Been contemplating selling my cannondale prophet as recently i’ve found myself having more fun on the hardtail.

It doesn’t feel any slower (except over really rooty stuff) and there’s not much I would do on the suss that I wouldn’t do on the hardtail but would I regret selling it in the long term.

I’ve not had it long so maybe I just haven’t given it enough chance to shine and convert me. Been riding my hardball for a good few years so i’m fairly used to how it rides.

Anyone had similar experiences?

Nope no one ever, I’ve never even seen the topic mentioned on here before…

😆

Similar, but in reverse, in the sense that 8 months ago I sold my FS frame & switched to a long-travel hardtail.

In all honesty, I haven’t regretted the switch.

Maybe after a decade on suspension the hardtail still feels like a breath of fresh air.

Sometime in the future I may return to being fully suspended…

If you’re happy on the hardtail I’d sell the Prophet. It doesn’t sound like you’ve got too attached to it to miss it.

yes, no, maybe, I don’t know….can you repeat the question

DON’T DO IT!

I did teh same – prophet to mmmbop and regretted it!

I’ll give you a honest answer!
1st full susser!

Sold it because I fell out with it and still don’t know why!
Got this next!

Loved it, but still not quite right! 😕
Sold it and now have these!
And love them both! 😆


It does depend on your riding, but if your preferring hardtail, like I do, then give the Prophet a new home!

Sold it because I fell out with it and still don’t know why!

I do, you put bar ends on risers, everyone knows thats the work of the devil 😉

Having been fully-suspended my whole life on a mountain bike, I recently dipped a toe into the world of hardtails by acquiring a Haro Mary XC 29er.

You don’t really notice it quite so much with short blasts here and there, but a long day out in the saddle, soaking up all that trail chatter and all those small bumps you never used to notice because the suspension was swallowing it up, definitely feels like harder work for your arms and legs.

Still good fun though. Invigorating, and I’d imagine it makes you quite a bit fitter in the long run.

Nice to have the option of both, I’d say, if you’ve got the room and the funds.

Started on a hardtail, bought a full suss and after a year built up a hardtail for winter and xc blasts. I sold the hardtail after 4 months.

I love my full suss and cannot imagine a hardtail been as fun or quick down hills. Each to his own I guess.

I changed from FS to hardtail 3 years ago and like StefMcDef said great for short blasts . I thought thats it hardtail forever .

But did a week in the lakes last month and got well and truly beat up
so the HT has now gone replaced by a Fully sus again .

My old bones need some comfort now

Needed? Last I looked bikes were for amusement. Pick what amuses you.

My full sus isn’t needed for the riding I do but I certainly enjoy it and appreciate it more than the hardtail I’ve sold.

sold the FS got a HT only. got annoyed on the bumpy bits when really trying to rag it. now back to fs with a HT bike as an alternative.

think a shorter travel 4″FS would suit me best but that was where i started and i got annoyed with not enough travel to go really fast.

moral of story: change bikes regularly to keep yourself happy.

I built a Soul up last year, loved it so much i sold my Five as it wasn’t getting used, also built a Charge Blender up as a playbike and got through winter loving both my hardtails, it did turn out to be a honeymoon period though and as much as i enjoyed the challenge of riding a hardtail in places where a fs was more appropriate (Super Tavi at Gawton for example) i eventually realised that if i was to own 2 bikes then having a full suss and a hardtail made much more sense.
I now have a Pitch and a Soul which cover all bases for me with a bit of overlap in between.

“It doesn’t feel any slower (except over really rooty stuff)”…

I love riding my hardtail (P7) but i’m definately 10% or so quicker on the full-susser (575). I don’t notice massivley but my riding buddy does when I switch between the two!!! You might be surprised.

One of these days I’ll pick up some inexpensive frame, on-one perhaps, and switch all the stuff over from my 5, because happily I think it will all fit and be suitable.

I won’t sell the frame though!

