I need my mountain bike to be comfy like I need my sofa to be exciting and fast!

Aren’t hardtails for people who can’t afford a FS?

What, people like me? 🙂

yes it’s true.

I have only ever had one full ride on a FS, a SC Superlight. Had the odd spin on a number of other FS bikes though. What I did find, with the FS, is that although it is undoubtedly more comfy, I felt somewhat ‘disassociated’ from the trail, and it din’t seem quite as ‘engaging’ as riding a HT. Downy bits were praps a little bit quicker, but stuff like line choice din’t seem quite as important and I din’t feel the need to be quite as ‘switched’ on (I apologise for the gratuitous use of clichéd expressions) as I do on my HT. So the ride wasn’t quite as ‘rewarding’ in the same way as it is on my HT.

Of course, I concede some things may be down to the design and set up of the bike, and I’m open to the notion of trying different designs and set-ups. But my brief experiences with full suss bikes on the kind of terrain I’ve ridden on, don’t tell me I’d have any more ‘fun’ on a FS than a HT.

To be honest. In the Peaks I think you’re right, and if that’s where you do most your riding then again you’re probably right.

Ride Peaks regular on both, some days I prefer hardtail, some days full suss
On the whole though I think the hardtail just sneaks it, I come home more forfilled, ride better and use and improve more skills. Hammering a straight line down rocky descents can be fun though
It’s Horses for courses, six and two threes, as broad as it’s long, 6 of one half dozen of the other innit

He’s obviously forgotten how to ride. Your body is the best suspension going 😉

It’s Horses for courses, six and two threes, as broad as it’s long, 6 of one half dozen of the other innit

A nod’s as good as a wink to a blind bat….

I was going to comment but I’m too busy yawning.

Pmsl, took waaaaay longer than I thought before somesaid “you should learn to ride better“

Right, I’m going to join the luddites and diitch my FS for A HT, then my colour tv for a b&w one, chuck the microwave and central heating out and sell the car…as youi don’t actually need those things…

Actually so too have trails – we are riding stuff now way more difficult than we did 10 / 20 years ago in general

Really, Apart from where the trails I ride across The NY Moors have worn a little they seem to be the same as they where 10/20 years ago.

I can happily say I don’t need a FS I just need a bike just like I did all those years ago.

So the ride wasn’t quite as ‘rewarding’ in the same way as it is on my HT.

How rewarding was it when you threw the ‘Noodle in a ditch in the Qs?
😉

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET3DVrNsknI[/video]

Actually so too have trails – we are riding stuff now way more difficult than we did 10 / 20 years ago in general

Really..

singlespeed_shep beat me to it, I mean REALLY

How rewarding was it when you threw the ‘Noodle in a ditch in the Qs?

It was quite unrewarding actually, as I then had to straighten out that rim. It were bent, but using a bit of two-be-two I managed to straighten it again. Managed to sort that dodgy front brake though; used some Mayhem mud to de-glaze the pads.

Bear in mind my experience of FS is extremely limited, and too brief to gain any form of informed perspective, but I can understand the term ‘skill compensator’. I din’t feel I needed to be quite as alert and as sharp as on my HT, and tbh those are the things I enjoy having to be when I’m riding. I enjoy the focus and concentration involved.

I’d love to own a FS though, I’m sure some stuff could be great fun on one, and maybe having one would enable me to enjoy some more gnarly stuff than I’m used to. I’ve never really found anywhere I’ve ridden where my HT coon’t cope though. And I doubt I’d ride anywhere where a FS would offer any significant advantage tbh, as I don’t go to the Alps etc several times a year. So, not really something I’m going to sell a kidney to obtain.

I am perfectly willing for someone to buy me a carbon Titus X or FTM though…. 🙂

But i bet most of you clowns saying you dont NEED F.S are using
Big soft compound tires – which you dont need
Disc brakes – which you dont need
indexing gears
SPD’s
wide riser bars
etc etc etc

They are all MTB’s and all good

to be fair, the fork is well out of its depth up there, its a Manitou minute , and the brakes aren’t the best, if I changed those I would have enjoyed it a little bit more on the rocky descents.

Full suss IS better, for a lot of riding. But better isn’t neccesarily more good 😉 My rigid is enormously worse than my full suss or my hardtail but sometimes, it’s more fun to ride.

Bikes are awesome.

