Suspension or no suspension

[pramodan]

Currently my converted bike weighs 20 Kg with the kit fitted.
Donor bike was 14 Kg. Kit is 6 Kg.
This cycle does not have any suspension in the frame. There is suspension in only in the front fork.
Also it is not strictly a Y frame.
I find it somewhat troublesome on rough road - I get shocks and vibrations to the back.
I sit up and ride that patch. Otherwise, it is very fast and good for riding rising slopes.

Recently I found a donor bike with a Y frame and suspension. I have these questions.
It is weighing 18 Kg.
After adding kit, it will weigh 24 Kg.

Now my question is this - what is more important - less total weight? OR
Lesser height of seat
Suspension
Y frame

Regards
Pramodan

 

[Gromit]

Why not build a Silvio?
Full suspension and lighter in weight.

 

[pramodan]

Hi,

Silvio is not an option for me however I would like it.
I am in India and I got the conversion kit here. So no more options for me

Please consider my query.

 

[JonB]

pramodan wrote: Currently my converted bike weighs 20 Kg with the kit fitted.
Donor bike was 14 Kg. Kit is 6 Kg.
This cycle does not have any suspension in the frame. There is suspension in only in the front fork.
Also it is not strictly a Y frame.
I find it somewhat troublesome on rough road - I get shocks and vibrations to the back.
I sit up and ride that patch. Otherwise, it is very fast and good for riding rising slopes.

Recently I found a donor bike with a Y frame and suspension. I have these questions.
It is weighing 18 Kg.
After adding kit, it will weigh 24 Kg.

Now my question is this - what is more important - less total weight? OR
Lesser height of seat
Suspension
Y frame

Regards
Pramodan

Do you climb mountains? Or just biiiig hills? Or is your surroundings flat? You can always gear down and spin/grind your way up even if it is more heavy.

I would go for comfort, but i also live in Denmark which is flat flat flat.

 

[pramodan]

JonB,

Thanks. What you are telling me is suspension for back is more important.
Weight can be increased but with practice I could pull it also.

Yeah - what I ride can be called hills. Not mountains. My city Pune in India is quite flat but surrounded by hills on all sides except south.

Regards
Pramodan

 

[defjack]

Im doing the same thing right now.After 3 or 4 hard tail conversions Im working on a Y frame duel suspension. Don't worry about the weight its nice to have that softer ride. Jack

 

[trapdoor2]

pramodan wrote: Now my question is this - what is more important - less total weight? OR
Lesser height of seat
Suspension
Y frame

Pramodan,

Having ridden recumbents without susupension for nearly 10 yrs, suspension is definitely important. I would rank your list in the following order, from most important to least.

1)Suspension (I consider this to be vital. Sitting upright means you absorb more shock thru your spine. On a regular bike, you use your legs to reduce this)

2)Proper seat height (it is not that the seat height be "less", it is that you find a comfortable height)

3)Weight (a few kg here and there is not important at all unless you are racing or climbing steep hills. Your body will adapt to the new weight)

4)Y frame (yes, the conversion was designed around a Y frame but I consider the frame type to be pretty inconsequential. One may convert many different frame types successfully)

I hope this helps.