Why hardtails for winter

Alangjones

After reading through the posts on here, I notice lots of people recommend hardtails for winter rideing just wondering what the thinking is behind this.

cooldad

They get precious and worry about bearings and linkages getting wet and gritty, meaning less wear and maintenance to the 'nice' bike.
So theoretically all winter bikes should be single speed rigids.
The fact that summer generally lasts about 3 days sometimes escapes them.

You may notice that personally, I think it's a stupid idea.

bamba

may be the wet and rain is some how different in winter ?

UncleMonty

a hardtail is for life, not just winter

kajjal

I used to ride a cheaper hardtail in the winter so my better bike was kept in good condition until the better weather came. This was party due to doing more road miles, reducing wear and tear from salt / grit / dirt etc, and also I would rather crash / damage a cheaper bike. Now I have a road bike it goes out in most weather on the road.

Its all down to personal choice.

mcnultycop

I ride my HT in winter as it takes a bit less cleaning after a muddy ride, but I'm not precious about my FS. I'm likely to ride more locally in winter too, so on my local trails the 150mm FS is a little unnecessary. .

cycle monster

The right bike for the terrain you intend to ride surely? There are dry days in winter and wet ones in summer. This sounds like a dark side, pyjama wearing rumour to me!

stubs

Hardtails are easier to clean and usually have better mud clearance.

.blitz

One of the main advantages I notice when switching from fs to ht is how much traction the fs has, especially during this summer when the ground has been baked hard and the ht has been pinging and smearing off everything.

Now we're headed into winter, we've had a bit of rain and the ground is softer and the difference is not so noticeable and in places the ht has the advantage. Its the same every year and this why the ht gets more use over winter.

Alangjones

Ok so being a caravan park manager I have to work all summer and only get to play really hard in the winter, so what should my ride be. On the up side I do get to live in the middle of coed y Brenin, Nant yr Arian, and cli machx, as well as numerous local trails which very few people know about

cooldad

FS obviously.
Only poor people or masochists ride HT.

stubs

If where you ride tends to be very muddy go HT if its rocky and doesnt usually get sloppy FS.

Or buy a Unicycle and you will be ready for all conditions

Alangjones

stubs wrote:

If where you ride tends to be very muddy go HT if its rocky and doesnt usually get sloppy FS.

Or buy a Unicycle and you will be ready for all conditions

Sorry just to be clear is that a fs or ht unicycle

stubs

Alangjones wrote:

Sorry just to be clear is that a fs or ht unicycle

Oh definitely FS anything else would be so last year

Carl170

stubs wrote:

If where you ride tends to be very muddy go HT if its rocky and doesnt usually get sloppy FS.

Or buy a Unicycle and you will be ready for all conditions

Like this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uPznTbus3g

How this guy doesn't catch his nads on something, I don't know. It looks terrifying!

Regards

Carl

passout

I get the logic of a winter HT but can't help but think that if you don't need FS in winter, then you don't need it in summer! I'd ride both all year & choose which one based on the terrain - or just stick to one.

Carl170

passout wrote:

I get the logic of a winter HT but can't help but think that if you don't need FS in winter, then you don't need it in summer! I'd ride both all year & choose which one based on the terrain - or just stick to one.

Pretty sound logic! I have a HT, but really fancy a full susser.

However, I rarely ride graded trails, it is mostly stuff through woods and on old waggon ways, which do not warrant a FS bike. My mate has a FS but spends an awful lot of time catching up (and I'm not that fast!). I have had a shot on his and it seems poor on the flat and up hill.

The few times we go to trails (mainly red grade) , I am a little slower than him, but still reckon I have just as much fun!

Another friend I used to ride with went through a series of FS bikes - he simply slams into everything and expects the bike to do the work. I reckon he is a poorer rider for this. He has cracked a few frames over the years too!

Regards

Carl

cooldad

There are FS and FS.

