Hardtails...

thesim1990

Is it me or are hardtails becoming less common in bike magazines? I have the latest issue of MBUK and almost every bike I see in that magazine has a spring welded to the back of it.

I'm not saying the hardtail is dead, but come on, at least go 50/50 on the pictures. :shock:

The Northern Monkey

Its because FS is more "fasionable" probably.

RealMan

Here you go.



Better now?


I was under the impression that MBUK is full of guys who are far too over biked for where they ride (exclusively Afan). Try singletrack, even get the odd rigid SS in there. But they also just did a widow makers review, and reviewed a load of big bikes, can't remember them all, but the big hit was one.

GHill

There are probably more "premium priced" full susers than there are hardtails - these are the type of bikes that get pictured in the mags.

Plus many mags seem to cater strongly to the freeride/all mountain market, which is fashionable at the moment.

thesim1990

RealMan wrote:

I was under the impression that MBUK is full of guys who are far too over biked for where they ride (exclusively Afan). Try singletrack, even get the odd rigid SS in there. But they also just did a widow makers review, and reviewed a load of big bikes, can't remember them all, but the big hit was one.

I guess a full squishy is where the money is. I fell for the full suspension is great brigade, rode a Giant Reign a few times and then it gathered dust. That was quickly sold and along came an On-One 456 - great bike, swap wheels out with slicks on and it's a great ride-for-miles bike.

My legs act as the rear suspension. 8)

audiophile

Yeah, I think you're right. MBUK doesn't really seem to get excited about hardtails, which is odd as IMO it's the dirt jump scene that saved them and that is something that they are excited about.
Realman, you're also right. Singletrack is a far better magazine IMO, they give a far broader range of topics. I gave up on MBUK about 12 years ago when it started to become more like a lifestyle magazine than a cycling one. Like Nuts for cyclists. Probably just me getting older though as I noticed that the staff from when I was reading it jumped ship to WMB at around the same time.

llamafarmer

I bought MBUK a couple of months ago having not read it for a year or so and it reminded me why. I always find there's very little in there I want to sit and read and too many pictures of blokes gurning their way through a skid on a dusty fireroad on a ludicrously expensive freeride machine. Some of the other mags have a better balance of reviews.

Paul 8v

I must admit I do like singletrack magazine but I've always bought MBUK, it's never dull like some bike magazines. It does seem to have a lot of full sussers in there but if that's what people ride that's what they have to have. Can't say I've ever felt the need for a full susser myself but I don't ride as crazy stuff as some, don't think I'd ever want one for XC and general trails, if there was downhill near me I'd have a seperate full sus bike for that.

GHill

llamafarmer wrote:

too many pictures of blokes gurning their way through a skid

The last issue I bought (December?) had stupid expressions in almost every shot. I thought I was missing the joke.

rhyko7

other than racing xc or jumping why would you want a HT tho?
most riding is easier and more fun on a full sus, i would compare it to running barefoot when you could wear trainers.
sorry i just dont like HT's cos every time i take mine off road it brakes

soveda

rhyko7 wrote:

other than racing xc or jumping why would you want a HT tho?
most riding is easier and more fun on a full sus, i would compare it to running barefoot when you could wear trainers.
sorry i just dont like HT's cos every time i take mine off road it brakes

I'd argue the "more fun" statement, if you ride fire roads and bridleways with very little in the way of drops why take out the extra weight of full suspension?
I like the relative simplicity of hard tail bikes, I'm not into "gnarly drops" or North Shore style artificial obstacles, to me the bike is a way to get around in a fun, challenging way.
I'd argue that for much of the riding in the UK any thing more "sprung" than a hard tail with an 80mm travel fork is unnecessary.

ETA: but if anyone wants to ride fully then go for it, it's your wallet and your leg muscles

GHill

Popcorn anyone?

stevet1992

I love the feeling of my HT ... I dont feel it limits me to what i can ride ... i take the same lines over stuff that some of the FS chaps i ride with take ...

At the end of the day its a preference ... This arguement has been done to death now and its not even fun trying to troll it anymore

llamafarmer

GHill wrote:

Popcorn anyone?

Ooooh yes please. I wish I'd gone for a wee first, I'm going to have to sneak out half way through now...

bails87

rhyko7 wrote:

every time i take mine off road it brakes

Well you'd hope it would really.

