I’ve just bought a hardtail. Lovely little Pace 529, great spec with a combo of Hope/Fox. Took it out for the first time tonight and bloody hell I’ve forgotten how hard they are to ride and how much different they are to a FS. Been on FS only for the last six years.

My question is, will my body get used to it? And will it become second nature after a few more rides?

Unfortunately I can’t own two bikes at the minute but I’m reluctant to sell my FS just yet in case the HT ends up doing my fruit in…

Any advice appreciated!

Which bit is ‘hard’…? (fnarr)

Rubber makes a difference (fnarr) to small, pebbly, in the saddle work, as does seatpost, saddle and wheel stiffness (fnarr). I’m fussy over rear pressures and tyres.

If it’s bigger bumps, then yes that is poor technique.

It might take a few rides to adapt your riding style and possibly kit tweaks. Personally, I love a hardtail’s acceleration on flowing singletrack and uphill.

Love my hardtail.

Slower on it down rocky shit but it makes easier stuff more fun.

Why can’t you own two bikes? Space? Front n back wheels off, turn handlebars, packs down to nowt.

4 bikes, 4 people in a 1 series bmw from blighty to courchevel can’t be wrong 🙂

Yeah you’ll get used to it. Finding smooth lines and gaping things add interest to the experience.

Hardtails are a great excuse to go back to the **** about on bikes you might have done when you was younger. Find all the BMX, pump tracks and flow jump trails localish to you and hone those pumping, sprinting, wheelie/manual and jumping skills. Timed laps and sprints to push your fitness on.

If you put the effort in and stick to it the end result will be good for you on any kind of bike!

Personally, I love a hardtail’s acceleration on flowing singletrack and uphill.

Yep, nothing beats one for power transfer…

But yes, thumping over roots is just painful unless you have uber fat tyres on it.

Stick with the hardtail. Much more fun. Full suss feels like cheating and not really riding when occasionally ride mine.

I’ve just gone from a 26 inch wheel stumpy full suspension to a 29er orange clockwork hardtail. It’s so much more fun.

I agree that setup takes a while to get right. I find the bigger specialised tyres amongst the lightest to keep climbing and acceleration but also the size form comfort. Tubeless too.

Well if it was me and I’d only the choice of one bike i’d be the FS. Simply because it’s more forgiving on the body. Essentially it’s down to personal preference so my suggestion would be to use the hardtail for your next few spins, then use the FS for a spin. Should allow you to choose what’s best for you.

Of course the other factor is who you ride with and how you ride ! The group I ride with are all on 29″ FS with 160mm travel and were always super fast (even on 26″ 100mm travel xc hardtails). I struggle to keep up on a FS, there’s no way I’d keep up on a hardtail.

The old 26″ Cotic BFE still gets dusted off for the occasional solo spin and provides plenty of grins.

I go back and forth on bikes and it usually takes a couple of rides on the hardtail to unlearn all the bad habits I’ve picked up on the full suss, if it’s been a while.
I’m always surprised by how my smoothness has degraded due to the forgiveness of the full suss.

They do feel hard – you get used to it surprisingly fast. Some people don’t like them though!

Make sure your bars are high enough – hardtails only sag at the front so if you set it up like your full-sus with static positions you’ll end up with your hands too low.

Bottom line is, it’s a personal feeling.

I had my RC529 for about 6 weeks before I sold it on. Had it set up with 150mm Pike and SC Reserve wheels.

The front sailed through stuff so well, I forgot the back had to follow! Really disliked it over roots and rocks (which is most of what I ride). I also like to maintain as much speed as possible on rough/fast stuff, and it just felt like it sucked the fun out of it for me.

On the opposite end, the best hard tails I’ve had have all been shorter travel. I just don’t think longer travel hard tails make sense for me. When that big fork compresses, it’s a lot of front end dive with the back staying put! 🙂

If I hadn’t fell out with it, I could have reduced the fork to 130mm and had another go.

