Riding style HT+FS

Anonymous

supersonic wrote:

People who give up MTBing are ghey.

this

Northwind

popstar wrote:

General conclusion points out that:  -younger savvy generation preffers FS, who like to push it really hard without realising how bad their crash could be. On the other end, HT hordes are the ones after silly crashes who made up their mind and adjusted style for the sake of purity but not speed.

I ride just as hard on my HT or full suss, just that the results are different. I think full suss appeals more to people who love high speed, or to people who're more concerned about getting to the bottom than about how they get there. Whereas hardtails are more for people who want to ring all of the riding they can out of a trail and aren't too bothered if it takes longer.

I'm not a speed freak, way I see it is if it takes an hour to ride to the top I'd sooner it takes half an hour to get to the bottom than 20 minutes

ilovedirt

Yeah i do like how much speed you can carry on a FS, just hammer through everything and the arm pump keeps away for longer, tracks much better on the uphill too if set up correctly.

EarlofBarnet

I wanted a full suss bike for a while, so bought a Coiler with a set of 66 forks on it. Loved it. But, recently realised that the weight was too high so decided to go back to a HT frame. Had a truely brilliant ride on Sunday on a fully rigid bike. Climbing like a mountain goat and didn't do too badly on the down hills. True, I was noticably slower on the downhills, and there were some hits that were a bit harsh through some rigid forks, but overall I was impressed. I've now decided to convert back to a decent HT with a set of 100mm forks. That's more than enough for what I need.

CycloRos

I've found myself going full circle in the past couple of years, used to ride nothing but my Stumpy FSR leaving my HT gathering cob webs. Then got a new HT and loved that (still do!) FS gathered cobwebs. Then bought a fully rigid SS 29er which is lots of fun, now that thing really makes you pay attention to the trail!

I'm with the camp that likes to ring every little piece of enjoyment out of the trail, the bike I rode never really affected my style too much but all three bikes offer a different kind of buzz.

The Stumpy was just last week pilfered for parts and the frame remains in my garage, lets see if I miss it?

mudsucker

I owned a Rockhopper for 9 years and throughly enjoyed every second of it. I just assumed the feeling that someone had been repeatedly kicking you in the back and butt for an hour or so was normal.

Now i've got a Stumpjumper FSR and to be honest i don't think i could ride a HT again. Its soooo much easier to ride. Tracks the ground over bumps intead of bouncing you up in the air, climbs like a mountain goat and decends like a rocket! love it

To be honest, what they say is true. Learn to ride on a HT as you get alot more feed back from the trail and as some have said it encourages you to pick the best lines then if you choose to move to FS, you will be faster still!! (IMO) I will admit, i do sometimes think "oh, my shocks will deal with that" instead of picking the best line. Need to stop being so lazy

Sarnian

sheepsteeth wrote:

Sarnian wrote:

I don't seem to get along with FS I have had 3 now, and they all just end up sitting In the shed as I always take one of my HT out, so I end up selling them.

I have been riding HT for almost 20 years, and I seem to do It well. I have told myself now If I get another FS I am going to spend a shed load of cash on It so I can get the best you can.

just out of interest, what were the full sussers? i really enjoyed my last couple o hardtails, i couldnt quantify why but it was just different. i dont think i would go back though.

My first FS was a Cube all mountain, the second was a Tomac Revolver know this was I nice ride but It used to get left at home as proffered something a little more hard core with more travel, as the Tomac was a very light xc 100mm travel bike.
The last one was a Giant Yukon only had that for a week as It was on the small side for me so best not really count that one.

I would say I am no ware near anti FS just not had the right one for my style of riding, like I said when I get back from my jolly I will have a fare bit In the bank so I think I decent FS is In order

Anonymous

you will deffo have earned it by then and i highly recommend getting summat super gucci like the guy with the lt carbon in the your rides section did.

if i ever get a tour under my belt, its somthing i will consider.

Sarnian

I can bet It's going to be gucci

joshtp

for me ultimate speed isnt important, if i wanted to go fast, i would buy a roadie. A HT is more involving, more intence, more fun IMO. You will win races on a FS, but you will enjoy the race more on a HT, IMO. i like to really rag around, drop the saddle, and let rip, hammer everything, air sections, and genneraly blat around. My HT does this wonderfully. A FS, would, for me, make it all a bit too easy. Its like, football wouldnt be fun if they invented a ball that always went streight in the goal, no effort, even if you shot at your own goal it curved around and scored for you. this would be borring. there would be no challange. for me FS does a job well, but it takes the challange out.
i WANT to feel the trail, i want to get battered and kicked, i want to drive my bike, not ride it. for me FS is something for the racers, not for fun....

jmillen

I've just gone from a 100mm HT to a 140mm FS, and wow ! I haven't really been out to see what it can do properly yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

I think the Brain technology from Specialized (now made by Fox for Specialized) has come on leaps and bounds over the last few years. When its correctly set up, you can be riding a HT with pretty much 0 bob, and when the ground gets rougher, the brain does its job and activates the shock.

