is the hardtail a dying breed?

Chunkers1980

Why not just keep a bike and service?

HebdenBiker

This thread has provided the answers - hardtails won't die out soon. Some people ride them because they are poor, some ride them because they prefer them, and some ride them because they race XC and light weight is more important than suspension.

ab20000

Only ever ridden a hardtail - one XC and one a bit more aggressive, no reason really other than never felt I've needed one and on that basis can't justify the cost. Hopefully one day I'll give full sus and may well think it's a massive improvement but as it is I don't feel like I'm missing riding my hardtail and really enjoy my riding on it.

Northwind

balmybaldwin wrote:

Hard tails have their place... if you are riding at trail centres, then expect people to bring their bigger bikes (if they have more than one!)

Mine is at its best at trailcentres tbh. Rigid for oldschool xc, hardtail for most trailcentres, full suss for bad craziness.

xcMuttley

I have ridden a number of Full sus bikes at trail centers and quite frankly i havnt ridden a bike that was as much fun as my Genesis mantle 20 29er Hardtail. I admit that you get more fatigued on the hardtail, but the feeling of passing a load of middle age men on £2000+ full sussers whilst taking the bigger line is second to none

Briggo

xcMuttley wrote:

I have ridden a number of Full sus bikes at trail centers and quite frankly i havnt ridden a bike that was as much fun as my Genesis mantle 20 29er Hardtail. I admit that you get more fatigued on the hardtail, but the feeling of passing a load of middle age men on £2000+ full sussers whilst taking the bigger line is second to none

So if they had a £1800 bike you wouldn't get the satisfaction either eh?

Point being what does the value of a bike make when it comes to that, if someone wants to splash out so what it doesn't mean it'll make them awesome and I doubt they think it will either, comments like that scream jealousy.

xcMuttley

Briggo wrote:

xcMuttley wrote:

I have ridden a number of Full sus bikes at trail centers and quite frankly i havnt ridden a bike that was as much fun as my Genesis mantle 20 29er Hardtail. I admit that you get more fatigued on the hardtail, but the feeling of passing a load of middle age men on £2000+ full sussers whilst taking the bigger line is second to none

So if they had a £1800 bike you wouldn't get the satisfaction either eh?

Point being what does the value of a bike make when it comes to that, if someone wants to splash out so what it doesn't mean it'll make them awesome and I doubt they think it will either, comments like that scream jealousy.

Nooooo i give or take £200 Not really what i meant by the comment. I will re word it for clarity "it feels good to pass middle aged men on full sussers whilst you rumble pass on a hardtail" Happy? haha

cooldad

xcMuttley wrote:

Usually a roadie (I know i know)

Oh dear, I suppose we can't all be perfect.

njee20

Chunkers1980 wrote:

Why not just keep a bike and service?

I was quite good for a while, so got bikes on a sponsorship deal, sell for profit at the end of the year and replace. With new prices having skyrocketed (and it conveniently becoming harder to sell for profit) I hung onto the last one, and it cracked. That'll learn me! Still, Trek have been spot on in replacing it.

xcMuttley

cooldad wrote:

xcMuttley wrote:

Usually a roadie (I know i know)

Oh dear, I suppose we can't all be perfect.

God Damnit...
I suppose it was only a matter of time!

Chunkers1980

Thought that was the case. Best of luck in the HT world. Fwiw, I much prefer my HT.

rockmonkeysc

I really enjoy riding hardtails but because of my collection of old injuries I struggle with more than 50km on one now.
I would quite like to try a ti 29er hardtail and see hom I get on with that.
My full sus bike is fun but I enjoy the challenge of having to be smooth or crash on a hardtail.

gt-arrowhead

I love riding a hardtail. But i havent been on a proper full sus bike before. But i know that if i did, i would still get back on a hardtail and enjoy riding it. I reckon hardtails are still going strong.

If anythings a dying breed, its more likely to be 26 inch wheels.

7448stewart

I love my HT but am starting to want a FS and when I do I think ill got to 650B from my 29er

Grate comment though!

cooldad

xcMuttley wrote:

cooldad wrote:

xcMuttley wrote:

Usually a roadie (I know i know)

Oh dear, I suppose we can't all be perfect.

God Damnit...
I suppose it was only a matter of time!

Age and guile beat youth, innocence, and a bad haircut. P.J. O'Rourke

Dick Scruttock

I had a Merlin Malt 3 and I hated it, always chosing to ride my FS over it so it got moved on. Swore I'd never buy another hardtail ever again. Then while waiting for my new FS I found myself MTB less after selling my Ibis. I went out and bought a Cotic Soul frame and built it up. I have never looked back, I love that bike and often end up out on that over my FS.

xcMuttley

cooldad wrote:

xcMuttley wrote:

cooldad wrote:

xcMuttley wrote:

Usually a roadie (I know i know)

Oh dear, I suppose we can't all be perfect.

