Your reasons for owning a Hard Tail and a Full suspension ?

evo3ben

I use the HT for racing, local XC and training. Its faster, weights 21.7 lbs and fits the job that i want it to do better than my FS.
The 140mm FS bike i use as a play bike, trail centres, jumping and generally stuff you would rather do on a fs bike.
Best of both worlds but i work bloody hard to afford it, so why not!!!

bluechair84

evo3ben wrote:

I use the HT for racing, local XC and training.

Surely a 48pound DH bike that pedals like a marshmallow is better for training

tom_howard

bluechair84 wrote:

evo3ben wrote:

I use the HT for racing, local XC and training.

Surely a 48pound DH bike that pedals like a marshmallow is better for training

I could help you out there....

Mccraque

FS - Zesty 514
HT - Boardman Pro

I love them both.....whenever I am going somewhere where there are going to be drops, roots, more technical stuff...I take the zesty.

If I am doing a local blast over lighter XC, I take the HT for a spin.

I've a pre-work route that I can do on either...timed on both over several runs. Average about 5 mins longer on the FS over 10 miles.

I like the FS when I have a hangover....takes the buzz and bumps out of the trail.

Each has their merits. For the winter, I reckon the HT will see more use when things get really muddy


I find myself now perving at Hardcore Hardtails.

Red.Devil.Ghost

I am yet to get my first FS but will be soon. I will then use the HT for general road use and travel,as I'm not a big fan of road bikes. Also, I can teach myself about stripping and rebuilding on the HT which is now 6 years old + and not be too bothered if it gets screwed up. If I did the same on a £1000 FS and screwed it up, I would be upset.

Plus having a spare bike means my mates wont be able to say 'I don't have a bike' as an excuse not to come out and play.

GhallTN6

evo3ben wrote:

I use the HT for racing, local XC and training. Its faster, weights 21.7 lbs and fits the job that i want it to do better than my FS.
The 140mm FS bike i use as a play bike, trail centres, jumping and generally stuff you would rather do on a fs bike.
Best of both worlds but i work bloody hard to afford it, so why not!!!

Same boat here.. except I have better bikes :twisted:

Shaggy_Dog

If I want to go fast and be comfortable I'll ride a full suss, if I want to scare myself silly and ride slightly slower but feel like I'm riding faster I'll ride a hardtail.

lochussie

First I got an HT, then I got an AM to do it all, then I got a DH. Now I want something between the HT and AM as the HT is not the best on rough terrain and the AM is a bit much weight and travel for many rides.

It's also nice to have spare bikes for when one isn't working.

neil_sheehan2000

Good question.

Got the full sus (Meta 5.5) because I believed at the time that FS was essentially the epitome of what a mountain bike should be. Also, I happened to be able to afford it at the time, and really wanted a better bike than my flatmate! Plus, not wanting to get into an 'under/over-biked' argument, I think that the kinds of places I ride warrant having a full sus (it's by no means a pre-requisite though).

However, after 3 years of FS I was thinking it would be nice to have an HT again (lighter, simpler, climbs better, you can stand up and pedal if the bit of the trail that you thought was a descent suddenly turns out not to be), got a bit drunk last night, and wound up ordering an On-One Summer Season frame.

So: FS because I wanted to be flash; HT because of nostalgia and alcohol.

pizzoferro33

I only have a HT, just returned from 3 days in N.Wales ... couple of pals had FS bikes.. they most likely had the comfort in places where I could have done with it ... BUT...
I put some Bontracger XR4 (Trail bike tyres) on my bike, lowered the seat a little to allow me to manoeuvre around on the technical sections on the Marin trail/Coed Y Brenin, MBR/Dragons Back trails, I was no slower than them .. especially on the downhill sections - and mostly way ahead on the climbing.

More to the point, a new pair of tyres is 1.Affordable 2. Not difficult to store

Believe me, your skills/ability goes up on a HT ... a FS - you just point and shoot, less strategic riding if you like

Thats my take on it

tofu21

Well...

I came back to mountain biking after 10 years off. I went for a Spesh FSR, then another FSR when I broke the first.

I then got a HT because everyone else I knew had a FS and HT. I went through a phase of only really riding the HT. I think the HT gives me a perception of going faster because it knocks you around more. I have done the Ruthin 100k on it etc…

I've now switched back to only really riding my FS. I find that the FS is more fun to ride than the HT as I can take on obstacles quicker and it is more forgiving if I get it wrong. I have also lost some fitness from when I used to ride the HT a lot. I think you need to be a stronger rider to be able to throw a HT round the same way you can a FS as your legs take a lot more of a pounding on a HT.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m never going to be that good on a bike, I’m OK but have never going to set the world on fire. So I may as well ride a bike that it more fun, easier on the rider and flatters me into thinking I am a better rider than I am. I’ve got a Mojo on order that will be 150/140 and was planning on keeping the HT as a spare bike and for when it’s a mud bath and selling the old FS.

I went out on the HT yesterday for the first time since the start of the year and I really didn’t like it at all. OK the bike wasn’t setup anywhere near right (gears where off, brakes rubbing, forks too soft and saddle kept moving) so wasn’t a great ride from that perspective.

So I’m now wondering if I would ever actually ride the HT if I keep it. To be honest, it’s probably not worth selling as it’s pretty well used and looks like it. I’ll need to have a couple more rides on the HT, when it’s been setup right, and see what I think to it then.