Hardtails – Outdated

My TranceX is faster, up, down and along and I can ride it all day. It pops, absorbs bumps, grips like glue on corners, it floats, it flicks – it's ace. But sometimes I feel it's not really real.

Then I get the big forked HT out. It lurches up climbs, slowly bobbles along and then crashes fearfully downhill. It needs huge physical input and guts to ride well and leaves me fearful and shattered. That's why I still ride it.

Maybe you should try it before you dismiss it?

I tried FS for 10 years, but then loved a hardtail instead:-)

Full sus was just too dull, got bored of biking

Find or build some harder trails?

Decisions decisions

horses for courses, depends where we are riding

Not all FS are high maintenance….get a decent single pivot and you'll only have two bearings to change 😀

As for who rides what…..WHO THE XXXX cares!!!!! Stop shooting someone down for stating his opinion. Mind you, doing so on a forum with a large population of niche hungry idiots is bound to upset someone……whoops 😛

Oh….and i think hardtails are crap too.

Find or build some harder trails?

ie courses for horses ??

@ J-Claw, I think it was the tone of the original post more than the content that annoyed some people.

Unless you were trolling, if so well done 😆

HT for racing,climbs,sprints and descend like a demon. FS for the fun of it (and for the frequent visits to the lakes).

Hahaha, there was only one way this was going to go.

Good effort.

Hardtail good for this:

Hardtail no good for this:

Aaaahhh, so now you're saying that hardtails have a place?

Dimwit.

Aaaahhh, so now you're saying that hardtails have a place?

Try re-reading the OP…

Unless you're riding on the road, or on extremely smooth trails…

Stop shooting someone down for stating his opinion.

I don't see anyone shooting anyone down myself.

Just people saying what they like to ride.

As opposed to Mr J cloth who's trying to tell everyone else what they should be riding in his predictable trolly way. 😀

Try re-reading the OP…

I did; you're a dimwitted troll on the available evidence…

My lord me & SFB agreeing. Whatever next? Me out riding with the Boggies?

I did; you're a dimwitted troll on the available evidence…

If I'm such a troll, why are you getting so upset?

^^^^ Hardtail would be fine for that.

If you were designing the very first bike for riding off road on rocky, rooty, trails and wanted the best compromise of traction, comfort and speed I think what you'd design would be a FS bike. Hardtails are, I think, something of a a legacy from MTB's infancy.

However anyone can ride what they want to, the choice is theirs.

FS saves my back from a beating and after riding hardtails for years I wouldn't go back. Having said all that my FS is a mere 4 incher and pumped up hard (oooh er missus) it's also a single pivot, my bearings are almost 10 years old and get used several times a week so I don't see a downside to FS.

^^^^ Hardtail would be fine for that.

FS would be better!

I repeat……niche hungry idiots.

What's on that bottom pic that you couldn't ride well on a HT with a big fork?
And unless we are talking about gravel tracks and fields, I disagree that HT's are better at XC racing. A light FS is much faster everywhere because it grips better and you can sit-down and put maximum effort into pedalling.

FS would be better!

In what way? I could get down it on either, FS will feel smoother thats all.

lets not argue our selves into owning only one bike… god forbid… I find it hard enough already to convince the missus I don't need to sell any…..

I remember when I didn't have a choice… there where no full sussers….

I'm glad there are now though 😀

i'm a ht person.

got a short travel full susser for racing (its quicker.)
but, the long forked ht for all other/general riding. its more fun.

depends what you think is getting down it better… if you mean smoother/easier. then fine. but its not much of a challenge once you smooth it out with a full sus!

nickegg – Member

I repeat……attention hungry troll.

Hmm….I see a challenge coming on….RS Vs J-Cloth in a head to head down Upper and Lower Ladies Only.

FS would be better!

Really, why? I haven't ridden anything that wouldn't be more fun on a hardtail, while (and here's the important bit) I still have the energy to enjoy myself, to brake when I want to and ride aggressively.

The ONLY time when a FS is more fun is when the trails/DH's/rides are to long to do the above.

For me thats long (>15 mile) loops in the peak, and most alpine riding. Anywhere else where the downs are short or there's time to recover on longer rides. I'll probably be on a HT. I'm sure that everyone has a point a which they'd be having more fun on a FS (if you say no then you're lying! megavalanche? a monster 100km Peak loop?), we're just all different.

If I'm such a troll, why are you getting so upset?

I'm not upset, I'm playing the troll game….

I've just read the op and can't see what you all are fussing about ??? He's not saying h/t are rubbish and people shouldn't be riding them or are stupid for doing so. Only that in the situations he described his new full sus out performs his old h/t. They of course ride exactly as he describes, that doesn't mean loads of people don't prefer riding h/tails, fully ridgid or whatever.

joolsburger wouldn't be a Marin by any chance would it?

Hmm….I see a challenge coming on….RS Vs J-Cloth in a head to head down Upper and Lower Ladies Only.

Is that picture not pink starfish… at least thats what the link says? I haven't ridden that trail but that bit at least looks doable on HT. I actually did have thoughts about taking the video camera out there this weekend and finding that bit of trail.

Unless you're riding on the road, or on extremely smooth trails then stop kidding yourself – you will be better off on a suspension bike

That's what he said.

He's a dimwit.

Oli, isn't it just that Hardtails are harder to break?… 😉

Anyway, the American magazine I read last month said that all mountainbikes with 26" wheels and less than 4 inches of rear travel are rendered obsolete by 29ers… What do we reckon to that?!

There are plenty of trails where hardtails are more fun. Bikes are all about fun so surely they will never be outdated.

My 6" full sus has sat in the shed for the last year, my rigid SS and my 6" forked h/tail get all the action. Go figure. Oh, and I was riding full sus bikes in 1990.

He's a dimwit.

& you are narrow-minded & resistant to/scared of change.

Things move on… Maybe you should too?

jojoA1
Anyway, the American magazine I read last month said that all mountainbikes with 26" wheels and less than 4 inches of rear travel are rendered obsolete by 29ers… What do we reckon to that?!

er….

Is that picture not pink starfish… at least thats what the link says? I haven't ridden that trail but that bit at least looks doable on HT.

It is Pink Starfish & I have ridden it on a HT. I've also ridden it on a FS & it was a lot more fun on that. I'm bored of getting beaten up by the trails on my HT. I have a lot more fun riding the trails on a FS, rather than just making it down them on a HT.

Dimwit….

I've had HT and FS, and I take issue with your prescription for the masses; that we'll be better off on a FS.

Not narrow minded, not resistant to/or scared of change, just sensible enough to know a Dimwitted troll when one pops out from under the bridge.

Maybe work on your fitness and skill levels, rather than compensating for them with a snazzy bike.

Nowt wrong with snazzy bikes though, I have one.