Pinkbike Poll - A Hardtail As Your Only Bike?

Mar 20, 2017 at 4:39
by Mike Levy  
The recent news of Santa Cruz's new Chameleon was a reminder that modern hardtails have a lot going for them. There are others, of course, from the Kona Honzo, Chromag's entire lineup, and bikes from Stanton, DMR, and a bunch of other brands who offer forward-thinking frames with a so-called backward-thinking lack of rear suspension. But, for a lot of us, no rear shock means nearly no interest in these days of full-suspension rigs that are somehow lighter than their simpler counterparts that are arguably more difficult to ride.


Cruising through the forest aboard the Chromag Aperture
Brad Walton photo

I don't think it's our fault that hardtails sit in the shadows for a lot of riders. I mean, just look at how freaking awesome most of today's full-suspension bikes are and what they let us do. Hell, some of them even pedal nearly as well as a bike with a welded rear-end rather than one that's designed to move up and down with the terrain, which is pretty crazy when you consider how bad some full-suspension bikes were fifteen or more years ago. I also have zero issue admitting that the technology involved in a modern, high-performance dual-suspension bike is a big reason why I'm so into this sport; chakras and flow and other deep, meaningful things aside, of course. I'm pretty sure that my chakra got beat to shit during the last time I spent a few months on a hardtail, as fun as it was most of the time.

Despite that beat down, I know that I'd have just as much fun on a reasonably priced hardtail as I do on a carbon fiber super-bike that rides like it's from the future. I'm sure of this because I've spent many years getting my ass handed to me on a hardtail, just like a lot of us have, and those were some of the best times that I've ever had on a bike. However, if you told me that I had to choose between a nice full-suspension bike and a nice hardtail, I know damn well that I'm going to grab the one with all the pivots and complication and a shock bolted to the back of it.


Cruising through the forest aboard the Chromag Aperture
Brad Walton photo

Sure, I like the completely false fantasy of me being the tough guy aboard a hardtail who creams everyone on every descent, no matter how rowdy it is, or has no problem with my worn out body after riding a hardtail on some sort of silly all-day epic that was only fun for the first six hours and not the last six hours. But that's not me. Technology has spoiled me for good and, sadly, I seriously doubt that I'd own a hardtail if my stable consisted of a single bike.

But what about you? Do you plan on forsaking pivots and shocks and leverage curves for a leaner, more punishing yet possibly more rewarding steed? Or does the idea of riding a hardtail appeal to you about as much as trading your fancy full-suspension bike in for a unicycle?



Would you give up your dual-suspension bike for a hardtail?



Author Info:
mikelevy avatar

Member since Oct 18, 2005
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247 Comments
  • 133 46
 Having a hardtail as your only bike is rarely a choice. It's a matter of budget. Folks talking of staying true to HTs are like those who say that monogamy is not normal. They talk as if they had a fkng option. Ride whatever suits you right, don't make up philosophies why your choice is superior.
  • 41 19
 I strongly disagree, there is a wide range of ridding that benefits from a hard tail and makes it far more enjoyable. I initially started off on a hardtail and stayed with hardtails because of my budget. I now have both a trail ready hardtail and a nice enduro bike. There is surely a time and a place for both of them. Sometimes when you get bored of your local trails, the hardtail is nice to bring on new challenge. Also, when your out adventuring discovering new places and the trail splits between the woods and rural roads / snowmobile trails, the hardtail is far more desirable and efficient.
  • 83 1
 Saturday night was for wives, but Friday night at the Copa was for the girlfriends.
  • 10 5
 Agree with Waki here. I picked option 2, even though up until last summer I had never owned a full suspension bike. Now that I could finally afford what I've been dreaming of for a decade, I would never go back to not having it. I still kept my hardtail, along with my BMX, but I'll never willingly go back to not having a fully​ to play on. I'll even go as far as to say that for me personally, if I had to give up all but one, it would be the full suspension trail bike that I'd hold onto. But I hope to never see the day when I'm at gunpoint, forced to choose only one
  • 18 2
 I know it wasn't but I feel like this poll was intended only to draw me from my slumber. But I'm tired. Yawn. P.S I agree with whatever Waki says I'm going back to bed.
  • 12 21
flag moturner (Mar 31, 2017 at 12:18) (Below Threshold)
 wtf

don't make up philosophies why your choice is superior

Having a hardtail as your only bike is rarely a choice. It's a matter of budget

monogamy is normal?
  • 15 2
 @BoneDog: You actually just agreed with WAKI.

"initially started and stayed with hardtails because of budget" = "Having a hardtail as your only bike is rarely a choice. It's a matter of budget".
  • 20 0
 the price of some of those hardtail would disagree....
  • 8 1
 At the lower end of the spectrum yes having a hardtail is nearly always dictated by budget. However for the vast majority of people on these polls that is not the case, if your bike is approaching 4 figures you have a choice which is more than likely dictated by your riding style. High end carbon hardtails wouldn't exist if people weren't making the choice to buy them. I know somebody with a stable of bikes we all dream of, with several bikes approaching the £10k mark. He doesn't own a single full suss and spends his time on a cube 29er hardtail with Di2 and RS1.
  • 42 0
 I didn't like monogamy, chose a nice bit of oak instead. Smile
  • 27 0
 I gave up my last squish bike for a hardtail and haven't looked back. I think trails and riding style are big factors. I like the trail feedback, I like the efficiency when climbing out of the saddle, I like the way they jump... My trails are pretty smooth and don't think squish off the back makes them more fun, if anything I found my old stumpjumper made them worse. I'm not going to say it's "better", cause that's like saying a song is "better", it's subjective. I think squishy bikes are far "better" on big descents and gnarly trails, but until that's what I ride 90% of the time I'll stick to my hardtail.
  • 3 0
 @dtax: nicely put, henry. byootiful.
  • 15 2
 I normally agree Waki, but I choose to have a hardtail for the same reasons I have classic cars. It's more involved, yes mostly at less speed (not much less), but I'd rather have more fun than on the inhert sleds available nowadays. Anyone with any skill can sling a leg over one and ride it well, they are all to such a high standard. A hardtail sorts the men from the boys. Steel is real.
  • 7 1
 @moturner: wrong. Tried my first full sus for a few years (Giant Reign). (I've had loads over the years & hardtails too). But it was too good, boring as sin. So I swapped the frame for a hardtail. Totally out of choice.
  • 5 0
 back when i raced DH i rode my HT 90% of the time. IMO it is great practice for a full sus bike because you have to be smooth and ride better. Then id get on my DH bike for the weekend and everything felt so easy to go fast(er)
  • 2 1
 @J-McBride: so he spends his time on expensive road, CX and cross country bikes. Not that surprising he doesnt ride a full suss.
  • 7 9
 @ WAKIdesigns. Monogamy isn't normal , that's why the divorce rate is so high + I ride a Banshee hard tail on 26" wheels that I built myself when I can afford any bike out there!
  • 8 2
 One bike is like one testicle.
  • 5 2
 What about those guys who have a hardtail that for the same price they could have bought a descent dh or enduro rig, realize they made the wrong choice, still ride the bike because it climbs well, complain about the lack of suspension, but in the end will never switch. I know three people in the exact scenario, and they all have the income to buy whatever bike they desire, so why they don't have 2 bikes leaves me dumbfounded.
  • 4 0
 @dtax: Hahahahahahahahaha, good one fella.
  • 9 0
 I don't know, some folks don't like electric guitar either. It's not always about louder, faster - all the time. Not for everybody. I own a few bikes, one of them is a hard tail. I need full suspension in my life but I do GET it. The simplicity of it. The aesthetic. I don't agree that it's only a matter of economics. I've been grabbing my hard tail a lot. I like it. It's direct, it's honest. It's not "better", but I enjoy it quite a bit.
  • 11 1
 @cunning-linguist: That's funny - I've just done the same. I think it depends what your local trails are like and how much time you have . I had both sus and ht for years but now just have a 140mm sus. I've literally just ordered a new ht frame today as my only bike and am selling the sus. With 2 young children and little spare time, I can only get out locally for a couple of hours and my local trails are tame. The sus feels boring - I need the buzz of a ht again Smile
  • 10 0
 For me it boils down to simplicity and the experience I like out on the trail. Maybe it is because I have a BMX and trials background but I just adore riding hardtails. Full suspension bikes have come and gone through my garage, my Chromag... that is forever.
  • 3 0
 @sevensixtwo: I've been told it doesn't do practically any difference
  • 5 0
 pretty much, as only recently have you been able to get a FS for under £2000 which isn't compromised to hell and back, or walmart tier, which is thanks to direct sales brands, thanks canyon for giving an okish FS for £1200, also there's the bossnut for £900 which is just as good, but for most people just getting to the sport or have other commitments that's still a lot of money to drop in one hit.


