Does anyone make a SS full-susp MTB for petite rider?

[SadieKate]

Emily - a suspension post is a good idea but, for me, the position on beach cruisers is excruciating. You are so bolt upright that your butt and spine take all the impact. You can't support any weight with your legs the way you do with the Racer X or any bike with a forward leaning position. It's the same reason I hate the majority of "city" bikes. Plopping your butt on a bike and sitting bolt upright is just miserable. Not to mention, it's inefficient mechanically and your quads do all the work.

For me, a fully rigid mtb with fat tires would be tres good for what you're describing.

Just my 2 cents.

[emily_in_nc]

Emily - a suspension post is a good idea but, for me, the position on beach cruisers is excruciating. You are so bolt upright that your butt and spine take all the impact. You can't support any weight with your legs the way you do with the Racer X or any bike with a forward leaning position. It's the same reason I hate the majority of "city" bikes. Plopping your butt on a bike and sitting bolt upright is just miserable. Not to mention, it's inefficient mechanically and your quads do all the work.

For me, a fully rigid mtb with fat tires would be tres good for what you're describing.

Just my 2 cents.

Interesting take, SK! I actually find my bike quite comfy to ride so long as I'm riding on flat roads or packed sand. Then again, the length of rides I do here is not much compared to in the US. The rides I do here are primarily utilitarian and are of the 5-10 mile variety, but since parts of them are on very bumpy roads with cobbles or unpaved with rocks, that's when my butt gets very bothered.

I'm afraid that moving to a more leaning forward position with a rigid fork would then transfer the road chatter (from cobbles, gravel, and rocks) to my wrists and arms. That's why I think that ultimately a hardtail MTB is my best option, budget permitting. Sure aren't many single-speed hardtails in my size range that I've found, though.

[goldfinch]

What a cool bike! Thanks for the pointer. It has a rigid front fork, but maybe with the humongous tires, having front suspension wouldn't be as much of an issue?

For the short term, I am probably just going to consider a Thudbuster seatpost as it's a much less expensive "fix" than a brand-new bike (especially since I'd have to pay even more to have said bike shipped here, plus customs duty, which would be significant on a new bike -- used would be a lot less since they charge based on current/resale value). But it's cool to know that these fatbikes exist -- I'd seen photos of the Pugsley in Adventure Cycling magazine, but was otherwise ignorant of such a thing.

It's always fun to look at bikes even if just "window shopping"!

I road the Mukluk over curbs with ease. No need for a suspension with those tires.