Hi all,

3 weeks delayed… Thanks for all the answers. I wasn’t expecting so much feedback from you.
I took the last weeks to keep riding the FS and tried to examine my use case. In the end, I concluded that my current bike is likely the best option:
– despite what some say, I still struggle to see the advantages of an hardtail for both Shotgun riding and the kind of bikepacking I’m into. The AM9 is a very efficient pedaling platform and extremely reliable and comfortable.
– I’m moving to Switzerland in a month and a half, so I guess the terrain there should be even more unforgiving for hardtails.

Once again, thanks for all the comments

yeah you don’t swap the AM9 for a hardtail, the hardtail should compliment the AM9. Hence why I now have a Whyte G160 and a Ragley BigWig. Only just got the BigWig but it’s brilliantly bonkers in a different way to the Whyte, but the Whyte will likely retire from Mac-Ride/Shotgun duties now as there doesn’t seem much point in that

You need both.

The FS is always the first choice. Just better everywhere and the maintenance thing is rubbish. Just under 3 years on the original bearings.

Ha! I owned a FS for less than a year – a Kona Hei Hei Trail – and trashed the bearings and headset in that time. After that I’m fairly confident I’ll not buy another.

I also don’t get the whole getting beat up on a HT. I find dragging a bouncy sofa around just as hard work, even if my trail HT is weighty.

I bought a bfemax at the start of the year and it is absolutely amazing! So much fun and real capable even when I would think a hardtail would be struggling, rough, rocky, rooty natural stuff. It just works though! There are times I struggle to keep up with people on enduro bikes but not by a big margin. All my mates told me hardtail were rubbish and that I would regret it
It gets better every time I ride it!
However I also have an enduro bike, I wouldn’t want to be without that. The hardtail is more tiring, I do get beat up more but I agree the maintenance thing isn’t a massive issue. I work on my hardtail as much as my enduro bike. That may be because I try and ride it the same down the same trails though!
The solution is definitely own both!

I also don’t get the whole getting beat up on a HT.

You’re not riding it properly then.

reeksy
Free Member

Ha! I owned a FS for less than a year – a Kona Hei Hei Trail – and trashed the bearings and headset in that time. After that I’m fairly confident I’ll not buy another.

So you’re telling us that Kona specc’d shit bearings throughout? Otherwise you’re in for a shock when you realise hardtails have headsets too

I also don’t get the whole getting beat up on a HT. I find dragging a bouncy sofa around just as hard work, even if my trail HT is weighty.

2 different things there. A heavier full-sus bike would take more effort climbing, and might be slightly less efficient. But talking about getting beaten up is because of the rider doing all the rear-suspension work for the hardtail regardless of the weight of it

I actually find my enduro bike slightly easier to climb hills in some ways. Any remotely tech climb is easier, it feels like I’m dragging the hardtail over stuff more than my enduro bike. I’ve had full suss bikes that have eaten bearings in 3 months and other that went 18 months with zero bearing issues.
To be fair the hardtail is harder to ride in most situations, but it’s so good! I toyed with just owning a hardtail for a year but I’m not 100% sure my ageing body could handle that abuse all the time!
Got a mate in Scotland that ditched his full suss bike a year ago. He podiums in races on the hardtail all the time. He can still walk so maybe I worry over nothing!

A bloody PP Shan gt that keeps haunting me has been offered to me for sale again this morning, for a stupid low price !
I really cannae justify it but Christ what a bike it is. Had it for 2 days at GT and it’s mental.
Price is less that the cost of the carbon wheels, let alone the xtr and the DVO diamond front end ! Lol

Then share a link so someone else can take it and solve your problems for you 😉

i can’t not ride my hardtail.
since i started riding 30 months ago, it’s been through 3 evolutions to where it is now (frames upgrades etc, essentially the 4th bike)
My FS i built from scratch 17? months back hasn’t changed, except for repairs, doesn’t appear i’ve even ridden it in the past 2 months..and i think then it was for BPW as my first visit i kinda thought it made sense.

I get by with a HT (Ragley BigWig) as my main MTB (also have a 45650b set up SS). It’s a great bike. I sold a 26er FS to build the Ragley, convinced that, with 150mm forks and 29er 2.5/2.6 tyres, it would be all the bike I need.

It kind of is, mostly. And it would always be the bike I’d ride most. But I’ve decided I (think I) need a FS alongside this. Techy, rocky, steep stuff, it does, but I think I lack the confidence and ability to do it justice, and feel a FS would help me out more …

But maybe I just need to grow some. And/or do some skills courses … 🤷

You’re not riding it properly then.

Ha – that’s quite funny. My mates on FS bikes don’t seem to think that.

@mashr
The Kona had a crappy FSA headset.
The quality of the bearings on the linkages wasn’t at question, more the regularity and cost of maintenance proved to not be worthwhile. I have at least as much fun on the HTs, i’ve ridden them faster on many downhills and on all uphills.
One of the steel HTs is heavier than the carbon FS was.
I feel the pedalling is more efficient on climbs including tech sections that I can clean although my FS buddies sometimes can’t.

And yes, i understand the concept of having to do the rear suspension’s work with your legs – i’m saying it doesn’t concern me for the blue/red/black riding I do.

In the $/smile measurement my HT leaves me with cash to spend on replacing bent rims.

On the subject of hardtails…… this is awesome 👌

Yeah, i watched that. It’s got my kids interested in racing…so thought we could get into it, but the oldest is a year off the youngest age group.

I’ve a mate who competes admirably on a Bigwig at enduros.

Then share a link so someone else can take it and solve your problems for you 😉

Not advertised but it’s this.

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I’ve got a 2015 dartmoor hornet that runs on 26 inch wheels. Easy to jump and flick about although the dropper could be longer. Built up with mostly spare parts and the odd new ones. Complements my patrol very well when I don’t need a big heavy enduro bike to ride. 150mm 27.5 pike

It isn’t LLS and there are comparable HT out there if I wanted to swap to something newer like the Nukeproof scout 275.

You should always own a hardtail IMO. I went from FS to HT so many times.. often when the full suss was boring on local trails (spesh enduro) and swapped everything over for a stanton slackline. Ended up going back to a FS when the stanton was a bit of work to handle at BPW (esp rim dinger!)

Saying that i’ve always had a short travel steel hardtail – currently a voodoo wanga in ridgid format.

Agree with @trickydisco but I would also add that I think its important not to go too OTT with the hardtail – I’ve done the whole steel, massive forks, enduro-style hardtail and it jsut gets frustrating – doesnt really weight much less than the FS bike, goads you into riding the same stuff at the same speed and then just isnt as good.

Keep the weight down, the geo a bit more conservative, the travel down a touch, and they are much more fun – fast, reactive and make you ride things differently. I dont mean going full Nino Spec Scott Scale, but not too much as above.

Couldnt agree more with @snotrag
started off on a vitus nucleus, then built up a DMR trailstar with 170mm forks, then went 160/130 (dual position) then converted them to 140mm coil, then changed to a sonder transmitter at 150mm, then onto a 130mm sonder signal (29er), i feel a good 130mm (push acs3) fork on 29″ wheels seems adequate, and 140-150 on 27.5 for all round riding.
if you built up an all travel hardtail, it literally will just sit in the same position as your full sus, while keeping it on the lighter side and slightly dialled back will still give a good overall on riding options, but also make the more boring stuff more interesting.
Im planning on getting a set of light wheels and fast rolling tyres for the signal so i can swap wheels and use to commute (and get rid of my flat bar gravel hybrid thingy)