But agreed, no HT vs FS arguments please.....

lawman

tbh the reason you dont see many high priced HT's in MBUK is cos most are xc race bikes, and thats more WMB's thing, MBUK focuses on harder sides of riding, like freeride and dh

as for the arguement on HT vs FS bring it on....... i got way too much time today

personally i rode my hardtail at the weekend after thinking about FS bikes all week and my maxlight really surprised me, its great, but i still want a FS bike

bails87

lawman wrote:

personally i rode my hardtail at the weekend after thinking about FS bikes all week and my maxlight really surprised me, its great, but i still want a FS bike

I think I'm in a similar frame of mind. I spend ages looking at FS bikes, and thinking how much better my life would be if I had one.

Then I go out for a ride, and my HT is absolutely flawless for the riding I do and I remember I love it! So I stop pining after a FS. Then I get bored at work and start looking again....

Olderbiker

Rigid Power to the back wheel every time no flop that's what I like.

Paul 8v

Aye bails 87, I do agree, seeing all the shiney softails in the mags does make you want one, then you ride a hardtail and wonder why you need one, I would have one if I lived somewhere with harder terrain features though

supersonic

There have been a lot of HT tests recently though, in both mags. Just be thankful I am not in charge, it would all be 80mm forked XC hardtails ;-)

Paul 8v

And they'd all be GT's

Mc Smiley

The recent freeride hartail test?
Although the Transition is much more than just a freeride bike.
You can ride pretty much any bike anywhere, so I suppose people just choose the bike they like the feel of. Not all about speed. I have been faster downhill than my Stepdad and his friends all on FS bikes for years, but they have the money to maintain them and afford them in the first place.

RealMan

Someone once said something very clever.



For instance, Steve Peat on a hardtail would still hammer the majority of mtbers on full sus dedicated downhill bikes.

thesim1990

Once my FS was sold and I got back to hardtail I loved every minute of it.

On the FS it felt like you were hovering above the ground (some people may say that's a good thing), but I preferred the feeling of being in contact, hence HT. Most of the stuff I do/ride can be done easily on a hardtail anyway. 8)

I guess it's all down to personal preference.

bristolpete

Interesting debate. I wonder if riders new to the sport buy a full sus and like it then get tickled by the hard tail bug. Its a little more 'real' so to speak. SImilar to the camera industry when people pick up a DSLR - sooner or later people start to think about using film, as its simply fun and a little more 'cool'....

soveda

supersonic wrote:

There have been a lot of HT tests recently though, in both mags. Just be thankful I am not in charge, it would all be 80mm forked XC hardtails ;-)

Are there any decent, reasonably priced HT bikes with/for 80mm forks out there anymore?
I want to give the Cindercone a frame transplant (I'm sick of taking the skewer out of the rear hub to release the rear wheel- I have an A2Z disc brake adapter).

Edited for spooling

racefaceec90

i'm a fan of both types of bikes.at the moment i've just px/ed a ht for a spesh stumpy fsr comp,and love the new bike.but there is no doubt that i will buy another ht in the future (but keeping the stumpy as well!)

MacAndCheese

Paul 8v wrote:

And they'd all be GT's

Be fair, they wouldn't all be GT's, there'd just be one in every group test and it would always win!

Valy

soveda wrote:

ETA: but if anyone wants to ride fully then go for it, it's your wallet and your leg muscles

I s that an implication that FS bikes might be harder to ride if there is some bobing?

bristolpete wrote:

SImilar to the camera industry when people pick up a DSLR - sooner or later people start to think about using film, as its simply fun and a little more 'cool'....

Well, a pretty subjective matter there. :P THough by the "more real" bit are you talking of HT bikes?
_________________

My £0.02 though...

I picked up one issue in a service station and had a quick look at it - it's sort of like "Stuff" for bikes I guess. Almost all I ever do is just drool over the stuff in the magazines - all so "latest" and "shiny" and "new"... etc It's a bit like torture really.

:P

Don't mean to derail the thread, but what what are the main "features" of HT and FS, is it (quite broadly):

FS - smoother over quite rough ground as well as just smoother ride full stop, however generally more expensive and weigh a bit more than an HT bike in a similar price range?

HT - rougher ride over bumpy surface, but fine for most paths/bridleways etc, generally cheaper and lighter than a FS in a similar price range?

Is that roughly it?

m@tty123

to be fair it depends on what you prefer riding and its more about the rider than the bike (within reason) i have a hardtail with 140mm forks and i take that over anything thats sensible. also to prove this i am quicker over both climbs and desents than all of my mates and they all ride full sussers. IMO you only need a full susser if you are going to do some serious freeriding or DH as my bike does everything from XC to hardcore all mountain riding and some decent jumps with ease. but as i said to start with its all down to preference.
matt

Valy

Well, of course it depends on the rider and such - but what about you on an HT vs you on a FS bike? etc. :P

... and I guess there is the personal preference, to a point though.