[Closed] Anyone gone back to hardtail after a full sus bike ??

Got both. Problem solved.

Got ride of a Hummer (not FS I know, but bear with me) and an Helius, and just have one bike, a Chameleon. Not a lot slower than the Helius, if I'm honest. Should've done it years ago

Yes, me. Got a F.S for a couple of trips to the Alps even though the first time we went we were all on H.T's. Won't be going back to a F.S. (the grin factor's no different IMO)

I rode FS for ten years. Got fed up of the maintenance, so hard tail for the last 7 years. Test rode a high speced Giant Trance the other day, but didn't feel it. I'm very happy with a Ti 456 🙂

Yes, didn't get on with a full sus and found I prefer HT's each to their own.

coogan - Member

Got both. Problem solved.

Softail! Lightspeed Unicoi - best of both.

Lotsa folk do own both, the variety keeps it intersting.

Some folk think it's all about one type of bike being "best"...threads like "just gone back to HT/FS after 6 months on FS/HT - it's AMAZING" crop up most weeks.

Got both, but prefer the HT, even with a dodgy back. You can't have enough bikes, stop dithering and get buying, you know it makes sense!

Yez. I much preffer the way a hardtail feels. They just feel faster and more aggressive.

I cant really justify having both
I do enjoy the FS but it feels kind of remote and not connected to the trails in the same way a hardtail is if you get what I mean

I could spout lots of guff about keeping it real, pure connections with the trail etc.

Or I could just fess up and say I can't afford a decent FS, but would love one.

:-/

I had both for about 2 years but was consistently choosing the HT. Mind you it's proper custom HT so that might have some bearing on it. I think it just fits me poifectly, so still no intention if having another FS

Singlecrack, you got it in one.

Went back to an HT this summer after 5 years of FS. Mainly admittedly because I could get a decent HT on the Bike To Work scheme. Plan ultimately is to have both, but meantime I'm really enjoying my HT again.

I like both, but my back prefers the FS.

If you're not faster on your FS that means you can't ride it properly.

or the trail really doesn't benefit from rear suspension.

watched any 4X al? 😉

I bought an M4 frame and some forks on here recently as a cheap box of bits winter bike. I hadnt ridden a HT for years as I have a dicky back. I'm loving it, It's so quick. Takes a bit of getting used to on super gnarly downhills after my Flux and 5 Spot. Looking forward to some dry/frozen trails.

"cynic-al - Member

If you're not faster on your FS that means you can't ride it properly."

Its not always about the speed for me though

FS= float and flow
HT = place and ping
edit.. I can never decide about which one to bring

I had a few but in the end I wasn't using them enough to justify keeping them. They are/were very very good though. Plus my favourite is still my very old Fat Chance HT.

Jeez GW you think I've conducted any research?

i have literally not used my FS since my trip to Wales halfway through the summer, hardtail is always my first choice. Due to it not being ridden i have now sold my FS and gone to HT only. Longterm plan is to get a Ti HT.

I keep thinking of various options as I don't get to ride as much as before since moving to London.

I reckon I'd keep the FS as it's "only" 130mm travel but adjustable in the rear and weighs in pretty light

Yup - I prefer HT, just suits me. now on Ti and love it.

To be fair, my full suss wasn't quite as good as my hardtail, but I've ridden it about 4 times and I doubt I'll ride it again. My Soul hits the sweet spot of being good enough without being too good, the Zesty and Five I testrode are both better than my Soul but then a motorbike is better than a pushbike at going up hills

They're both great. Get what you like. Or both. Or 2 of both.

From a Prophet to a P7 and enjoying it.

Had a HL Flux for 2 years, since getting a custom SS a year ago sold the Flux and now have a Ti456 with Pikes for big trips

Local trails here around Watford on the OnOne Ti29er HT.
At the trail centers it's the FS 4inch travel Turner Flux.

I am always surprised how quick the Turner is when I do ride her as most of my time is spent on the Ti29er which I adore.

Win-win!

used to have an xc I-drive and a 6" ruckus I-drive , bought a P7 cheap to do up and sell but after a quick go on it pulled all the best parts from the xc fs bike and built up the P7 nice.

I only ever use the 6" bike now for gravity assisted riding unless it's an easy flat route that I need to make feel harder(for the workout)

i have both i use the them equally, but i race on the flux fs as it allows me to take rough but direct lines to pass people on the downhills, if i do rides lasting more than 3 hrs again its the fs otherwise i am just too tired to pick smooth lines, then again i use the ht for fast training blasts, i am running a 1x9 so i have to work harder

I've swapped between Enduro, Pace 303, Enduro, Soul, Enduro, Ventana El-Ciclon.
Now building a cheap Trek SS for Winter.
Of them all the Soul was ace & could honestly do anything the FS could do with me riding it.
Keep thinking of wiping the slate clean & getting back to basic P7 with nice bits.
Would love a Ti456, & reckon I'd be out of my FS days if I did.

