Do gravel bikes need suspension forks?

[Jerome_24]

I'm planning to choose a e-gravel bike recently, and I've seen some with suspension forks and some without. Do you think it's worth having one. I used to ride a mountain bike, but the road I usually ride on isn't that steep.

 

[gromike]

Yeah, you do want front suspension. An ebike has more speed and weight, so it helps when you need to eat a bump.
Without suspension your arms and legs are your suspension (will not talk about "fat bikes"). When you get front suspension you will then notice that you don't have rear suspension.
Get the good stuff, and it doesn't need to be air -- but no Rockshox Judy's.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I agree. The benefits likely outweigh any weight that it might add to a bike. The ones I’ve seen factory installed on current e gravel bikes sport 40mm of travel and provide plenty of clearance for 50mm tires. That being said, it all depends on what you want out for your gravel bike. If weight isn’t an issue for you and you’re looking for more comfort in your ride, then I think it’s a good move.

 

[Grueso]

Most gravel bikes I've seen advertised do not have suspension forks. Don't know about gravel e-bikes. If you need to jump over stuff, then you probably want a suspension fork.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Most gravel bikes I've seen advertised do not have suspension forks. Don't know about gravel e-bikes.

The Canyon Grizl: On and Salsa Tributary are two of three that I know of.

The Cannondale Topstone Neo Lefty 3 is the other.

The downside might be the lack of attachment points for cage mounts.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I'm planning to choose a e-gravel bike recently, and I've seen some with suspension forks and some without. Do you think it's worth having one. I used to ride a mountain bike, but the road I usually ride on isn't that steep.

As I do participate in the gravel cycling community, I feel I could say a word or two here.

The main functionality of the bike suspension is to ensure the traction is kept at all times. That's why MTBs are either front or full suspension. However, gravel cyclists share their ride between asphalt, gravel and mild off-road. There are two priorities here:

• High speed on paved roads and quite fast riding on gravel and off-road
• The light weight.of the bike.

A pedal only (traditional) gravel bike must be as lightweight as possible because it translates to both high speed and ride comfort in rough terrain. You also need to be able to carry your bike over terrain obstacles. That's why traditional gravel bikes come with no suspension, and the best example is the highly respected Canyon Grizl. The manufacturers target at the weight of 20-22 lbs for pedal gravel bikes.

The situation becomes different for gravel e-bikes. These obviously will be heavier, so different manufacturers attempt to equip their gravel e-bikes with a sort of short travel suspension just to increase the ride comfort on a heavy e-bike but many forms of the suspension further increase the e-bike weight.

@Prairie Dog has listed several such gravel e-bikes but let me list one extra:

• Salsa Tributary. Full power motor, 625 Wh battery, 120 mm travel suspension fork, estimated weight 49.5 lbs (that's over twice a traditional gravel bike!)
• Cannondale Topstone Neo Carbon 1 Lefty. Full power motor, 500 Wh battery, 20 mm travel "Lefty" suspension fork, estimated weight 39 lbs. I looked at the Cannondale website and it looks that specific e-bike has been discontinued?
• Canyon Grizl:ON. Full power lightweight motor, 400 Wh battery, 40 mm travel suspension fork, estimated weight 34-39 lbs (depending on the version/price)
• Specialized Creo 2. Low power lightweight motor, 320 Wh battery (and 160 Wh Range Extenders available), 20 mm adjustable suspension stem, estimated weight 30-33 lbs depending on the version and price.

Specialized Creo 2 Comp, 31 lbs.

Myself, I'm riding asphalt, gravel and forest paths on a Specialized Vado SL 4.0, which I modified to become as close to a flat handlebar gravel e-bike as possible. I came to the "clean" weight (that is, with the internal battery and pedals but no other equipment) of 35.2 lbs, which is light enough for me. Yes, my lightweight e-bike has a 20 mm Redshift ShockStop suspension stem, and a Redshift ShockStop suspension seatpost. I used to own a good full suspension e-MTB (Giant Trance E+) and found the latter to be overkill for my purposes.