But i bet most of you clowns saying you dont NEED F.S are using
Big soft compound tires – which you dont need
Disc brakes – which you dont need
indexing gears
SPD’s
wide riser bars

nope, singlespeed, v-brakes, flat bars and egg-beaters but my 29 inches are refered to a clown bike 😆

i’ve recently gone back to a ht (a lovely charge duster mid bike 😀 after swapping my 10 anthem x2 for it.it was partly due to servicing costs,but more that i wanted to go back to a ht,as i had loads of good times on them (back in the late 80’s/early 90’s).the anthem was a great bike (it saved my arse on more than 1 occasion/very comfy) but i just wanted to simplify things tbh.as i don’t ride any places where i “need” full sus it also makes sense.all in all since getting the duster,am absolutely loving it 😀 no regrets whatsoever. 😀

@Simonm

I ride a F.S because it allows me to ride harder for longer without having a bad back for days , but it is only short travel so i’m not going silly A&E speed when it goes wrong , but still getting a buzz .

Anyway.

Back on topic.

I like all my bikes and around the peaks have ridden HT, FS (trail version) and a Mini Dh bike (when a mate borrowed the other FS).

To be honest I am happy riding all the trails on any of those bikes, apart from the MiniDH uphill, ridden the beast fat on my HT and yeah it was a little bouncy but was awesome to do

As racefaceec90. I recently built a HT to save maintenance costs of the FS over winter and when its not needed (FS). First rides I thought it was just or almost as quick as my FS on my local trails.. how wrong was I! Followed my mate on his FS (similar pace to me). He left me and my HT for dead. Maybe it was too many years on a FS (its been 12years since last HT), but when I got back on the FS, it felt soo much quicker and generally speaking, more fun.
Fun on the bike can be measured in many ways, but I myself get more enjoyment out of going faster, speed gives me a buzz and a FS gives me more. Its also lots more comfy 🙂

The HT has its place, and I bought it for winter + XC endurance racing + child seat duties, so I’m happy I have it, but FS has more vavavoom!

I’ve just sold my solid mission 9 an gone back to a ht a blue pig after years of just doin dh an its getting more fun each week let’s you know your riding again just always use a shit pair of brakes as that helps a lot lol

Northwind – Member
Bikes are awesome.

This.

Choose your weapon (FWIW mine’s a short travel 1×9 bulletproof HT), and go ride.

slainte ➡ rob

Christ this place is just full of the same pointless posts. Just ride the ****’ bike and have fun instead of these ‘a hard tail is better for choosing a line’ shite and ‘a full suss is better for comfort’ guff. I have both. They are a larf. That’s right both of them. It’s just a bloody bike after all.

If I lived somewhere rockier I’d want to ride my FS more, I’m sure. I just keep reaching for my HT at the moment. I’m lucky to have a choice.

I thought that people had to have a FS bike, especially STW’ers.. Come on now, Orange need some suckers to buy into their Orange five malarky..

If everyone just had an Orange Five, then they would know it is pointless having any other bike. 😆

I’ve ridden 2 full sussers for a total of five minutes.
I didn’t like the colour of EITHER of them, which I’m sure you’ll agree is pretty conclusive.

Anyway, if a rigid bike is good enough for Arse Lancestrong, it’s certainly good enough for me.

Good point, well put. Rigid bikes are the best if you are an arse…

SimonM should be treated with sympathy, his pride n joy recently got squashed under the uplift trailer at Innerleithen or somewhere like that, he’s just in grieving and knows not what he says. 😉

What a load of donkeys cobblers OP.

I ride a 6″ FS because I choose to and it suits my riding, but I dont remember enjoying rattling down the Beast, or Jacobs Ladder any less riding my old ’97 Kona Lava Dome with 2.1 tyres. Maybe a little slower, but no less fun.

For the rocky stuff I have me my full 4 point linkage suspension, two knees and two elbows.

What am I missing here, are people too lazy to do anything but ride start to finish on their fat ar$es or something?

If that’s what they want ride around the rocks?

The only full susser I’ve ever ridden was a GT i-Drive, from Halfords. So my opinion doesn’t count. But FWIW, I wasn’t heartbroken when it got nicked.

Heh, thanks nana. That’s a fair point, I’ve not ridden a HT as much as fs to give a fair comparison.
I do quite like it on my local trails, it appears to get the job done quicker for my hour and half nighjt rides….I just think there a poor choice for the Peak

I have a fs for when I really need it.

(silly reply to silly OP)

flow – member

I like flow. Can we keep him?

.I just think there a poor choice for the Peak

…and everyone lives and rides there do they?

no but I do, dont get your point