Hardtail full suspension ?

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Hardtail full suspension ?
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flag beanhead44
Posted: May 5, 2009 at 4:20 Quote
i learnt the basics of mountain biking on a very mediocre cheaper full sus bike but as my skills wanted to progress it just held me back. i finally bought a hardtail, the bike is brilliant and i have learnt so much on it allready and it just gives me great confidence to ride it. however i still have the itch to buy a full sus frame with around 5-6 inches of travel cuz i do love to ride steeper rougher trails, not full on downhill but deffinatley fast pace rooty rocky trails. my problem is im thinking of getting a full sus bike aswell as my hardtail i dont know if im just getting side tracked and thinking that i need suspension to enjoy that sort of riding, i know i can ride it on a hardtail but because i have never owned a good quality full sus i dont know if im missing out on having more fun on these sort of trails. any advice would be great because obviously a new bike will be a hit to the bank account and im not a noob when it comes to mountain biking but i am when it comes to bigger full sus bikes and how they ride so i want the advice from people who know
cheers Big Grin
flag Canadmos
O+ FL
Posted: May 5, 2009 at 4:49 Quote
There is really no rule saying when you should migrate from a hardtail to a full suspension bike. It is all personal preference and of course it depends on the depth of your bank accounts.

I for one love the type of trails you describe. Fast, technical etc. However I have never owned a full suspension bike. I have learned to deal with all the roots and stuff. I don't really care if a friend can go a bit faster over top of roots and and other obstacles because I still have a ton of fun on my hardtail.

Perhaps find a bike park somewhere close to you that rents full suspension bikes and try it out for a day. If you like it, great then go buy one after. If not, then at least you have not wasted $3000 on something you don't enjoy. Its all up to you really.
flag anthony81586
Posted: May 5, 2009 at 5:42 Quote
heres the thing, when you go from a hardtail to a FS bike especially when youve been doing hardtail and tougher trails on a hardtail. the trails youve been riding will be a lot easier, and you will look for faster tougher trails to match that same challenge you had with a hardtail. so if u wanna go bigger and faster and harder id say save up and get the FS if not and ur just a more casual rider with limited trails stick with a hardtail, maybe upgrade so u can go a little faster without f*ckin up your back wheel. i mean i am slightly drunk right now and might be talking out of my ass but it makes sense in my head hahha. take it with a grain of salt.
flag beanhead44
Posted: May 5, 2009 at 9:17 Quote
thanks guys ouve both mde a really good point and made me realise a pont i hadnt thought about ive only got limited trails and if im going to be going to be more comfortable to go bigger and faster on a full sus id want to expand my horizons in terms of terrain which would be really difficult where i live where the trails are limited but if i can have plenty of fun doing them on a hardtail why change
cheers guys i appreciate it
and so does my savings account!
flag Unhallowed
Posted: May 5, 2009 at 9:47 Quote
I'd say stick with a hardtail for a while.
Upgrade components as you need to.

A hardtail will teach you to pick your lines better, be much more flowy, and use your body to move with the bike and act as one piece of equipment.

One day if you decide to you want to go ride things that require a full suspension bike, then go grab a cheap mid travel FR or AM rig. After being in a hardtail for so long you will be amazed what you can do with a fully.
flag Pasty
Posted: May 5, 2009 at 9:54 Quote
if your riding properly you wont rear sus unless your going huge, sure it will make it more comfortable... but bending your knees can soak up a lot of the impact, i'd stick with the hardtail... i think i did pretty much what you did, tried a full sus and it just pissed me off, if your mainly doing lighter stuff, they're so much slower and bulkier, i'd stay with the hardtail for now... maybe start saving up, put like 100 - 200 a side every month and next year buy yourself a really good full sus bike
flag gary1
Posted: May 5, 2009 at 9:58 Quote
The difference between a Hardtail and a Squishy bike is massssive. After spending most on Saturday on a Reign X, and a little part of it on an 09 Big Hit, going home on my Holeshot felt really weird.
flag beanhead44
Posted: May 6, 2009 at 11:15 Quote
cheers thanks for the advice sticking with the hardtail sounds deffinately like the right idea Big Grin
flag BlackHornet
Posted: May 6, 2009 at 11:20 Quote
beanhead44 wrote:
cheers thanks for the advice sticking with the hardtail sounds deffinately like the right idea Big Grin

until a really great deal on a fully comes past you.....then you will start thinking again haha
flag pbuser102331
Posted: May 6, 2009 at 11:28 Quote
im going back to hardtail after 2-3 years on a fully,yeah fullys are quicker but they also require a lot more maintenance and are more exspensive to replace.

so long as you have decent travel up front and learn to use the front hardtails aint all that bad,and fat tyres can help a lot too.
flag Unhallowed
Posted: May 6, 2009 at 12:37 Quote
marquis wrote:
im going back to hardtail after 2-3 years on a fully,yeah fullys are quicker but they also require a lot more maintenance and are more exspensive to replace.

so long as you have decent travel up front and learn to use the front hardtails aint all that bad,and fat tyres can help a lot too.
WHAT?! You're getting rid of your demo?!Eek Frown
flag EWT-13
Posted: May 9, 2009 at 17:45 Quote
Unhallowed wrote:
I'd say stick with a hardtail for a while.
Upgrade components as you need to.

A hardtail will teach you to pick your lines better, be much more flowy, and use your body to move with the bike and act as one piece of equipment.

One day if you decide to you want to go ride things that require a full suspension bike, then go grab a cheap mid travel FR or AM rig. After being in a hardtail for so long you will be amazed what you can do with a fully.
good call
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