Any one done it recently, any benefits bad move good move?

Was thinking of retiring the Heckler and going for a nice hardtail, back to my roots as it were.

Yes, sold an Enduro and built up a Canfield YS. Best choice I’ve made for a while. Great bike and its so much more fun. Every ride beats you up a bit more but you get more response on the trail and much more fun popping off bits and manualing. Easier to climb too. Bad parts are feeling a bit more roughed up (not really a bad thing personally) and on some trails your not able to ride as fast (but its still fun). I wont be going FS for sometime.

I started with a full sus, I like both but only have the one bike now & its a hardtail.

Ideal was when I had both, even if they did overlap slightly.

Keep heckler, build a cheap hardtail up, one that you can upgrade, can keep cost down if it shares wheels with the Heckler at first.

I’m thinking a Chameleon and a straight parts swap. Might have a go on that all winter and see how I feel in the spring.

I’d second trying to keep both. I love riding hard-tails too but in some places you will be riding slower than on your full sus bike. The fun factor is another thing entirely. You may be going slower but you have to concentrate that much more on line choice weight distribution etc that when you did get it all right it is much more rewarding. But then again sometimes you will wish you had a full-sus bike.

I went from a Lapierre Zesty to a Ragley Blue Pig X just under a year ago now. Was a brilliant choice for me. I think it has helped improve my skills and is generally probably a better choice for 90% of my riding. Less maintenance as well, which more importantly equals less running costs.

The way I did it which I found worked well was to sell the old frame to raise money to buy a hardtail frame and then used the kit off the old bike. If you’re lucky like I was you’ll have some spare cash from the sale to buy yourself a few nice new components as well.

I went from a Marin Rift Zone to a Chameleon.

Got fed up with loosing energy through the suspension up hills. All very small amounts but when I’m suffering on a long climb stuff like that really annoys me.

Chameleon. Brilliant. Only thing I wished I had done differently would be a fork with slightly less overall height. Front end is pretty tall and tends to wander on steep up hills. Great fun on the down hills though.

I actually have more fun going downhill on the hardtail. Plus after a ride I can leave it and not worry about pivots and bushes and the cost of servicing it all.

I’d definatley recommend it.

Do you find it is harder on your back than a full susser. I’m in my forties now and this kind of stuff is unfortunately something I have to consider.

Do you find it is harder on your back than a full susser. I’m in my forties now and this kind of stuff is unfortunately something I have to consider.

It’s harder on all the upper body IMO. I’ve been riding solely hard-tails for the last 6 years so I can’t comment on if it is any easier on the body with a full susser but nothing that serious (and I’m 43 BTW).

Just gone the other way – finally got around to putting my full-suss back together after 8 months & I’ve been out on it using Strava for the first time. Quicker (significantly so in some cases) on all the local singletrack!

Keep the Heckler frame if you can and swap over the parts. Then slowly start picking up new/SH bits and bobs for it in a years time or less you should have two fully working bikes. If your anything like me you will have a load of spares anyway. When I built my BFe up in Febuary all I needed was some new brakes a back wheel and a seatpost.

Do you find it is harder on your back than a full susser. I’m in my forties now and this kind of stuff is unfortunately something I have to consider.

It will be if you stay sat down on the bumps. Don’t do that, stand up and get into the ride, you’ll get stronger, fitter and I find the ride more fun because it’s more involving

I’ve access to both a FS and a steel HT, the HT is my go-to bike.

The caveat is I live darnsarf and there are no rocks here of any note. I’d maybe use the FS more if I lived somewhere rocky.

I like the advice above – get a cheapie and see how you go.

FS: Quicker (significantly so in some cases) on all the local singletrack!

Not necessarily more fun though, quite a personal feeling that one.

Yes.
I built up my BFe earlier this year. After a few weeks it was obvious that my Stumpy FSR wouldn’t be getting much use so I sold it. Not sure why but I find the HT so much more enjoyable to ride 🙂

Yes harder on your back, but you learn to ride standing up most of the time, I find spds help keep your feet in place on the section bumpier sections, I’ve got rigid carbon forks too, so I’m already choosing smoother and faster lines, running much lower psi too, climbing is easier too, fun but I would never replace my fs with one.

Not necessarily more fun though, quite a personal feeling that one.

Of course, which is why I will certainly be hanging onto the hardtail as well!

I’m presently considering getting rid of my full susser as for over 6 months now I’ve found myself favouring the hardtail virtually every time. I’m just loving riding it. I’ve not got rid of it so far as when I do ride it, I really enjoy it too. In a love hate way though. Love it on the descents. Hate it on the climbs 😀

Do you find it is harder on your back than a full susser. I’m in my forties now and this kind of stuff is unfortunately something I have to consider.

Old 40+ duffer here too. That all depends on the hardtail. I had a Pace RC305 last year that was absolutely brutal. Even more so than a Chameleon I’d had previously. But I ride an Orange P7 now, and thats a completely different ball game. Its altogether more forgiving. I’d say go for a steel hardtail

Ideal was when I had both, even if they did overlap slightly.

