Getting beat up on my hardtail

Not ridden a hardtail for years now so decided to treat myself and bought a Cotic BFe Max frame and built it up.

I love the bike and it fits well but when doing some decent trails on it the bike is beating the piss out of me.

I went to the wyre forest yesterday and only did 8 miles but feel proper beat up and tired today.

I’m that used to having rear suspension soaking stuff up for me it’s almost like I’ve forgot how to ride a hardtail.

I nearly got bucked a few times yesterday as I was sat instead of standing up.

Am I doomed or is it just a case of perseverance ??

what were you expecting a hard tail to ride like lol

I would have thought you need to get stronger be riding it more particularly in the lower back,arms and hands.use your legs as suspension.its always going to beat you up more though.

in true STW style MTFU ! 😉

You need to change your technique, look for the smooth lines in the trail, hop over rough bits rather than ploughing through. I don’t know if you ride clipped in but IMO it is a big help on a hardtail.

The one area I find a hardtail will always come up short is seated pedaling over slightly rough ground as you do get bumped around and can’t keep a good pedaling rhythm

What tyre pressures and widths are you running, particularly in the rear?

It’s not the bike, it’s you.

Going by your history, you seem to keep trying to buy yourself out of this, it never works, you need to get fitter and stronger, and get out more, otherwise you’ll just keep buying ad nauseum.

you need to be up out of the seat… no other way about it… or at least ready to unweight the saddle slightly… you can definitely get away with more seated pedalling on a FS
once you click with it you’ll have a blast though

No doubt in my mind it’s me and not the bike.

I’m also in the worse shape of my life and not fit at all.

It’s my back and legs that were hurting the most.

Tyres are 2.6 so quite large volume and not too hard.

I did one trail and absolutely loved it. Nice and swooping with a couple of lips and the bike just went.

It’s you and the bike.

Its true that hardtails batter you more on any kind of terrain thats worth riding, but it’s more you. You’re unfit, heavy and probably weak and when you get tired, there nowhere to hide on a hardtail.

I find this with fully suspenders bikes.

obvs Renton has the wrong ht therefore = buy new ht just diff design

That’s what they do innit, I used to love a nice steel hardtail….right up to the point I just wished I was riding my short travel full suss.

When I first got my Solairs felt exactly the same wondering if I should keep the bike or swap it for a flare max thinking had I been sold the dream of steel HT rather than actually wanting one. My problem was trying to ride it like my rocket which was a bad idea. After a few weeks I dropped the tyre pressure (A LOT) and started to pick different lines to smooth out the trail and now I love it the bonus of this was I now pick better lines on my rocket meaning I can go faster.

You must have been really beaten up after that ride, I saw you had the bike up for sale early this morning.

As hardtails go, I find the BfeMax a really comfortable one. Had a few 30k trail centre spins on it lately, which are normally fairly rocky and bumpy, was really surprised at the fact that I didn’t feel at all beaten up.

Fitness is relative, I guess… I wouldn’t consider myself fit, but for me, I’m riding fairly regularly, so better than usual. That probably helps more than anything.

I’ve gone back to a HT recently and know what you mean about the aching back! Funny where the strain appears.

If it’s the latest BFe I’d assume it is quite LLS. I have found really focusing on keeping my weight forwards in true “modern geometry” technique has helped a lot, as I’m riding with my hips further forward with more flex in my knees. I don’t think you can get away with old-school leaning back like you could (just) on an equivalent full sus.

I’d also check other things in bike setup like stack height etc that might contribute to soreness. If you are fresh back to HTs then it’s helpful to remember the front sags and the back doesn’t! Also for me, SPDs do help a lot with rougher trails.

I went to Cannock yesterday on new hardtail
Intended to do 2 laps of 🐒
Did one and was knackered
Consider myself reasonably fit too
Uses different muscles
Was meant to do 100 miles on the road today and just couldn’t be bothered
But imagine I’ll get better

Haha ok so the general consensus is that it’s me being a fat unfit bugger and the bike is fine.

I’ll just keep riding and hopefully get fit enough to enjoy it

Thudbuster seat post possibly to take worst edge off trail bumps?
I could do with a full sun sometimes but never had one so I don’t know what I’m missing lol.

Plus tyres help a bit too but at expense of more weight and certain squirm on hard surfaces. When they work they are brilliant though.

Haha ok so the general consensus is that it’s me being a fat unfit bugger and the bike is fine.

The bike is what it is. You are the variable and capable of significant adaptation.

Cheers for all the replies.

I’m definitely going to persevere with it.

