Full Suspension vs. Hardtail vs. Rigid (read first post)

PB Forum :: All Mountain, Enduro & Cross-Country
Full Suspension vs. Hardtail vs. Rigid (read first post)
Author Message
flag PinkBikeBits
Posted: Feb 14, 2020 at 9:20 Quote
Some reasons why I have gone for a hardtail.
1, I don't live in the Alps
2, I want to feel a sense of accomplishment on the bike, rather than point and squirt
3, less maintenance
4, less set up, how many people actually set u their suspension (Friday fails is full of them)
5, I like retro
6, I like climbing more than descending
7, mint sauce rode a hardtail
flag JacobyDH
Posted: Feb 14, 2020 at 11:28 Quote
GravityCandy wrote:
I'm a big fan of rigid bikes.
I ride a rigid, hardtail and full sus bike and swap between them throughout the season. The rigid is a bike I have to be in the right mood for. I'll maybe ride it 5 times a year on anything from double black tech to blue flow but it's incredibly fun. It also really helps you learn how to absorb with your body and not just rely on suspension. Most of my friends who try it out can't even finish a downhill since it rattles them so much because they all started on full sus and never learned how to absorb impacts properly. I always tell them that even though the bike has no suspension, your arms and legs have more travel than a downhill bike.
Another thing with the rigid is I think it helps your cornering. Because you're getting bounced around all the time you have less traction so if you don't corner well you just bounce off the trail out of control. If I'm in the zone on the right trail with it I can pretty much keep up to my friends on it.

The full sus and hardtail are what I ride 95% of the time though. I would still say they're way more fun.

Heres my rigid ride.
photo
That Rigid looks sick! What cassette are you running?
flag GravityCandy
O+ FL
Posted: Feb 15, 2020 at 7:30 Quote
JacobyDH wrote:
GravityCandy wrote:
I'm a big fan of rigid bikes.
I ride a rigid, hardtail and full sus bike and swap between them throughout the season. The rigid is a bike I have to be in the right mood for. I'll maybe ride it 5 times a year on anything from double black tech to blue flow but it's incredibly fun. It also really helps you learn how to absorb with your body and not just rely on suspension. Most of my friends who try it out can't even finish a downhill since it rattles them so much because they all started on full sus and never learned how to absorb impacts properly. I always tell them that even though the bike has no suspension, your arms and legs have more travel than a downhill bike.
Another thing with the rigid is I think it helps your cornering. Because you're getting bounced around all the time you have less traction so if you don't corner well you just bounce off the trail out of control. If I'm in the zone on the right trail with it I can pretty much keep up to my friends on it.

The full sus and hardtail are what I ride 95% of the time though. I would still say they're way more fun.

Heres my rigid ride.
photo
That Rigid looks sick! What cassette are you running?

