Hi all
Have any of you thought of switching back to a hardtail ? The cost of full suss these days is getting stupid ....had a go on my friends steel hardtail and it was a blast !!!!!!
Sorry - I don't understand teh question. Surely you need (at least) one of each?
Just done the same thing sort of...
I had a Stiffee nicked and built up a Giant Reign X to be my new bike so very bouncy but was missing the HT again.
Just built up a Dialled PA and it's very nice, there is something about hardtails that just make them more fun!
Thats what I thought been on my cotic soul for a week now and you feel more connected to the trail and you have to think more which makes my local trails more fun !!!
Thinking of doing the same. I currently ride an Orange 5 but I really miss the ride of my Rocky Mountain Hammer. So gonna get myself a nice steel frame and see how things go.
welcome back 🙂
I think ive got so used to one style of bike (low BB, steep ish HA, shorter than average TT, long er than average stem) that anything else just feels downright wierd. Luckily it suits hardtails, must be because it keps your weight up over the front wheel in corners.
Much as full sus is fun, it just feels too neutral
Hardtails feel really connected to the trail and with a big fork on the front they can take pretty much anything 🙂
I went back after a month on a full sus! how dull an boring are they! yes they are nice and make the trail nice an smooth but so is tarmac! (in most places) so I'm back on a HT which works for me.
Yes i switched back and now i've switched back again.
Had a 4"-6" 2006 marin alpine trail. found some cracks in frame and after warranty it came back as 07 attack trail (6"). sold that frame and got a 456 inbred and used the parts I already had. Then also bought a marin quake (7") rode xc on that for a bit. Did inners xc, glentress, cwmcarn, afan on it (!!!). Built 456 back up with newish bits. now sold 456 frame and got a 4" giant trance frame (2007 guise).
I was looking for a do it all bike. alpine trail seems like it couldn't handle it, 456 was pretty damn good but hard work at rocky trail centres at the speeds I wanted to go. quake wasn't too bad. infact i set a pb round cwmcarn on it. down to fitness no doubt but still i beat my times set on the 456 and the alpine trail.
the trance took a battering at afan W2 and brechfa this bank hol and it did alright. I was wanting a 456 with a bit of give and thats exactly what i've got. loved it. The quake is now a permanent dh bike.
so my bikes have gone:
4-6"
0"
7"
0"
4"
Thought about it and tried to go back a few times (cost me a fortune too along the way) - last attempt lasted 1 ride 🙄
mamadirt [i]barrelling into old age with 9 gears and at least 4" of travel[/i] 😉
Switching back? Some of us have never even had a full suss 
i much prefer it.
my xc race bike is a short travel full sus (Scott spark) but for general riding/fun, its a hit (ns bikes surge to be precise)
its funny, out over the weekend on a trip north, and got to the bottom of laggan black/golspie black. and both times greeted with "you rode that on a hard tail? wow!" and i don't know why. not come across anything yet i can't ride on one.
i find full sus bikes tend to make stuff a bit boring.