Well i know it seems a backwards step…Started off on a HT many moons ago and been riding FS for maybe the past 10 years but now i’m thinking of selling the 2008 Heckler for a decent HT, maybe something like a Santa Cruz Chameleon, not really an XC bike. I feel the FS bike doesn’t suit my needs anymore and i find it hard to ride, heavy and clumpy. Anyone gone back to basics and got a HT recently? Any suggestions…will spend up to £2k which will hopefully include any pennies i get from selling the Heckler.

Cheers.

Why is it a backwards step? You’ll be saying more gears are better than less next.
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Bigger wheels are better though…..obviously.

a couple of years ago I went from a stumpy fsr to a chameleon and it helped me get my riding back on track…. was far too lazy and finding the stuff I rode boring. i’d say go for it but if you can, keep the heckler for fun and bigger stuff. the likes of a chameleon will cope easily with anything you throw at it but itd be nice to have that bounce avaliable too….

Lucky enough to have a light ht and heavier fs. There are definitely times when its nice to take a frisky light bike out and there are also times when its good to have something more substantial under you. How light is the Chameleon? Carbon 456?

Ive just done this after being on various fs since 2005.

got myself a cotic bfe and so far im finding it a mixed bag to be honest.

my riding styke has adapted to the fs and has made me a bit clunky on a ht, I keep expecting the suspension to soak stuff up at the back all the time !!!

It is getting better though.

Ive done this. Went from a Specialized Enduro to a 150mm TI HT and love the change. Its very light (23.8 lbs) so im happy to cycle it up anything and it feels so much more responsive. Th Enduo felt numb and sofa-ish and only got the responsive feeling when really pushing it at which point I was at the limit of my riding skill whereas the hardtail you get the same feeling throughout. It also develops your riding skills and choice of lines. I may well go back to FS in the future if I move somewhere that warrants it.

I’ve always swapped between HT and FS. Currently riding an Enigma Ego Ti and loving it and can’t see me getting rid of this one any time soon.

If you can afford both, then have both

The HT is great for thrashing around local, less severe trails and really helps with your lines & technique – even more so if you whack some rigid forks on it

The FS is great for extreme weekends away like the Lakes or the Peaks

Its also great to have a spare bike, meaning one always works.

I built a Cotic Soul from parts from STW late last year for less than £500. Initially, i just ran one pair of wheels between the two bikes

I ride HT, FS and a rigid 29er steel singlespeed (with an oval ring, just to make sure it ticks as many niches as possible)

They’re all great, in their own way and I wouldn’t be without any of them if I didn’t have to.

I feel the FS bike doesn’t suit my needs anymore and i find it hard to ride, heavy and clumpy

Is it FS you don’t like then, or the fact your FS is a 2008 ‘All Mountain’ type bike and things have moved on in the last 4 years? You could swap out for a current year more Trail / 120mm type bike, which for that budget would be lighter, faster, and easier to ride on day to day stuff. Fuel Ex, Camber, Spark, etc. from the big brands but that’s a whole new thread.

Or keep the Heckler and spend half that budget on a hardtail and have both. You can share wheels / cassette if both are the same size which will save £200 on the budget as well…..

Yes, went from a Commencal Meta 5 to a Ragley Blue Pig, now have a 456 Summer Season. Hardtails can be much more fun in certain situations. I also went the other way and got an Intense Uzzi to I have pretty much all angles covered.

BoltonJohn makes a good point about having a HT and a FS as you will always have a spare bike.

Yes, basically.

As above I don’t see HT as backwards step vs FS, in many cases it can be a better choice.

After 5 years of Reign FS I bought a BFe HT and ride than 90% of the time. The BFe can do everything I can (and more I’m sure). It’s a much better bike for XC (including stuff like the Peaks) and it makes the Surrey Hills trails more fun. If you like the suspension on the FS is a victim of it’s own success, it makes the trails too easy. I need a bike for Alps Holidays etc so an XC FS doesn’t work.

Yes. Just gone this route onto a Cotic Soul after riding FS for over 8 years. I still have my 5 but really enjoy the steel HT especially uphill! No plans at the moment to sell the 5 but suspect I will be riding it a lot less.

