Hard Tail or Full Suss?

Sam_015
Sam_015 Posts: 29
edited April 2008 in MTB buying advice
Iam interested in buying the Merlin Malt 4-08 as I have heard very good things about it. However, I notice that for the same price I can get a full suss (Specialized XC Comp).

Iam still unsure, even after research, about how good certain specs are as I don't have enough knowledge on the parts and makes.

I have only ever had a Mongoose Tyax Comp and after I got into using it and went on trails it became clear that I struggled heavily to keep up with others on far better bikes.

This spring/summer I plan on using my bike for purpose built trails and also lots of actual mountain biking as I plan to get as fit as I can for the new football season.

Any help would be great.


Merlin Malt - http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=produ ... egoryId=39

Specialized FSR XC Comp - http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=86108

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    every one is going to recommend the malt, its a big fave around these parts but for the money, you have shown a very nice fll sus and it would have been my advice if you hadnt suggested it for yourself.

    there is no denying the spec is better on the malt but in my opinion a full sus is better than a hardtail for the riding i do, it my be heavier but the full sus will be more comfortable over longer periods (in my opinion)

    decide if you want a full sus or a hardtail and either of the 2 bikes looks to be a good choice.
  • marika
    marika Posts: 392
    sam please go to as many bike shops as poss and try as many bikes as poss even in the carpark,its more about feel on a bike unless you really know what you want,geometry is going to be big factor aswell,you always get better spec parts wise on a hardtail compared to a full suss at the same price,but as i've found having better parts may not make a better bike,if your just picking them on the price you really need to get bum on seats to be sure
    My puppy Local Loop
  • Sam_015
    Sam_015 Posts: 29
    Thanks for your replies.

    Which bikes would you suggest me trying at that price? There is alot and it may take some time to test them all!
  • marika
    marika Posts: 392
    tbh sam first i would try what is local to you,i would also be looking at which lbs gives the best service and what bikes they sell would be the top of my list,if none give a particularly good service then just use them to try stuff out and get stuff off the web later,i don't want to suggest bikes to you as evrybody is different and whats good to me is crap to someone else,if you do research now it will be worth your while in the long run,good luck :wink:
    My puppy Local Loop
  • Sam_015
    Sam_015 Posts: 29
    Thanks very much Marika. Walking around my local bike shops and seeing what's available is probably the best bet.

    This Scot Aspect has now caught my eye - http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=86503
  • marika
    marika Posts: 392
    the thing is sam the fit will be more beneficial than a good rear mech if you know what i mean,i don't think my xt is that much better than my deore,the only thing i would personally worry about spec wise is the fork as i'm heavy,also have a serious realistic think about what sort of riding you are going to do,some people class mtb as just riding off road,there is nothing wrong with this but you don't need a great bike to do it,ultimately there is nothing wrong with spending 3k on a super machine to go down canal paths its your money and noone can say an individual is having more fun just cause they are jumping road gaps,its all subjective,just trust me ignore names and paint jobs and sit on as many as you can,once you have tried a few you will understand what i mean
    My puppy Local Loop
  • marika
    marika Posts: 392
    have a look on here bud but still try before you buy


    http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/
    My puppy Local Loop
  • Sam_015
    Sam_015 Posts: 29
    What I need to understand is whether a full sus is a poorer choice than a hardtail when they are the same price, and in this case make too.

    I'm talking about these two:

    Specialized FSR XC Comp 2008 - http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=86108

    Specialized Rockhopper Pro Disc 2008 - http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=86113

    Would only a fool get a full sus for under a grand?
  • marika
    marika Posts: 392
    [quote="Sam_015"

    Would only a fool get a full sus for under a grand?[/quote]

    not at all sam,what are you going to ride?where?as i said above do you need a full suss or would you be better with a hard tail,i personally have just bought my full suss because i was so fatigued towards the end of a ride,i loved my hardtail but had to bite the bullet when i started going to the peaks and trail centes,lots of people spend lots of money,do you need to?probably not!
    My puppy Local Loop
  • marika
    marika Posts: 392
    don't miss understand me you don't need a full suss to ride at trail centres etc its just my choice
    My puppy Local Loop
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    the honest answer is that the spec is a bit better on a hardtail compared to a full sus (at pretty much any price to be honest) but in my opinion, depending on what you want to ride, a full sus will give you a better ride

    hard tails are lighter and acelerate quicker but are more tiring and require more hardwork.

