I’m lucky enough to have a Cotic soul (26) and an Ibis Mojo HD (26) and realistically i don’t get half as much opportunity to ride either as much as i’d like any more due to one thing or t’other. I do still get out and ride, just once every couple weeks or so in the summer and barely at all in the winter.

Has anyone else sold up and returned to just a hardtail in the shed and regretted it? Has it held you back with riding location opportunities or have you ever thought you should have kept it for those long rocky rides?
I can’t bring myself to make the effort to sell it even though i can use the fun tokens elsewhere (non bike related).

On paper its logical to sell, but i love it too much to part with it so i require convincing by internet people.

Not me as even though I am using the ht more atm I realise I would miss fs every time I use it.

My mate did though. Sold his full fuss and built up a new ht. he spent ages changing this, changing that before admitting he miss having a full suss so went back. In fact he’s done it twice!

It’s 2 years since I did it (Cube Stereo 160 HPC to Stanton Switchback). I wouldn’t say I regret it but I am thinking of a new FS as it does take it’s toll on rougher tracks. In my local woods it’s fine.

Not at all. Granted, I haven’t had one for years, but now that I am on 650b+, I feel no need for sus at all.

I do miss my full sus when I’m sat at work and it’s in my garage not being ridden.

I own a couple of hardtails and a FS…The FS gets dragged out on fewer occasions these days. My local loops don’t really require it so it sees the light of day in Surrey Hills and Wales. and doesn’t get ridden in winter due to the additional maintenance.

I’ve toyed with the idea of just going with a long slack hardtail….but worry, as above, that I may miss the full bounce when i do come to use it!

I just sold my Trance X 26in (last year). So far not really missing it, but then have just spent time building up a 26in Bfe, so I have to say that. I have got bug volume tyres if needed for summer rocky riding.

I think in time I would love another FS (post lottery win), but they are getting better and better all the time and standards are changing so much, I am going to concentrate on becoming a fitter and more technically adept rider.

I did think of keeping both, but to be honest my FS was not a lovely Ibis, so a different kettle of fish for me.

Currently having that sentiment – having swapped between FS and HT a few times – currently with the new BFE, there are definitely times I wish I had the full sus….
But if i had a full sus – would i need the BFE? I really like the BFE….

I’ve sold mine recently, and would potentially miss it because I’d like a FS for the few times a year I do an uplift.

The new Canyon Strive looks nice…

I missed a HT, so I’ve just bought another. I think you need one of each. Prior to that I just had a HT and swapped if for a FS.

More bikes is always better.

but now that I am on 650b+, I feel no need for sus at all.

good point.
😯

But for me:

I do miss my full sus when I’m sat at work and it’s in my garage not being ridden.

Own hardtails and a 130/130 full suspension trail bike.
Love the full suspension bike!

But at the same time, if I had enough cash:
would add a Merida Big Trail 800 to my collection. But definitely not to replace my 130/130 bike…
😉

I have an enduro bike that I rarely ride, but nonetheless find it a huge difference-maker on difficult stuff. I rarely get it out because none of my local rides are focussed on really technical trails.

I try and go up to the Tweed once or twice a year and ride the Golfie – if I took the anthem up it would just be a hesitant, nerve-wracking, rubbish ride that would get me down. Riding the enduro bike there is fun and makes me feel that I know what I am doing to a limited extent. So it’s a tiny part of my riding overall, but it’s worth it to me to keep the big FS and at least keep in touch with it.

Years and years ago I swapped a full suss for a hardtail (Univega RAM 990 to a non branded but new hardtail frame – with all the components moved across) and it killed my love of mtb. Eventually sold up the hardtail and ended up just having a road bike.

A few years back I purchased an old Kona FS (U’hu – so sort of URT so not even a good FS) to see if I could get back into it. Now on my 2nd new FS since then and loving it.

I have just built a hardtail for mucking about on, but I won’t be making the mistake of getting rid of my FS again that’s for sure!

Has anyone else sold up and returned to just a hardtail in the shed and regretted it?

I bought a Brodie Holeshot Ti and sold my Five because I wasn’t riding it. I didn’t miss the Five 90% of the time, but it was fun going then to a suspension bike after a few years of pure hardtail ownership.

Currently I ride a hardtail most of the time, but come warmer weather the suss bike will be rolled out.

One of each here. I suppose whether you would miss it depends on your local terrain and riding style.

Mostly, I rattle about on a HT until about June when the ground gets too hard and vision becomes a problem on the fun stuff. I end up back on the HT again about October time when things get a bit softer.

I also use the FS for big days in the hills and trips all through the year.

I’d not be without either really, but If I absolutely had to, I’d keep the HT because it’s more appropriate to most of my riding and the experiences I want on the terrain that’s local.

I was HT only for a couple of years.

I think (owing to the fact that my HT doesn’t have rack mounts anyway so there’s not much it can do the FS can’t) I’d probably go the other way if I had to get rid of a bike right now (plus, er, I’m building up an old pile of 26er bits into an SS and I have my oldest bike set up for kiddie carrying duties so can get some HT satisfaction if I need to). Particularly in your position, it does give a bit more versatility.

Having said that, with procore big rocky hills on the HT started to work OK (there have been times I’ve really tested my grip strength in the past, and also I had resorted to dual ply tyres which really don’t pedal very well). Keeping up with mates on FS on an HT is always fun, too. But there is one section I’ve ridden that I’m not sure I’d dare attempt on an HT, you do end up just using the bike as a get out of jail free card towards the bottom of it.