it's also pretty mental that you can get a full squish which is spec'd better than a santa cruz chameleon, and is still cheaper.
  • 11 3
 I just love riding my hardtail through technical sections of trail while "enduro" riders watch from the side of the trail with their six inches of travel and ten pounds of pads strapped to their bodies. I have plenty of disposable income, but choose to ride it hard and fast in an era where the trails are dumbed down and the vast majority of you are waaaaay over-biked.
  • 2 0
 I just built up my TransAm(frame bought last year, right after they revealed they weren't bring it back in the '17 lineup) but I have a fully already. But for a few years, one bike was the only option for me, and I chose full suspension. But hardtail make the mundane so fun! Looking forward to spending a lot of time on it this year.
  • 7 5
 real is steel or some shit they say. And you usually have to wait for them at the car
  • 2 3
 @owlie: lol. steel is real but yeah ...
  • 1 0
 @ryanandrewrogers: agree i have a chromag wide angle. The current 2017 wide angle cheapest build is 3500 and that woulds easily buy an fs.
  • 4 0
 I know a guy who has plenty of cash and swears by his hard tail. He has a full-sus, but prefers his HT. He rides Vancouver North Shore with it.
  • 2 0
 @Manx: wears spanx
  • 3 0
 @tremeer023: yep, two kids, little time. I know that feeling :-)
  • 2 3
 I ride my HT - as a commuter, for pumptrack, for trials/ parking lot skillls, as a road bike, as a reserve bike, as a show off/excuse for sucking bike. I ride my HT for 90% of time on 2 wheels. But when the proper mountain biking riding time, I choose fully super rocket withouta tiniest doubt
  • 5 0
 HTs nowadays, I mean the good stuff, aren't low budget at all. You could easily get a FS at the same price tag. It is a matter of choice. Of course the majority of HTs out there is less expensive than a good FS (in the 4-5K area and above) but if you want to build a good HT you won't be able to make one under than 2,500-3,000K. Now, if you consider that a 3K HT is a matter of budget, that's fine. It's all a matter of choice of course and it's true that a beginner would chose a HT over a FS based on a tighter budget, but that's not a rule.
  • 3 0
 That's why I'm still riding 26" wheels - I simply can't afford to upgrade
  • 2 0
 I have a pivot les and a 2017 Nimble 9. I ride around 3000 miles a year. I couldve gotten a full sus for less than my pivot.
  • 5 0
 I've got more money in my hardtail than the average person in their Santa Cruz C frame S build does. Riding 4-5x a week for 2-3hrs per ride would be ridiculous in suspension upkeep (been there, done that). So yeah, hardtail is by choice.
  • 3 0
 @yzedf: agree. and not just monetarily. more for time the bike is out of service
  • 2 0
 I could ride a very nice FS bike for what I put into 26" hardtails. No interest at all minus a few short travel bikes from small companies. Your assumptions are pretty much crap.
  • 2 8
flag WAKIdesigns (Apr 1, 2017 at 10:32) (Below Threshold)
 @EndlessWheelie have you noticed the word "rarely" in my original post, a word that is different from "never", and ever considered yourself as a member of minority WITHOUT seeing it as a bad thing? Ir ide HT for 90% of the time on 2 wheels. I ride it in the woods max 10 times a year. The best thing about it is how I appreciate the full susser with every trickier section on the trail. Well not because I cannot clear it either up and down (and most fullies do climb tricky sections better than even best HTs) it is because I cannot carry as much speed and I cannot focus fully on going where I want to go. Riding a HT in my terrain is chaos management, it is basically how much you can get your arse shaken and still point your sight where you want to go without looking down.

And if I can get into purism and gear fundamentalism I can add that putting a 140 fork or bigger on a HT is no real HT riding. If you want pure HT action, get a 100mm fork, set is super hard and try to ride sketchiest sht you can imagine. If I had gravel paved, machine dug trail center nearby I'd surely ride a HT for most of the time in the woods. But I ride in what is a one big rock garden and have a sweet tooth for sketchy shit and difficult singletrack climbs crying for trials skills. Also, pretty much every single climb or even climb-ish Strava segment on my trails had 140-160 fullies ruling the top 10. That says something... it unfolds the hipster gene.
  • 6 4
 Since I got my hardtail in September haven't touched any of my other bikes. Hardtails are way better and that's a fact.
  • 2 0
 On point! ????
  • 2 6
flag WAKIdesigns (Apr 2, 2017 at 4:58) (Below Threshold)
 @thenotoriousmic: unfortunately these days "FACT" is a word that emerges when ignorance and arrogance meet in absence of arguments. Failed Argument Comes Through
  • 2 1
 @thenotoriousmic: I'm just gonna live in hope that you're joking.
  • 1 0
 @ThomDawson: he likely isn't. I agree, even for Wales and rough spots. It's more of a challenge, but you feel more pride in your achievements the harder they are to accomplish.