    full sus will be heavier at this price point than an equivalent hardtail but you will be able to ride for longer and fel less battered about whilst in the saddle. you will probbably be able to descend quicker and ride over more tehnical terrain easier.

    for the most part, it is widely regarded that full sus is the fatest way around a given course when compared to an equivlent hardtail.

    if you relly ont know what you want, maybe go to a trail centre which has a bike hire service, ride a loop on a hardtail and on a full sus and see which you prefer.

    lots of folks say you dont need a full sus, but have only ridden cheap and poorly made ones which sap all of your energy and flop about all over the pace. modern full sus bikes are very well made and they allow you to pedal very well and soak up hits etc etc, deffo would be my choice.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    "for the most part, it is widely regarded that full sus is the fatest way around a given course when compared to an equivlent hardtail."

    It does depend on the course, the rider and the bike. People are still winning XC on hardtails.
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  • bikeperson45
    bikeperson45 Posts: 415
    supersonic wrote:
    "for the most part, it is widely regarded that full sus is the fatest way around a given course when compared to an equivlent hardtail."

    It does depend on the course, the rider and the bike. People are still winning XC on hardtails.

    dam straight 8)
    Me like trials biking me do
  • Red Lemon
    Red Lemon Posts: 3,433
    sheepsteeth wrote:
    the honest answer is that the spec is a bit better on a hardtail compared to a full sus (at pretty much any price to be honest) but in my opinion, depending on what you want to ride, a full sus will give you a better ride

    The spec on the Malt 4 isn't just a "bit" better. It blitzes the FSR XC. Totally.
    King Kikapu / Fire Mountain
  • grantway
    grantway Posts: 1,430
    Sheepsteeth is right you really need to put into perspective on what type of terrain
    you want to ride and how you want to ride.

    I had an hardtail was ok for going over low level stuff but now i am doing Extreme
    XC and real rough stuff and to do this i need a full susser and a high end one.

    And would be a struggle on a hardtail, in my eyes now looking at it
    hardtails are more race bike at the high end of your money and to be honest
    most of us do trail riding now and dont realize this

    But where your looking at will give you a high end hardtail and a good but
    low spec full susser

    Best look at some last year models on the full sussers and get a lot more for your
    money

    Best thing is to go to your local bike shop and test ride some bikes to get
    an idea, but dont rule out last years models on the full sussers as you
    could be saving approx £ 200.00p for the bike.
  • Sam_015
    Sam_015 Posts: 29
    I'm swinging towards the hardtails but Iam still lacking in certain pieces of knowledge to allow me to judge between a Merlin Malt 4 - 08 and Specialized Rockhopper Pro Disc 2008 for example.


    Merlin Malt - http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=produ ... egoryId=39

    Specialized Rockhopper Pro Disc 2008 - http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=86113

    From what I can tell with limited knowledge, the Merlin malt may be my best choice at this price range. Is that a fair comment?
  • milkywhite
    milkywhite Posts: 534
    Sam_015 wrote:
    I'm swinging towards the hardtails but Iam still lacking in certain pieces of knowledge to allow me to judge between a Merlin Malt 4 - 08 and Specialized Rockhopper Pro Disc 2008 for example.


    Merlin Malt - http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=produ ... egoryId=39

    Specialized Rockhopper Pro Disc 2008 - http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=86113

    From what I can tell with limited knowledge, the Merlin malt may be my best choice at this price range. Is that a fair comment?

    In terms of spec, yes. You can specify certain aspects of the spec, which is what I like about Merlin. Full 2008 XT groupset on the Malt 4 for £985. Add in the current 10% discount and it comes in cheaper than the Rockhopper.

    However, spec isn't everything. How the bike fits you is also a major consideration.
    2006 Trek Fuel 80

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