Practical use of springer fork?

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Huge Zits

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As a guy who has never used a springer fork and has a road bike fork on his junker, I ask:

Are they practical? Do they actually contribute to shock absorption, or are they just for aesthetic purposes?

If they do contribute to comfort, is it enough to go outta your way to install one?

Mainly aesthetic?
 
well it all depends on the springer fork you get,but i think that they work quite well in absorbing shock like when you go up a curved curb or something,mine was smoother than any of the hydraulic modern shock bikes i owned,but i only own crappy chinese crap like that
 
Huge Zits said:
As a guy who has never used a springer fork and has a road bike fork on his junker, I ask:

Are they practical? Do they actually contribute to shock absorption?
Click to expand...
Yes;it's a noticeable difference,at least to me."Night and day" may be a slight exaggeration,but it's close.


Huge Zits said:
If they do contribute to comfort, is it enough to go outta your way to install one?
Click to expand...

Yes; but make sure you get the right one; not necessarily in terms of brand, more in terms of quality.
 
I had always been on the fence about a springer but decided to go for it when I saw the 1903 Felt, I didn't know what i was missin, mine is really smooth and makes a big difference, I will have more of them from now on, they really do ride alot nicer and soak up the bumps.
 
I like the CWC/Roadmaster type for a reasonable price range springer. They work well.

I was only so-so happy with my old Murray/Spaceline rat-trap springer. Good for cheap money though.

Not at all happy with the JC Higgins Beehive type, but they look awesome.
 
i realized looking down at the spring when im riding that the forks do add alot of absorption on the road. i rode my road bike, and a bunch of bmx bikes for about a month and finally took out my cruiser with a springer and a spring saddle, and awe man, im starting to part out my bmx bikes cause its like sandpaper to cotton on the behine
 
both for me.

i have one on my main cruiser, a schwinn copy. part of getting it was style, but i can tell it helps some, as long as you're not talking about huge or sharp pot hole type bumps. like if you're riding down a sidewalk you can see the front wheel kind of dancing over the cracks, but you're not feeling much or any of it. bettween it and a halfway decent springer seat, it's a pretty good ride.
 
I have two stretch cruisers. One with a springer and one with a rigid triple tree. The sprung bike is definitely "plusher". Pair that up with some good ballon tires and a well sprung quality seat and you'll quickly realize what you've been missing. Having said that not all classic style springers are made the same, that is for sure. I bought a new springer from Choppers Us and am not very happy with it.(http://www.choppersus.com/store/product/1221/Fork-Classic-Springer-Black/) Now, Choppers Us is a great bike shop and I love doing business with them. Also I have only purchased the one fork from them. I don't know what the rest are like. The one I have is very flimsy. And it doesn't track straight. I took it all apart and made some mods and upgrades and it's better but it still needs work. The springer on my stretch is beautiful. It's rigid and rides nice. It seems that alot has to do with the bent tubes being bent the same ammout on both sides. Also the way the bottom pivot is captured in the bent tubes. And less rake tends to have less flex. Ifany of that makes any sense.
 

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