…apart from rider confidence and skill?

I’ve recently changed from riding a hard tail for the past 3 years and gone to full suspension. Having just come back from one of my favourite rides round Ladybower, I was having a whale of a time, hooning down stuff that would normally having me stopping, picking my way, and dabbing.

I got to wondering, which aspect of the bike is it that makes me feel more confident to go faster down the gnarlier stuff?

a) The forks – 6″ travel vs 4″ on my old bike.

b) The slacker geometry on my new bike – my old bike is more of hard tail xc racer.

c) The full suspension?

d) None of the above?

Personally I think it’s the forks and slacker geometry that make the biggest difference, what do other people think?

Geometry.

Geometry and confidence

20% due to longer fork travel
20% due to slacker geometry
60% due to rear sus keeping the rear wheel on the ground more

The front end … High and wide makes life so much easier.

Head angle.

Slacker geometry and bigger forks I think. Rear sus doesnt really make that much difference to me confidence wise really

I’d go with geometry.

Yup, geo and the longer fork, which are somewhat inextricably linked.

I’m faster on FS mainly because I can see where I’m going due to my eyeballs not being vibrated so much.

It’s just that you’re a tart! I switched back from full suss to a hardtail and I’m no slower :o)

[swiss accent]geometry for sure.[/swiss accent]

full sus might be comfier and less tiring but i don’t find being on a hardtail makes me less inclined to hang it out a bit.