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unfulfilling and harder work?Bought a Kona Four Supreme to help with Osteoporosis.Took it to the Quantocks 3 times now .In between went there with my Hummer .The Hummer was more enjoyable didn't give me any health issues and was easier to ride.Is it the extra weight of the Kona (about 4 lbs) or what elese is it?I'm trying to enjoy it but it's not working.Perhaps it's 15 plus years riding hardtails?
IMO/E
full sus requirs different riding, if your not riding faster and taking more adventurous lines then you'll be better on the hardtail.
There is a different technique to riding FS. Maybe its worth playing around with the shock set up to make it more match your riding style?
Did you test ride it first? I don't think you can say all fs/ht are involving/not involving, it's down to the design of the bike and how well it suits you. It sounds like the Kona doesn't suit you. I've ridden full sus for many years, then swapped to hardatil for a few years, now riding full sus 5" travel as my main bike and love it (Pace RC405). I was also really happy with the Cotis Soul and Soda I had before that, and the Turner I rode for 10 years before the Cotics. In the last few years I have had test rides of many bikes to see what I wanted, sometimes with surprising results. Bikes rated as 10/10 in the mags, current best thing etc. have left me completely cold - the Whyte 46 was an example of that, also one og the Giant Maestro designs. On the other hand some bikes I didn't expect to like were really good.
I'd suggest trying a few more before deciding that all full sus are dull. However, if you're not suffering from riding the Hummer, and you clearly like it, then why not carry on with that?
Definitely got to ride a FS harder and faster to find it as exciting. Kinda natural, obviously.
i find that i ride slower on non technical sections on a f/s.
rode k/tree last saturday and it was a real slog on the smoother sections.
but on the rougher sections i find the f/s a lot faster.
The quantocks generally doesn't require a full suss as there's no big obsticles on it, I assume you're not riding the downhill stuff and sticking to the natural single track?
Also if you've ridden there lot's before, everything you ride you know and have done on a hardtail so won't see the point of full suss as it will make previous lines that you could do even easier.
Can't really think of much to help, try looking for new trails or riding ones that you didn't do before. Or head further afield.
jonb take your point .But to further confuse the issue i've taken Kona to the Mendips and found it quite enjoyable there.I've ridden there lots as well.
So if for the foreseeable future i'm restricting my riding to the Q's Mendips Exmoor poss Dartmoor and South Wales the Kona is surplus to requirements ?
It could be riding position, tyres, the weight, all sorts. It takes a long time to get a bike fettled and sorted - I'm always fiddling with mine in some cases up to a couple of years after buying them - not spec-wise but adjusting bars, stems, saddle angles and stuff.
Your Kona might also be too small as I need a bigger size in Konas than anything else, and the smaller ones handled poorly for me. You might have heavy tyres like came on my 5 - fitting lighter ones preferably with Stans tubeless or something would help no end with the zingyness.
Plus, it takes a long time to work out what's good fun to ride on a FS. I am still learning this with my current bikes. Just pootling about isn't going to be any better, but with FS you can attack tricker lines faster and with more confidence - this puts a different spin on the trail. I do Cwmcarn on several different bikes and it's a different experience. Bits of trail that are dull on on bike are a blast on the other, likewise climbs that are a chore can become great fun.
I'd say FS was a great advantage in South Wales tbh. Rocky down here - except for Afan.
Ti456 out today on rocky DH trails (Pitfichie + DH)........
Certainly better than the Hummer in compliance, if not HA........
More extreme than the FS in damping out the trail......
FS simply numbs the trail, you lose feedback but gain comfort and some climbing grip...
HT lets you nail singletrack and drive / power the rear end through sections......
neither's better 🙂
Thing is i only got the full suss to protect my spine from further fractures not with the intent of riding harder faster trickier .This on the advice from my G.P. who is also a MTBer .Also the tyres etc etc should be fine as they came directly of the Hummer!!!!! So looks like Hummers gonna light my fire (back permitting )Keep the Kona for more adventurous stuff time willing.
what about a suspension seat post for the HT? should take some of the sting out for your back but keep 99% the same feel of the ride
I had a very, very bad back a few years ago. I used a Thudbuster, which made a [b]huge[/b] difference without doing anything terribly wierd to the bike.
FS simply numbs the trail, you lose feedback but gain comfort and some climbing grip...
And you gain a whole heck of a lot of speed, if you are doin it right 🙂 If you feel numb you're going too slow.
i've never owned a hard tail and with age and a general lack of ability,probably never will. My 575 allows me to stay in some sort of contention with my younger and more skillful riding mates. Climbs well for not particuarly light bike.
I did the opposite , i had an Spec enduro (150mm) , thought i needed another XC race bike , i bought a carbon fiber hardtail , rode it 3 times .... terrible!
Im a FS man , i enjoy MTBing for the decents , the riding up is just fulfilling for the fitness level.
So i sold the hardtail , bought a flash new AM and the enduro is getting sold too now.
I enjoy picking my line in 1/10th of a second , hitting it hard and fast... few drop offs ... That's what keeps me stoked to ride.
You know when you asked [url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/suspension-seatposts-opinions-please ]THIS[/url], & all the kind folk replied, why didn't you try one out?
