtail freeride frame and are doing larger drops.  The geometry of urban hardtails is still fairly aggressive compared to freeride and downhill frames, and that makes it much easier to do tricks and to maneuver the bike.  It's fun to zip around corners and dart in and out of stuff with the right bike and tires, but a big f/s bike makes it feel like molasses.  I'd recommend that you get a bolt-on rear wheel instead of a quick release, but they'll both work ok.  Get some bomber wheels, too....Rhynolites at the least but preferably something better.

Hope this helps.....if you need help with anything else just post up again.   Have fun....wear pads.    :o)

Answer 5

Heres the problem...

Using a downhill bike for urban assault will be very counterproductive insofar that they are extremely heavy and don't have good geometry for riding on flatlands/pavement.

Full suspension bikes aren't really a good choice either. Full suspension isn't for comfort- it is to keep the wheels on the ground for better handling. Although I get the idea of curbs and berms and stuff, there really is no need for energy-robbing rear suspension on a bike for this. Stay with a hardtail.

I suggest looking for an urban assault bike or a freeride bike. There are a bunch out there that'll do just what you want. For best value, look at "second tier" brands. These are equally as high quality as the top stuff but tend to have better components. An example of these is Raleigh, Iron Horse, KHS, Diamondback, and the BIKE SHOP VERSIONS of Schwinn and Mongoose. You should be able to get a pretty good bike under $600.