Originally Posted by
Saale
By that logic a motorcycle tire is the suspension, but I wouldn't trust a motorcycle or even a scooter with welded springs with my life.
There are quite a lot of hardtails produced, not putting the saddle close to the unsprung wheel helps. Just like cars with a long wheelbase are more comfortable.
I mean, I'm aware that there's a great difference in weight between an empty cargo bike and a loaded cargo bike, and that you can't possibly tune the suspension for all scenarios, but by my understanding of physics and engineering a suspension adjusted for load would leave an empty cargo bike almost like a rigid bike, but improve loaded ride comfort and ride safety, wouldn't it? I'd allow reality to prove me wrong if I ever come across an occasion, but I'd be shocked because in my head the suspension pretty much makes sense.
It does make sense, last year someone posted a picture of a cargo bike with double whisbone front suspension, which is quite sophisticated. But that was a very expensive cargo bike. Hydropneumatic 'springs' like in old Citroens would be ideal, because it's extremely progressive and hardly sensitive to load, but that's probably not doable.