I currently rider either a Cotic Soul or a Yeti 575. On longer rides and / or in places like the Peaks or lakes etc I really appreciate the rear suspension for both comfort and the techy stuff. I’ve noticed that most people on here don’t seem to bother going with FS when getting a 29er, so as i’m thinking of making the leap to a 29er next year I was wondering if I should just stick with a hardtail option and save myself both cash and weight?

try a yeti SB95 – I kind of like mine lots.

Have both a HT and FS 29er – love them both but the FS sees more use. Use the FS for anything technical, and the hardtail for longer, more mixed rides.

Of course some people would say that you can ride almost anything on a HT, but I find a FS gives me the confidence I need to get me down the steeper stuff

4 things:

They roll over stuff easier, which makes them feel like there’s some suspension in certain situations, like repeated small rocks or braking bumps. But theres’ no benifit on drops. So an enduro 29er might have 130mm of travel rather than 160mm (I suppose it could be made more progressive too, but that’s an oppinion, not a fact), hence the SB66 Vs the SB95.

The false truth that 29ers are dull an only for XC and not for fun bikes. Therefore prople buy “a 29er” when they mean buy “an XC bike”.

29ers were niche, rigid bikes were niche, ergo there are a disproportionate number of rigid 29ers and hardtails. Probably also stemming from the lack of any compatible forks or frames and the fact they obvioulsy have the biggest advantage (that feeling of a slight suspension) when theres no suspension..

4 they’re heavier, no gettign away from that. FS is also heavier. People have an aversion to bikes over (insert nominal 22/24/26/28/30lb weight here), therefore avoid 29er FS as it’s the heaviest option, despite bike weight having litle or no impact on the climbing speed.

Is rear suspension worth bothering with?

that would be my question

Yes but you can build some astoundingly light fs 29ers. Not as light as the ikkle wheel weight weenie equivalent. .but still mentally light…

I have a 29er hartail which I love riding and can and will ride it anywhere. On smoother less technical trails it feels just as quick as riding a full suss, but when it gets rough…it’s still a hartail, so tend to chose between HT and FS depending where Im riding.

Example Tazzy of the light weight builds please

Yes FS all the way due to injuries, but just used too and prefer fs.
Turner Sultan very different all day to Rocky Mountain Element, both are wonderful bikes

Is rear suspension worth bothering with on a 29er pushbike?

FTFY

Yes or I wouldn’t have bought one as for heavy my trek is only slighlty heavier than my brothers cube hardtail

Mate races a giant anthem advance carbon thats pimped to chuff and under 22lbs (tis a small though) I’ve ridden on a niner jet9 rdo that was under 24 for a medium with some reliable rather than weight weenie kit on it.

You can get a salsa spearfish down to reasonable as in under 26lb quite reasonably as well. As with all light stuff it’s down to rider weight as well. No point going super light if a big rider will make it feel or noodly or breaking stuff.

A stock anthem x1 is a few ounces under 27lbs with tubes in the tyres and not exactly light wheels in a medium sized affair. The alloy frame is a mere 150g’s heavier than the carbon advance too.

I swapped the wheels out for hope SP’s with crests, went tubeless and swapped grips for 100g ones and the bike dropped a good 1.5 – 1.75lbs overnight.

Regarding suspension at the back, then yeah I’d have it. A lot of HT’s despite various claims are stiff and you’ll feel it on long rides, not to mention the extra traction you get from a sorted rear suspension set up

You’ve got to try it. I wasn’t keen. Trek Rumblefish was ace, but the Yeti was…quite frankly awful, but that was more down to the build it had.
My (steel) ht just feels right.
You might hate it.

Thanks Tazzy, interesting as I am trying to get one bike down to 26lbs without silliness.

^sorted rear suspension and traction PLus correct tyre pressure equals happy days

I have a 140mm ‘aggressive’ 29er which I ride like my dh bike as I no longer own a dh bike. It depends what you are using it for. Mine gets used to keep up with 200mm travel bikes as well as xc riding.

A 29er wheel on a hardtail won’t absorb hits from drops etc.

I have a 29er hardtail and also had a full suss 29er. Sold the latter as it rarely got ridden and wasn’t as much fun.