I've just no idea how all the full sus brigade can't understand that for some horses, there's different courses!!

How very dare they have fun on a bike with no rear suspension!!
  • 1 0
 @cunning-linguist: each to their own mate. I wasn't the guy proclaiming anything here! Not this time anyhow.
  • 2 3
 Think about it hardtails are better at everything except one thing and that's unavoidable big hits. Think about when your out on a ride there's only a few certain sections where having a enduro bike makes sense rest of the time you're in pure hardtail territory and that's why hardtails are faster and by default better.
  • 1 0
 @thenotoriousmic: what's an enduro? ????
  • 3 1
 @thenotoriousmic: simply not true. FS bikes ascend better, descend better, handle terrain better.
OK wait, they pump track better. You want to keep it real I get it. Maybe a throwback ride or two, or if you commute or youre a bad ass DJ guy.
  • 3 4
 Bollocks covered in donkey sick. Hipsters.
  • 3 1
 I pretty much love every bike. Unless it's a eBike.
  • 3 1
 A Hardtail came in 2nd on Crankworx Air DH.
  • 1 0
 A nice hardtail is definitely a fun ride that provides me with a more connected feeling to the terrain. However, due to long lasting neck and back issues resulting from two auto accidents combined with age, the full suspension would be my one bike choice. For me, the added comfort gained from the rear shock is huge especially on longer rides. I also prefer the way they maintain speed and have better cornering traction on rougher trails.

The one bike sweet spot for my riding style and terrain preferences would be a short travel 29er (The Following, GG Trail Pistol, Smuggler, Process 111, etc. - so many nice ones out there now).
  • 4 0
 @sevensixtwo: Track looks like a slightly more paved version of A-Line
  • 2 0
 @owlie: let's see you do it
  • 2 0
 @sevensixtwo: see me ride Rotorua ? ok. You buy Ill fly. Ill even do it on your Steel Hardtail!
  • 3 0
 @thenotoriousmic: now I'm convinced you're joking. Hardtails better and faster! Hilarious. Nobody here thinks hardtails suck, from what I can see most of us own one but anyone claiming they're better and/ or faster than a full suspension bike is either deluded, insane or just taking the piss. Can't believe I was drawn into this after all. Pretty sure I've been trolled.
  • 1 3
 @ThomDawson: no trolling here. They pedal better, jump better, handle better, accelerate better, go up hills better, more efficient / ride them for longer and more importantly they're more fun. I know that fs are easier and faster on gnarly terrain but at everything else a hardtail is faster... facts are on my side.
  • 4 0
 @thenotoriousmic: facts are on your side ehh? Thats why everyones racing on Hardtails these days
  • 7 3
 @thenotoriousmic: Frequently Announced Countless Travesties are on your side Big Grin Posts like yours are the perfect spark for some online nonsense like "dinosaurs are not real".

"The truth they don't want you to know, aside of few spots hardtails are actually faster. A group of scientists who do not wish to disclose their name believe that we've been all lied to - full suspension bikea feel faster but they aren't, says dr Conrad Senicky of university of Eastern Massachusetts" but the reality is that hardtails ride faster because they bounce up more so they skip obstacles while fs bikes tide through all of them - being in the air is faster because we skip rolling resistance says prof. Gobi Itsva of Gandahars Institute for modern science. Wheels on the ground are Slow wheels. John Ferret, ex mechanic of the World Champion in off piste downhill says that top DH racers ride fake shocks. They have a button instead of rebound adjuster, they ress it and the rear becomes rigid. They actually ride hardtails and their forks use only 160mm of travel - I was fired because I was overheard talking to a journalist anout it"

Join us tonight to learn about the biggest myth in cycling"
  • 3 2
 @WAKIdesigns: very amusing but you've missed my point. Clearly said that fs are faster and easier over rough terrain. I know I'm not going faster on certain sections of trails on my hardtail than I would be on fs.
  • 2 0
 @WAKIdesigns: air is for show, ground is for go Wink
  • 1 2
 We out on the on the fs today for the first time this year and my mate got a fastest time ever on a local downhill in super greasy conditions. Lime stone as well and I wasn't far behind with a knee injury. If you want to be good on bike you need to be good on a hardtail.
  • 2 1
 As a person with a freestyle Bmx background, my first Mtb was a Yeti 575 and only two weeks ago did I get a hardtail(haven't even ridden a trail yet) but I don't think my skills have suffered from not starting on a hardtail, at least not compared to my various riding companions. I do realize that's probably a unfair comparison with a guy who just starts MTb without it. But I'm not convinced that riding a Hardtail is a necessary right of passage.
  • 2 2
 @Triber66: off course it isn't a necessary rite of passage. The only people who believe in those are pressed pitiful boys. There are people who believe that the first step to be ome a man is going to boy scouts, and then boy scouts believe that tying someone up to a tree naked for a cold night and pissing on him in the morning is the only way to become a boy scout. Riding BMX track is good for you, riding pumptrack, dirt jumps, learning balance, trials skills is, or doing hill repetitions, sprints - and those are all best practiced on some form of HT. But I say without a shadow of a doubt that the guy (and it's never a woman) who says, you need to go ride HT in the woods in order to one day be good on some fully (to deserve it is what he means in his dumb little head) has absolutely no f*cking clue what so ever about skill building and practice. He just went through shit of riding a 26" bike with Vbrakes, crappy fork and terrible geometry, or he could never really afford a good bike, or inevitably realized that his "HT skills" are worthless on a fully and no, he doesn't miraculously leave everyone behind, he knows he can always hide behind comfortable: "oh but I ride HT" So, like an old, sour, barely barking dog, he doesn't want to let anyone enjoy it right away. Off course that doesn't mean every guy swearing by a HT is like that but if someone is evangelizing people to some form of ascethism, he usually have tons of sht in his back pack. Otherwise why would he try to hold people down?!
  • 1 0
 @Triber66: 26" is the only right of passage for mtb. haha.
  • 3 1
 @WAKIdesigns: you don't talk absolute nonsense sometimes. You can ride whatever bike you want if it's right for the job in hand or not.
  • 2 0
 @thenotoriousmic: "If you want to be good on bike you need to be good on a hardtail." If you're looking for absolute nonsense, you already found it.
  • 1 2
 @ThomDawson: yeah if you think that's nonsense that says more about you than it does me mate.
  • 2 1
 @fullbug: My 5 yr old son will probably say (and the @thenotororiusmic will probably agree) that the right of passage is a fully rigid 20" with a 1x7 and v-brakes. Lol
  • 3 2
 The only acceptable rite of passage to anything is receiving public fisting, 3 hours after eating 2 pounds of black bean burrito. If you can get through that and then function properly, you are a real tough mother effer and can do anything.
  • 1 0
 @mammal: read on son.
  • 1 0
 @BoneDog: I read it... And I'm a decade older than you, son.
  • 53 4
 N+1 who the hell only owns 1 bike?
  • 8 10
 Roadies Wink
  • 6 3
 You can only ride one bike at a time.
  • 24 0
 @strasznyzbigniew: You obviously haven't befriended any roadies Smile
  • 7 0
 The author must be new to bikes.
Only bike? Who are we kidding.
  • 10 1
 Yup! The bare minimum is a suspension bike, a race hard-tail, a singlespeed, a road bike, a townie, and something hand-made.
  • 3 0
 There was an option to own one? Why the hell nobody told me that, I'm so tight on space now that I want to build a house with large garage Big Grin
  • 2 0
 @strasznyzbigniew: Race bike, training bike and a cross bike for winter
  • 3 0
 The reliability of the HT is just unbeatable, I live in an island with no bike shops and when my DS bike fails (it does about once every two years, either shock, dropper, pivots, etc), there's a time fram of aprox. a month when my good ol' Santa Cruz Chamaleon 2 shines like a diamond. I also got into this XC 50k race and when the day came, it was pooring rain, so guess which bike i chose... yup

