I have a commuter bike with no suspension and light tread tires. i have taken it on light mountain bike trails, and it handles well, but the jarring caused by a lack of suspension is killing me. i was wondering how practical/possible it would be to buy a second suspension fork and knobby(er) tire and switch the forks depending on whether i want to ride on concrete or a trail. My bike is a commuter bike, with 700x32c tires and a standard (that is, no suspension) fork. when i purchased it the dealer told me it would work fine on roads and packed dirt trails, which was my intended use.
I have on occasion, however, used it on light mountain biking trails, and besides the odd sandy corner, it has fared quite well (I'm actually faster than the mountain bikers, as no energy is being absorbed by a suspension or knobby tires. though gaining too much speed on straightaways can be risky with the possibility of impediments or sudden turns).
When i do this however, the jarring is unbelievably unpleasant. i'd like to occasionally ride trails but i don't want to buy a new bike. so i am wondering how practical it would be to swap the forks at will.
A complicating factor is the fact that the bike has disc brakes. I am guessing that the swapped fork/tire would have to be fitted quite well if i wanted the front brake to work (yes i know i would have to get a second disc break installed on the second fork), and i imagine reconnecting the brake wire might be more of a pain than swapping the fork. alternatively, would riding with only a rear break be seriously advised against as a safety issue?
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