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I'm 28, gave up the full suss last year. Mainly as I realised that all the trails I was riding were more fun on the 456 than the Trance. I do like riding bouncy bikes, but don't think I'd get another unless I lived somewhere close to trails that warranted one.
Went from a full-sus (Spesh FSR)to a hardtail (Pace RC305) then back to a full-sus (Turner 5 spot and Superlight).
Other than smooth climbs I just felt no advantage to the hardtail, at trail centres it felt like I was being shaken to pieces on the hardtail if I tried to ride at the same speed. On longer all day rides I missed the comfort of the full-sus.
It was good on shorter rides from my back door which were a mix of tarmac, path and trail but these are also good on my Superlight
I guess I like the easy speed and safety net of a full sus above the involvement of a hardtail
I'm 36
BUT FS is involving......
Mid life crisis 40 year old .....Tinkered with both since 1998.....
Now using an ageing Meta 5 for the odd down stuff / off stuff ride. And have been SSing various ridid one ones since 2004 most of the time.
THINKING ABOUT - A HT WITH GEARS.......or new knees.
45, been riding MTB for 25 years
went from rigid to FS to HT to 29er short travel FS and am currently very content with my riding apart from ho long things take to heal now!
Got rid of my Alpine 160 and replaced it with a Ragley Blue Pig. Im 26. My riding has advanced on the HT as I started to ride the Pig the same as I would with my Alpine.. soon to realise I had to be far more picky over lines etc instead of just ploughing down anthing. Now I'm used to the hardtail I can still keep up with the full sus boys on the downs and I actually prefer it! Certainly helps on the climbs aswell! Looking forward to getting back on to a full sus but for now (whilst my arse and arms can handle it) I'm more than happy on the hardtail!
I'm 42 and since building my hardtail 6 weeks ago I haven't ridden the FS once.
I'm sure I will get back on the FS but right now I love the feel of the hardtail. I knocked over a minute off a previous PB on a Strava trail only 8 minutes long on the hardtail last night in less than perfect conditions (gale force cross winds)!
I've gone back to spd's on the hardtail and it just feels like it's floating over the rough stuff.
48 and on Ss rigid 29er for the last 3 years- went out on the new to me Ss cx bike last night- blimey that's an eye opener on some rooty singletrack!
I last rode a full suss a couple of years ago , at 40.
Have also jumped on to the cx bandwaggon - not racing ,just riding,
which has me considering fully rigid on one of the hardtails.
41, have migrated from 5" full suss to rigid ss 29er in the last couple of years. Still got the full susser for the odd trail centre weekend but the hardtail is the default bike now. Only on long stretches of baked/frozen solid rutted mud does it ever occur to me that I really miss suspension.
36 ditched a cove hustler and went back to an mmmbop hardtail 3 years ago vastly improved riding skills but have just got a new full suspension orange 5 as the jumps where killing my ankles on the hard tail