Why we chose oil suspension/ The difference between oil, air, and coil suspension forks

Updated by Lectric eBikes

Suspension

Bicycle suspension is the system, or systems, used to suspend the rider and bicycle in order to insulate them from the roughness of the terrain. Bicycle suspension is used primarily on mountain bikes but is also common on hybrid bicycles.

Bicycle suspension can be implemented in a variety of ways, and any combination thereof; Front suspension, Rear suspension, Suspension seatpost, Suspension saddle, Suspension stem, and/or Suspension hub.

Suspension Fork types

There are essentially 3 different kinds of suspension when referring to the front fork. While each uses a spring and provides extra suspension during riding, they all operate slightly differently and utilize different materials. Let's get into the differences:

  • Oil suspension: Oil forks use a chamber of oil in the compression circuit to interact with the spring and provide smooth transitional movement. This is also known as an 'oil damper'. This allows for smoother and more effective shock absorption than a traditional coil suspension fork. This style is gaining popularity in Europe due to its low maintenance and lasting durability.
  • Air Suspension: Air forks use an air chamber in the compression circuit to interact with the spring. Air forks have a progressive spring rate. This means that as the fork compresses, the air spring also compresses and the more it is compressed, the harder or stiffer it becomes.
  • Coil suspension: Coil forks use a metal coil as the spring. No additional material is used in the compression circuit to interact with the coil. Changing the spring rate is more involved — you need to remove the spring entirely and replace it with a stiffer or softer spring.

Our decision

Lectric chose an adjustable oil front suspension fork with lockout and 35-80mm of travel for select models. High quality, little added weight, and affordability is always Lectric's first choice!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact our support team at contact@lectricebikes.com or (602) 715-0907.


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