Opinions on going from AM Full Suspension to AM Hardtail

PB Forum :: All Mountain, Enduro & Cross-Country

Author	Message

Yogi-T

Posted: Feb 28, 2017 at 19:41	Quote
I love my tracer, but am curious to see what a hardtail would be like. I'm looking to build one out with a Chromag wide range frame. Not sure what to expect though... If anyone could shed some light it'd be appreciated!

dirtrider76

Posted: Feb 28, 2017 at 19:51	Quote
I have a Paradox with a 140mm fork on it. I put it together for easier trails and basically rode it almost exclusively for the entire summer. Its a bit different at first but it transfers power like nothing else and really isn't a big deal to ride. I took it to some chunky trails and was shocked to be really fast on it.

jase111171

Posted: Feb 28, 2017 at 21:38

Quote

Yogi-T wrote:

I love my tracer, but am curious to see what a hardtail would be like. I'm looking to build one out with a Chromag wide range frame. Not sure what to expect though... If anyone could shed some light it'd be appreciated!

wide angle?get some stiff forks on,and some decent wheels,and rubber go out and get rowdy you'll love it.Sold my DH,and 160 bike last year,never looked back.Will probably go back to full sus,but loving it at the moment.Hardtails are perfect for the UK winters,low maintanance.You may want an angle set on the wide angle,not the slackers headangle out there.

iian

Posted: Mar 1, 2017 at 1:29	Quote
Went from a Nukeproof Mega to a fairly aggressive hardtail, and I've never enjoyed riding more. Originally thought it would do for trail center miles, but I've taken it everywhere I took the full sus, and enjoy it far far more. Wide wheels, decent tyres, and a good 140mm+ fork and you'll have a bomber.

jglenn6

Posted: Mar 1, 2017 at 6:42	Quote
I didn't do quite as big as a jump as you are doing, but i went from a 140f 130r bike to a 140 hardtail and absolutely love it so far (only been riding the new bike for 2 months now). Power transfer is amazing! With the drop in weight, it's easier to pick your lines and be lighter over the chunk. Imo a good light steel frame beats a f/s frame where I ride on a regular basis.

Yogi-T

Posted: Mar 1, 2017 at 11:53	Quote
Thanks guys! This is some solid info & its taken care of the shakey trigger finger Ive had about this.

zsandstrom

O+

Posted: Mar 1, 2017 at 12:05

Quote

If you're looking to go for a different feel for the trail, then I'd suggest going fully rigid. Last season I changed my rides between a Mojo HDR 160 and a fully rigid Fuji Nevada 275 single speed. Rather than going for an aggressive hardtail, I just upped the frame one size and ran a 30mm stem to keep the reach down. With the additional wheelbase I can still get behind the front axle just fine. Let me tell you, as far as polishing skills and having a different experience on the trail, it was an amazing setup.

powthief19

Posted: Mar 2, 2017 at 13:21

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I built up a canfield nimble 9 with 3" bridger tires on 27.5 wheels with a Fox 34 140mm fork. Its a whole new type of fun!

Honestly, it brings me back to my earlier days of riding my stump jumper hardtail on Canfield Mountain in CDA Idaho... except this thing is an insane amount of fun. Climbs like crazy, shreds the downhill, it does take some getting used to though!

Do it!

(disclaimer- i still have my 2017 enduro and won't be selling it anytime soon!)

mb49

Posted: Mar 2, 2017 at 14:23	Quote
Hi. Hard on the body but fun. Got a ON ONE 456evo11 , with lyrik rc2l 160, xt 2x10 ,28-40 , 11-36, xt785 brakes easton/DT SWISS wheels , magic Mary/high roller2 tyres.It's not a light bike but it's a really fast bike and can handle whatever you throw at it. Just built a soft tail that only came as a 1x , impressed with bike I've built, but not so impressed with 1x????

Yogi-T

Posted: Mar 2, 2017 at 21:34

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powthief19 wrote:

This is a badass photo. What trail is this & where? Ill keep my current ride as well. Mostly excited for building out my first bike ????

Yogi-T

Posted: Mar 2, 2017 at 21:35

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powthief19 wrote:

This is a badass photo. What trail is this & where? Ill keep my current ride as well. Mostly excited for building out my first bike

ledude

Posted: Mar 2, 2017 at 22:42

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powthief19 wrote:

/\
That is a fun looking build.

OP, don't forget to give the hardtail a few rides to get used to it if youve only ridden full suspension exclusively up to that point.

I used to make fun of hardtail riders as being usually being old farts - I'm now an old fart because I choose a hardtail 85% of the time now.

Guess this makes uou an old fart.

powthief19

Posted: Mar 3, 2017 at 10:00

Quote

Yogi-T wrote:

This is a badass photo. What trail is this & where? Ill keep my current ride as well. Mostly excited for building out my first bike

Thanks, this is the Flume Trail above Lake Tahoe. Below you see Sand Harbor. We've got some amazing trails were I live but they'll be covered in snow until August now!

Yogi-T

Posted: Mar 3, 2017 at 12:52

Quote

powthief19 wrote:

Yogi-T wrote:

This is a badass photo. What trail is this & where? Ill keep my current ride as well. Mostly excited for building out my first bike

Thanks, this is the Flume Trail above Lake Tahoe. Below you see Sand Harbor. We've got some amazing trails were I live but they'll be covered in snow until August now!

Well that gives me enough time to convince the wife & get the finances for a trip out there! Thanks for the info man!

nullpointers

Posted: Mar 3, 2017 at 14:38

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Been riding a 2015 Santa Cruz Chameleon lately and absolutely love it. Running a 130mm pike on the front with 67 degree head angle and it absolutely blasts down trails I thought would have been too much. I fully expected to be slower...and I was at first because picking my lines had more...ahem consequence haha but I rip with that thing now.

Bottom of Alsea Falls after some fantastic trips down the hill

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