Me and a few friends have decided to go for Ard Moor tickets this year, but having put my name down, I’m now having a few reservations.
My three mates all have full suspension bikes. My hardtail is, in spec and geometry, quite firmly in the ‘trail’ category, rather than ‘enduro’. It’s a Stanton Sherpa Mk2 with a Fox34SC 120mm forks, 29×2.3 tyres on carbon rims, Hope V4 brakes.
Much of my riding is downhill bermy jumpy type stuff, but I’m equally happy in the Peaks (The Beast, Potato Alley, Screaming mile) or the reds/blacks at Llandegla.

So, will I die a horrible moory death?

Yes. buy a new bike.

Absolutely not, it’s well within HT capabilities. You will feel a wee bit sore than your mates, but that goes for every biggish day on HT.

Enjoy, it’s a brilliant course.

You’ll be fine, my mate did Ard Moors last year on his Crush. It’s a tough day out, I’ve done Ard Rock a few times but found Ard Moors more physically demanding, the transitions are brutal!

As above, he had a really good do on the Crush and two of the stages are downhill, bermy, jumpy, others are a bit rocky and natural like the Peak District. You’ll be right at home.
Plus, you’ll get the last laugh on the hikeabike! The chap behind me was carrying an E’bike with DH forks…

You’ll spend a lot more time transitioning rather than downhilling so you could even consider a HT an advantage. There’s nothing on the course that can’t be ridden on a hardtail.

I’m simon/mugboo’s mate. I was fine on the crush, only thing that didn’t cope very well was my wheels, hunt trailwides.  Even with a 2.5 WT tyre and a rimpact insert, I still managed to ding a rim and snap a spoke (rear). Wheels were pretty much new so a bit disappointed. Great course, really enjoyed it. Plenty of hike a bike, so a lighter bike an advantage 🙂

It’s my first time doing Ard Rock, I haven’t seen the terrain and am planning to do it on my hardtail (130mm forked Soul). Best advice I think I’m giving myself is to do some strength training in advance. Even if just press ups, it makes a huge difference in a hardtail.

It’s your race, do it how you want. I wouldn’t want to be your mate in a FS when you beat him 😎

Local rider to Reeth and my mate who I ride with has just built a Sherpa. Quite happy on the terrain.

Sherpa with 120mm revs, hunt carbon wheels and Maxxis WT 2.5 tyres.

Get some nice and wide tyres and it will be just fine.

Great, thanks all for the reassurance and advice. Wider tyres, noted. I’m planning to use this challenge as motivation to maintain a new year’s fitness plan, strength training included.