Yes. Sold my Heckler and replaced with a Rohloff'd hardtail to reduce maintenance time and increase riding time.
Only missed the Heckler once, on one of the descents at the Dyfi Enduro when I landed hard and got a pinch flat. Otherwise, I've no regrets whatsoever.
Glad I kept the 130mm forks though 🙂

Yes and no.

I have both (a Chumba vf2 and a Cotic Soul).

I love them both. The Chumba gives me the confidence but the Soul is more 'fun'. But I guess thats really because I'm happier with the limits of HT than of 5-6" FS and if I had to choose just one it would be a hardtail (and preferably a Lynskey built ti, but thats another thread now isnt it).

I've a Kona Dwag and love it for the lakes and more knarly stuff but I reach for my Orange evo2 which I've customed to the max more often than not.

I ride an ancient Rocky mountain Elevation, ali hardtail and am currently looking to replace it. The HT/FS conflict has really got to me. I love to ride so I feel like I'm on the edge, with a HT thats pretty easy to achieve so the adrenaline rush is at less insane speeds and smaller jumps. If I went to FS would I just get soft or risk injury by looking for that buzz by going faster and bigger, I'm still trying to solve that one.

Get a softail - problem sorted 😉

To be honest though, unless you have room for only one bike, why not have both......or in my case all three - a HT, a FS, and a softail. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages, depending on the terrain and the time of year.

I had a trance but tbh I felt like it was always holding me back as did my old sub5

Sold the trance and now I am a happy bunny with a poverty 456

No i do not miss the soft back end because when it is rough I stood up anyway

Problem is the 456 makes me decend too quickly hence my big stack on the Q's saturday

Buy both.

Although if you were getting back problems I'd suggest that even the "zing" of Ti will make around about no difference whatsoever, so keep it for shorter rides.

To be honest, I don't really buy into the whole "woo really nice ride from a ti hardtail", having owned one. Then again mine lasted 3 months and snapped halfway down a hill with a very very long walk home (if the guides hadn't been able to sort us out a lift)...

Went back to a hardtail cos there cheaper, have less to faff with, are better for jumps/messing about on/riding on the road and its what I started on.

Cant justify the cost of a full sus frame and cant justify owning two bikes when one of them would only get ridden a couple of times per month.

I might get another dh bike this spring or summer but it will probably be a cheap 2nd hand one

I questioned this. Had a Stumpy FSR and an old Patriot. Wanted to sell both and get one bike as I lived in a small flat, and couldn't afford to look after 2 bikes. Looked at Chameleons a lot, but plumped for another Orange FS in the end. Not sure if I buy into the 'purist' view - think it's just a preference to the ride - , but give it a go. Sounds like a lot of people love 'em.

Only FS for me off road. Basically, they're more fun for 97.62% of the riding I enjoy (I'm not a dirt jumper, or a 4X rider for whom pure speed over one minute is the driver). I still sort of miss my stiffee, but I enjoy bouncy bikes more, even on my local XC trails.

The maintenance thing is a red herring, especially if you go single pivot. 30 mins to change the bearings every year if you're unlucky, an annual service of the shock if you're fastidious (a whole 3 days without your bike). Ohh the hardship...

I had a carbon HT and a 6" FS, then bought a steel 456 as a winter bike.

Built it up with various bits, rode and loved it. Flogged the 2 frames I had, kept all the bits. Use the bits as 2 'build kits' for the 456.

Recently bought a Ti 456 (stripped steel one down), even better.

Steel was far comfy-ier than I'd imagined, and Ti more so.

Its only £150 for a frame, try one - if not happy ebay it.

GW - Member
or the trail really doesn't benefit from rear suspension.

watched any 4X al?

so which is faster then a HT 4x bike or a FS 4x bike? both are used extensively on the cicuit.

I swapped my Reign for an XTC Alliance in the summer and haven't looked back, It took a couple of rides to get used to letting the back skip over stuff again but it's all fun now.

Rode HT for over 10 years in the Peaks, bought a full suss and didn't look back. Then moved to Scotland and ride Trail Centres mostly (the shame) and it was boring on a FS so went back to HT and love it.

Your bad back probably came from bad sizing or set up.

It is very much and each to their own personal thing. I went to full sus in 96 and have tipped back in to HT whne I have built up rigid SS's (see classified for my Trek carbon SS for sale).... For me full sus is right for you it may not be.

Someone above said

If you're not faster on your FS that means you can't ride it properly

For most peeps the full sus gives more comfort, traction, peace of mind and also means they can go for longer not just quicker.

