do i really need a full suss??

Im in a bit of a quandary over whether or not i need another full suss frame!!

i currently ride an inbred which i think is a great frame ,but im starting to get a bit faster and i think its holding me back a bit as im worried about getting beat up all the time.

i ride with my mate who has just got himself an older spesh fsr full suss frame and he is loads faster and seems more confident than he did on a hardtail which makes me think i should get one.

on the other hand ive got another mate who tries to do xc on a spesh big hit and hes constantly knacked from pushing it up the hills!

on longer rides im starting to feel beat up on my inbred which is making me think about changing??

ive been in talks with a lad on here about a kona coiler frame but i cant help thinking im making a mistake!

just dont know what to do!

Yes.

Mine

what you got druidh

I would have thought the 1st question is what type of terrain are you regularly riding over ?

wyre forest and cannock chase mainly!! so nothing to rough!

You don't 'need' one, but you might enjoy it. Try demoing some and see what you think. Something light-ish will do though surely.

A big hit is not really your average full sus, certainly not what you should use for xc use

Coiler would be too much bike IMO. You'd be better off with a 4 or maybe 5 inch travel bike for Cannock & Wyre.

whether or not i need another full suss frame!!

You've akready tried some?

im worried about getting beat up all the time

If you are not getting beat up then don't worry about it.

ive got another mate who tries to do xc on a spesh big hit and hes constantly knacked from pushing it up the hills

So?

ive been in talks with a lad on here about a kona coiler frame but i cant help thinking im making a mistake

What's the worst that happens…you sell it again?

If you WANT it (it's not about need) then give it a go. Keep it a while as it takes a while to acclimatise to the different way of riding.

My first real full susser was a coiler, awsome do anything bike but a bit overkill for most UK stuff but has the flexibility to handle most DH tracks. Here's my old Coiler 🙂

I ended up swapping the frame out for a Heckler, I find it a lot more forgiving. Natural progression I suppose.

P.S. Druidh has a Meta 5 that he's looking to sell soonish.

renton, do you want pics still.
i am getting the bike from my mate tomorrow to take pics myself.. ❓

I would have thought the 1st question is what type of terrain are you regularly riding over ?

wrong. FS is unnecessary skill compensation. Think about it – why would you want to make riding easier ? OK, I admit I still have suspension forks, as I still need some skill deficit compensation, but I have just as much fun on my hardtail as I did with my former FS :o)

Thing is, you do this for fun, yes? So 'need' shouldn't really be high up on the list of priorities. You want a full suss? then as long as you can afford it, then go for it…Life's to short for effing about, if you want to do something then do it.

barnes, why do you not use a box brownie???????

You do not, in any meaningful sense, need a full-sus. If you want one and can afford it, there is no harm. It will have good points and bad points. 🙂

sold my heckler and kept my 456..

prefer the feeling of the trail rather than a dulled sensation that fs gives. im not slower on my ht either.

I, and all of my colleagues guide in the French Alps on hard tails (Orange P7, Rocky Mountain Blizzard, Dialled Bikes Alpine etc). I tend to get lazy on a full suss, just bosh through stuff and not think about it. I can go as quick on my P7 as I could on my FSR and haven't got the risk of the rear shock blowing up/pivots knackering up etc.

It all depends on what your priorities are really, if you've got a bad back or something then it may be necessary but for keeping your mind on the ball and getting the most out of your riding then it's HT all the way

…and you will periodically change your mind and undergo a series of damascene conversions to the one true way. 🙄 🙂

I just bought a Cotic Soul after 6 years of riding a Mk1 Intense Tracer. I was fed up of really good bikers with technical skills on hardtails beating me both up and down the hills. The Cotic fits me really well and has a much lower BB height which has made me more confident on the technical stuff and the shorter wheelbase has made me king of the singletrack. It's really nice not to have the suspension wallow on every tight corner. Full sus will make you lazy and slack off learning the technical skills that your mates sound as if they have. If you want to improve your downhill performance, fit wider bars. The Inbred is a top bike, I'd hang on to it.

barnes, why do you not use a box brownie???????

different things. On FS you have to go faster to get the same sensation. No legacy camera is going to give me 6 shots a second and 1600 shot capacity :o)

do you want a full sus?

i recently bought a full sus frame and built it up with lots of left over bits, only cost £300 full build.

ridden it a few times and yes it feels like your going faster,
but i feel a little numb riding it (oo-er missus),
i suppose it makes things a lot easier/smoother after years on a hardtail,

ive been finding the last few rides i've choosen my hardtail,
but the speed on the full-sus is great,
just being able to be lairy and get way with it.

