Nope because they’re not as fun as a full suspension and they feel unbalanced unless you have the forks set up solid. The maintenance isn’t that bad either, just get good bearings and you won’t have to replace them too often.

I like my c456 hardtail, it’s a lot of fun.

But, I LOVE my 160mm carbon full bouncer, it’s simply amazing to ride, no matter where you happen to be riding it.

😉

I have two 650 hardtails, one rigid, one with 120mm upfront. Full sus just isn’t warranted round Loughborough, and I prefer raing a hardtail.

And when did you last go mountain biking?

What’s that got to do with it? I rode mountain bikes exclusively from 1987 to about three years ago when I went over CX and road bikes. During those years I competed in autumn, spring and summer Polaris events, XC races, did club night riding through the four seasons and rode up and down a fair number of British mountains and hills so I came to appreciate simplicity, reliability, low maintenence costs and light weight.

What does your hardtail weigh? And why can’t you shoulder a FS bike?

With Ti frame and rigid carbon forks it must be around 9 kilos, which would be about 18-19 lbs. How do you fit a FS frame over your shoulder?

Two 26″ hardtails here, a Cove Handjob and a Dialled Alpine. I had a Marin Rock Springs before which I enjoyed but went back to a hardtail for a change/simplicity. I wouldn’t change them as I love riding them however I keep checking out the Whyte T130S in the LBS window…..

With Ti frame and rigid carbon forks it must be around 9 kilos, which would be about 18-19 lbs

Must it? Dangerous assumption. Ti frames generally aren’t light. Heavier than some carbon FS frames.

You also said you lost “several kilos of unnecessary weight” by fitting the rigid and removing the Reba? The lightest CC rigid I can see is 750g, a Reba is around 1600g depending on model (and I am assuming 26″), so actually less than a kilo. Just sayin…

How do you fit a FS frame over your shoulder?

Depends entirely on the design, it’s a sweeping generalisation, but if it’s that crucial you can get one to fit the brief.

they feel unbalanced unless you have the forks set up solid.

Nope.

Correct riding of a HT requires soft legs, your forks take the front hits and your legs take the rear hits, you have loads of travel in nicely bent and supple legs.

Your point only holds water if you’re riding a HT with stiff locked out legs or sat down over rough ground…in which case it is a technique issue and not a fault with the HT design/principle.

What’s that got to do with it? I rode mountain bikes exclusively from 1987 to about three years ago when I went over CX and road bikes.

Bikes have changed and so has what’s expected of them. I love my hardtail but I prefer my full-sus for enduro races, general riding when it isn’t deep/thick mud and uplift days. It’s a better bike but so it should be!

With the hardtail I definitely notice I have to be more independent of it and let it rotate fore and aft as the forks compress/extend.

Nope.

Correct riding of a HT requires soft legs, your forks take the front hits and your legs take the rear hits, you have loads of travel in nicely bent and supple legs.

Your point only holds water if you’re riding a HT with stiff locked out legs or sat down over rough ground…in which case it is a technique issue and not a fault with the HT design/principle.

I see what you’re trying to get at but it’s just not the same as having a bike with matched suspension at both ends IMO. I know how to ride a bike, and I just prefer the balanced feel a FS has. Plus that springyness you get when you compress right into a berm feels awesome. I’d rather ride fully rigid than hardtail again.

I’m in the ride what you’ve got camp. That happens to be a hardtail at the moment as I broke my full suss and can’t really afford to replace it at the mo.

Having said that, don’t think I’m enjoying my riding any less on the hardtail (not sure it has slowed my down much either – must have been mincing on the bouncy bike)

yes. Surrey Hills.

Yeah.

Got an ancient (07) Soul and a Solaris.

Recently sold the full sus as not riding enough atm and when I do I usually pull out the Solaris.

Tend to ride mostly natural (well non-trail manufactured centre) in NE Scotland. (Glen Tanar and Scolty for those that know hereabouts).

On top of that you can’t shoulder a FS bike and carry it up a mountain.

Try riding it?

I was once followed down a rocky fast section of the PBW by a bloke on a burly FS Rottweil (a DH bike I think?) who complained that I was too fast for him to get past.

*Swoons*

Me. I don’t know why, I just automatically bought a 26″ hardtail when I bought a new bike last year. I think it’s probably because I’ve never ridden a good full suss bike and didn’t know what to get so stuck with what I knew. To be honest, the new standards and wheel sizes baffled me 😆

I’m hardtail only, but only have one mountain bike. And I think it’ll be quite a while before the bike limits me.

On top of that you can’t shoulder a FS bike and carry it up a mountain.
Try riding it?

After you clever clogs.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/7dNJ1x]Steve, humping near Keld[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

Happy having having both thanks but to be fair If I could ONLY have one it would be the HT.

Me. I had a FS about 12 years ago, it was shite, I understand they are better now.

I had thought about getting a FS but the addition of a dropper post, wider rims and tyres on my HT has made it that bit more comfortable. It’s got a 140mm fork which is plenty for me.

