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Does full suss lead to poor skills?

JamesBJamesB Posts: 1,184
edited December 2009 in MTB general
I`ve just got back on my MTB, full suss Trance, from summer road riding :) and I find that I`m just `riding through` obstacles with poor line choices---so above query, does riding full suss lead to a loss of skills that you need on a hardtail??
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Posts

  • ceecee Posts: 4,553
    No.

    In short, you can still concentrate as hard on line choice on a full suss as you can a hard tail.

    Fact is it is the rider that leads to a loss of skill through lack of concentration (helped by the fact that your full susser lets you get away with more.)

    Stop being so lazy and concentrate!
    Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.

    H.G. Wells.
  • stevet1992stevet1992 Posts: 1,502
    Hardtails are better though :twisted:
    On-One 456 Sainsburys Season

    Calling All SouthEastern Riders
  • joshtpjoshtp Posts: 3,966
    probably not, in the long run, but a HT is better for teaching you skills, and proper technique, esp for a begginer i think its important to ride HT to start with, to help you develop the basic skills, and techniques.... i stil lthink HT is better, even though i do like riding my mates FS's...
    I like bikes and stuff
  • mikeagemikeage Posts: 150
    nope, it still takes skills and commitment to straightline flat out roots, ruts and stutter bumps regardless of suspension. I agree suspension can often be un-nessesary for a lot of riding but for better riders it can allow better use of skills.
  • DamonCDamonC Posts: 263
    I bought a hardtail mainly to get back into MTB, brings skills on and aid the painful climbing the return entails.

    I reckon after a year I'll compliment it with a FS bike but keep the HT.

    Oh and I like a firm censored ! :P :twisted: :lol:
    Suffering from the light bike fat git syndrome.
  • NorthwindNorthwind Posts: 14,675
    It can do, if you let it. Just don't let it.
    Uncompromising extremist
  • dave_hilldave_hill Posts: 3,877
    stevet1992 wrote:
    Hardtails are better though :twisted:

    Oh god...

    Popcorn anyone??
    Give a home to a retired Greyhound. Tia Greyhound Rescue
    Help for Heroes
    JayPic
  • stumpyjonstumpyjon Posts: 4,069
    stevet1992 wrote:
    Hardtails are better though :twisted:

    Oh no they're not....

    Oh yes they are...

    etc.

    etc.

    :roll:
    It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

    I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
    Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result
  • The Northern MonkeyThe Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    Ahem.... welll...


    Oh I can't be arsed. Everyone knows I think FS is pretty pointless :lol:
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • stumpyjonstumpyjon Posts: 4,069
    Aye but three chainrings can be quite useful :lol:
    It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

    I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
    Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result
  • The Northern MonkeyThe Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    stumpyjon wrote:
    Aye but three chainrings can be quite useful :lol:
    What... likt this one i'll be putting on the p7? mwahahahahaha :twisted:
    photo-18.jpg
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • stumpyjonstumpyjon Posts: 4,069
    Ooooo boxed as well, no OE rubbish for our Benj :lol: (have you seen how expensive the replacment rings are :shock: , just had to replace my middle and inner rings).
    It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

    I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
    Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result
  • The Northern MonkeyThe Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    stumpyjon wrote:
    Ooooo boxed as well, no OE rubbish for our Benj :lol: (have you seen how expensive the replacment rings are :shock: , just had to replace my middle and inner rings).
    And only £3 more expensive, with next day signed for delivery!
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • JediJedi Posts: 827
    correct skills and techniques are about the rider
    http://www.ukbikeskills.co.uk

    mtb coaching
  • JamesBJamesB Posts: 1,184
    Yep, I guess I`m just being lazy :( (not a novice as I`ve ridden MTB for ten years); I think though FS does let you get away with mistakes though more than a HT (of which I have both :)
  • dave_hilldave_hill Posts: 3,877
    stumpyjon wrote:
    Aye but three chainrings can be quite useful :lol:

    Nah, two's as many as you need... :shock:
    Give a home to a retired Greyhound. Tia Greyhound Rescue
    Help for Heroes
    JayPic
  • AnonymousAnonymous Posts: 79,667
    in my opinion:

    if you ride a fs bike, then the longer you ride it, the better you will be so riding a fs increases your skills.

    going to ht from a fs isnt necessarily this great big problem everyone assumes. ive pretty much only ridden fs bikes even though ive almost always owned a ht as well. but, when i recently started riding a ht again (somthing im enjoying much to my suprise) i found i got on fine, i was a bit lower round the same loop but i enjoyed it

    the time spent and experience gained riding my fs meant that i knew how to pick lines and carry momentum etc etc.

    it is assumed (mostly by folk who have never ridden good fs on the terrain it was intended to be ridden on) that when you ride a fs bike you dont think about lines or efficiency or anything else, it is assumed that fs riders just crash through everything. this isnt true.

    as for the whole 'you should learn on a ht' thing: boll0x.

    it doesnt matter what type of bike you ride, it is the time you have spent riding which makes you a better rider, not the bike beneath you.

    for example, if a man rides a ht for ten years then moves to a fs, he is good on the fs because he has ben riding bikes for ten years.

    if a man rides a fs bike for ten years, he is plenty skilful due to the ten years he has been riding.