try it out you can always move it on if you dont like it

NO – you dont need one is a question of want… i prefer a HT myself but thats down to not wanting to service pivots / shox etc – i like climbing and love the connected feel to the trail and the acceleration you get with a HT (and the red faces of full suss types when you go past them up and more often than not down hill too…:)) get one and see if its for you…

Its not the bike its the rider…

I'd disagree snowpaul, it is partly the bike.
Riding my old 456 with 2.1 tyres – took it steady on the downs
456 with 2.3's – gave it a bit more welly but still not going as fast as I wanted
07 trance with 2.1's – still too steady on the downs
07 trance with 2.3's – amazing fun. more stability in the tyres and the 4" travel really lets me go for it on most descents.

sure the climbing speed isn't there anymore but thats not the fun bit.

I got more tired than I was expecting on afan's W2 riding the 456 and it battered me too much so went for a short travel trail bike. love it. I don't think you really need more than 5" on any trail in the UK minus proper DH trails. 4" will suffice for all trail centre riding i think.

I feel far more confident on my full suss than I do on my hard tail, although I think that may be down to longer travel forks, and slacker geometry. It means that I ride down stuff that I wouldn't on my old bike, which means that I have more fun.

it's a personal thing. Folk mincing down walking trails will feel little benefit from fs. Alps guides will be skilled enough to use hts which are often better on slow techie stuff there. Others will benefit from fs if they are using it to extend their skills, give some margin for error etc.

You do need it if you want it.

No.

if you must get one go for a lightweight shortish travel 4in max bike. I've a mate who rides a spesh fsr and he is quicker then me on my hardtail but that's 'cause he's a better rider than me. He's always been quicker than me no matter what bike he's riding. I feel beat up after blasting round Afan on my hardtail, but that's 'cause I like to go quick and I put loads of effort in – my mate always seems to be fresher after rides than me but that's because he can ride smoother/faster/better using less effort – regardless of what bike he's on.

Kev

I dont know about anyone else but my ridings gone up in leaps and bounds since I started riding a hardtail again, (kept short travel FS for certain rides) but its the hardtail thats making my riding.

Do you really need one? No. Is that a reason not to get one? No.

If you are finding you are particularly battered after long rides, then why not go for something a bit more comfy.
A Coiler though is one extreme to the other. Mate recently bought one to use in Spain instead of his E-120 & while it appeared to be like a rocket on the descents he did struggle on the climbs more than normal. His full build weighed 37lbs.

You should be able to demo one for a full day to get a decent feel of whether you want one or not.

07 trance with 2.1's – still too steady on the downs
07 trance with 2.3's – amazing fun. more stability in the tyres and the 4" travel really lets me go for it on most descents.

0.2 of an inch made that much difference?

A Coiler for Cannock and Wyre forest will be overkill. Be honest with yourself and pick a bike for where you ride, that said theres a little DH at Cannock, is that what your thinking? 🙂

XC on a bighit"

that would be his problem right there! as the kids say these days, "lollers"
of course hes going to be knackered from pushing it uphill!
ill bet your mate on the fsr climbs fine?

it sounds to me like your in the same boat as me, i was getting battered having moved to somewhere much rockier than i was used to, but didnt want to give up actually having to make an effort to ride.

4" travel takes the edge off, but doesnt make it toooo easy.

also helps on techy climbs!

trance here 🙂 its awesome (though looks a little bland)
if your going frame only, you could pick one up for a few hundred quid.
if you want for a whole bike, i believe they come into the "£1k top value FSers" class, if you go for the lower end ones.

This is STW and a thread about suspension bikes. So just do as your told and buy an Orange Five.

quite 🙄

in answer to the OP: no but if you fancy one get one as there great, but not a coiler (way too much for the midlands XC)

Borrow one and try it, decide for yourself.

A full suss for somewhere like the Chase is OTT but if you want it do it
It certainly won't be quicker.
Having gone the full circle I tend to use a rigid single speed most places these days. Absolutely spot on for the Chase.If you are getting beat up there is something wrong

Thanks for all the replys!!

ive had a few full sussers over the years but always end up going back to a hardtail(always inbreds too)

this time it feels different though?

i just feel more clumsy on my hardtail and sort of batter my way through rough trails , i keep getting pinch flats on the back wheel too.

i m a heavy lad so i find it hard sometimes to throw my weight around too.

my last full suss was a norco fluid i bought from a lad on here and it was perfect but a little small for me.

i think i need somthing like an early trance frame or a fsr stumpy frame.

just somthing to take the edge of the rough stuff.