It was great uphill though and very capable on fast and flowy stuff. It was just too much of a compromise for me to enjoy it.

“When that big fork compresses, it’s a lot of front end dive with the back staying put! 🙂”

High bars on hardcore hardtails!

I’ve just got a new hard tail, it felt harsh to start with, but have tweaked the cockpit, added a token, reduced pressure, slowed rebound, etc.. really happy now. That was replacing another hard tail too. Sherpa for a Solaris mk1 since you asked.

Yep, nothing beats one (a HT) for power transfer…

Other than a rigid bike.

Stand up … i used to notice how much FS riders sit down. Lazy sods. Lopes and McCormack in Mastering Mountain Bike Skills actually suggest you should never really sit down. Obviously not that practical, but a mate who just won the Australian National SS reckons he makes this part of his training.

… I’ve got rid of my FS for a SolarisMAX and with a 2.6 front and 2.3 rear it’s cutting through rocks and roots faster.

I just don’t think longer travel hard tails make sense for me. When that big fork compresses, it’s a lot of front end dive with the back staying put!

I’m sure there’s something in this, and why Whyte spec their 900 series with less travel.

To the OP, presume you’ve got the 529 set up with skinny 29″ tyres. Try it in 275+ flavour, with a tough rear tyre, an insert and sub-20psi. It’ll feel more forgiving.

My 529 has 140mm pikes. I also have a specialized enduro 150mm front and back. I ride steep stuff in and around tweed valley. So mud, roots and some rocky bits

Got the pace in August the enduro has flat tyres. It’s not been out since July.

I hate hard tails, spawn of the devil as far as I’m concerned. And before any questions, I started on fully rigid and progressed thru hard tails.

Went from a 26″ FS to a HT*.

Fun, Fun, Fun FUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

*The HT is now rigid and still fun.

I love the concept of HTs, love the looks of them, but i can’t yet find one i can ride down things as quickly as i can my T-130. Until that happens, they’re a bit pointless IMO.

Stay off the saddle unless coasting or on smooth sections. Get the saddle out of the way except for climbs. Legs and arms are great ‘full suspension’.

And play with tyre pressures/widths.

Full disclosure: only ever owned a couple of them but I couldn’t get on with fullsussers. Felt like I was being robbed of all those little unconscious decisions, lines, unweighted ‘floats’ (micro-jumps) and compensations that made singletrack so fun, challenging and interesting for me.

i can’t yet find one i can ride down things as quickly as i can my T-130. Until that happens, they’re a bit pointless

I only ride hardtails and I’ve heard this comment before.

It kinda implies that ‘speed’ is the only important thing – is that really true?

I love the concept of HTs, love the looks of them, but i can’t yet find one i can ride down things as quickly as i can my T-130.

He who has most fun, wins.
I’m not bothered about being the fastest, but my HT more often than not puts a huge smile on my face. More than it batters me anyway.

It kinda implies that ‘speed’ is the only important thing – is that really true?

On that sort of terrain yes. On most rides, not really. But if i go to FoD/Afan/BPW/Alps then i want to be scooting down at what i percieve as a decent pace, i don’t want to be hanging on, clattering down, trying to pick my way down around every root/rock and concentrating so much my eyeballs explode, i want to be flying down (in a relative context) enjoying the ‘flow’

Ride my Soul a lot more than the T130 since I had it, I find with the T130 I appreciate it more after being on the Soul. Very similar but very different bikes at the same time. Soul is immensely fun and fast, but the T130 feels more agile yet more forgiving at the same time. Both are awesome bikes, it’s nice to have the choice!

Every time I swap from full suss to hardtail I find for the first few mins the back wheel is off the floor when you don’t want it to be. Then after about 10 mins you get back into the swing of things really pushing the back end down and pumping through rollers. Feels a lot more fun on easy flow trails hen the full suss and it’s very playful.