God Damnit...
I suppose it was only a matter of time!

Age and guile beat youth, innocence, and a bad haircut. P.J. O'Rourke

Haha, brilliant! I accept my defeat. But IMO Hardtails over Full suspension any day (Just to put it back on topic)

morepower

I love my HT. A couple of us do Cannock when we have time on out HT's my mate used to have a full sus Kona but is really happy with his Ti Framed HT. I am just getting back into riding again after a long time off. But we usually try and go mid week in the morning. I am an old duffer in my mid 40's unfit and still pass quite a few on their full sus bikes. Not sure if it is because my skills we honed on a rigid all those years ago or I just see the slower unfit-er guys on the trails at the weekends. But I have fun and wouldnt swap it for anything else as I like feeling and feed back you get riding a HT or rigid.

supersonic

No they are not dying, huge choice and market for many disciplines.

CitizenLee

This video should end the discussion

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/275227

Cookeh

I love my HT. I feel like I'd learn less as a beginner if I did have a FSer, as they can soak up and disguise your mistakes a lot more, potentially hiding an issue/mistake that a HT wouldn't let you get away with.

That being said, as I get better, older, and out of uni (so I start getting a proper paycheck!) I'd love to invest in a FSer, so I can have a pop at some of the harsher stuff - BUT, I don't think I'd sell the HT either, think I'd keep them both as they both are undoubtedly better suited to different environments or routes.

Feel free to dissect this and correct anything if you've more experience with both, as after all I'm still an newbie!

Kowalski675

BloggingFit wrote:

Can't beat a Hardtail during the Winter months as less to clogg up and weight to haul about on the whole.

My hardtail's heavier than my full suss.

Kowalski675

miceden wrote:

Totally agree with you - a hard tail is a lot more fun, and, on a technical level much more rewarding.

For you (and your hardtail) maybe. My full suss is much more fun than my hardtail, and the hardtail's just completely out of it's depth on technical sections (with me at the bars anyway), with its crap forks and brakes.

paul.skibum

miceden wrote:

99% of what you see at a trail centre will be full suspension, simple reason I think is that its probably just that little bit more fun on one...

Utter balls.

I went to Afan a couple of years back and every bike on the deck at lunch was a FS other than mine, went this year and the mix was more 70/30 maybe which was nice to see - I like my hardtail and I love it for trail centre style riding - nothing I have ever ridden at a trail centre leads me to believe you need a full sus for them, many people tell me I am wrong, many people are slower than I am.

njee20

The increase in 29ers (at least in XC circles) has meant more hardtails I reckon - folk are going from 26" FS to 29er hardtails, so they're seeing a bit of a resurgence. Before that FS was definitely on the rise as they were so much better than 10 years ago, lighter, more efficient etc.

Herdwick29.

This is my first post here so feel free to flame me
I thought to post on this thread as I had a going back to HT experience, reason being the courier company lost my parcel and my FS sits on the veranta waiting for brakes and pedals :x

So borrowed from a buddy a ghost se 1800 with some upgrades, it is simple, it gives you the thrill of going to fast while on the safe side, you do not worry if you crash because actually you are just going slow
After a couple of miles I convince him to let me ride the rest of the trail on his scott 50 genius. I prefer the FS for anything bumpy not because it bumps better but it lands safer, HT needs attention were we ride the trails are rough and not so forgiving. Here Ican say is pretty much 50/50, but the trend on full sussers is growing from entry level riders who have money to spend, so is a very common thing to see a fat guy riding a foxy xr or someone with a DH bike trying to climb the Machairas trail... Yes you see this stuff here!!!
I live in Cyprus, just for refernce.....

njee20

You deserve flaming for complaining about slow hardtails after comparing a £300 one to a Scott Genius! Bit of an irrelevant comparison!

Welcome.

turboslave

Recently upgrade to a stumpjumper carbon 29er HT, awesome piece of kit, smooth on descents and climbing puts a big fat smile on yer face, it's not all about going downhill super fast though did managed to keep up with the full sussers at FoD this week on the Dragons Tail lol.

FishFish

My HT is an Orange P7 Pro - so I don't need an FS - or even another HT...unless it was an Orange.

BloggingFit

RockmonkeySC wrote:

BloggingFit wrote:

Can't beat a Hardtail during the Winter months as less to clogg up and weight to haul about on the whole.

You can beat a hardtail in winter, rigid single speed.

Good shout.

Curious to try out a Cross Bike to see.