ps: did i mention my HT was made in the USA, when they still made bikes? haha
  • 1 0
 @panaphonic: I can only wear one jersey too..
  • 3 0
 @sevensixtwo: DH, Trail, DJ, and of course your old bike for your broke ass buddy who comes to town
  • 42 2
 As long as it was a Chromag.
  • 6 3
 that's cause you haven't tried a ragley. lol, you are one loyal son-of-a-gun.
  • 3 1
 @conv3rt: I've pedaled a Blue Pig once. Lol

I know where my bread is battered .
  • 2 0
 @THE-GUNT: Nah, I'm with you. I wish I could afford a new frame/fork/wheels. I think a BA would look excellent in the shed
  • 3 0
 @conv3rt: Yeah that would be sweet.
  • 4 0
 65° HA on my Honzo, 140mm fork and Magic Mary's on both ends. Riding my dream bike right now and I'm absolutely stoked!
  • 1 0
 @NotDannyHart: Honzo headangle with a 140 is 65 degrees? I just got one and didn't think it felt that diffferent than my chromag which was 68
  • 1 0
 @JesseE: wasn't the 2016 BA 66°?
  • 1 0
 @CrashPro85: I had an ol' fashion 2015 - 68
  • 1 0
 @JesseE: must have an angleset
  • 2 0
 @Nicksand5: have a Works -2 in my Krampus hardtail with 120mm Pikes and its awesome.
  • 18 0
 I've gone from a full suspension to hardtail, and the hardtail is currently my only MTB. It's been years and years since I've owned a hardtail, but with modern materials and geometry it rides amazingly well. I think I will stick with the hardtail as my only bike for a little while, but when I eventually get a new FS bike, I will never have a hardtail-less quiver again. It's just too damn fun.
  • 2 0
 Just got f/s after years of riding a hardtail. Like you will always have a hardtail to ride
  • 1 0
 Same boat and nicely put.
  • 11 0
 What is this "only bike" thing you are talking about Mike?
  • 7 0
 I got rid of my FS (it was defective, and i haven't replaced it yet) and have just been riding a steel HT that i built and have been upgrading for a few years (worth around $3.5-4k USD). Id love to get another FS, but i wouldn't say i miss it exactly.

I spent 2 decades riding only a HT. FS bikes allow the rider to make mistakes, to choose worse lines, to not use their body and legs for shock absorption appropriately,etc. without being so harshly punished for it. I feel like i was forced to develop my technique and riding style to compensate. When i finally got a nice FS (a couple years ago) it wasn't some huge revelation for me. My times were actually slower on all but the most rugged trails. Im sure the worse pedaling efficiency played a large part in that. The FS was particularly helpful with jumps though. Not having to worry as much about casing a gap, or rugged landings, was pretty great.

Its ridiculous to say that one is better than the other, they are tools. You pick the best one for the job, and the one you are most skilled at using. Ive had people riding very nice FS bikes on fast rugged trails, stop and talk to me like i just pulled off some magic by riding it on a HT. But, its also not unheard of for me to do the same thing towards people when they destroy me on a trail. The bikes dont ride themselves yet, and for now, the riders skill/fitness is still much more important than FS/HT on all but the extreme ends of the spectrum.

The article was decent, the poll is dumb. It doesn't ask the right question, and it creates some fantasy scenario, in order to perpetuate the worst of the FS vs HT debate. I love mountain biking, and i want to be a better rider. For me, not only does that mean riding more, but it also means learning about how my bike and its parts work, and developing better technique by watching other people ride, talking to other riders about it, and reading articles/books about those sort of things. Why not promote THAT?
  • 6 0
 My On-One 456, and yes it is a 26er, which will never go away regarless,,is the best bike I have ridden in years.Sure squish is nice but once a part goes you have to play find the cannoli and pray it works . Also , my On-One is Steel and Steel is Real,,has lot''s of play in it..not that I would not want another squish , which I am building, but for now, my Hardtail suits and does the job..that is all,,RAMFB...
  • 2 0
 Not sure that I can agree about the on one being forgiving with it's steel because mine has been an absolute blast but when I come down hard on a rock or root I know it. That being said, I'm also riding this way harder than my old bike so who knows...
  • 1 0
 @rclugnut: I ride it where ever , but yes, at times, I would like a squish on the more harder rough trails,,Wilsons Creek in NC is a awesome place to ride , nice and fast but once you get to like Bee Hive which I will never ride again if it's the last day of my life, maybe one day, but not anytime soon on the On-One , so I agree at times squish is fully needed. I am going out to Utah to ride Goosebery Mesa and a shit tone of other trails, I know when I get back I will be pretty beat up due to the Hardtail but it will be worth it, I will be with family,,other cyclist's doing what we all love,,RideingaMuthaFuxin'Bike...
  • 1 0
 Agree, also have a 26er 456 evo hardtail and I love the bike, bought is for mud/winterbike duties but really like the bike.
But for multi day riding abroad or long demanding rides I prefer my fs trailbike (alu Turner Flux 27,5)
  • 5 0
 I love my hard tails, and come the winter that's all I ride. I'll always have a hard tail for the days when distance on fire roads and canal tow paths is in order, but unless I'm forced to I'll always have a full sus as the old knees are not what they are. But if hard tails were all there was, I'd be happy. Next bike, 29er or 650b+ hard tail???
  • 3 2
 I feel like a 650b hard tail would slay trails hard. Never been on one, just rode a friends 29er, feel like Im on stilts but thats just me haha
  • 2 0
 @chillrider199: bought an Orange Crush 27.5 this winter, it's awesome :-)
  • 1 0
 @frankwizza: Damn that bike looks mighty fun
  • 6 0
 depends on your local terrain. I ride mostly very very rocky terrain so hardtail isn't a good choice even though i like them. I even rode some DH races with norco sasquatch but on rocky terrain it is not very enjoyable
  • 5 0
 I ride a hardtail because I enjoy it more than riding full suspension. It's as simple as that. I ride steel because it feels better than all other materials. I ride single speed because I'm an idiot. Price doesn't play a roll in things. Nor does the common trends. If I told you how much money I have in my steel hardtail single speed it would not only prove I'm an idiot but also disprove Mr. Waki. It's also my only bike.
  • 3 0
 Built a custom hardtail. Custom geo and got to pick how stiff I wanted it. Put on all the parts I desired. Cant say itd be my only bike since I enjoy hucking and riding wayyy too fast. Hardtails are hoot so dont get me wrong! But as my only bike?