Down to 2 bikes in my stable.

Hydraulic disc brake road bike (giant defy advanced pro 1)

and this for mountain biking:

No complaints, easily the 2 best bikes I’ve owned and I’ve had 100+ bikes including many different fs bikes. Only had hard tails since early 2012, never missed having a fs bike.

Enjoying all the people on this thread that admit to never having a FS but still slate them. 😆

Also enjoying those that rode one FS 15 years ago, didn’t like it so now swear by HT. 😆

No problems with anyone riding whatever they want to but some of you seriously need to have a look about.

I’ve only got HTs in my fleet of 7 bikes, not because I’m a hardtail only radicalist, and I’d love to own a nice FS, but I’ve just never spared the money to get one.
I know that sounds stupid having that many bikes and not enough money, but each one fulfils a specific purpose for training or was quite cheap.

To illustrate: I’ve got the uber-posh race bike for (you guessed it) racing; a less posh but still very nice race bike (superfluous I know, but it got downgraded from top-bike when I got the nice one with a team) for racing in the winter and training in the summer; a rigid, steel, geared bike for training and some racing in the winter; and a mid range alu road bike kitted out with a powertap for serious training.

Then there’s a fixed road bike for fun/commuting, a SS road bike for fun/training/longer commutes, and a cheap jump bike for p*ssing about on.

So there’s quite a few bikes there, but no FS. I would own one if I could, but before that I’d rather get a new road bike and jump bike, as they’re much better suited to my area.

I ran a Five and a Rock Lobster HT until early last year. The 5 had been used about once a month in the preceding year, the HT weekly. Chopped them both in for a Soul with 120mm forks and a Reverb and don’t miss the 5 at all.

I ride 2005 Kona Caldera 26″ love the thing little heavy but burly and has taken a beating over the years. Have considered building a new up to date bike but why bother the Caldera HT goes everywere FS does (well that is if I can ride it properly)

There is as my mate said a lot of one upmanship in the MTB world.

Just go ride

Try riding it?

Ha Ha! Spot on.

I don’t really ride too many trails that require me to carry the bike. That’s called hiking and it’s far easier without a bike.

I guess hardtails have a place for beardy, map holder types pounding the bridle ways for hours on end. You, know they type who can’t ride bikes fast enough to get any benefit from FS anyway.

I guess hardtails have a place for beardy, map holder types pounding the bridle ways for hours on end. You, know they type who can’t ride bikes fast enough to get any benefit from FS anyway.

[img]http://media-public.pmm.rtr.ch/media/object/rtr/725a52e8-95b7-410c-8769-f4e8b9607f19.jpg[/img]

I used to only have hardtails but now I can afford a FS (due to staff discount rather than having loads of money) and honesty with a modern fs that weighs as much as some of my old hardtails and excellent suspension there is almost no reason to have a hard tail other than cost…

From another thread (Solaris Yay or Nay) I wrote:

Yesterday (Sunday) there was a group of us riding round Grizedale Forest partly on the North Face trail, I was just about able to keep up with those on FS despite me being rubbish at downhill and having never been on it before.

I’m actually faster on the Solaris than I was on my old FS (2007 Marin Mt Vision).

At the moment I’ve no need for a FS (perhaps more to the point no room – there’s 8 bikes in the house!) and I suspect that if I did get one it wouldn’t get used much after the honeymoon period. I’d be more likely to get a singlespeed hardtail. Cost doesn’t have anything to do with it, if I wanted it I’d get a FS now but want and need are different things.

I guess hardtails have a place for beardy, map holder types pounding the bridle ways for hours on end. You, know they type who can’t ride bikes fast enough to get any benefit from FS anyway.

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/102365/

Hardtail for real bikers imo 😉

Bikes are for real bikers imo. Who cares if they’ve got a back hinge or not

Is there an STW equivalent to Godwin’s Law, where the probability that a thread will degenerate into a “FS riders can’t ride/HT riders aren’t fast enough/just ride maaaaaan” type three way ping-pong match will approach 1 the longer it runs? 😆

I’m firmly in the just ride maaaaaaan, camp by the way 😀

I just realised that over the last decade I have always owned both an FS and HT bike at all times, so much money and time wasted running more bikes than I really needed

TBH after mulling it over I too might be about to jack in FS ownership, at least for a bit. I was considering ditching my bargain bin DH bike for something more all-rounder-ish but actually my two HTs cover 95% of my needs and the other 5% I could live without for a while.

I’m not sure I can sell the forks from that bike in good conscience they’re just too old and shagged out, but I could be tempted to hold on to them and have another go at building a DH HT down the line perhaps.

OK so “Big” DH days will be out the window but, I could still do a days uplifting with my 456 and be perfectly happy. Possibly race the odd smaller DH event still in HT class, or that there #Enduro. TBH the rider is the limiting factor in all scenarios, the lack of a rear shock would simply be a feeble excuse… Which Is would probably still use.

Yep I’m jacking the FS in for a bit… It’s only a bike.