i rode a hardtail today

joshtp

apart from a few begginers i was the only one on a HT today around Penhydd, despite it being mega busy.... they are so underated... i had a total blast, never once felt i would like a FS, i even had a go on my mates fuel ex 9, still preffer my HT, it just feels right... and i was fast, infact, without sounding snobish, i overtook everyone i saw, and wasent overtaken once.... i was mighty fast on the singletrack too, really hammering... i over cleared every jump i came across...... anyone who says HT's are just a cheap man's bike, or that they are outdated, or whatever need to have a go, and not just one ride... but get used to it, and learn it... its a differnt art.... they really are a totaly blast....


on a side note... my new Thor's were AMAZING! on their first outing.... truily outstanding.... they really gave me the confidence to carve up extra tight/fast lines, and hammer rooty bits without braking.... great, really great!

coolboarder

Im lovin my fs but, i relate to what your saying about your hardtails. Being a roady turned moutain biker i love it when ive locked off the rear suspension on road sections, fire roads or canal tow paths. But love it back in fs mode when needed

Northwind

I love bikes If I could only have one I guess it'd be a hardtail, they just suit me but it'd be a shame to miss out on what a good full suss can do. I like rigids as well for that matter.

welshkev

Northwind wrote:

I love bikes If I could only have one I guess it'd be a hardtail, they just suit me but it'd be a shame to miss out on what a good full suss can do. I like rigids as well for that matter.

now that's just going too far!!!!!

nickfrog

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

and i was fast, infact, without sounding snobish, i overtook everyone i saw,

So glad somebody else says that as I did not dare. I find that on most rides the quickest riders downhill are on HTs, at least in the South East. It'd would seem a lot of people with poor technique or small balls buy FS to try and compensate, but fail.

jay12

IMO, as much as i like hardtails, for freeride or downhill i would buy a full-suss. for everything else a hardtail is all you need

RealMan

nickfrog wrote:

It'd would seem a lot of people with poor technique or small balls buy FS to try and compensate, but fail.

lol

joshtp

nickfrog wrote:

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

and i was fast, infact, without sounding snobish, i overtook everyone i saw,

So glad somebody else says that as I did not dare. I find that on most rides the quickest riders downhill are on HTs, at least in the South East. It'd would seem a lot of people with poor technique or small balls buy FS to try and compensate, but fail.

but so true..... there was this huy yestrerday with a bling-tastic new trek fuel ex 9, he was awfull, slower than the begginer couples on hired bkes..... it proves a point...

weeksy59

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

nickfrog wrote:

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

and i was fast, infact, without sounding snobish, i overtook everyone i saw,

So glad somebody else says that as I did not dare. I find that on most rides the quickest riders downhill are on HTs, at least in the South East. It'd would seem a lot of people with poor technique or small balls buy FS to try and compensate, but fail.

but so true..... there was this huy yestrerday with a bling-tastic new trek fuel ex 9, he was awfull, slower than the begginer couples on hired bkes..... it proves a point...

Would he have been quicker on a HT then ?

joshtp

weeksy59 wrote:

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

nickfrog wrote:

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

and i was fast, infact, without sounding snobish, i overtook everyone i saw,

So glad somebody else says that as I did not dare. I find that on most rides the quickest riders downhill are on HTs, at least in the South East. It'd would seem a lot of people with poor technique or small balls buy FS to try and compensate, but fail.

but so true..... there was this huy yestrerday with a bling-tastic new trek fuel ex 9, he was awfull, slower than the begginer couples on hired bkes..... it proves a point...

Would he have been quicker on a HT then ?

lol, no, probably slower, but it proves the point that people with no skill/balls buy a posh FS to compensate and it doesnt work.

el loco pollo

Haha nice April fool Welshkev.

fcumok

I built up a hardtail when I had my hip injury. Love it so much that the FS hardly gets an outing. Currently building another and then I think the FS will be for sale.

cat_with_no_tail

I initially bought my 456 as a cheap play bike to see me through winter while I saved enough money to buy a nice FS.
Even with the heavy, not so good kit I had on it at the time, I enjoyed it so much I decided to scrap the idea of a FS and put all the money into maxxing the awesomeness on the 456.
I have now completed that and am currently saving to upgrade to the Ti frame.
I can use my 456 for pretty much everything but the most gnarley DH tracks and still keep up with the FS bikes on the way down, while passing them on the way back up.
It's a proper do-it-all bike, which I've never been able to say with any FS bike I've ever owned.
Not sure I'll ever go back to FS for anything other than DH.

nickfrog

I think the success of FS is down to our collective consumption habits and the uneducated assumption that more is better:

- we buy high MP cameras not realising that all things being equal, the added noise makes pictures worse.
- we buy off-roaders and drive them on the road not realising they are heavy and handle like boats with they high COG.