N+1
  • 3 0
 People who ride hardballs in some form IMPROVE their riding immensely. Hardtail's today are made with a very aggressive geometry making them very fun to ride, i.e. KONA HONZO Trail carbon. This is my 2nd bike.

The conundrum we fall in as riders today is that the full suspension designs are extremely efficient. Every manufacturer makes a full suspension bike that rips in any genre of bike you could want. Bike #1 for me is the SANTA CRUZ HIGHTOWER in 650b PLUS form.

Just my thoughts,
Cheers
  • 3 0
 It depends where you live, and how you ride. I had a hardtail (Honzo) as my only bike for the past two seasons, and I loved it. Including a week long trip to Squamish. I rode every trail I wanted to, just a bit slower.

Having said that, I'm selling it and switching to a full suspension (Process 111) this year. I would keep both but simply don't have the room in my apartment. I might switch back in a year or two.
  • 3 0
 Running both those bikes right now and it's always a hard choice. Both so good.
  • 3 1
 I went from fs to a hard tail because I feel I ride it more. You can take it out the front door for a ride compared to having to drive somewhere you feel the terrain justifies your bike. And it was £200 for s frMe compared to 5 grand.
  • 2 0
 I ride my full suspension trail bike right out of the front door for a lap around the local park whenever I feel like it. Sometimes it's down the street to ride around with my nephew. I'd never have spent 5 grand on a bike if that was the only riding it would see, but now that I own it I ride it anywhere and everywhere and don't care if it's justified by the current terrain
  • 1 0
 @Crooks: stokes for folks. I know plenty of peeps that love putting around the park/oceanfront on their squishers. I'm spoiled so I only do that when I want to jump off something stupid...lucky enough to have rigid bikes for non-chundery rides
  • 2 0
 @dontcoast: oh it's not due to a lack of choice, I do have a hardtail. I just love that damn squish to death and don't care about efficiency when I'm putting around town as you put it. Sometimes it's just nice to have the option to huck a stairset on my cruise around town. But I'm just for people having a good time on their bikes, I'll never judge what you're riding on trail or otherwise.
  • 2 0
 @Crooks: I have the option to huck stairs on my ht. Just sayin' ;-)
  • 1 0
 @seburkhardt: I just shattered my ankle this January so it'll be a long time till I huck anything, but my days of hardtail hucking are done I believe. Good on ya though, ride strong while the body is strong.
  • 1 0
 @Crooks: So well put! More riding and smiling, less judging!
  • 6 0
 i think i triggered the politest conversation on pinkbike
  • 2 0
 I did give up for FS for a HT and rode just that for about 18months, started off thinking it was great the simplicity of it and it made the same old trails interesting again but now Im building a new FS to have as well as the hardtail as having both is always going to be the best option!
  • 2 0
 I just sold my Specialized Enduro to build up a really awesome Chromag Rootdown BA and I have to say I dont miss my full suspension one bit. It climbs amazing and it goes downhill even better. I can ride everything with My HT that I did with my enduro and I don't have to worry about farting around or breaking the rear end bits. The Chromag is also near silent going through the rough. Its a really cool feeling.
  • 3 0
 I ride an Orange Crush hardtail for everything, thing freaking shreds, geo is super progressive and slack/low, so awesome. And a Pivot Phoenix for super rowdy stuff. Love riding the hardtail and big bike.
  • 1 1
 What do you ride the most?
  • 2 0
 Gave up my full sus 10 years ago and have had a series of 29er HTs, each getting progressively more aggressive. It's not about $$ - I have had carbon, ti, top end HTs - but about simplicity and a realistic view on what/where I ride 95% of the time.
  • 2 0
 After the season of fat biking with my fully Ridgid Scott, the bike i was most looking forward to riding this spring was my 29er XC hardtail. Having a hard tail is not just about compromising, it's definitely a more connected and rewarding ride experience.

( I am looking to buy a new full suspension by the end of this season though... Lol )
  • 2 0
 Not sure if I'd go full hardtail. I have, however been really tempted by at hardtail 275+ (judge away) as a compliment to my HorseThief. Living on the Colorado Front Range there are plenty of trails where my 140/120 HorseThief is overkill, but there is also an abundance of trails where i welcome every mm of rear travel...

Never go full hardtail.
  • 2 0
 Had to sell my full suspension in the summer to afford to come study at university. Now, with a much tighter budget, i'm building up a HT. Yeah, i loved my FS, and this bike won't be as quick, but i'm sure as hell going to still have as much fun on it, so that's all that matters really!
  • 2 0
 I own a DMR hardtail and a Cannondale Prophet fully. I find it easier to ride the hardtail so most of the time I find myself doing just that. Sure the fully is easier on the rough but simple terrain. Straight but rough and fast downhills. Just point and go, simple. But when I need to be precise on the twisting stuff I think the hardtail is more predictable. It is also easier for jumping and landing. It kind of delays the hit. So when I have a hard landing and as a consequence stiffen my legs a bit more to not give it all away too soon, the suspension first goes through the travel (making it too easy on the legs) and then bottoms out and gives me the full blow. With a hardtail I just know what's coming and I absorb the hit right when the hit is there. Same with rebound. There is no such thing on a hardtail (at least not in the rear). But on a fully it is the thing that messes up my perfect landing. Just when I thought all was fine and I'm extending after having absorbed the hit, the shock extends and rebounds, bucking me OTB. Sure, shock setup and all that. The thing is, it is just another captain on your ship and until you've learned to get real close, part of the time you're fighting each other. Sure I've got a suspension fork but that's much easier to control as I typically have my weight over the front a lot.

So no, it is not a budget thing. The fully is here but I'm riding the hardtail. Actually I'm planning to get that titanium Kingdom Vendetta 2 LS and assemble it with the best parts from both bikes. And the frame sells for as much as a decent aluminium full suspension frame. I love that geometry(low top tube etc) and I love the simplicity. That said, before this I had a crush on that Alutec ICB2.0 frame (currently for sale at a discount) which also had the toptube sorted.

So no it is not for budget reasons nor because I consider myselr an amazing rider. But a hardtail like that just suits me so nicely.