 

[Chargeride]

Yes stem suspension is making a big comeback, if youre worried about weight, a quality version can vastly reduce palm fatigue from constant jarring, Im seeing lots of videos of people using them.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I'm planning to choose a e-gravel bike recently, and I've seen some with suspension forks and some without. Do you think it's worth having one. I used to ride a mountain bike, but the road I usually ride on isn't that steep.

It really depends on where you ride and how rowdy the conditions are. As @Stefan Mikes pointed out, the Redshift Shockstop stem and seatpost suspension setup combined will likely get you through most washboard or harsh bumps. Canyon’s split seatpost also offers up to 25mm of movement to minimize impact and harsh road buzz. With 40mm of travel on Rockshox’ Rudy XPLR fork which comes equipped on both Canyon Grizl: ON and Salsa Trib you won’t have to worry about blowing through and bottoming out. The in-built suspension system on both of those models allows you to tailor the spring pressure by simply using a shock pump. Rebound damping is adjustable using a 2.5mm Allen key and locking out is a matter of reaching down and twisting a dial on the fork crown.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

No.

 

[CodyDog]

I ride a Specialized Vado SL 5.0 that has the future shock 1.5 in the stem which absorbs a good amount of shock while riding gravel. For me its enough and keeps me from the added weight of a traditional front fork shock. I also run gravel tires. Like Stephan's Vado SL, it is very light for an ebike which allows me to easily lift when needed to cross obstacles. When focusing on mainly riding gravel, I would prefer to keep the bike as light as possible.

 

[knightrider]

Yeah, you do want front suspension. An ebike has more speed and weight, so it helps when you need to eat a bump.
Without suspension your arms and legs are your suspension (will not talk about "fat bikes"). When you get front suspension you will then notice that you don't have rear suspension.
Get the good stuff, and it doesn't need to be air -- but no Rockshox Judy's.

What have you got against old Judy. I have put many of them on people`s bike from the silver to the rl gold. They are affordable, if you shop around, effective shock. No they aren`t a top of the line model and their price reflects that. So what say is the problem that I don`t know of ? And also weigh the Judy air against any spring shock and feel how much weight you save.

 

[gromike]

What have you got against old Judy.

Oh, I've used them, and they have worked fine for my non-trail use. But having taken them and other spring Rockshox forks apart I found the better models have twice the bushings (and springs), and appear much more robust.

 

[knightrider]

Oh, I've used them, and they have worked fine for my non-trail use. But having taken them and other spring Rockshox forks apart I found the better models have twice the bushings (and springs), and appear much more robust.

Not all the Judys are spring. They only make the short travel one for the non corrected and low travel forks. The rest are air forks. The judys are the only fork I know of that have as little as 100mm travel with air as the suspension media. The 100mm judy works well to add syspension to a non suspension older mtn. bike or a gravel bike creation. It allows you a suspension without raising the front end very much. I have added many to builds for people. Their is no substitute for suspension. Fat tire bikes with low air and high volume come close but no cigar. Just as people try to argue hard tails against full sus. bikes. Apples and Oranges. Been their done both and ride both. Rockshox doesn`t try to compete in spring shocks very much It seems.

 

[Ben J]

You want some amount of compliance, whether it's from a calibrated amount of flex in the frame, or some active element. I've watched several Rockshox Rudy XPLR reviews, and it seems to be a well designed gravel-specific fork.

That Salsa Tributary looks like a hardtail MTB with drop bars to me. Which is a real thing people do.

And since seatposts came up: There's an AXS XPLR dropper (50 and 75mm drops) for gravel bikes which locks out at the top but has suspension if you drop it very slightly. Firmness set with a shock pump.

And since @Stefan Mikes mentioned the Creo 2: I did an online chat with them and they sure made it sound like there wouldn't be any more Creo 2's in stock. It would make some sense that the Creo line might come back this fall with different components. I'm doing my part to cause this by buying a Canyon Grizl:ON instead.