Jordan Hodder chose to ride two hardtails for 2016. These were the bikes he would ride every day, for fun, for racing, for getting to work. One bike is a Stylus 27.5. The other is a Rootdown 29er. But how do you choose? It’s all about the flavour!
He was the rider starting just in front of me at the Whistler EWS, on a frickin hardtail of course. Meanwhile, I was secretly wishing I was on a DH bike.
Great follow along shot on that section he goes across the left side of the skinny rock outcrop. And a nice natural trail feature that the builder used at that.
I moved to the west coast of Canada and got whipped by so many hardtails on north shore and whistler trails that I took my 160mm travel bike a moved back to Australia. (Most of this story isn't true, except for the bit about having my ass kicked by guys on hardtails).
@samoooli: You're gonna love it, and building it up you'll be so much more attached to it than an off the shelf bike. Be sure to name her, she'll get you through a lot.
Nice work on the music Ian ! Still loving my wide angle , and for you guys wondering wether or not to get one , remember this famous quote " a good mechanics got more than one wrench " I love my all mountain ride ( knolly)but it's always a a toss up when I'm picking a bike to ride and the chromag never disappoints
What is it about HTs everyone likes? Is it the more "connected" feeling to the trail?
I've never ridden one as I always immediately react with "why would I want a slower rougher ride that limits how I ride and the speed I hit my local trails", but maybe there's something more to it...?
I'm open to the idea of it. Maybe I should get one and play around on it when I ride with my gf or buddies that are just there to have a good time?
No idea. Been watching the occasional HT video for years on this site, and Ive slowly built intrigue.
Riding a hardtail through gnarly terrain feels like truckin´ a Prius through 3 feet of powder; you just have to hold on, go straight, never mind the rear end, and keep haulin´
Not in my experience..riding a hard tail requires a more concerted analysis of terrain and line choice. cant just huck and plow through the same stuff you ride on your full suspension.
i see youre from the LBC...really a hardtail is very capable for a lot of the socal trails..with exception of some of the rockier OC / San Gabriels mtn trails. hardtails are plenty fun..they're not slow once you get used to it. granted, we're talking modern hardtails...the ol skool hardtails are indeed rough on the body.
Your right, it certainly requires a different level of precision to ride a hardtail, but no matter how precise and analytical you are with your line choice, it seems to me, that riding a hardtail will always feel faster and more rowdy the riding a full-suspension bike. In reality I´m well aware that it isn´t faster, and you can certainly allow your self to be more rowdy on a fully, but the sensation of speed and gnarliness sure isn´t the same.
I´ve ridden hardtails my whole life, and only tried full-suspension bikes on rare occasions, my local terrain simply doesn´t justify a full-suspension, and that´s why I choose to ride a hardtails.
I started on full suspension bikes...then recently in the past 2 years started riding hardtails to the point where my hardtail is my primary sled. Less margin for error, but certainly just as fun!
Hardtails are unreal, hitting the perfect line on a hardtail certainly takes planning and precision, but when it happens, it feels like mountainbiking.
@nvranka how have you never ridden a hardtail? What was your first bike? If it wasn't a handrail you're doing something wrong. You need to ride a hardtail to some extent mate you're missing out.
I would have thought everyone starts out on a hardtail. I tried my first full suspension bike like a month ago and was blown away by how well it rips through everything with insane traction, when normally I would have been skipping around on my hardtail. But I still like the fact that if you're on a good line, the hardtail is just as fun if not more satisfying.
I tend to go slower on my hardtail and focus on flow and creative lines. I feel like it's fun in a totally different way and maybe a little less chance of wrecking since I'm not as tempted to just straight line everything super fast.
@redshift: Same here. On the full squish, I feel like I can just monster truck through stupid lines and roll off drops with no fear of what I'm going to land on, where as on the hardtail I'd be picking my way along, hard on the brakes and/or bouncing all over the place. But on the hardtail the climbs feel really efficient and I love how in control and... I dunno, "lossless" it feels on twisty, jumpy flow trails.
Most of the cinematography was top notch - following behind on those narrow ledges, sweeping motions down the boulders.. Minimal music let the riding / trail sounds shine.
However I logged in to say : Stop the lens flare. It looked like a chromag video made by JJ Abrams.
I too went back to a HT after 13 years of full suspension this past year. It was a welcome change. No slower, and sometimes even faster, on my local trails.
Though I just built up my '16 Honzo ST this year... I still lust for a Stylus. Stoked on all of the burly HT options available and the fact that most manufacturers are really starting to take note of the geometry riders crave. A Chromag would make for a special kind of do-it-all
I have a wideangle and the thing gets more miles than my 160 and 130mm bike. short chainstays and snappy.. the bike is a blast to ride and the bike will outlive me..
The cable cam (I think) between 2:30 and 2:38 is so good! This last rock slice/roll is a gem! Where is that? I rode lord of the squirrels and this isn't there! Awesome vid!!
@thenotoriousmic: The extra effort to move the wheels laterally?
@adrock-whistler: um...ok? Doesnt change the fact it appears to be awkward to me... I wasnt trying to hate, I'm just trying to understand the 29er phenomenon, and decide whether it has place in my life.
That trail was cgi , right ?
I've never ridden one as I always immediately react with "why would I want a slower rougher ride that limits how I ride and the speed I hit my local trails", but maybe there's something more to it...?
I'm open to the idea of it. Maybe I should get one and play around on it when I ride with my gf or buddies that are just there to have a good time?
No idea. Been watching the occasional HT video for years on this site, and Ive slowly built intrigue.
Not in my experience..riding a hard tail requires a more concerted analysis of terrain and line choice. cant just huck and plow through the same stuff you ride on your full suspension.
@nvranka
i see youre from the LBC...really a hardtail is very capable for a lot of the socal trails..with exception of some of the rockier OC / San Gabriels mtn trails. hardtails are plenty fun..they're not slow once you get used to it. granted, we're talking modern hardtails...the ol skool hardtails are indeed rough on the body.
Your right, it certainly requires a different level of precision to ride a hardtail, but no matter how precise and analytical you are with your line choice, it seems to me, that riding a hardtail will always feel faster and more rowdy the riding a full-suspension bike. In reality I´m well aware that it isn´t faster, and you can certainly allow your self to be more rowdy on a fully, but the sensation of speed and gnarliness sure isn´t the same.
I´ve ridden hardtails my whole life, and only tried full-suspension bikes on rare occasions, my local terrain simply doesn´t justify a full-suspension, and that´s why I choose to ride a hardtails.
I started on full suspension bikes...then recently in the past 2 years started riding hardtails to the point where my hardtail is my primary sled. Less margin for error, but certainly just as fun!
Hardtails are unreal, hitting the perfect line on a hardtail certainly takes planning and precision, but when it happens, it feels like mountainbiking.
However I logged in to say : Stop the lens flare. It looked like a chromag video made by JJ Abrams.
Where is that? I rode lord of the squirrels and this isn't there!
Awesome vid!!
@adrock-whistler: um...ok? Doesnt change the fact it appears to be awkward to me... I wasnt trying to hate, I'm just trying to understand the 29er phenomenon, and decide whether it has place in my life.