As for the unicycle, no I don't think it has a place in this discussion. Riding a (mountain) unicycle is very different to riding an mtb. So if you like riding mountainbikes, the unicycle won't make a good replacement.
  • 2 0
 My single speed hard tail is all I really need or want, although I do currently have and always have a full squish bike sitting around for the rare occasion I want something different. I do have to say that would be different if I didn't live in Maine, we have good climbs and some very tech trails that require skill but they don't DEMAND a full suspension bike to extract all the goodness out of them as other areas in the world do. But I love me some single speed!
  • 2 0
 I only owned an aluminum trail hardtail for about three years. She was awesome and I did everything from pretty rowdy DH to CC. I finally "upgraded" to a full carbon Enduro superbike. Everything felt so easy and fast but I missed the challenge of riding a hardtail. I recently purchased a full on XC hardtail race whippet and I love it. It's great for getting fit and exploring and it makes even mellow trails feel pretty rowdy. I think it helps my more aggressive riding in just about every way.
  • 2 0
 I was riding a Ragley Blue Pig for 3 years - amazing hardtail bike...

Switched to a Santa Cruz Nomad and never going back again. The full suspension has allowed me to ride more of the trails I usually ride since it has saved me from the back and waist pains.

The only reason I would switch back to a hardtail is that if I lay back on the time I dedicate to the sport and it will not make sense to keep a high maintenance bike (fs) in relation to a less costly one (ht).
  • 1 0
 I ride a Chromag trl and have been thinking about upgrading to a full suspension. I have been waiting for the next revolution and have been since 2004. I bought a Hadley rear hub and laced it up to a dt swiss ex471 to keep me satisfied another year.
  • 1 0
 I'm thinking updated geo and 27.5+ wheels/tires on a HT may be the Goldilocks of bikes. At least that's what I'm hoping. I'm looking at the Norco Torrent 7.1, Santa Cruz Chamelean, and Scott Scale Plus. Any other notables you guys would recommend?
  • 1 0
 Chromag Rootdown BA
  • 1 0
 kona big honzo
  • 1 0
 Last Fastforward,stanton switchback mk2 are both awesome.
  • 1 0
 RSD Sergeant. Full XT components, Race Face and Pike fork for CA$3000
  • 4 0
 Hardtails are fun and teach you how to read lines and overall make you a good rider.
  • 1 0
 Have a full sus specialized stumpjumper and a trek marlin hard tail...i'd like to get a carbon fiber hard tail for cross country rides that are long distance but rn while learning to jump and doing shorter more aggressive rides I could never imagine owning only a hard tail
  • 1 0
 I owned a hardtail as my only ride for quite some time, i had a freakin blast on it! But now i am looking into full suspension bikes. Hardtails are great and sometimes can get just as rowdy on gnarly terrain and descents as full squish bikes but now the only hardtail i want in my quiver is my DJ. Your ass just starts to hurt after a while ya know?
  • 1 0
 I've had several full sus bikes over the years but I've felt more at home on a bike than on a hardtail. Personally, I dont feel the need for anything more than my 160mm travel, steel frame hardtail. I'll happily take it round my local trails most weekends and then huck it down a downhill hill trail at the bike park (almost as fast as my mates on downhillers), it simply comes down to what is most comfortable for the rider.
  • 1 0
 1. Norco Revlover 9sl HT 2. Niner rdo A9C single speed 3. Trek Stache 4. Trek Farley 9.9 27.5 fb and 29er plus 5. Giant TCR --- will be getting the new 2018 Giant Anthem Advanced 29er Team bike just to spice it up for the year of the stiffy.
  • 1 0
 I spent the entire winter learning to love my hardtail again. My DH and my trail bike had been my focus for the last couple years, and my fitness and weight definitely suffered as a result (Way too much park and shuttle days.) This summer I swore to myself I won't be touching either of those bikes until I hit my weight loss goal.
  • 1 1
 Did you make it?
  • 1 0
 @thenotoriousmic: I'm working on it. I think I'll make it by the time Whistler opens which is the goal.
  • 1 1
 @Rucker10: keep it up dude.
  • 1 0
 never thougth id buy a ht willingly again. Then i rode a honzo few weeks ago. Frame and parts arrive next week . 29er wheels and modern geo make HT viable again to me. 26 steel ht are my idea of hell id rather quit mtb. real my arse just plain slow and painful everywhere.
  • 2 0
 Still have my 26" Transition TransAM set up as a single speed and a 140mm up front! Bad ass fun bike...just wish I would have gotten the Large and not the Medium...I'd get another one in 27.5 or 29 for sure.
  • 1 0
 I definitely want a hardtail for riding my local flowy/jumpy trails, but my Evil Insurgent is awfully nice when trying to go faster than you should on rough stuff. Getting to work Monday morning in one piece is a big selling point for having full suspension on some trails.
  • 6 1
 This is retarted.... ride a f*cking bike
  • 2 1
 I own a steel kona honzo as my XC/exploring bike. All these companies making aluminum all-mountain hardtails are nuts, aluminum is a terrible material for that type of bike, too stiff. That being said, i LOVE my hardtail, but it can never replace my process 153.
  • 2 0
 Probably most of us started on a ht. couple of years ago i cracked my frame and bought a ragley and used that for a few months. Felt like back to basics! Makes you smoother and isnt as forgiving as a full sus.
  • 1 0
 Thats exactly how I got on a hardtail. I started on a full sus and had never ridden a hardtail. I cracked the frame on my Giant Trance and was told I would need to wait 12 weeks for a new frame under warranty so I got a second hand Ragley Piglet frame and moved my components over. I later replaced it with a Cube Stereo but sold 6 months later it to get an On One Dee Dar
  • 1 0
 I have a 1st gen Yelli Screamy and a 2008 DH bike. If one of them had to go, you better believe it would be the DH. It spends 99% of the year hanging from the ceiling in the garage and it's so heavy I'm afraid one of these days its going to cave the roof in. The hardtail, on the other hand, gets ridden to class, to the trailhead, on the trails, at various ill-advised enduro races, in the snow and in the mud, and has paid for itself in ass-rattling, ankle-breaking, character-building amusement a zillion times over.

