Hardtail or Full suspension help!

willmtb

Hi,
I'm looking to get a new mountain bike and I'm really unsure wether to go for a full suspension or not. If I had a large budget it'd be a no brainier however that's not the case! I have a budget of around £800. I need a bike capable of getting over large roots capable of large climbs and fast descents going over small to medium jumps. Basically what at a trail centre would be labelled as a red trail. I don't live far from Cannock chase if anyone's been so I bike ideal for the red there would be good. So from this and considering the budget do I go for a hardtail or full suspension. And if anyone could maybe suggest a few bikes to look at. No preference on brands etc.
Thanks.

larkim

I think the difference would be between a fairly low end full suss or a moderately well equipped HT at that price point. To a degree, the more money you spend, the more "ideal" a bike becomes for any given terrain, and given that I can get around Cannock on FTD and Monkey on a £300 decathlon hard tail with a cheaply upgraded fork, then £800 ought to get you a HT which would be far superior to the bike I ride. I'm a cheapskate though, so can't make any recommendations!

Remember to factor in helmet, lights, maintenance kit etc into your budget too.