I have about 3 big steps up in my skill level over the last 15 years.

Almost all the time, I ride hardtails. But 2 out of 3 of the steps up happened while I was riding full-sussers. I’ve transferred the skill to the hardtail, but it was learnt on a bike with more suspension.

But it’s never a lack of skill that causes a crash, it’s attempting to do something that requires more skill than you have

If a rider crashes because they attempt to do something that requires “more skill” than they have, in my grasp of semantics, that is exactly the same as saying a lack of skill caused the crash.

“I crashed because I exceeded my skill levels”
“I crashed because I lacked the skills to negotiate the terrain”

What’s the difference?

A particular bike setup can compensate for missing skills, but I don’t think it’s quite as simple as just the amount of travel as someone pointed out above.

Just buy the bike or bikes you want and like then ride them.
Why should anybody else give a sht what bike your on!

Why should anybody else give a sht what bike your on!

Because they want you to have the most suitable (“best”) bike for the job. That’s why we have bike shops, internet forums and countless other avenues offering advice on the best tool for the job. People care. Granted the advice is sometimes poor 😉

Its the same argument for 29’ers vs 26’ers. I find a full on DH bike allows me to hit stuff faster, but it feels a bit less fun at the kind of speeds I ride which is not warp speed.

Hence I no longer ride a DH bike cos I’m old and at the speeds I can go on a DH rig falling off could be nastier and I don’t feel the need. 160mm is plenty for most of the riding I do.

Fun not speed – smaller wheels, less travel.

The least fun on a bike I’ve had was on a Chameleon hard tail in the Alps.

The most fun I’ve had on a bike was on an Ancillotti DH race bike in the Alps.

Simply, the latter was well over twice as fast not only because you had more grip and carried a lot of weight down low (so it railed corners) but also simply for the fact that I didn’t get any arm pump riding it.