Thursday night will soon tell me if this is all just theory, but from the short rides I've had on local trails, it certainly did the job well.

I'm not going to deny for one second that riding the HT wasn't great fun, and if funding permitted, I'd like to have one for those leisurely rides which don't need an FS.

Time will tell if I made the right decision or not...

Kiblams

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

i WANT to feel the trail, i want to get battered and kicked, i want to drive my bike, not ride it. for me FS is something for the racers, not for fun....

What you have described there is why I ride a rigid bike, speed has never een important to me, the slower I go still having masses of fun just means the longer the trail will last

joshtp

Kiblams wrote:

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

i WANT to feel the trail, i want to get battered and kicked, i want to drive my bike, not ride it. for me FS is something for the racers, not for fun....

What you have described there is why I ride a rigid bike, speed has never een important to me, the slower I go still having masses of fun just means the longer the trail will last

too true, too true... rigid may be taking it a bit too far mind...

bails87

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

Kiblams wrote:

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

i WANT to feel the trail, i want to get battered and kicked, i want to drive my bike, not ride it. for me FS is something for the racers, not for fun....

What you have described there is why I ride a rigid bike, speed has never een important to me, the slower I go still having masses of fun just means the longer the trail will last

too true, too true... rigid may be taking it a bit too far mind...

But why? From everything you've described, it sounds like a rigid would be perfect for you.

The Big Cheese

sheepsteeth wrote:

there are loads of folk around who have gone back to ht bikes. there is no quantifiable reason for it really, some folk just prefer ht to fs, some prefer fs to ht. both will always be around, both will always have their fans.

Do what I did and get both

joshtp

bails87 wrote:

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

Kiblams wrote:

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

i WANT to feel the trail, i want to get battered and kicked, i want to drive my bike, not ride it. for me FS is something for the racers, not for fun....

What you have described there is why I ride a rigid bike, speed has never een important to me, the slower I go still having masses of fun just means the longer the trail will last

too true, too true... rigid may be taking it a bit too far mind...

But why? From everything you've described, it sounds like a rigid would be perfect for you.

i do, to a cetain point, value my life

also i live in wales, where we have reall mountains, and really rocks

bails87

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

bails87 wrote:

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

Kiblams wrote:

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

i WANT to feel the trail, i want to get battered and kicked, i want to drive my bike, not ride it. for me FS is something for the racers, not for fun....

What you have described there is why I ride a rigid bike, speed has never een important to me, the slower I go still having masses of fun just means the longer the trail will last

too true, too true... rigid may be taking it a bit too far mind...

But why? From everything you've described, it sounds like a rigid would be perfect for you.

i do, to a cetain point, value my life

also i live in wales, where we have reall mountains, and really rocks

Yeah, but it's also full of sheep, they're soft right? :P

Anonymous

Sarnian wrote:

I can bet It's going to be gucci

i dont doubt it mate, im already looking forward to it and its not even going to be mine!!!!!

Anonymous

cheesey: been there done that, a few times!

josh: so you're saying you never want a fs bike? or you wouldnt have one if you could?

bails87

sheepsteeth wrote:

josh: so you're saying you never want a fs bike? or you wouldnt have one if you could?

I ride a HT and it's a great bike, but I'd like a FS one day. The reason I got a HT is cost mainly. Find me a <25lb FS with top notch forks and X0 kit for £730 and I'll buy it

Anonymous

bails87 wrote:

sheepsteeth wrote:

josh: so you're saying you never want a fs bike? or you wouldnt have one if you could?

I ride a HT and it's a great bike, but I'd like a FS one day. The reason I got a HT is cost mainly. Find me a <25lb FS with top notch forks and X0 kit for £730 and I'll buy it

thats pretty much the point im making. theres nowt wrong with it and your attitude is refreshing, you havent got a fs, you'd like one but they are too expensive.

i would wager that most fs haters do so because they are too expensive, not because theres anything else wrong with them. i would wager that most fs haters have never ridden a good one off road, i would also wager that most fs haters will eventually get one or admit in all honesty that they would have one if they werent so ridiculously priced.

big_southern_jesse

sheepsteeth wrote:

this hasnt come around for a while so:

full sus is better than hardtail every time, fact. you should buy one as soon as possible.

Shame, you are so wrong. You know you should buy a singlespeed rigid. Of course it makes sense!

bails87

sheepsteeth wrote:

bails87 wrote:

sheepsteeth wrote:

josh: so you're saying you never want a fs bike? or you wouldnt have one if you could?

I ride a HT and it's a great bike, but I'd like a FS one day. The reason I got a HT is cost mainly. Find me a <25lb FS with top notch forks and X0 kit for £730 and I'll buy it

thats pretty much the point im making. theres nowt wrong with it and your attitude is refreshing, you havent got a fs, you'd like one but they are too expensive.

i would wager that most fs haters do so because they are too expensive, not because theres anything else wrong with them. i would wager that most fs haters have never ridden a good one off road, i would also wager that most fs haters will eventually get one or admit in all honesty that they would have one if they werent so ridiculously priced.