    this subjec comes round more than sram vs shimano, value vs orange bikes, trail centre vs natural etc etc nd the same old boll0x s spouted every time by folk who dont know what they are talking about.
  • JediJedi Posts: 827
    riding any bike doesnt increase your skills!!!!!
    missing skills leads to bad technique which leads to rider errors.
    the bike is the vehicle you drive.
    http://www.ukbikeskills.co.uk

    mtb coaching
  • The Northern MonkeyThe Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    sheepsteeth wrote:
    (mostly by folk who have never ridden good fs on the terrain it was intended to be ridden on)
    Take note of Sheeps typical BS quote that he brings into every HT/FS thread :lol:
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • AnonymousAnonymous Posts: 79,667
    bigbenj_08 wrote:
    sheepsteeth wrote:
    (mostly by folk who have never ridden good fs on the terrain it was intended to be ridden on)
    Take note of Sheeps typical BS quote that he brings into every HT/FS thread :lol:

    whats wrong with that question? it makes sense to have ridden one properly before having an opinion on them surely?

    just like my new default question: if you dont need suspension on the back of your bike, why do you need it on the front?
  • AnonymousAnonymous Posts: 79,667
    Jedi wrote:
    riding any bike doesnt increase your skills!!!!!

    fair one, but what i meant was it is a way to look at it, you wouldnt get too skillfull without a bike would you
  • The Northern MonkeyThe Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    sheepsteeth wrote:
    bigbenj_08 wrote:
    sheepsteeth wrote:
    (mostly by folk who have never ridden good fs on the terrain it was intended to be ridden on)
    Take note of Sheeps typical BS quote that he brings into every HT/FS thread :lol:

    whats wrong with that question? it makes sense to have ridden one properly before having an opinion on them surely?

    just like my new default question: if you dont need suspension on the back of your bike, why do you need it on the front?

    yes, and you always assume that people who prefer HT haven't ridden a FS.... "properly".

    and as an answer... Your leg muscles are the biggest in your body and are situated in possible the best position to absorb any bumps. Your arms aren't in a position to absorb hits, the position leads to sore arms (ever herd of arm pump?) achey hands and will generally slow you down. Its simple sports physiology.

    On UK trails, you don't need FS. DH yes... trail? no.
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • dave_hilldave_hill Posts: 3,877
    bigbenj_08 wrote:
    On UK trails, you don't need FS. DH yes... trail? no.

    But it makes life a lot more bearable, especially as you get older. I wouldn't look at a hardtail for anything over 10 miles now.
    Give a home to a retired Greyhound. Tia Greyhound Rescue
    Help for Heroes
    JayPic
  • The Northern MonkeyThe Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    dave_hill wrote:
    bigbenj_08 wrote:
    On UK trails, you don't need FS. DH yes... trail? no.

    But it makes life a lot more bearable, especially as you get older. I wouldn't look at a hardtail for anything over 10 miles now.
    Well yeah I understand that! But I'm not old (yet!) haha!
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • AnonymousAnonymous Posts: 79,667
    surely you only end up with arm pump and associated issues if you have weak arms? i cant see how your arms offer less bump absorption ability than your legs. admitedly i know very little about A and P but i know it is possible to allow your bike to move beneath you in the same way as you can with your legs.

    i dont assume anything about whether people have ridden fs bikes on proper terrain, i simply ask if they have or not and this sways how valuable i think their argument is. lots of folk prefer ht bikes after having ridden good fs bikes and that makes sense to me but lots of folk hate fs bikes without having ridden them and it all boils down to those folk justifying their choice.

    i forgot to include my other default question: are you ever going to buy a fs bike?
    i ask this question because it amuses me when folk say 'im not ever going to have one, they are rubbish' and then they eventually look at buying them.
  • The Northern MonkeyThe Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    I've never said I wouldn't buy one.... just that I haven't found one I like!

    I'd like to see you on a full rigid on a technically fast and rocky/bumpy trail. It would amuse me lots.
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • AnonymousAnonymous Posts: 79,667
    ben, im not tlking about you, there is no need to defend yourself. im talking in generalisations. as you have noticed, i always ask the same questions to everyone involved in these discussions:

    have you ever ridden one on the terrain for which it is intended?
    are you ever going to own one?
    if you dont need rear sus, why do you need it on the front?

    these questions help me decide whether to value someones opinion on the subject. it doesnt affect what i think about anything else.
    bigbenj_08 wrote:

    I'd like to see you on a full rigid on a technically fast and rocky/bumpy trail. It would amuse me lots.

    why?
  • JediJedi Posts: 827
    the skills and techniques are the same when you RIDE the bikeoff road whatever it is
    http://www.ukbikeskills.co.uk

    mtb coaching
  • AnonymousAnonymous Posts: 79,667
    Jedi wrote:
    the skills and techniques are the same when you RIDE the bikeoff road whatever it is

    i agree.
  • KiblamsKiblams Posts: 2,423
    I found that I got lazy riding with a suspension fork for just 3 months :shock: Back to rigid now and loving every second :D though it took me about 3 rides to get using to properly floating again so my wrists don't ache anymore :lol:

    If I were to ride a FS for a few months, going back to rigid would probably kill me :?
    HandsomeDog - OrangeCommuter
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