Keep toying with the idea of returning to a simpler bike. Do like the comfort full sus brings but not sure if most of my riding really warrants full sus(pentlands and trail centres really don't need full sus)execpt enduros...Some times feel hardtails are a little more adaptable...and look better...
Keep looking at curtis's site.
I have and have no regrets, just fancied something a bit simpler with more direct power transfer. Now enjoying my cycling again.
I rode a hardtail all January when I was visiting a friend abroad, never missed the full suspension. Now my full suspension was nicked, I'm seriously considering getting a hardtail instead (I'll still probably end up with the full suspension).
I do think it really depends on the trails you are riding. I have a few where the rear suspension is handy, if not I would surely have an easier decision to make.
I appreciate that not everyone can afford to run more than one bike but I don't know how anyone could chose between HT or FS - the correct answer, budget allowing, is both! 
I have made the transition from a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR to a Santa Cruz Chameleom and am having much more fun on the hardtail.
Still got my FS but it doesn't get used that much anymore as I tend to ride on of my hardtails nowadays.
HT's are great providing you get a comfortable one, for me thats steel, ali ones just don't do it for me I'm afraid.
Had Turner Flux for 18 months, bought a Curtis 853 ss, enjoyed riding it so much now sold flux and have a Ti456 instead to go with Curtis.
Just something about a Hardtail!
I am just swapping but only ever get to ride locally these days, wich on the whole is pretty tame, will give it a week or 2 before I sell the sus frame... If I was still able to get to Wales/alps regulary I would keep the susser though.
My geared full suss is gathering dust, I seem to ride my hardtail ss 90percent of the time.
ridden only an FS for the past 15 months before i recently built up a second bike which was a HT. the HT is great, i love riding it because you have to ride differently to compensate for the lack of 'hammer through it-ability'. but having ridden on the HT lots it has made me appreciate how good my FS actually is.
for me, both bikes behave and handle differently and i wouldn't want to sacrifice one for the other or vice versa. i don't really choose which bike to ride depending on where i will be riding, more on what i want to get out of that particular ride (but ultimately, which of the two is actually working...)
I would look at buying a decent HT now to join your FS, then see which you end up riding more, well that's what I did 10 odd years ago, and sold the FS within six months!
As you say if your riding does not merit a full on FS, then maybe its time to learn how to read those trail lines again with a ht.
oh, and why is it 'cool' on this forum for the answer to this question to be HT??? i just don't get it.
Is having both an option? Are you going to get much by selling your current bike. If not and it's rarely ridden then maintaining it won't be expensive.
I ride my hardtail most of the time despite having a full suss. However, the change is nice and there are rides where a full suss is better.
Years ago my main bike was a Specialized S-Works FSR (about 2001-ish, one of the early generation ones). Down South it was fine but then I moved to the Lakes and found that the bike, although a fantastic XC race machine, was simply getting battered by the harsher terrain and weather.
So I bought a Cove Stiffee (back then the choice of 'hardcore hardtail' was limited to Stiffee or SC Chameleon) and never looked back. I've never yet found a situation where the Stiffee has been lacking. My skills have certainly been lacking but the bike will do anything - maybe not quite as fast as a full sus in some circumstances but I can live with that. It's done all-day epics in the Peaks/Lakes/etc, been to Colorado, Utah, Pyrenees, Alps etc etc.
Top bike, really good fun to ride, much simpler than a full-sus to maintain.
But I've still got my race bike, a full-sus and I wouldn't be without it. 
I hope i'm not cool....just want to be happy with what i'm riding
peachos - Member
oh, and why is it 'cool' on this forum for the answer to this question to be HT??? i just don't get it.
Reason I am swapping its a lack of funds thing for me, having had my hardtail knicked (they fortunately left my full suss), cant afford to build a new bling hardtail from scratch as insurance money is being used to build a new bling workshop/shed instead, so just swapping all the stuff from sus to a hardtail frame.
The real answer is to have both horses for courses and all that.
Recently hired a HT whilst on holiday. Nearly shattered my spine! Back to 150mm back & front for me
Its the old bones dont'cha know!
I borrowed a hardtail after my Rohloff hub rusted up and had to back to Germany (again). I liked it so much (after initial instability on downhills) that I bought it and have never ridden FS since. In about 3000 miles since there was one mile, from Tees Head to Wildboar Scar (Cross Fell), where the constant stutter-bumps had me all over the place and 2 pinch flats, where the FS bikes just floated over...
I've been riding my HT for a long time. I've just decided to buy a FS, the last one I owed was in the early days of rear suspension.
My argument used to be that you had to read a trail more when riding a HT. In a FS you can just ride through most of the trail with out thinking about your line too much.