On bigger stuff I prefer the fs and also for long days in the saddle it’s way easier on the lower back.

So for me I have the 2 bikes and use them for different places / moods. If I only had one bike it would be a mid travel fs I think.

Stick with the hardtail. Much more fun. Full suss feels like cheating and not really riding when occasionally ride mine.

You see, without n+1 we get HT vs FS comments like this. Now go and keep the other bike.

I find tyres make a big difference to any bike, but are more critical on a HT as there’s more to stop them pinging off things on a FS.

That said, your timing and approach to things do vary. I’ve a FS and a HT or two, and I often use them for different things, although I can set up the HT to take on pretty much anything I’d ride, it does have to be ridden differently, and you do get battered to pieces. Don’t bother trying to add flex to things, you could go for bigger/lower pressure tyres but lower pressure on the rear of a HT is a recipe for punctures if it gets rocky. If you want the comfort/compliance, just keep the FS.

I find both my main HT and my FS are good trail bikes, but the HT is more suited to fast XC stuff, the FS did to ten under (with faster tyres on) last year though, but that was after previous experience of doing it solo on a HT.

Pity you can’t keep both as the hardtail will help improve your technique for the full suss.

I was also a FS only rider for about 8 years but last December I bought a cheap Voodoo Hoodoo as a winter mudplugger, took me a few rides to get used to unweighting the rear but once I got that figured out it’s so much fun! Every time I went back to the FS bikes I was riding so much smoother and safer it was a revelation. I even did a day at Windhill on it and it was so much fun it was unreal, went back the next week on the FS and my technique was so much better! It does beat me up on the rough stuff as it’s a 27.5 alloy frame with cheap wheels and skinnyish tyres so I tried a few HT’s at the FOD Steel Is Real event last weekend. There may well be a new arrival in the new year.

I love the concept of HTs, love the looks of them, but i can’t yet find one i can ride down things as quickly as i can my T-130. Until that happens, they’re a bit pointless IMO.

Why?

Full disclosure: only ever owned a couple of them but I couldn’t get on with fullsussers. Felt like I was being robbed of all those little unconscious decisions, lines, unweighted ‘floats’ (micro-jumps) and compensations that made singletrack so fun, challenging and interesting for me.

I think until you get used to a FS then this will always be the case, you have to adjust your timing etc. and to an extent your riding style to get the best out of it.

Also there’s a range of FS bikes from mega travel plough through everything/”fun sponge” depending on your outlook, to super responsive “playful” things, across a range of travel.

Give it time, choose a more “playful” FS, and you’ll see the benefits. Or just keep to HTs, they’re fine, just limited. No other vehicle has suspension at one end only.

Which bit is ‘hard’…? (fnarr)

Rubber makes a difference (fnarr) to small, pebbly, in the saddle work, as does seatpost, saddle and wheel stiffness (fnarr). I’m fussy over rear pressures and tyres.

Ok, I’m in.

[saunders] Hardtails do batter your rear harder (pffft) than a FS, even if you use big rubber (pffft) you have to be sure your rim (pffft) can take the pounding. [/saunders]

I love HTs, they’re just waaaay more fun (for me) for the riding me and OH usually do. Faster isn’t always better or more fun 😎

No other vehicle has suspension at one end only.

Hmm. Hardtail motorcycles? They’re ridden for shits and giggles as well 😉

Definitively will take you four/five good long rides to familiarize yourself. My full suss was out of action for 6 weeks during the summer, so was back on my 2006 Kinesis Phase which Ive not ridden really hard off-road in a few years. With a 150mm fork from Marzocchi Mike, short stem and wide bars I was surprised how relatively modern it felt, but it certainly took a few weeks to realise I couldn’t just sit down and plough through everything.

Noticed that you tend to use slightly different muscle groups too, front of my thighs were definitely a bit achey for the first few weeks.

Persist with it and you will definitely be rewarded! Even with the full suss back in action I’ve found myself migrating to the hardtail more and more for short spins.