And the second I get a job post-graduation, I'm buying a Meta.
  • 1 0
 I last owned a hardtail in 2015 along with my Tracer. They are fun but they certainly are different. I bounce around on my full suspension so often to get over little roots/ruts/rocks etc, so having a solid rear end again took some getting used to!
  • 1 0
 I love my hardtail, a Waltworks 650b+. I ride it on a lot of stuff, but not technical trails, like in Tahoe or Downieville (which the first time I rode it was on a 80mm forked v brake hardtail years ago). But as a 40 something, my body doesn't do well on a 3+ hour ride without some rear suspension. It is the same reason I ride a downhill bike at Northstar. I am not faster than on my trail bike, but my body thanks me at the end of the day.
  • 2 0
 If I had to only have one bike, it would be a hardtail. for sure. I can't help that feel like polls like this are really just meant to incite argument. Ride what you want to ride.
  • 1 0
 Hardtail WILL make a better rider fact BUT, It will also make you appreciate a fully more. Yeah having a hardtail will teach you be smoother, seek better faster lines, be more efficient etc etc. Then add that style to your fully riding plus all the ability an Benifits that come with full squish. That being said... If I could afford it, I would definitely trade up my trail bike an 4X bike to fullys!!!
  • 1 0
 I really want an aggressive hardtail but buying a full build seems to cost more than a my full sus bike for the same level of spec it's crazy I was looking at 4-5k nzd for a steel hardtail and I could get a mint ali full sus for less or full sus carbon bike for a couple hundred more. I know they are a boutique product but I definetly reckon if canyon or yt could put an aggressive hardtail out at a more value oriented price point and apply some scale to the production that it would sell like hot cakes
  • 1 0
 I will take my "budget" $5k hardtail and smoke most people I ride with on full suspension. When the trails around here are maintained by old folks, they have a tendency to comb every pebble of the trail. A rigid frame would work fine on half the trails around me. But you see 6 inch travel rigs and + tires. It's annoying having to slow down on my ride to pass these folks. Why would I ever want more than a hardtail around georgia? Oh because they are rich and have to have the most expensive bike.
  • 1 0
 My first bike, which I bought in 1984, was (obviously) rigid front and back. However, it had better suspension than my current carbon fiber super bike......young legs!

Totally agree with sentiments above, its all about $$. My age has increased, but so has my bank account. FS is a no-brainer if you can afford it.
  • 1 0
 I sold my 2015 Trek remedy 9 to get a hardtail. The bike was anazing for a while then I blew out the rear shock 3 times, the service price started adding up, and then i literally sheared the bolts that hold the shock on in half and ruined the shock. Got it fixed up and sold it then bought a Chromag Stylus. Way more fun for street riding, which is half of what I do, I've jumped off my roof onto a slight slope on it, which I never would've dared on my Remedy, and it had had zero issues. It is way better for jumping because it is easier to pump takeoffs and I've even ridden a double black diamond downhill trail to its full potential on it. (Overflow trail in Copper Harboe Michigan) Hardtails are infinitely better.
  • 1 0
 Started on bmx when I was 9, then on to fully rigid ht , then front suspension, then 6in dual sus, then got a yeti asr dual sus. Been back on a 140mm steel, slack ht as my only bike for over 1 yr and having my best mtb years right now! I'm 44 and yes, 26 4lyf
  • 1 0
 i have only just recently got my paws on a full sus, coming from an xc racing background my "big bike" was a 120mm 29er used for training on! hard tails do make you faster though, having jumped on the 150mm enduro bike i'm now finishing in the top 30ish in senior at the scottish enduro series! not bad for an xc whippet!
  • 1 0
 n00b
  • 1 0
 @mini-freerider: 1v1 at pitfichie!
  • 1 0
 If I had to choose between a FS or HT as my only bike it would be a HT. I find the ride to be more involved and a lot less maintenance. However it has to be the right frame for the majority of my riding.

A bit like this one...
instagram.com/p/BR1EyR8FrFM

Oh wait...this is mine Smile
  • 1 0
 I have both but I do find I ride my ht more because my local trails are flat muddy crap holes. When I get away to decent trails that deserve a full sus then that's what I ride. I'm no hardtails are the best, preacher kinda guy, I just find it suits where I ride better.
  • 1 0
 I will always have a hard-tail in the garage. Always. Currently, a Chromag Surface and Samurai 65(my all time favorite) sit in waiting next to an Ibis HD3, who's feeling pretty neglected.
To me, there's nothing more fun or more beautiful than a nice steel frame.
Build her up.
Run your fingers down the top-tube, ahhhhh, silky. Look at those lines, sexy! Now, rip it into that corner, over that gap,stop giggling, and never look back.
Bliss.
  • 1 0
 My Shan has been my only bike for around a year and a half now. I'd love a full suspension bike, but at the time (and since), the only way for me to spec a reasonable bike was to have a hardtail. I don't miss full suspension that much if I'm honest, though I'd have one if I had the chance.
  • 1 0
 I just got the Djambo and the thing rips! Harsh on the jumps but shreds steeps and singletrack (still in the process of testing its full limits). A plus size hardtail with super aggressive geometry is the perfect bike for a large portion of the population. With that said, I love my Bronson and being able to jump off what ever with little worry is a feeling a hardtail cant match. If i had to have one bike, it would be a full suspension AM charger but a 27.5+ with super aggressive geometry is SUPER fun. I don't know how the hardtail falls in the line up but there is definitely a place for it, more so then a fatbike, in my opinion. And for me, I can more readily justify a hardtail as a second bike over a DH rig. I LOVE DH BIKES, DH vids, and DH racing but they are not practical for what i do 99.9% of the time. AM tookover for me.
  • 1 0
 I have abandonned my fully suspension recently for a beautiful hardtail enduro ti and i love so much to ride whit. I don't regret my choice, my hardtail procure me lot of fun for every rides. Smile
  • 1 1
 If I had to keep only one of my bikes, that would surely be my Dartmoor Primal with 160 Vengeance. Apart from dirt jumping, it's the only bike I rode the whole winter. That's the bike I raced enduro last summer too. Very capable and fun bike to ride. But then again since I already have that E29 I might as well keep that one too. And the road bike, fixie, dirt jumper...
  • 4 0
 Just built one and loving it
  • 1 0
 I have a hardtail, it's quite nice but it doesn't really get ridden unless my full sus is in need of TLC or I'm going for a tow path ride with the Mrs (which means I have ridden it twice in the last 12 months)
  • 1 1
 My fully rigid gravel bike sees more mountainbike action than my squisher...and arguably than many people's mountainbikes. It also rides like a Cunningham era mountainbike on steroids, it's sweet for road rides when the trails are blown out, and slays 100 mile epics with road, wide dirt and singletrack blends. Not so happy on fall-line trails but it makes it just fine. While I love the speed and stupid shit my trail bike makes easily accessible, if I was forced to pick a single toy bike, the fat-tired dirt roadbike would take it any day.
  • 2 1
 Honestly out of everything you went for that? You must be dead inside seriously. It's giving me an anxiety attack it's such a horrible thought. Each to there own though and I don't mean to offend.
  • 1 0
 @thenotoriousmic: LOLOLOL Nah hurting myself pedaling a rigid bike far makes me more alive inside Smile