It was strange as a lot of the trails I did yesterday I had never done before, coupled with being unfit and I just felt totally cumbersome and clumsy on the bike.

Saying that …. On the two trails I did that I do know I was flying and it all felt like it came together.

Does that make sense ?

I keep thinking of another hardtail, then remember it kicks the shit out of you when riding in the lake district, which is my area.

Even my T129 with 140 Pikes is hardwork at times, I’ll be looking for a 150/160mm FS soon I think …

You are going to have to ride more, even if that means easier trails. More time on bike, the fitter and better conditioned you get. I have an old fully rigid that’s just used now in sloppy conditions, but ride full sus all the time due to a knackered back (bad fracture 5 years ago in car vs bike – missing part of my L1 now).

But, riding more is the answer. A bike won’t fix that.

If you are going to bring a knife to a gunfight you need to have some skills if you want to come out the other side 🙂

Stand up and attack –

Stike First
Stike Hard
No Mercy

On a hardtail, you are the susoension, so your arms legs and core are constantly working to absorb and rebalance. That’s a lot of work, especially if you are coming from a fs.
I suspect the reason you felt faster on the trails you knew is because you knew what was coming and picked a line you knew how to ride and got your body in position in anticipation. Hardtails can be really fast when you get it just right.
I remember reading a top rider from a few years back saying suspension isn’t about faster, it’s about less fatigue.

I remember reading a top rider from a few years back saying suspension isn’t about faster, it’s about less fatigue.

I agree with this up to a point. Beyond a certain level of speed and chunder, theres only so much the body can suck up and a HT just hooks up and slows down. I reckon that level is higher than people think though.

I love a good Renton bike thread.

I think you need to be honest with yourself. You don’t ride enough. That’s why you struggle and don’t enjoy it.

Sell the bike and buy an full suss ebike and never look back!

Tbh, I think he’s bang on renton, you’d love an ebike.

I’m in the same boat as the OP, or at least, similar. But a little further down the journey. I just love my hardtail, and choose it for 90% of my riding. But it definitely beats me up. And it’s really, really tiring – because you’ve got to constantly work the bike, instead of just sitting there and letting a full susser suck up the trail.

For unfamiliar trails, or for rides over 1.5 hours, I tend to défaut to the full suss. But for my local trails, or shorter blasts, nothing beats a good hardtail.

I think a specialized levo would be perfect for you. In XL (my size 😉)

I appreciate what you are all saying about an E bike.

If I get one Im sort of giving up on getting fit and that isnt what I want. I want to be able to do the trails under my own steam. Christ, in 2018 I built up to a 100 mile road ride so I know Ive got it in me.

HTs are rubbish. It’s not you, they’re just rubbish.

FS and accept on some bits you’ll be a tiny bit slower, but who cares

I don’t get your connection of an ebike meaning giving up being fit. Most of us find it quite the opposite as you get out more often, more riding for same time etc.

2.6 tyres set up tubeless. Tyre inserts are optional.

“I went to the wyre forest yesterday and only did 8 miles but feel proper beat up and tired today.”

This is GOOD! You do proper exercise, you feel tired and ache the next day (or two) and you get stronger and fitter. The more you do it, the more it takes to make you feel as tired and beaten up.

Keep doing it! (And stand up downhill and for any bumpy bits elsewhere).

If I get one Im sort of giving up on getting fit and that isnt what I want

That’s just silly talk.

Also, I find my Levo a more intense ride than my hardtail but that’s because I pedal just as hard and go a lot faster uphill and a bit faster downhill. There’s just no let-up, no pause to consider the lilies, it’s simply flat-out stupidity.

When I get to go to Wales again I’m quite torn over which one to take…

I can’t believe that no-one’s mentioned cross-training for power, strength and endurance.

It’s not all about riding more. Mountain biking is a whole-body sport and putting the miles in will only get you so far.

Also…why is everyone showing as a free member?

Maybe take a D lock out with you – pretty tasty in a fight and plausible deniability….

Either that, or ride with a mate?

HTs are rubbish. It’s not you, they’re just rubbish.

FS and accept on some bits you’ll be a tiny bit slower, but who cares

Not being an “HT person” I still disagree.  My clockwork Evo has been amazing when I stood up and let it flow, my Spark beat me shitless in a recent 8 race – because I sat down when tired.  The Spark is faster.

You’re as middle aged as I am OP.  Take the advice on riding style, stretching an an fitness and learn to enjoy the bike more, it’s not for sitting into.

Please don’t sell this one, it’s a beautiful bike.