I am running hefty tyres (Der Baron Projekt 2.4) which help with shock absorption and pinch flats!

Enjoy it mate, sounds like a fab piece of kit!

Hmm. Hardtail motorcycles? They’re ridden for shits and giggles as well

Not down rooty trails…

and there’s about 0.00001% of the motorcycles sold that are HT.

Hmm. Hardtail motorcycles? They’re ridden for shits and giggles as well

OK I though someone might bring that up, but that’s just an anachronism/Harley/custom thing.

I’m pretty sure it’s more a stylistic thing than anybody really wanting a less comfortable motorbike with less predictable roadholding and traction at the rear?

I think the speed plays a part (in my head), and I don’t sit down when descending rough trails 🙂

I’ve had hardtails that I liked, my first proper bike was a Voodoo Hoodoo that I threw money at and it was ace, same with the On One Inbred I had. The only two I didn’t get along with was the Commencal Meta and the Pace RC529.

In hindsight, the Pace may have been slightly over forked. I wouldn’t class myself as someone who is scared of hitting a descent, or technical trail at speed, so standing is pretty much mandatory.

But at the same time, I’m not someone who will blindly say “all hard tails are shit and everyone is wrong”. I could have probably tried adjusting the riding position and shortening the fork, but I’d thrown my toys out of the pram by then 🙂

You never know, the DV9 that I’ve just finished may make me a firm believer hehe.

“But if i go to FoD/Afan/BPW/Alps then i want to be scooting down at what i percieve as a decent pace, i don’t want to be hanging on, clattering down, trying to pick my way down around every root/rock and concentrating so much my eyeballs explode, i want to be flying down (in a relative context) enjoying the ‘flow’”

An appropriate hardtail (ie modern geometry, proper fork, gnarly tyres, dropper post etc) will let you enjoy the flow (if you stand up and stay loose!) They do require a more active riding style (but full-sus bikes go better like that too!)

I love my hardtail and generally have more fun on it than on my FS, it doesn’t work for everywhere and will usually use the FS at uplift venues but the hardtail is more fun at trail centres and doing more xc riding.

I would say it takes some practice, all the people I ride with can’t believe the pace I go at on a hardtail when they all ride FS. I just have to think more about line choice and use my legs as suspension.

An appropriate hardtail (ie modern geometry, proper fork, gnarly tyres, dropper post etc) will let you enjoy the flow (if you stand up and stay loose!) They do require a more active riding style (but full-sus bikes go better like that too!)

The closest i’ve had/tried is my Parkwood, even with decent forks and tyres i’m still night and day quicker on the T-130.

I’m not saying ‘never’…. but i’m a long long way from convinced.

“The closest i’ve had/tried is my Parkwood, even with decent forks and tyres i’m still night and day quicker on the T-130.”

My hardtail definitely isn’t as fast as my full-sus but it’s a lot of fun on pretty ridiculous terrain:

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Hardtailing Mallorca’s endless rock gardens. I was feeling rusty but with a few tweaks the Zero AM is feeling badass. Pike still at 150mm but with -2 deg headset for max gnarr ability. Magic Mary 2.35 front, DHR2 2.3 rear, with Rimpact foam inserts – never ridden anywhere so dry yet so lacking in grip! Fatbar Lite 40mm rise, 770mm wide with Deathgrips. Revive 185mm dropper and Hope Tech 3 E4 brakes to save me on the steep stuff. GX Eagle gives plenty of gear range to get up the trails but doesn’t solve the traction problem with dust and loose rocks. Cotic frame bag, Fabric bottle and saddle bag so no pack needed. It is HOT here.

A post shared by A (@a.funks) on Aug 24, 2019 at 10:40am PDT

The geometry may look extreme when it’s standing still and it does feel fairly odd around a car park if you’re used to more typical hardtails but it makes sense once you’re up to speed or pointing downhill!