is a hardtail capable

sheepsteeth

funny doesnt come close, i think it would have worked well with the steptoe and son theme tune playing over it!

jimexbox

sheepsteeth wrote:

trail jacker wrote:

as soon as those folk muster the funds or find one going for a good sale price and can afford a fs bike, they buy one.

I honestly think many people, not saying you, are seduced by advertising, bike mags and peer pressure. I mean how many people who have full suss bikes actually need one, rather than desire one?

sheepsteeth

how many people need suspension on the front of their bikes as opposed to want it?

why dont we all ride round on bikes from the classifieds at retrobike?

jimexbox

sheepsteeth wrote:

can anyone find the video clip of national downhill racing which was basicly people on rigid bikes ridng down a field and not managing to negotiate a bend at the bottom?

If I rode downhill, I would buy a downhill bike, not a full suss XC.

sheepsteeth

oh, and i definately need a fs bike as i hate riding ht bikes so if i didnt ride one, i wouldnt ride anything. in my opinion, hardtail bikes are rubbish

sheepsteeth

jimexbox wrote:

sheepsteeth wrote:

can anyone find the video clip of national downhill racing which was basicly people on rigid bikes ridng down a field and not managing to negotiate a bend at the bottom?

If I rode downhill, I would buy a downhill bike, not a full suss XC.

if we are just typing random comments, mine is :

i like helicopters.

jimexbox

sheepsteeth wrote:

how many people need suspension on the front of their bikes as opposed to want it?

I stand while negotiating rough terrain, therefore my front shocks absorb the force that would otherwise be sent straight into my arms and shoulders.

sheepsteeth

what do you do with the shock that goes into your knees hips and lower back?

jeremyrundle

What I was trying to say was, just because something "new" comes along does not always make it better.

I know a great number of people who will only ride hardtrail, me included, I have four, as well as my new Sanderson, I have tries sus but can not get on with it.

Another example is my Nikon F Ftn camera. I have been into photography for sooooo many years, and have a number of new Nikons and Canons, and during the year shoot a great deal, and marvel at the comedy that is mr latest gadget who struggles to take a photo, when I use my THIRTY year old Nikon I focus and shoot as fast as most, and am good.

Give a novice a top notch bike and a pro a reasonable hardtrail.............

I will stick with my hardtrails, for personal preference, just as I do my Renault Grand Scenic, not because it is better than other cars, for me it is what I prefer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv7TyakE ... re=related

fearnsy

I'm not gonna lie, the guy who put that (altohugh he may be a fellow hardtailer) is an idiot. I'm a hardtailer because i'm 16, use my bike to get to school and go to the woods, so i think it would be quicker than a fs on road obviously, and i can get so much more bang for my buck on a ht, i'm not biased against fs, ht just suits me better,

sheepsteeth

jeremyrundle wrote:

marvel at the comedy that is mr latest gadget who struggles to take a photo, when I use my THIRTY year old Nikon I focus and shoot as fast as most, and am good.

how long have you been taking fotos compared to mr new camera man?

should mr new camera man have a shitty camera until he has taken a set number of suitable rated fotos?

dan shard

Its called progression. aka things getting better

My personal experience is this,. Started 'proper' mtb this time last year on a GT aggressor HT. I learned control of the bike from that because when your back wheel is bouncing all over the place on rough terrain you have to! I fell in love with the sport but I could tell that the rocky descents and jumps were taking their toll on my bike. I then upgraded to a CUBE AMS FS and on the Friday did Llandegla black run to say a proper good bye to my old GT, and the next day picked my Cube up and did Llandegla black run again. I took 30 mins off my time, and enjoyed it FAR more. The bike felt much more solid, grippy and +ve on the descents giving me more confidence and therefore speeding me up. Ive never regretted it and never even for a second thought of going back to HT. All the crap about complicated set ups...lol. I check the pressure once a month at the same time as I check my front fork n never had a single problem.

Do whatever you want but just remember, all forums are full of heroes that love to tell people how good they are, and that they dont need whatever the subject matter is. Just look at any "what protection" thread discussing body armour etc.
Most of the time there's a reason why these people need to tell strangers on a forum how good they....I'll leave that to your imagination! The simple answer is this, if your an average trail centre rider, a full suspension bike will likely make it a much more fun experience.

I am, and it did

jeremyrundle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv7TyakE ... re=related

Oh and I am a good photographer, no need to prove it, perhaps also some are just jealous that some people achieve.....

dan shard

That said, If youre a road, toe path, green, blue run rider. HT is perfect. Personaly Id be opting for a HT if that was the case

sheepsteeth

jeremyrundle wrote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv7TyakE8qw&feature=related

Oh and I am a good photographer, no need to prove it, perhaps also some are just jealous that some people achieve.....

no one said you werent, but you are telling us you like to laugh at people who are worse at taking photos than you are, makes you sound like a twazzock.

also, why is that the only vid which gets shown to hilight how good a hardtail can be?

shame there arent any decent full sus videos of whistler.