It sounds as if it was all you needed.
😉
Try a different suspension design. I like single pivots, couldn't get on at all with a Spesh 4 bar or whatever it is. Different designs have different characteristics.
um....next time u see loads of really big jagged sharp rocks instead of going round like u do on ur hardtail (asuming that you do) go strait over them as fast as possible (the faster the better and smoother)
I've a King - very similar to your Four. Set up 'right' it rides not unlike my steel hardtail, but open up the shock and it feels very different. You do have to learn to ride differently though - sit and spin circles more on the FS. Having said that I ride the HT more at the moment - soft ground etc.
Stick with it.
thought i needed another XC race bike , i bought a carbon fiber hardtail , rode it 3 times .... terrible!
I hope you understand that your problem is with that particular bike, not all hardtails 🙂
I hope you understand that your problem is with that particular bike, not all hardtails
Nah mate , i just dont like the feeling of a hardtailed bike, simple !
Had a HT then an FS (as natural progression) then back to a HT but got sick of rear punctures (hard riding + rough trails + fat bum) so went back to full sus but also found it too easy and therefore less fulfilling and less challenging. If I wanted an easy smooth ride I'd get a road bike!
Now back on a steel hardtail and I won't be going full sus again (except when I go to France this year where I will need skill compensation!)
Did a great ride on Sunday with 27 other singletrackers. In the main, the HT's kept up with the FS's on the DH bits without any issues at all.
Horses for courses but IMHO you prefer one or the other, but me, I prefer a HT in the UK all the time.
It's a tough call I ran a geared orange P7 and lusted after a full sus. Build a Heckler and robbed the gears off the P7 to do it and went back to a SS on the P7, not run it like that for a year or so. For where I ride (swinley, chilterns), I absolutely love my SS (now a full hard nut) and now have more passion for that. The Heckler has its place, Wales etc so I do enjoy taking it there. But fundamentally, if you told me I could only have one, I know it would be the SS Orange. It really depends on what you ride, whether you like the super smooth big hit rides or if you live for fast trails with a bit of technical challenge. Full sus has its place, but if it doesn't grab you it doesn't...
Though I have a bit of a collection, I have only been riding a HT SS for the last 9 months,absolutely loved it, like riding a big BMX, but I have just put together a 4" FS, (2lbs lighter) in the last two weeks, first couple of rides I was not keen and thought what a waste but stem, post, seat and tyre changes later and it seriously rips, dogs can't come out! just goes fast... every where, still love the HT SS but its chilling in comparison.
lol @ ozzybmx - not all hardtails are created equally and can you get a FS BMX down-under ~(irony content) 🙂
Nah mate , i just dont like the feeling of a hardtailed bike, simple !
You're doing yourself a disservice by trying one hardtail (sounds like it was an XC race one if it was carbon fibre) and then dismissing the whole lot. HTs can be as varied and different as FSs.
I ride my hardtail faster that many of my FS riding buddies. Yes I am a God.
FS [i]feels [/i]slower due to pedal bob/wasted effort, IIRC tests show it to be faster.
FS simply numbs the trail, you lose feedback but gain comfort and some climbing grip...HT lets you nail singletrack and drive / power the rear end through sections......
Could easily be:
HT simply numbs your arse, you have feedback but lose comfort and some climbing grip...FS lets you nail singletrack and drive / power the rear end through sections......
.I ride my hardtail faster that many of my FS riding buddies. Yes I am a God
We are [i]both [/i]Gods 🙂
FS feels slower due to pedal bob/wasted effort, IIRC tests show it to be faster.
Depends wholly upon the test terrain.
I think we gave a good account of uourselves Luke:)
I do much prefer riding a hardtail, just less wasted energy, involving to ride, light, simple and flickable - however, my backside is still sore after sundays ride and I can't stop lusting after a Whyte E5..............must stop thinking about it, don't need it!
FS feels slower due to pedal bob/wasted effort, IIRC tests show it to be faster.
Depends wholly upon the test terrain.
I agree. FS is definately less effecient on tarmac. 😉
Agree with fu_manchu. Love my Inbred s/s for blatting around the Chilterns. Perfect. Orange 5 reserved for places with big rocks and other scary things.
Strange I tested a FSRxc Expert round my local trails at the weekend, part of an Evans Ride It day. I've had wrist problems which some times keep me off the bike for ages. My current bike has awful 80mm forks
I locked the shock about 3 times on really steep climb due to really intrusive bobbing. I enjoyed the comfort, mostly on the boring bits, like gravel tracks
It may have lost a certain something on the single track but overall the extra comfort was worth it for me. I also expect a bit of fiddling would up the single track performance
Might be worth swaping some bits before giving up. Failing that try some demp days. Or start a thread asking about FS that ride more like a HD
Any way best of luck
Those FSRxcs were bobby - not an ideal bike for your only FS ride.
Sounds like some of you lot only care about feeling bumps when out riding. The more bumps the better?
What about speed, swooping lines and flowing over the trail? If it's rocky a FS can mean the difference between oofing your way down a rock garden and flying through it with glee.
Still - horses for courses. Stupid to say that one's rubbish and one's great.