JayKay3000

Isn't is similar to just lock out the rear if it's really muddy. You still have a bit of bob, but you're getting almost the same experience and still ready if the route gets technical. Last ride for example I only had the shocks fully open for the really rocky descents.

pesky_jones

stubs wrote:

Hardtails are easier to clean and usually have better mud clearance.

OHH Really... hahah

bartimaeus

Bearings are expensive to service... so muddy, gritty, generally rubbish conditions = (cheap) HT with mud tyres, and anything else = (expensive) FS. But like almost everything MTB, it's your choice, despite what the Forums might suggest.

It *is* a good excuse for getting another bike...

TheNorthernTrain

Pesky Jones wrote:

stubs wrote:

Hardtails are easier to clean and usually have better mud clearance.

OHH Really... hahah

Quite tempted to say you should probably be using a thinner tyre.

pesky_jones

S'all good

TheNorthernTrain

Until your rear wheel goes slightly out of true and wears a hole in the frame...

lawman

Jesus thats a bit tight!!!!! :shock:

I'll echo what others have said, bearings can cost a fortune and a hardtail is great fun and another excuse have another bike, which is why I have one

coulddobetter

Damn I can't afford a full sus for summer and my carbon hardtail will disintegrate in rain ............no choice ........going to join the ramblers and live longer .

pesky_jones

TheNorthernTrain wrote:

Until your rear wheel goes slightly out of true and wears a hole in the frame...

hmm. Feeling kind of stupid now, there's a thin strip of worn away paint at the closest contact point :roll:

Running 2.35 Hans Dampf at the mo, always have. What would you reccomend? 2.2s be enough? Theres a 2mm gap at the smallest gap atm..

croptonboy

coulddobetter wrote:

Damn I can't afford a full sus for summer and my carbon hardtail will disintegrate in rain ............no choice ........going to join the ramblers and live longer .

Don't do it! http://news.sky.com/story/1125164/man-charged-after-bull-gores-rambler-to-death

stubs

coulddobetter wrote:

Damn I can't afford a full sus for summer and my carbon hardtail will disintegrate in rain ............no choice ........going to join the ramblers and live longer .

You cant ride carbon in summer they crack in the sunshine, you can only use them when there's 32 days in the month

TheNorthernTrain

Pesky Jones wrote:

TheNorthernTrain wrote:

Until your rear wheel goes slightly out of true and wears a hole in the frame...

hmm. Feeling kind of stupid now, there's a thin strip of worn away paint at the closest contact point :roll:

Running 2.35 Hans Dampf at the mo, always have. What would you reccomend? 2.2s be enough? Theres a 2mm gap at the smallest gap atm..

Dunno tbh, I haven't seen a max tyre width for the bike anywhere, and from what I've seen most people seem to be running 2.35 - 2.4 and it all looks fairly tight from what I can see but I certainly wouldn't like it running as tight as that, I might be alone in that however.

Just keep an eye on it. It may be fine, I had part of my sidewall peeling off my rear tyre, rode with it for ages and never caused any more damage than wearing paint off. Only reason I mentioned it was I had a mate who ran his tyre too wide and it didn't run true, never noticed and over time had worn a hole in the frame. That said, the amount of other hornets that seem to be specced with a similar size rear tyre... you may be absolutely fine.

paul.skibum

Pesky Jones wrote:

TheNorthernTrain wrote:

Until your rear wheel goes slightly out of true and wears a hole in the frame...

hmm. Feeling kind of stupid now, there's a thin strip of worn away paint at the closest contact point :roll:

Running 2.35 Hans Dampf at the mo, always have. What would you reccomend? 2.2s be enough? Theres a 2mm gap at the smallest gap atm..

I have an old Heckler that looked like that with a 2.1 tyre in it - there was a seat stay brace that rubbed on the arch of the tyre until I milled a bit off it and the frame has a worn patch on either chain stay - doesnt seem to have affected it too badly!