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  • Megan Lynchml@eldritch.cafe
    Oct 30, 2026, 11:25 PM

    @ascentale @enobacon @bikenite A4. I had a Ballistic elastomer shock on a 20" wheel, but I don't think I know enough about the technicalities to answer your question adequately.

    The frame came with a regular fork. I brought it back with the shock, asking the framemaker to install it. He did and he liked it so much that it became a standard offering thereafter. So at least with this monotube recumbent I rode, it didn't really change anything with riding except how much of a jolt I was getting over bumps.

    #BikeNite

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  • Akkana Peckakkana@fosstodon.org
    Oct 30, 2026, 11:42 PM

    @ascentale @enobacon @bikenite #BikeNIte

    A4. Sample size of 1, but my main bike, a 93 Cannondale MTB, came with a (very) rigid fork, but because (complicated story elided) I swapped in a Rock Shox Quadra. I was worried that the nice quick steering might be affected, but it really didn't change the geometry or steering feel enough for me to notice. Since then, I've had two more modern forks on it (currently a Judy). I've used elastomer, coil and air: all worked fine, but air is best.

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  • Mark ChickDurableAce@vivaldi.net
    Oct 31, 2026, 8:31 AM

    @akkana @ascentale @enobacon @bikenite Rockshox Quadra, Judy... You've awoken many happy memories of the mountain bike magazines I used to read and the bikes I lusted over.

    I remember fitting Rockshox Indy SL forks to my first proper MTB, a Giant ATX 880. I don't remember giving geometry a thought! It was the bike I started racing on.

    #BikeNite

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  • ericmericm@infosec.exchange
    Oct 30, 2026, 11:58 PM

    @ascentale @enobacon @bikenite A4: Being a cargo bike it might have been made to accept a suspension fork but came with a rigid fork that's the same length. The bike's specs might say, or the manufacturer. Sometimes you can tell if that's the case by the distance from the lower headset bearing or fork crown to the top of the tire. If not then you get to measuring and comparing with specs for suspension forks.

    If your suspension fork ends up with a ride height that's taller (longer from headset to axle) than the rigid fork, here's what will happen: the front of the bike will be taller, the steering slower, and the pedals will be higher off the ground. The steering will have more self centering force. All in proportion to the change in fork length

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  • 😀🚲enobacon@urbanists.social
    Oct 31, 2026, 2:43 AM

    @ericm #BikeNite Q4 that is what I meant by "uncorrected", the rigid fork does not have the extra A2C length of a "suspension corrected" one. The pedal/crank height change might be a bigger problem to the tandem, captain crank being closer to the front. The #superCargo has a more slack seat tube angle, much farther back. But the de-leveraged cable steering complicates any fork swap there, as I'll have to get that pulley worked into the fork crown 🤔 might adjust leverage #fediBikes #BikeTooter

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  • 😀🚲enobacon@urbanists.social
    Oct 31, 2026, 4:41 AM

    @fullywoolly @ascentale #BikeNite Q4 I do have suspension seatposts on the tandem, but the seatpost angle is steep and the travel in it makes it harder to get a toe down at a stop, or launch+mount with a passenger, vs riding with it too low for leg extension. Maybe it could work better if anyone made one with a lot of rearward offset.

    A fork would still help, the front tire is a little skinny (I would definitely plan larger in a new fork) and the jolts are rough on the handling, sketchy even.

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  • Ryanfullywoolly@mastodon.social
    Oct 31, 2026, 4:49 AM

    @enobacon @ascentale my elastomer seatpost is set for my ideal height (per bike fit) when unloaded. It seems to work for me so far. I still have to lean my bike over at a stop though.

    Maybe you can add some automatic landing gear ... Err training wheels when you get to a slow enough speed! Now that would be cool! Rube Goldberg, but cool!

    As for the fork, I can't speak to mechanics of a bike or their stability (from a controls perspective). Electrical control yes, mechanical not so much.

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  • 😀🚲enobacon@urbanists.social
    Oct 31, 2026, 5:03 AM

    @fullywoolly a vertical suspension seatpost is too high unloaded, awkward. With passengers / precious cargo, a more slack seat tube angle is much better, ideally being able to put a foot flat on the ground but pedal with full extension. You're not as much on top of the pedals then, losing the advantage of gravity toward your pedal power, though you can always stand up if it comes to that. E-assist helps prioritize control/safety, and comfort.