Edit – so I guess yes I clearly did miss the full sus or I wouldn’t have got another one…

I start by looking at how much I’d get selling a 26″ full sus bike.

At times I’ve been HT only and then FS only. Whenever I have just the one, I miss the other.
Now happily running both.

At times, yes. End of long day on rough ground. Big hills time. A few times around the woods.

But I still massively enjoy the HT I can afford at present – so I would rather be out on that than nothing. I also enjoy the speed of reaction on the HT.

No. Had both …… used both …. sold both …. bought hardtail only 29er, 120mm…… have never regretted it or wish I had the full bonce back.

Not ridden a full susser for a couple of years now and starting to miss it so considering a new purchase sometime this year.

Probably a RocketMax to match my BFe.

Currently have a 29 full suss and a 650b+ full rigid. Thinking of selling both and going for a hardtail that can take 29 or 650b+, as that covers 99% of my riding really.

Might miss it the odd day in Dartmoor or Afan, but I’m done with trying to cover everything too well.

Last time I took my HT to Dartmoor I enjoyed it a great deal more than the FS.

I used to use the HT at Afan, but it’s pretty rough and eroded in sections now and the FS was better there last time.

Was currently considering going just hardtail but after a few rides over christmas on mine I built the full suss back up, a hardtail is simply too uncomfortable (for me) for the riding I do up here in the Lakes.

Would really like to have option of both, if money and space allowed, as I do enjoy riding the hardtail from time to time.

DezB you shouldn’t disclose information like that.

Is that right? What about putting pics of bikes on the Internet? Dangerous too? Can’t say anything untoward has happened in the 20+ years I’ve been doing it.

29″ HT & FS here. I went for ever basically without the handtail which I built up about 12 months ago now.

Funny enough it’s probably my most ridden bike now. It’s great for local stuff and a few other bits.

I didn’t be without the FS though, I still race a bit of DH and a reasonable amount of enduro stuff, plus for the bigger days out, holidays etc.

My one bike has become two!

You’re always one bike away from the one you want, which is fine, as it’ll be your next one!

My FS and HT are very different bikes.

Cotic Solaris 29er HT and Commencal Meta AM 160mm travel 26″ FS.

I hadn’t ridden my FS since May last year until this weekend when I went to Grenoside. I’m sooo glad I haven’t sold it, it’s still a great bike. Pointing downhill any way…

@joebristol-bloke:

Univega RAM 990

And how was this bike riding? Really an oldtimer…

Years and years ago that I saw an Univega mountain bike!
😯

andreasrhoen – Member
@joebristol-bloke:

I’ve noticed you do this ‘-bloke’ thing a few times but there are quite a few ladies on here you know and their names don’t give them away.

Fair enough Joe spelt with an e is usually a fella but still….

Is it actually worth selling the 26″ full-sus? I can’t imagine it’ll fetch much?

Andreas – the Ram 990 rode ok at the time. It had Bomber z1’s on it and reasonable mid range components.

It was pretty light and nimble – the only fly in the ointment was the rear shock setup which had a falling rate. So it was firm initially to resist bob, but then under larger compressions it would wallow through loss of travel. I imagine it would be much better with a modern shock on it with adjustable compression damping and the ability to add tokens to ramp up the travel towards the end.

I do keep looking every now and then to see if I can find one on eBay for cheap to buy for old times sake, but they were quite rare even at the time.

Not at all. HT all the way for me 😀

Commie Supreme 6, Commie Meta 4X, Flare, Rocket- all sold and not missed in the slightest. Maybe they’re not different enough to (or more capable than enough) a BFe with good forks to make me miss them.

My FS has been in the LBS since 9th November

Yes I am missing it!! Just phoned them and they are still waiting on bearings from zee Germans for my Liteville, which are apparently “on their way”…

Yep, I’ve only got room for one bike and I always want the one I haven’t got.

I only ride Cannock most of the time so I don’t need a FS, but they’re fun, you can be lazy on them and you can go stupidly fast.

By comparison the HT is always work, it’s almost always fun and it always feels fast but normally isn’t.

I almost always miss the full sis when I’m riding somewhere else though, Afan was horrible, Ae wasn’t much better.

It’s cheap though, and there’s less to wear out which I like. I’ll go back to a full suss eventually, when I’m less skint.

I’ve been without a fs for over a year now and my god I miss it!!! Absolutely love riding my ht but it doesn’t half beat me up on a full day on the mountain. New fs build imminent and should be ready for when things dry out a bit. So looking forward to riding with some back end boing again.

@joebristol:

I do keep looking every now and then to see if I can find one on eBay for cheap to buy for old times sake, but they were quite rare even at the time.

thanks. Yes – very rare bikes. Don’t see Univegas any more.
Shock: agree. Would be a nice little project to put a modern shock in.

Had a Transition Bandit and a Cotic BFE spent most of my time on the Bandit so sold the Cotic frame put everything on an Orange five now I’ve 2 full sus to pick from and couldn’t be happy doubt I’ll go back to ht

Never looked back since going full sus ..my last hardtail( Gary Fisher Big Sur) was gifted to my now 80 yr old father and it’s still in use .
I will trade the extra weight of a full sus over a HT every day of the week ..for the extra comfort..