I'm trying out a couple of Lapierres (514 and 510 or 710) and Scotts (Spark and Genius)at the demo day at Cannock Chase in a couple of weeks, so will have to report back on if it makes me hate the Boardman

bike-a-swan

sheepsteeth wrote:

i would wager that most fs haters do so because they are too expensive, not because theres anything else wrong with them. i would wager that most fs haters have never ridden a good one off road, i would also wager that most fs haters will eventually get one or admit in all honesty that they would have one if they weren't so ridiculously priced.

I'd have a full-susser if I had the money, there are definitely things they are better at. However, I'd never replace a hardtail- I'd want both (and a rigid too!). The hardtail does things better too, and I find it more fun to ride in a lot of places. just riding one doesn't make you anti- the other.

bails- I should be at Cannock that day, thinking about getting a shot on one of those Ragleys

Anonymous

Big Southern Jesse wrote:

sheepsteeth wrote:

this hasnt come around for a while so:

full sus is better than hardtail every time, fact. you should buy one as soon as possible.

Shame, you are so wrong. You know you should buy a singlespeed rigid. Of course it makes sense!

i remember when i first started riding and i believed everything i read that i should ave one in my "stable" and it was reinforced when i had my arse handed to me by an old chuffer on an ancient single speed rigid bike out on a trail. never fancied one though to be fair, but thats more cause im rubbish than anything!

bails87 wrote:

sheepsteeth wrote:

bails87 wrote:

sheepsteeth wrote:

josh: so you're saying you never want a fs bike? or you wouldnt have one if you could?

I ride a HT and it's a great bike, but I'd like a FS one day. The reason I got a HT is cost mainly. Find me a <25lb FS with top notch forks and X0 kit for £730 and I'll buy it

thats pretty much the point im making. theres nowt wrong with it and your attitude is refreshing, you havent got a fs, you'd like one but they are too expensive.

i would wager that most fs haters do so because they are too expensive, not because theres anything else wrong with them. i would wager that most fs haters have never ridden a good one off road, i would also wager that most fs haters will eventually get one or admit in all honesty that they would have one if they werent so ridiculously priced.

I'm trying out a couple of Lapierres (514 and 510 or 710) and Scotts (Spark and Genius)at the demo day at Cannock Chase in a couple of weeks, so will have to report back on if it makes me hate the Boardman

it'll never make you hate the boardman, it wont suddenly be a rubbish bike, but you might find you enjoy fs bikes once you have tried them out, you might find it doesnt suit you and you never want to swing a leg over one again, but atleast after trying a good one off road, you will have a balanced and accurate argument.

unlike lots of people

RichMTB

I've got a Pace RC305 and a Blur LT.

I like them both the Pace has real character and is very rewarding to ride but if I try and ride it as fast as the Blur I get absolutely hammered which is why 9 times out of 10 I ride the Blur for any serious riding. It rewards with grin inducing speed what it lacks in feesback

ilovedirt

For my "one" bike, i honestly don't think i could go back from FS, my genius is such a great all rounder, it will do anything. I don't really think it takes the fun out of riding, it's just different. I'd like a nice hardtail too, but unfortunately i can't afford both. Buying second hand is definitely the way forward though, a lot of the kit on my scott was used (frame, forks, wheels, bars, stem, seat, mech, shifter) and as long as you're careful with what you buy, you can get a great bike for next to no money. My scott only set me back a grand, and it's pretty good spec. Same price as a brand new hardtail of similar, if not lower spec.

Thewaylander

Personally i go FS all the way.

I did my time on a ahrd tail and techincally i wouldn't say you need to ride better or worse with a hard tail just different. if you push hard on a FS its definately as much of a challenge on the downs mostly because of the extra speed.

If you want to ride longer my answer is ride further and as for weight I would be terrified riding a sub 25pound hardtail that i'd snap it same for very light sus bikes.

I ride for fun so as long as i can climb tot he top i'm not bothered its the single track and downs that matter to me.

(on my list now is Mondrake and lappiere 140 or 160mm bikes)

bails87

Thewaylander wrote:

as for weight I would be terrified riding a sub 25pound hardtail that i'd snap it

Really? I guess it depends on the type of riding you do, but 25lb isn't that light for a HT. My Boardman weighed less than that new, and thats with heavy wire bead tyres on. The rest of the kit is pretty standard, i.e. no proper weight weenie bits: Reba's, Juicy brakes, decent tough wheels, X0 and X9 drivetrain with a low end cassette and chain and mid range chainset.

25lb for an FS is a bigger ask though.

Thewaylander

I don't know to hit 25 you gotta have some pretty light wheels and so on.. still scares me. on my old 26.5pound cannondale f700 i destroyed the wheels