I’m slower on the hardtail. But I think that’s to be expected – it’s got an 8-speed Alfine, and I am still adjusting to the idea that when I’m climbing anything steep and remotely techy, the granny ring is in my legs, and I have to stand up to get at it. You can’t just schoon over stuff the way you can on the full suspension bike with a full range of gears, and because the rear end skips about more there are more bits and pieces on the trail that will rob you of your momentum.

Stop being a cheap skate and get a full suspension bike that works instead of an old style single pivot. They ride like hardtails anyway. Or stop riding on canal towpaths.

I have done the same thing, falling in love with riding again after riding hardtails, full sus gathers dust, why not sell it etc….funny thing is you ride the full sus again after a while and fall in love with riding again coz you can eat up the descents. Moral of the story as already stated. If you are riding the same trails over and over (lets face it we all do) then variety in bikes keeps it sweet. Of course you need a 29er as well….

I think I’m going to end up where tk46hal is at, with two 29ers, but the rigid will be steel. My bones are too old for alloy.
I stripped my Ventana last night, in lieu of replacing all the bearings & a shock service before selling. I’m just not into the kind of riding that the FS is best at any more. Shame, as its a truly great frame. My 29er just seems to have what I’m looking for in a bike these days.

Oh one other thing, if you don’t want to get bored on full sus, limit it to 4 inches travel to keep it interesting…just my opinion of course and I know I will be abused for it.

I had thought that maybe the prophet is just not my kind of suss and a smaller 4″ play bike like the mythic rampant may be a better compromise

Its and Age thing. Young spunks can take big hits, but my old bones just want comfort now.

Riding in the lakes on a hardtail would probably see me off. Been there done that.

no

Bloody hell lowey, you think your bones are old! PS HT ftw hth etc

I had thought that maybe the prophet is just not my kind of suss and a smaller 4″ play bike like the mythic rampant may be a better compromise

So you are worried that the Prophet is not much different to the hardtail then think of getting a bike with less travel?

Just always like the look and idea of the smaller 4x style full suss frames. The prophet feels just fine to ride, but just isn’t quite as much fun as the ht.

Short answer, no it’s not NEEDED. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t own one.
My thoughts
Depends where you ride. I prefer my hardtail for smooth singletrack and Peaks (I know it’s rocky but I still prefer it). For Lakes and other full on all mountain stuff I prefer FS, and also for rooty stuff – more grip and easier to keep on line.
I recommend one of each – use your hardtail to learn how to ride, pick lines etc, use the full suss to get used to just ramming through stuff and then ride the hardtail the same way. You then ride both faster and smoother
As said above, you can ride the same trails regular and not get bored if you alternate bikes

Why does it have to be one or t’other?

I have a Genesis iO rigid SS, Inbred hardtail with Rockshox forks and an Orange 5. I use whatever is the most appropriate for the terrain I am riding or as the mood takes me.

will be p/xing my anthem x2 frame (is a great bike)for a 2012 charge duster ti frame.basically do not need f/s for where i ride (will also be cheaper to service e.t.c.) mainly though have always wanted a titanium bike 😀

Really needed? Naah course not a rigid single speed will do most of what everyone here does.
Though what has ‘need’ to do with it? It’s a leasure pastime, a hobby, believe it or not* you can ride what the hell you like, it’s all fun.

I like full susser’s, as was said to me the other day I’ve definitely made my mind up what I like (3 full sussers & a HT though thats leant out). I’m having fun being over biked with my Prophet, barging through line HT’s would think twice about & flying down trails with little care for my life or the option to stop. Maybe I’ll mature one day and feel the HT love, but not yet… no sign of that at all ATM.

Oh and if any of the prophet owner or soon to be ex-owners, above wanna sell a Large Prophet frame really cheap (have to be really, cause I’m skint), I quite fancy trying one ala the Prophet SL, with 120mm travel.

* = no matter how many post there are on here