Keep heckler, build a cheap hardtail up, one that you can upgrade, can keep cost down if it shares wheels with the Heckler at first.

+1

There is a clear divide between HT and FS for me, My HT is for general riding distance and trailcentres, Singletrack and some short DHey stuff, FS is kept for DH races and uplifts (Maybe the odd messing about in the woods session), But they are very different beasts.

Theres no point having two bikes that do the same job one will eventually go un-used and get binned, make them cover different “Riding Bases” if you can….

Another looking the other way, I have a hardtail and I’m about to get a 2nd hand mega frame to build up over time. I will continue to use my HT for local loops and xc stuff but want a big bouncer for going to uplift days wi me pals, and when i want to proper bomb the bomb holes in our local woods 😀 its bloody hard work on a HT sometimes though, especially if your trying to keep up wi someone on a FS who just floats over rocks n roots. You have to be better at line choice to carry flow and pump everything you can on the trail but it is brilliant fun. I’m convincing myself not to bother wi a FS now so best stop.
As above, if you can keep the frame and build up over a period of time it will give you the best of both worlds.

I don’t find it any harder on my upper body really. More my calves that get a good workout on long descents.

I ride it all over the UK and I do have more fun on it.

Just a more simplified ride I guess.

Going back to a hardtail –
Any one done it recently, any benefits bad move good move?

climbs are easier and ‘shorter’ – descents are more interesting and ‘longer’

imho a go-go-gadget seatpost makes lots of sense on a hardtail: to give you more room over the saddle to let the bike move up and down.

however, i’m a useless mincer, and never really made use of the extra speed available on a bouncy bike. if you’re faster than i am (you almost certainly are) you may find a hardtail a bit limiting…

Actually having said that I did have a BTR Belter frame in my hands on Sunday and I was half tempted to jack in the FS again and build a proper DH HT just for simplicity and Fun of it…

When my FS was nicked a couple of years ago I went to an Orange P7. When the FS was recovered I stayed with the P7.

Having said that, I now think the P7 is a bit too rad/hardcore for the more mincy jeyboy XC type riding I do these days. May try and find a lighter, shorter travel steel hardtail… decisions, decisions…

I went Superlight > skinny Duster (thoroughly recommended) for most of this year – carbon forks rather than suss too. I haven’t felt any need to go back, in fact my next ‘main’ bike might well be a 29er hardtail. Maybe something pimpy in Ti, or practical in carbon.

Done a few 4 hours plus rides and whilst I’ve been a bit more beaten up (wrong side of 40 also) it’s not a major issue. The improved climbing and general ‘skippyness’ has sold it to me, felt more like why I started biking years back .. maybe I’m just getting old 🙂

imho a go-go-gadget seatpost makes lots of sense on a hardtail: to give you more room over the saddle to let the bike move up and down.

I see your point, but I went the other way to make it as simple as possible, and don’t regret it. Gears might come off, but it’s not so much fun riding with geared riders ss (I’m not quick enough to keep up in general).

Loving being back on the hardtail.

Had a 456, sold it for an Enduro and sold that to go back to hardtail which is currently all i ride.

It’s true you do get more beaten up, have to pick your lines more and it can be a bit slower but just feels “right” to me.

Do you find it is harder on your back than a full susser. I’m in my forties now and this kind of stuff is unfortunately something I have to consider

Yes. Most noticeably on longer, rough descents where all the vibration and impacts are coming up through the feet – some of it gets though to the back and I find my lower back muscles start to cramp and whine. And then also climbing back up out of the saddle puts additional strain on.

But I know this is just poor conditioning/posture because recently I have been riding more and the problem is greatly diminished as my conditioning has improved.

Other than that, I second all the points made above.

Yes, I’ve had a HT (Sovereign) for about a year now alongside my full sus (Covert). Every time I sit on the HT and go for a pedal it’s a mixture of emotions, first it’s **** I guess this is why they call it hardtail, but after acceleration a few times it’s impossible not to grin and marvel at the speed, same goes for the light weight and ease of hopping.

It is true that it will make you into a more rounded mountain biker too, yes you might not go as fast, but you’ll start to read the trail more (if you ride natural stuff) which will pay dividends regardless of the bike you’re on.

Plus everyone knows a steel hardtail means you’re ‘ard as nails grrr.

(just read the thread), I sometimes have lower back pain if I haven’t ridden much for a while, this is not made worse on a hardtail, as mentioned, I actually think it gives your upper body more of a work out. I had my ht last time I was at Innerleithen and at the bottom of the XC downhill my arms were tired (its a good 6 or so minute descent), you have to adjust your technique when pedalling on rough terrain, you should get up off your seat more so your legs and ankles are acting as suspension a lot more than you might be used to. You do get used to it though.

general ‘skippyness’

bang on, and fun it is