FBM.BMX

dan shard wrote:

The simple answer is this, if your an average trail centre rider, a full suspension bike will likely make it a much more fun experience.

Agreed 100%. Bikes are for having fun.

It pains me to say it, i may have to change my view on the acceptability of someone to have "all the gear and no idea".

The amount of respect i have for genuinely skilful riders that have been doing it for years is enormous. New riders coming along with the gear that allows them to be reasonable at riding off the bat detracts from the people who have earned the skill. The new riders don't have the eye to appreciate how good their longer riding counterparts are. They'll look at time down a particular route and that's it, none of the pumping, line selection or flow that goes with it, all the skills the new rider won't feel the need to learn, and enjoy learning.

So i totally agree that it is easier for a novice to have more fun on a full susser, but a lot of the time they skip learning the skills, which is a whole other fun part to the sport. If you're not inclined to learn these skills, you're not interested in the sport really, as they're an integral part of it.

If they get their fancy full sussers, get into riding, that's great. the more people riding, the better. But if they don't go that one step further to learn the skills, they're selling theirselves, the sport and the gear short.

sheepsteeth

dont talk such hippy nonsense.

getonyourbike

I've got to agree with some of what he says though, its rewarding to learn the skills, you then have them 'in the bank' for whenever you need them.

pastey_boy

FBM.BMX wrote:

pastey_boy wrote:

5 years to get good on a bike !!!!!!! based on what ? i know lads that have been riding less than 2 years yet have become very good riders in that time. some people will get very good in their own time yet others will be useless no matter how hard they try.

Based on the fact it is immediately obvious when you see someone who has ridden for a couple of years, some can look pretty impressive, then you see someone who has ridden all their life, you can see they're so much more at home on a bike.

That life long rider is on a whole different level to someone who has ridden for a couple of years.

utter tosh ...... just because someone rides a bike a long time does no make them good at it ..... way too many factors to list here. i have ridden bikes solidly for over 20 years yet an ex work colleague came along on some rides and in a few rides he was destroying me on the downhills, i murdered him xc but he had the mentality to make him better downhill, your basically saying that anyone who does anything for longer is going to be the best at it. with that logic all the local 90 year old are the best 5haggers about and old woman give the best head

supersonic

Horses for courses and all that.

As has always been, some prefer some FS bikes, some prefer some HTs. Some may find some models of either crap. Some find that some HTs hone skills. Some don't. Fun is subjective: some like to steamroller obstacles, others like to pick their way through. Some even like singlespeeds and climbing!

Myself, I have switched between bikes many times, and tested quite a few too. For the majority of my riding I like my hardtail. Main reasons are that all the full sussers, except from the very shortest of travel, exhibit some pedal feedback or bob that I can detect. I don't like this feeling over longer rides, and prefer the direct drivetrain connection, and at any price, they are always lighter, and I am not the strongest of riders at the moment.

But I am building a full susser up for shorter blasts. Different sort of riding though, and I will get a different buzz from it. This has adjustable rear sus from 65-110mm of travel, with U turn fork, so will allow a few set ups. Low pivot point will bob a little, but should reduce kickback, while the short travel will take the edge off stuff.

Of course that is not for all, but it does me. I just ride what works for me.

supersonic

And I will change again!

Northwind

sheepsteeth wrote:

full sus is the best way to ride off road for everyone, except for the poor.

Only having a full suss is for people who can't afford a full suss and a hardtail.

sheepsteeth

having more than one mountain bike is the reserve of those folk who havent got one bike that does everything they ride.

(we'll ignore the fact that i have 2 fs bikes)

Northwind

sheepsteeth wrote:

having more than one mountain bike is the reserve of those folk who havent got one bike that does everything they ride.

Damn right! That sounds pretty rubbish tbh.

trail jacker

sheepsteeth wrote:

trail jacker wrote:

to be honest i dont understand why you brought social classes into a discussion about bike frames anyway, your asking for trouble.

what makes your opinion on a subject more valid than mine?

i see plenty of people on this very site who claim ht are for real riders, fs bikes are for lazy feckers who cant ride as fast as them on their hardtails.

as soon as those folk muster the funds or find one going for a good sale price and can afford a fs bike, they buy one.

what are you on about???
all i meant was its a bit controversial saying "full sus is the best way to ride off road for everyone, except for the poor", its best to avoid topics like that and keep the thread on track, as you risk offending people.

sheepsteeth

so you are allowed an opinion but im not?

that sounds very offensive to me.

trail jacker

maybe just dont be so blunt...?

sheepsteeth wrote:

said the poor person.

sheepsteeth

so im still not allowed my own opinion, it has to be vetted by you?

veeeery offensive.

fearnsy

He's trying to say, you shouldn't have said that. Not trying to offend it. Accept it, and stop being so petty, everyone has their own opinion so just leave them to it.

sheepsteeth

fearnsy wrote:

everyone has their own opinion so just leave them to it.

why dont you try listening to your own advice :roll: