Thinking of getting rid of the kona dawg and going back to hardtail like saracen zen 4 whyte 19 steel anyone else made this ass backward decision or shall i stick with fs most riding is mendips quantocks wales etc

Do what you feel, it’s not a one way only choice.

It’s a case of finding the right hardtail for you. See if you can test ride a few first.
I normally ride a 5-6″ travel bike but had a spare 4″ full sus that I hated, just for races/events. When I decided to sell that frame to buy a hardtail a few mates laughed and said I’d hate it even more. Truth is I love it (Ti), it’s way more comfortable than the 4″ FS and the last hardtail I’d owned (a Cannondale F1000).

I went to a Ragley Blue Pig after years on an Orange Sub 5. No regrets at all.

I would not want to have to choose. I prefer my FS anywhere proper rocky because it’s faster and comfier, e.g. Wales. But love my HT on dirt, mud and in the woods e.g Mendip, Qs, Exmoor.

absolutely, just not with a saracen! 😉

hardtails* rule for the Quantocks (for XC anyway)

*don’t go for one of those awful long travel ones tho 😉

I went from a Meta to a Dialled PA and really enjoyed the extra spice it added to familiar trails. Shiny shiny syndrome has bitten again and after nearly going for a ti Pipedream I now have a Giant Trance. It has been quite hard letting go of Albert though 🙁

I think it’s not a hard and fast decision, the only constant is change! Stealthy black on black anodised, 20mm front axled change 😈

I went back to hardtail Genesis Latitude in the summer after busting another Commencal fs. No problems/ regrets here either.

Defo yes unless your riding full on downhill courses, love mine so much gonna sell the double bouncer

quite a few folk from the Q’s have gone back to hardtail me included

No regrets on my behalf

Did this recently and pleased. Still have the FS, may use it in the summer, may not.

I don’t see it as a backwards step at all…I’m considering buying a hardtail frame to go with a spare set of Pikes. I quite fancy a steel frame with sorted geometry. I had my eye on an Orange Pure…any thoughts?

HT’s are a lot of fun. If you’ve been on a FS for a while you might find it hard work at first, and maybe you’ll need to work on some skills (apologies if you are already a riding god, just going from my own experience) but it’s definitely worth sticking with it and it’s rewarding when you get it right.

Would suggest looking for something without too much travel, light-ish, not too racey, and that feels right. Don’t be put off an Alu frame by talk of harshness either, give them a try.

I’d also be inclined to go for something light. It’s not everyone’s bag tho, so try and get some tests like already said. Thing I found with light hardtail bikes is you get to the top of the hill still reasonably fresh, so you still have plenty of puff to skip, jump and pump the bike on the downs. I find hardtails require much more work or rider input to get the most out of them. If you’re already knackered from the climb or a long ride, then you’ll just be a passenger on the descents, on a hardtail that can be a bit grim.
Often it’s about what you intend to do, if you’re going out play biking, then heavier and slacker will be better perhaps.

Loving my new HT, seriously considering binning the two FS’s now, primarily because I don’t have time to ride them all, not because I don’t see myself wanting to use them ever again.

I use both FS and hardtail… the hardtail is a long travel steel frame and it is raw, but works very well and is rather light.. but would never get rid of the FS as it’s comfy and goes downhill very well.. something you appreciate when riding a HT for a while! 🙂

Thinking about switching back to a hardtail after riding a Bullit since July. Don’t really feel like there’s any need for 7″ of travel at any places I ride. I like the extra confidence I have riding a fs but it does feel a bit sloppy and noodly to ride.

This Q comes up weekly. Lots of folk change in both directions and report it to be the best thing since sliced bread.

Just have both 😎

I sold my full suss because I wasn’t riding anything worthy of it any more. Only got the one do it all hardtail now. It’s a recession you know. What will happen is, you’ll think it’s great, then you’ll want to ride something you rather had your full suss for and swap back again. It is the ebb and flow of suspension.

Hardtail with a rigid carbon fork. You’ll be shocked to realise how much fun you’ve been missing.

….and how much money you’ve been wasting.

It’s nice to have both, but having both is a luxury. Somehow on £30k a year with a £800 rent I keep a 3k full suss in the wings. It hasn’t been ridden in weeks, but it will be…. can’t lose what I have built. It’s too pretty!

Its a journey lots of us travel.

I went from an Orange sub 5 to an Inbred then to an Enduro then to a 456. Now got an Enduro and a 456.#

I prefer the ride of a hardtail, line picking as opposed to blasting through, although blasting through is fun too at times.

The beauty of both is you can ride the other one when this one is broken.

And then build a Singlespeed & a commuter & a fatbike….

I went from an orange patriot to a Bfe…don’t regret it at all. The only thing that I would like is a dropper to get the seat out of the way for rougher ground.

Went from a Meta5 to a blue pig with no regrets at all. I did, however, end up getting an Intense Uzzi which I use for DH days or when I fancy a change. I’ve since replaced the Blue Pig with a Summer Season.

It’s good to have both if you can afford it but if I had to choose I’d ditch the Uzzi.

After my Iron Horse MkIII slowly died, I was forced back onto the DMR Switchback Until until it dried out enough for the DBR Axis TT.
The DMR is an absolute corner worker that can take the lumps, while the DBR kills the climbs & only gets unstuck on the rough downhills.
New is FS is still a month away, but the wait ain’t too painful.

I like the more active ride on my HT (Soul), it’s more involving being up and all over the bike. On my FS (Blur Classic) I’d sit and spin and let the bike deal with trail, which is kinda the point of FS. Which it did admirably, but it’s less engaging.

I also like the light weight, agility, low maintenance and the fact I always know what’s going on with the rear end, there’s no lag. Running a steel frame, Ti seat post and tubeless I’m often barely aware the back end is ‘rigid’.

But maybe in the summer I’ll jump back on the Blur and love it too. I’ll likely keep it, I can’t see the secondhand value would make it worth selling.

I don’t ride anything gnarly, if I did that might be a vote for the FS.

I consider myself lucky in that I have a hardtail (Kinseis XC130) and a full-sus.
I prefer the hardtail to the full-sus in some situations, but I find the full-sus allows me to be a bit more of a hooligan on the descents.

I like the option of both.
but if I were to have one all rounder I’d have to think very hard about the type of riding I want to be doing and which would be the best compromise.

I went from a Spesh Enduro to a 456, and now a Soul+Bfe.

I just love HTs. FS are faster and comfier but HTs are just more rewarding, and that’s what it’s all about for me. I can’t see myself returning to FS.

The only time I think about a FS is in the Alps, but even then it’s a fleeting desire – the BFe+Lyriks is great fun.

I’m lucky enough to have both – a Yeti ASR and a Ti Van Nic Tuareg HT.

Tuareg is 23lbs and Yeti 25lbs so not a massive difference weight wise
Tuareg is 7 months old, Yeti 2.5yrs

I love both for different reasons but if I absolutely had to choose one, with a gun to my head, I’d probably choose the Tuareg.

Can’t believe I’d not choose the Yeti as I love it but the Ti HT is faster and at the moment makes me smile more. I lose the instant acceleration, nimble handling and it just feels more connected.

It may be a bit of new bike syndrome and the Yeti needing a decent service though.

i swapped my 10 anthem x2 for an 11 charge duster.no regrets 🙂

I think you need both personally

I have Kobe TI for local runs on the Surrey Hills
Nukeproof mega for Alps, Lakes, Triscombe, aston hill, UK bikepark etc.

Both are great
HT on dirt is amazing
FS in the rocks way more fun.

I’m lucky enough to have more than one bike, one of which is currently an FS but it’s more of a mini DH bike for, well DH…

4″ HT with a dropper post is my “all rounder”/XC type bike and that gets used the most…

I reckon if I had to have just one bike it would have to be a 4-5″ HT with a sensibly light but sufficiently strong build…

The FS is a luxury not a need…

can the FS be a luxury need 😉

One thing I find is my skills, bottle improves on the FS which I can then transfer to the HT

i ride the FS in flats and clips on the HT

Riding a hardtail keeps you sharp..you really notice it back on the Full susser and kind arrive at corners a whole lot quicker 😯

I love both. My old Enduro and now my 575 let me fly over rocky techy stuff and leave me with stupid grins. But then I’d never give up my Handjob – it’s just too much fun flicking around the dirt and roots of my native woodland.

I also have a Trailstar with I love thrashing the hell out of – seeing just how bad a landing I can get away with before it (or I) breaks.

It’s great to have both if you have the option. You kinda need one to appreciate the other if that makes sense. Curry is great but I wouldn’t want to eat it everyday, scanario, I also like Thai, but which is best….

HT is more enjoyable for short twisty blasting singletrack, FS for the rocky steep all day epics. Sure they are also capable of doing both, just not so much fun…….and isn’t that what it’s all about after all!

Try before you buy, preferably somewhere bumpy.

If I had to lose one of my trail bikes, the HT would go.

You absolutely need at least one of each