    #BikeNite #leaveTheCarAtHome #cargoBikes

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  • 😀🚲enobacon@urbanists.social
    Oct 31, 2026, 5:06 AM

    @fullywoolly If your weight compresses the seatpost, then it's too low, or you have to pedal hard and not really sitting on the seat. The preload shortens that but with a hard stop at the end of travel, at least on the one I've had. #BikeNite

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  • Ryanfullywoolly@mastodon.social
    Oct 31, 2026, 5:08 AM

    @enobacon oh. Mine has a weight range for the elastomer. I don't notice it at all unless I go over a bump. It feels both appropriately stiff and damped.

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  • Ryanfullywoolly@mastodon.social
    Oct 31, 2026, 5:07 AM

    @enobacon how do you put your foot on the ground and still have full leg extension? Do you mean you dismount off the seat?

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  • 😀🚲enobacon@urbanists.social
    Oct 31, 2026, 5:10 AM

    @fullywoolly I mean the seat tube angle is slack enough that the pedals are in front of rather than under you, so you don't need to jump on or off the bike when starting and stopping.

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  • 😀🚲enobacon@urbanists.social
    Oct 31, 2026, 6:03 AM

    @fullywoolly good video, thanks. It goes into terrain vs the type and travel of seatpost. I think the heavier bike changes some things, but in the superCargo, I am sitting right on top of the rear wheel on aluminum frame, where a spring suspension might be good, besides the fork. The suntour NCX that I have on the tandem might not be a good application, where the weight & length of the bike soaks up a lot of the deflection, maybe I just want elastomer there (and a suspension fork.) #BikeNite

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  • Ryanfullywoolly@mastodon.social
    Oct 31, 2026, 6:14 AM

    @enobacon I really appreciate how much he goes into the engineering of it. Couldn't hurt to see if you can email him from his website or ask on a forum if he has one.

    I'm glad you found it helpful too!

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  • markn🚲markn
    Oct 31, 2026, 7:09 AM

    @ascentale @enobacon @bikenite A4. Empirical testing for the win.

    You're obviously going to mess with the geometry. Notably you'll get a slacker head angle and less responsive handling. I think that's the biggest impact.

    This is probably a bit of a disaster waiting to happen if you want to weave through trees on downhill single track. Might be ok going to the shops on a farm track.

    If you can get one cheap on eBay, I'd just try it.

    A more conservative option might be a stem elastomer thingy.

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  • 😀🚲enobacon@urbanists.social
    Oct 31, 2026, 7:17 AM

    @markn #BikeNite Q4: these bikes are 1.5-2x the typical wheelbase, "downhill single track" is not out of the question, but not on the daily agenda, and the amount of change in head angle is going to be less than you might be thinking of.

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  • markn🚲markn
    Oct 31, 2026, 7:26 AM

    @enobacon then I reckon so many things are changing. You need to build it up and tell us if it's good.

    Shame I have an old 29er reba fork doing nothing in my shed. But, it's heavy and international postage etc...

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  • nothingfuturenothingfuture@mastodon.social
    Oct 31, 2026, 12:10 PM

    @ascentale @enobacon @bikenite In the old days- before suspension forks were (effectively) a give on MTB’s, the general rule was that every 25mm of fork travel would slacken the head tube angle by about one degree, thereby slowing the handling of the bike a little bit. However: that’s not exactly true- it slackens the head tube angle one degree for every 25mm of travel *after sag*, and that should be 25% of the total travel. (Part 1) #bikenite

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  • nothingfuturenothingfuture@mastodon.social
    Oct 31, 2026, 12:14 PM

    @ascentale @enobacon @bikenite (con’t) However however, the longer the wheelbase the smaller the change to headtube angle and bb height & whatever- and you have a LONG wheelbase. So: let’s imagine the fork is nominally 80mm longer than the stock fork- that’s really, an effective 64mm useful travel. That means something like a 1degree slackening of your head tube angle- and I doubt you’d notice the difference in any kind of normal riding. #bikenite

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  • nothingfuturenothingfuture@mastodon.social
    Oct 31, 2026, 12:18 PM

    @ascentale @enobacon @bikenite (con’t) In short, it shouldn’t be a problem within any kind of reason (don’t put a 200mm suspension fork on, etc).
    Type of suspension has two reasonable answers, I think. Either use an air-spring fork (that can be adjusted to rider/cargo weight), or use a coil-spring fork (because they work). Elastomer sprung forks *suck*. They stiffen in the cold, thr spring properties are bad, they have bad damping. #bikenite

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  • nothingfuturenothingfuture@mastodon.social
    Oct 31, 2026, 12:20 PM

    @ascentale @enobacon @bikenite (con’t) If you’re thinking about elastomer forks because of maintenance or cost and you’re still worried about messing with the bikes geometry, my honest suggestion is to put the biggest fattest front tire you can on the bike. Biggest you can fit. You’ll get a better ride, better handling, low weight, and minimal maintenance. #bikenite

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