Thanks! It’s just a cheap sunrace 10-42
flag JacobyDH
Posted: Feb 15, 2020 at 12:06 Quote
Oh, it sure doesn’t look cheap though!
flag Hoboinalambo
Posted: Feb 16, 2020 at 3:49 Quote
I can personally have more fun on a hardtail on 60% of all the trails I've ever ridden than I would on a full sus, I'll never not own one.
flag Tjomball
FL
Posted: Feb 17, 2020 at 5:06 Quote
I have gone full circle. Working on a restomod on a 99 Bonty, will be going full rigid on that one.
And still have my Blue Pig HT and my gravel bike.
My fs bikes are now stored in a barn in different county.
flag JacobyDH
Posted: Apr 22, 2020 at 11:00 Quote
Does anyone here do DH and train on a hardtail/rigid bike? Is it too crazy, or is it worth it?
flag GravityCandy
O+ FL
Posted: Apr 22, 2020 at 14:25 Quote
JacobyDH wrote:
Does anyone here do DH and train on a hardtail/rigid bike? Is it too crazy, or is it worth it?
I think it’s worth it. I think when people ride hardtails or rigid bikes you get forced to ride smoother and absorb with more than just suspension. A lot of newer riders who I see who started on full sus ride like bricks and let the bike do everything. I normally ride my hardtail or rigid one every 3 to 5 rides and definitely see how it helps me.
flag JacobyDH
Posted: Apr 22, 2020 at 14:27 Quote
GravityCandy wrote:
JacobyDH wrote:
Does anyone here do DH and train on a hardtail/rigid bike? Is it too crazy, or is it worth it?
I think it’s worth it. I think when people ride hardtails or rigid bikes you get forced to ride smoother and absorb with more than just suspension. A lot of newer riders who I see who started on full sus ride like bricks and let the bike do everything. I normally ride my hardtail or rigid one every 3 to 5 rides and definitely see how it helps me.
Yeah... last time I rode a HT, it felt so forward oriented, and I felt like the rear was raised quite a bit compared to the front. I figure that this would be a really good setup for DH training... but can you imagine going through a rock garden at top speed with a completely rigid bike? I would be too afraid to snap the frame...
flag Tdawgtit
Posted: Apr 22, 2020 at 20:42 Quote
Not a T45 steel Curtis frame you wouldn't ;-)
flag GravityCandy
O+ FL
Posted: Apr 22, 2020 at 21:23 Quote
JacobyDH wrote:
GravityCandy wrote:
JacobyDH wrote:
Does anyone here do DH and train on a hardtail/rigid bike? Is it too crazy, or is it worth it?
I think it’s worth it. I think when people ride hardtails or rigid bikes you get forced to ride smoother and absorb with more than just suspension. A lot of newer riders who I see who started on full sus ride like bricks and let the bike do everything. I normally ride my hardtail or rigid one every 3 to 5 rides and definitely see how it helps me.
Yeah... last time I rode a HT, it felt so forward oriented, and I felt like the rear was raised quite a bit compared to the front. I figure that this would be a really good setup for DH training... but can you imagine going through a rock garden at top speed with a completely rigid bike? I would be too afraid to snap the frame...
I do have a full rigid I rode and it can take pretty much anything. The main thing that holds you back on a rigid is yourself. That being said on a blue tech trail when I’m feeling good, I’m able to keep up to my friends on it. You don’t really want to ride full rigid through black chunder if you want wrists and ankles after.
flag JacobyDH
Posted: Apr 23, 2020 at 11:30 Quote
GravityCandy wrote:
JacobyDH wrote:
GravityCandy wrote:
I think it’s worth it. I think when people ride hardtails or rigid bikes you get forced to ride smoother and absorb with more than just suspension. A lot of newer riders who I see who started on full sus ride like bricks and let the bike do everything. I normally ride my hardtail or rigid one every 3 to 5 rides and definitely see how it helps me.
Yeah... last time I rode a HT, it felt so forward oriented, and I felt like the rear was raised quite a bit compared to the front. I figure that this would be a really good setup for DH training... but can you imagine going through a rock garden at top speed with a completely rigid bike? I would be too afraid to snap the frame...
I do have a full rigid I rode and it can take pretty much anything. The main thing that holds you back on a rigid is yourself. That being said on a blue tech trail when I’m feeling good, I’m able to keep up to my friends on it. You don’t really want to ride full rigid through black chunder if you want wrists and ankles after.
Yeah, I guess that’s true, but I would imagine that riding one of those things on a green would still teach you lots. No?
flag GravityCandy
O+ FL
Posted: Apr 23, 2020 at 11:37 Quote
Yeah it does. My hardtail is arguably more fun though since it lets you ride all the same trails you would on full sus just slower. If you find the front of the hardtail feels too low you can raise the bars too. My hardtails bars are slightly higher than on my fully to make up for the fork compressing.

This is the bike

photo
flag JacobyDH
Posted: Apr 23, 2020 at 11:47 Quote
GravityCandy wrote:
Yeah it does. My hardtail is arguably more fun though since it lets you ride all the same trails you would on full sus just slower. If you find the front of the hardtail feels too low you can raise the bars too. My hardtails bars are slightly higher than on my fully to make up for the fork compressing.

This is the bike

photo

Yeah, I like how aggressive that one is! That’s the kind of HT that would be good for me. The HT’s that I’ve been riding are just Chameleons, Rockhoppers, and a Raleigh, and they are all XC based (with the exception of the chameleon). Here in Marin, most riding is XC, so there’s no need for a super aggressive HT, and so bike shops here don’t sell them, but there are tons of exceptions in trails, so an aggressive HT would be amazing, especially to train on. The Chameleon was originally designed to be a freeride HT, but then shifted towards XC, and enduro over the years. For me, especially on the carbon ones, the back feels so stiff, I can barley stand riding them. I’ll land a jump nose heavy, and expect the forgiveness of a FS, and then feel a giant clunk...

 


Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv42 0.017837
Mobile Version of Website