The industry also needs to carry on selling bikes and convince the consumers that FS is an upgrade from a HT. The downside is that many first time riders are put off quickly and/or never get a chance to learn the most basic technique that only a HT can teach you.

We are starting to see the realisation amongst the more discerning riders that in most cases, a HT is actually a better choice, unless you live in the Alps or the Lake District.

Paul 8v

Not much need for a full susser down south, I do like the smoothness of a full suss but you can't beat the acceleration and climbing ability of a hardtail

furby

As much as I would like a shiney blingtastic full suss all mountain bike, I could never be without a hard tail trail bike.

Doombrain

when my FS scott's locked it's solid, no movment at all.

*AL*

I've ridden HT up to the end of last year when I bought an Epic as well.

I love my HT with a passion, but I'm getting older and parts of my are starting to ache more and more, so the Epic has enough movement on the rear so save my ageing spine.

Not sure I could cope with a 'proper' full suss or really use it to it's full potential, but the Epic is basically a HT until the brain triggers the rear, so for the days when I'm likely to encounter some rougher stuff the HT gets a well earned rest.

For pure riding pleasure, I would never be without a HT though........

ol\'gregg

welshkev wrote:

as in the title, i rode a hard tail today for the first time in over a year. i was mighty impressed, no pedal bob, all the power moves you forward...i think i'm gonna get myself one

boardman team i think i'll get...mmmm, shiny new bike time

Don't get too attached to my bike I will be wanting it back...

bails87

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

weeksy59 wrote:

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

but so true..... there was this huy yestrerday with a bling-tastic new trek fuel ex 9, he was awfull, slower than the begginer couples on hired bkes..... it proves a point...

Would he have been quicker on a HT then ?

lol, no, probably slower, but it proves the point that people with no skill/balls buy a posh FS to compensate and it doesnt work.

It doesn't prove anything.

Don't talk such rubbish :roll:

RealMan

No, I agree with joshtp/mbukman, go out with a club, and its almost a guarantee the worst rider there will be on a full sus. In fact, at quite a few clubs I've been to, not only is that the case, but the best rider is on a single speed rigid as well.

welshkev

ol\'gregg wrote:

welshkev wrote:

as in the title, i rode a hard tail today for the first time in over a year. i was mighty impressed, no pedal bob, all the power moves you forward...i think i'm gonna get myself one

boardman team i think i'll get...mmmm, shiny new bike time

Don't get too attached to my bike I will be wanting it back...

when was the last time you rode it? i'll be on my second hardtail by the time you decide to ride again

bails87

It doesn't prove that he bought it to compensate for a lack of ability. For all you know he just wanted a comfy ride to enjoy the countryside on. So he bought an FS rather than a singlespeed rigid pain machine. It's not a gnarly/rad sport to everyone.

FWIW, I ride a HT and I love it

Itsari

Picked up my first decent HT on Friday abused it over the weekend...It felt good...Possibly too good.

*AL*

bails87 wrote:

It doesn't prove that he bought it to compensate for a lack of ability. For all you know he just wanted a comfy ride to enjoy the countryside on. So he bought an FS rather than a singlespeed rigid pain machine. It's not a gnarly/rad sport to everyone.

Agreed.

Not everyone wants to be the next Christoph Sauser, some people just like riding bikes, whatever shape or configuration it happens to be.

Briggo

I'll stick with my FS, much more versatile and hardly much more in weight than a HT.

Lockout for climbs, unlock for fun.

Although that does come at a price.

Northwind

bails87 wrote:

It doesn't prove that he bought it to compensate for a lack of ability. For all you know he just wanted a comfy ride to enjoy the countryside on. So he bought an FS rather than a singlespeed rigid pain machine. It's not a gnarly/rad sport to everyone.

Spot on feller, nailed it.

Anonymous

i dont mind hardtails, ive owned plenty of them and enjoyed some of it. i cant think why i would ever buy another for riding off road though.

GHill

Considering ditching my Fuel Ex for a couple of hardtails (Blue Pig and Niner EMD), but I'll probably wimp out of it.

scale20

I will allways have a HT in my line up.

I seem to have gone full circle, started off with a rigid Rockhopper back in '92 and now I seem to enjoy riding rigid again on the Scandal 29er, I now find myself taking that out instead of the FS.

I first went down the FS route in '08 in the form of an EX9 and found that after riding it for a few months it turned me into a really lazy rider not having to be to picky about my lines and just rolling over obsticles. IMO going back to a HT now and again keeps you on your toes.