Now, after a string of high end alloy / carbon Full sussers with varying amounts of travel i decided after a 8 year break from hardtails i’d give it another chance. As my budget this time was 650 i wasnt expecting much – but by golly my ride on saturday afternoon was so much fun!

that is all. 🙂

I keep flicking back and forth.

My last fs only lasted a couple of Months before I got bored (to be fair it was cracked when I got it so it was just an experiment)

Bid on a Commencal Combi frame last night and won it for 26 quid. I have had mostly Steel HTs. wonder if I will notice the difference 🙂

It’s not what you ride it’s how you ride it.

I’ve seen some miserable ****’s riding FS and HT

The fun comes from the increased feeling of speed you get from riding a hard tail. It feels faster, but it’s actually quite a bit slower and you end up feeling ‘on the raggedy edge’ much sooner and at materially safer speeds.

The feeling only lasts so long though. Then when you go back to a full suss you realise how slow you were actually going on the HT, at which point the full suss ends up feeling more fun again.

Switching back and forth is a good way to keep all your riding feeling fresh and your skills sharp.

Just spent all weekend riding my HT and not my glory. Doing some jumpy DH stuff it was so much fun on the hardtail 🙂

Commencal Combi frame

I’ve got one that I rode for 3 years. Feels a lot stiffer than my steel Hummingbird but overall I liked it. I’d build it up again if I got rid of the hummingbird.

Nah, FS much nicer and more fun in my book.

I had a go on a full susser once. It didn’t do it for me – felt a bit as if I was sharing the ride. HT’s & Rigids every time, just be careful what you send ’em down.

Went on the middle this weekend, with salsa dos Niner soft tail 29er… One inch of rear travel.

Enough to increase your speed (and all day comfort) not so much you don’t feel the trail.

It feels faster, but it’s actually quite a bit slower

Lol, yeah ok then 🙄

I like both and chop and change regularly when riding the same trails, obviously on different days. HT more fun for jumpy stuff but FS is much faster over the very bumpy stuff. That’s not to say the HT isn’t fun over the very bumpy stuff, it is. Its just much more wild and harder to keep on a line when your eye balls are struggling not to fall out of your head.

One of my first rides on my HT I went to the Peak and hit the DHs at FS speeds, I’m sure I could hear my brain bouncing around inside my scull.

having both is fun.. HT goes like a bullet but the full sus is nice and comfy

+1 on what geetee said. I actually find my FS more fun to ride a lot of the time as I’m not worried about whether the me/bike will handle a dodgy landing or something. When I try new stuff I normally do it on the FS first to get confident on it then go back and ride it on the HT 🙂

I rode an Orange 5 and a Zesty yesterday, i was MORE than happy to get back on my Giant 29er after the both of them… it was just a pleasure 🙂

Why has one got to be more fun than the other? Fun is fun.

What GT said.

Of course FS is faster!

Of course changing bikes makes it fresh again!

Always liked my Scott Scale hardtail before I sold it and bought my stumpjumper. Have always wanted another hardtail as I really like the ride and how they handle. Can’t wait now as I have just order a Merida O nine pro 1000d should be ready for pickup at the weekend can’t wait. Will be keeping the fsr but will probably use the Merida most of the time 😀

I’ve recently bought a steel hardtail to mix things up after 10 years riding various full sus bikes. And after giving it 3 months and 400+ miles on it i’ve decided that I HATE IT!!! Going back to short travel full sus.