I would say see if you can get some decent test rides on a few materials to see how it feels. 😀

yes and no. Built up a Kinesis XC2 for local races (not that I do many) and to use as a winter bike as the components are cheaper on it so when thye wear out.... I still love my Five though - different machines for different occasions!

have both...

rode my hustler for the past 4-5 years... and it is a great bike... but I became a bit lazy on it... yep go flat out into everything... but didnt really care where the bike ended up...

I have got a 456 along side now... and it has meant i have had to learn how to ride a bike again... to save my back and to save the back wheel, and to keep your speed...

hardtails are great fun... but for all day trail riding / comfort / speed you cant beat a 5" full sus

[i]not connected to the trails in the same way a hardtail is if you get what I mean [/i]

Nope. You got me there.

Got both. Like both. Prefer full sus.

Sold my full sus frame and dont miss it, however I got an alps trip planned for summer and now need a bike suitable!!

My Blur LT2 goes into hibernation for the winter - it doesn't like the mud : 😉
I've been riding an alloy frame for winter / wet riding, but after some selling on here, I raised the cash for a 456 and a few bits. Should have it next week, then need to build it up. Aim is a softer ride, as the alloy HT beats me up too much. Last rode a steel frame in the early 90's!
HT is good for remembering those handling skills and making line choices - FS will simply flow through most stuff. After a winter of riding HT you do feel the benefit and ride faster & smoother on FS as a result.

2hottie - Member

Yes, didn't get on with a full sus and found I prefer HT's each to their own.

Truth is the Full Suss nearly killed you in the peaks... i've got a picture of you somewhere sat as far away from it as possible looking properly pissed off!

But to answer the OP...

Yeah I had one of those 1998 Marin Full Sussers, it was a nightmare, so i went back to a hardtail and then got an Epic... snapped the back end off it... bought a hardtail again instead.

Next one will be a full suss no doubt!

I have full sus and rigid and ride/like them both
Maybe I need a hardtail? Then I'd like that too but would I still ride the rigid? Maybe not. Would I still bother with the susser?
Would the hardtail just be a compromise between the two?
I dont know.

Went back to only having Hardtails after owning a couple of DH full bouncers, couldn’t justify having a bike that got used every other weekend yet cost more than twice as much as my main HT…

I did decide instead to have a DH only HT as a compromise though, still gets similar levels of infrequent use, but cost’s a relative pittance to own and maintain…

Only ever owned one bouncey” trail bike”, bought an old Enduro frame and cobled it together using various spare parts, rode it for about 2 months and flogged it on, 5th shock on it was shite, and I couldn’t be bothered spending anymore time or money on a novelty bike, just not for me…

Horses for courses though, I’d only ever consider buying another FS for DH now, and that’s pretty unlikely as I’m still loving the odd DH race/uplift on my Exalt…
but I can still see the benefits of a trance or similar for proper fast XC riders, that’s just not me, HT’s work for me at the minute… but that's just me...

A cotic soul for me with a thudbuster LT seatpost. Doubt if you'd suffer any back problems with one of those. The seatpost is excellent IMO and really comfy, but not cheap.

How about a Ti in the bigger size - a 29? HT.
OnOne have brought the price down by 1/4.

tombird - Member

Yez. I much preffer the way a [b]hard tail[/b] feels. They just feel faster and more aggressive.

😀

got a full sus for summer and a ss ridged for winter (less cleaning)

I just don't get this whole 'winter' bike thing. I use the same ones all year round. Full suss or hardtail, they still work.

hardtails are great fun... but for all day trail riding / comfort / speed you cant beat a 5" full sus

Had the 1st ride for a month or two on my fs today. As much fun as the HT is ... a good FS is just so much better in every dept.

Got both although I find myself wanting to take my (SS) hardtail for the challenge a lot of the time.

At this time of year I ride my hardtail on night rides because I can't face cleaning my full suss at 11pm when the ss hardtail takes a quick blast with the hose.

Not sure I'd buy another full suss. Think I might prefer a lighter weight racier hardtail (ti inbred/soda or similar) for longer rides and races with something like a 456 for general riding and winter.

Have both, prefer my singlespeed.

yeah. got both, but gone singlespeed on the ht. it's let me know how lazy i've become on the fs though.....

I'm currently riding a Cotic Soul, the ht 853 frame is fantastic you can feel it flexing and almost winding up to ping you forward. With a high roller on the back over rocky stuff it soaks up the bumpy stuff really well.

I had a go on my old aluminum ht yesterday and it was no where near as good and comfortable as Cotic, defo recommend a 853 ht, beautiful. 😀

just done first decent ride on my new soda, after 5 years on a maverick.

the soda is lighter and is a great bike to ride. however the maverick climbed better, descended better, rode better on twisty stuff and, didn't hurt my back as much but to be fair it was a lot uglier

as soon as i can i'll go back to full suss