I think riding an HT can improve your riding if you’ve become lazy with a FS. In the end it just comes down to what you enjoy the most. There does seem to be an elitist attitude when it comes to riding a HT or FS though.
ive recently got a 456 and altho i love riding it and its getting the most use i wouldnt be with out my 5spot there i some rides where i prefer full sus and some i prefer hardtail. tbh tho its a seasonal thing in summer i mostly ride sus in winter a ht (or cx or road lol)
I'm considering exactly the same thing. getting rid of the full sus and getting a long travel HT,I'm sick the attention the pivots and bearings need, and theres something much cleaner about a HTs lines. What long travel HTs would people reccomend? I'll hopefully be looking at 11/1300 quid from selling the full suss, and what to build up my own from scratch
What about the transition of geared hadtail to fully rigid ss 
I rde my rigid ss more than my hookooekoo?? I don't know why I just love it.
well i p/x'ed a 2006 fsr stumpy comp frame,for an 08 s works ht frame.have no regrets.saying that though i am paying towards a 2010 anthem x 4 (which i cannot wait to get!!!)but will be keeping the s works. 
I've always ridden a hardtail - chiefly because I'm poor and luddite.
Although I do love my Bontrager.
I've been so impressed by my Scandal, that it is highly likely I will get rid of my Cdale Rush to fund another Scandal build.
First proper bike I bought (2 years ago) was a Stumpy FSR which I like a lot. This spring I got the urge to build a HT up from bits so bought a used 456 frame and went to it.
This is now going to be my winter bike and frankly is much better suited to 90% of the riding I do than the Stumpy.
I'm now learning a load of stuff on the 456 that I probably should have learnt 2 years ago. I'll certainly be using it all winter but would like to keep hold of the Stumpy just for those places where FS is probably better.
I guess maybe I could swap the bits off my full sus frame to a new Hardtail frame, keep the full sus frame and see if I miss it/need it.
Sadly not sure I can afford to have both (esp as fully built bikes)...both in terms of cash and space!
I do love the idea of the Curtis free-ish repairs for life thing, greener I guess
I realized that every other time I took my norco six out I hurt myself, so now I am become jeycore, mincer of trails. I still crash every 5 minutes, but at significantly lower speed.
I've recently built up an Endorphin hardtail, after a long list of full suss bikes. Took the Endorphin and my 575 to Wales recently for a weeks holiday, and spent most of the time riding the hardtail, even around Coed-y-Brenin - it just felt better.
I wouldn't sell the 575 though, it's too much fun on the downhills!
Bought a Rocky Ridge, bought a Heckler, sold the Heckler, still ride the Rocky Ridge. Any regrets? Not really, you'll always get the really rocky descent that has you thinking you would be enjoying it a lot more on a FS (which you might I suppose) but for the vast majority of my riding the hardtail is better suited/does just fine, and its a lot simpler and plenty lighter. Plus you can go FS baiting.....
I have gone from full sus to hardtail twice!Orange sub 5 to Inbred then to a s-works enduro to 456 summersason and back on the ENduo again
Love the direct drive feeling of hardtails and the simplicity, the having to pick your lines bit too and I feel a hartail makes you into a better rider overall as its harder, easier to crash, less forgiving etc etc. More fulfilling in my opinion.
Back of a full sus again now though and (with past performance in consideration) not due back on a hardtail until early next year.
I went back to full sus because of all the rear punctures I was getting from landing too hard on pointy rocks (and being too heavy)
no regrets here, had a marin rock springs, stumpy, anthem, now got a P7.
i was just sick of the fekin about with shock pressures, shock and suspension bearings/bushes going all the time. going on a muddy ride and the bike becoming 10 times heavier.
most of our gang have full suss and i can ride most of the trails they ride on but im shit downhill anyway and a serious mincer
major factor i dont miss is the weight on the hills
the only downside to a hardtail is your arse does get a battering after 4 hours + and it would be nice to sit it on bouncy back end
I've served my time on a HT (and rigid at first) for 15 years, having an FS for the last 3 of those years.
When I had my 34lb '06 Enduro, it was my favourite bike of the two, but I did enjoy riding the HT occasionally for it's sprightlyness. Now I have a 6" FS that is just as nimble and responsive as the HT, but is still as fun as the old one on the downs. I have no desire to ride a HT over my current bouncer and whilst I still have plenty to learn on a bike, it's the sort of stuff where my FS excells, not anything I'd want to learn on a HT.
I swapped all the bits off my 04enduro onto a 456 and love it. To be honest the enduro never seemed to fit me properly the 456 is just right. Most of my riding is done round "the chase" and anything more than 2.1 inch tyres is overkill.
I had a trance and I never realy got on with it I did try but after 3 years I gave up because I prefered to ride my s/s cotic
With the trance I felt I could never put power down when the going got rough and I could never corner very well I guess I had no trust in the back end despite trying differant shock pressures etc and I quite honestly felt like I lost my "mojo"
So I ordered a 456 and sold the Trance I am one happy puppy now Knottie is trying to find where I put the rocket 
now I fee like i ride realy well and I like riding gears again
the mojo has returned
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