Weekly, however both bikes are similar 150mm thumping fun machines :):)

Blimey, it’s a new thread! I thought someone had bumped one from 2005 😉

I had a GT Force and an Evil Sovereign. It was always the Evil I went for, more involving and always but a smile on my face. The GT was more capable, faster and I could tackle and clear more on it but it never gave me the same buzz as the Evil. The GT has been split, sold on and I no longer feel guilty when taking the Evil out now.

I did it and didn’t instantly become self righteous so swapped back to fs

I did it and didn’t instantly become self righteous so swapped back to fs

It takes practice

I ride both and think i prefer the fs but do like to go back to the hardtail every now and then to make sure i don’t get too sloppy. The HT does proper jumps better as well. I mostly ride dh/fr so a full sus helps a bit there.

Just pick up a 2nd hand chameleon and swap all the bits and try it. You don’t need to spend 2k.

It is a personal choice, but I would ideally want a FS bike for some riding (Peaks,Alps etc.). Both are fun, just a different experience. FS can sometimes cover for lack of skill when it gets tricky – I speak for myself of course 🙂

Yes moved back, just felt right.

Yeah, I did last year. I sold my 5 and bought a Brodie Ti Holeshot frame*

The Brodie was significantly lightly and slacker and after that initial bedding period I found that I still rode the same stuff (Peaks, West Yorks, Scotland, etc) in the same way. Some bits quicker, some with more consideration but no less fun by any means.

Maybe more finesse and thought for the bigger, rockier stuff and sometimes having to back off when your teeth start rattling/vision blurring. In fact, due to the slacker HA (as my 5 was an ’07) more composed in some sections.

A decent HT is well suited to a lot of UK riding IMHO. What I found though is that short, sharp blasts is were the Brodie shines. Any routes between 10-30km. Which if I’m honest is the majority of week in, week out riding. When riding anything over this, like some of the bigger, natural routes (Glen Tilt was the last one I did) I started to feel a little beat up/fatigued.

*it’s for sale BTW if you’re interested 🙂

I have to say after many yeah of riding FS I cant get back into Hardtails. It just doesnt make sense to have one end bouncy and not the other.

On the other hand rigid bikes are great ! You can feel all the power you put into the bike coming out everything feels so much more direct and its a real upper body work out.

I’d suggest ignoring the hardtail as its the worst of both world in my opinion and go straight to a rigid. (obviously other will disagree !)

^I’m starting to feel that way as well. I think I prefer having both ends bouncy or not at all.

Been riding hardtails since 1992. Had a single-pivot full sus (Marin Riftzone) for a couple of years (about 10 years ago). Didn’t really get on with the boing. Found it all a bit wallowy. Plus, there’s all those pivots and bushings to faff. CBA really!

I switch back and forth all the time (Trance vs Sov).

The forgiveness from the 5″ travel Trance makes it sensible for longer days out and rough trails and the extra grip saves my bacon when I’m riding tired. The Sov is a giggles bike. I’m a bit slower on it but it feels faster. The competence of a sagged 6″ suspension fork encourages more aggression than is healthy and leaves the back-end kicking and sliding in its wake, immense fun on shorter rides but it gets tiring on the legs after a couple of hours!

So I don’t see going to a HT as a step back.

Yes, sold my Ventana & now ride a Niner SIR9. Would I ride a FS again…christ yes, if I could afford to run two bikes. But for what I like riding, & for the amount of time I get to ride the Niner is ace. Would love an Orange 5 or something simmillar to loon about on occasionally. 🙂

You need both! I have a Heckler 6.0 and a Rock Lobster HT. The HT gets used in the so called muddier winter months (err summer then) and for epic rides+XC racing (oh and towing my son). The Heckler whenever conditions suit or I’m going to a gnarly trail centre 🙂
What do I prefer? The FS by a long way. I can just get away with riding faster+bigger and get battered up far less.

I have been lucky to have had the choice of either for years.
But I always go back to my HT. the fs only gets used now and then for trail centres and the like
To me just Useing a full sus does make your riding lazy

I have. Just got rid of my Heckler to a BFe. Its great. I know they’ll be times I’ll wish I had the rear shock, but for the most part, its a compromise I’m happy with.