No offense taken it's just the diff between roadie xc cycling masochism and other kinds of fun bike riding, like you say to each their own
  • 2 0
 Excuse me pinkbike but I couldn't find the "Shit f*ck! no way" button on the survey poll. Please fix this technical error so I can cast my vote. Thanks!
  • 4 0
 canfield yelliscreamy ftw hard tails for hard trails
  • 3 0
 My EPO agrees. Run it either 27.5+ or 29 depending what I'm doing.
  • 2 0
 I'll just be over here, hugging my Nimble 9.
  • 2 0
 You guys all RULE!!!!! I love my hardtail 29ers too! Yelli, N9 or EPO, ALL crazy amounts of fun!
  • 2 0
 Yesterday's ride on my n9 was a reminder how much fun a hartail can be. My fs bike is on here currently in the classifieds. Cant wait to try out some plus wheels. Hats off to the bros for bringing this geo to the market well before the big boys followed suit.
  • 3 0
 A hardtail is my only bike and I love it. Simple and uncomplicated good times!
  • 3 0
 I have an Iron Horse Sunday build light with a rigid carbon fork, I would never ride a hardtail.
  • 1 0
 !!?? Can you share some pictures of that mutant?
  • 3 0
 I have a serious knee injury and cartlidge damage. I'd love a hardtail but need a full suss to take the edge off.
  • 1 0
 Went from a nice light full suspension to a portly hardtail fat bike and haven't looked back for almost a year now. Still loving it. It almost has as much cush as the full suspension rig I stopped riding.
  • 1 0
 Rode hard tail all my life just got a fully two years ago it's not the same and I miss the sketchy feeling of bombing hills and bucking cliffs on it but knees can't hold on anymore
  • 1 0
 Use the proper tool for the job at hand. I ride both, and my singlespeed hardtail is the go to for shorter rides, especially during the winter. Less maintenance doesn't suck either.
  • 2 0
 I've always had a hardtail in my stable. I just built up a rootdown and could see it being my day to day trail bike no problem.
  • 1 0
 I've currently got a 2012 Zesty, but am about to buy an Orange P7 frame that will keep me entertained until I can order a BTR hardtail. It's a lot more simple than FS and brilliant for all weather riding in the UK.
  • 3 0
 I ride a rigid singlespeed. It's more fun than the megavalanche.
  • 1 0
 You my friend are a beast
  • 1 0
 I have a hard tail for Dirt Jumps and XC, squishy for long days and a DH bike for well DH. I need that santa cruz though for a back up bike/ one for the pub.
  • 4 0
 Love my Bird Zero AM!!
  • 1 0
 Sick bike, I whish they sold it in the US! I got a chromag stylus instead which is more expensive for virtually the same build that I wanted on the bird but I think it preforms just as good
  • 1 0
 I was thinking about this today. I think it'd be better for me. It would be easier for long bikepacking trips and would definitely help me with my climbing abilities.
  • 4 1
 it's all based on where you ride 95% of the time.
  • 2 0
 I feel my quiver is pretty dialed with the following bikes: NS Eccentric CroMo and Knolly Warden C.
  • 3 1
 My hardtail was my only bike for the last 5 months. My riding got smoother but some skills defiantly regressed.
  • 2 0
 If I could only have one bike, it would be a hardtail. Cheaper, more versatile, and just as fun.
  • 3 0
 Bikes keep getting better dumbing the trails down...I prefer HT !
  • 1 0
 Thinking of selling my stumpy evo to go back to a hardtail (anyone got a trans am 29er they want to trade?). I want to go back to less maintenance, costs.
  • 1 0
 Only mtb that I own is a custom single speed with zero provisions for a RD. No desire to maintain more pivots or other parts...
  • 1 0
 Have two fully's and like them both but over the winter built up a one by eleven Trek Superfly. Came in at 25.3 lbs and boy it's a blast riding up those long climbs.
  • 2 0
 I'm willing to bet at least 90% of people considering a hardtail as their only bike are under 35... #oldmancomplaints
  • 1 0
 Actually, most hardtail riders I know are over 40. They mostly say they ride hardtails because it was all they could ride when they got into riding, its just what you feel comfortable with dude
  • 1 0
 Yup, I'm 16 and have no problem beating the shit out of my body Big Grin
  • 1 0
 What a weird poll! I think I could have fun on any bike, but for MTBikng there are days I want to ride my fully and days I want to ride my HT! So if you could own both!
  • 1 0
 Because you can afford both! LOL You have a nice lineup. I feel jealous and envious at times, as Tamama from Sgt. Frog would always say "shitto"...
  • 2 0
 HAHHAHA I used to have only one bike, then it broke! I couldn't ride for like 3 weeks and from then on have made sure I always have 2-3 built up and ready to go! In California, I had a nice HT that I would ride when I was back home but it got stolen from my moms garage, so this year I rode my brothers beach cruiser, still had a blast, just different!
  • 1 0
 I'm riding a Scott right now that has a lock out. The lockout make's the bike very hard tale-esq. Suffice to say it's not much fun on the downhill.
  • 1 1
 A decent hardtail is no way comparable to riding a fs locked out you absolute pleb... I'm outraged.
  • 1 0
 There's no more space to store bikes so I have only one bike, and it is a hard tail bike.
  • 2 0
 Missing the, "Yeah I'd do that" option
  • 1 0
 come on pinkbike rigid is the future. i joke, but my rigid fatbike is silly fun.
  • 3 1
 Echo de menos mi Mondraker Play 1...
  • 2 1
 Who wants to own only one bike anyways?
Budget is likely often a big a factor with hardtails.
  • 3 0
 I like my kidneys!
  • 2 0
 Hardtail shakes my kidney stones out. Win Win!
  • 1 0
 Chromag Surface is my most ridden bike by far. Road bike comes next. Followed by DH bike and 6" FS bike.
  • 1 0
 I own a 27.5+ hardtail, makes winter much better. It won't replace my enduro missile in the thick stuff though...
  • 1 0
 got me a niner sir 9 single speed , such an impressive bike for xc events and beer-riding with friends
  • 1 0
 I have not yet owned a FS. But I do steal KOMs on my Kona Unit with its trusty Chinese plastic fork
  • 2 0
 Why would you have only one hardtail when you could have two?
  • 1 0
 Well... I have four bikes: One full-suspension 26", and the hardtails are a 26", a 27.5" and a 29"
  • 1 0
 In nearly 25 years, I have never even ridden a full suspension bike
  • 1 0
 Make it Evil or chromag top end specs on everything and I would!
  • 1 2
 I have a
DH Kona Operator Supreme 26"
2009 FS Stumpjumper Pro 26"
2015 HT Scott Scale 27.5

All tricked the eff out with Deity components. Guess which bike I ride the most?
  • 1 0
 hardtails not hardball, frickin autocorrect!!
  • 2 1
 No because I live on a bikepark and that would suck ass.
  • 1 0
 Get a chromag stylus fame with 170mm fork and downhill wheel set. Nothing could stop you
  • 1 0
 I shred my hardtail even on heli drops Chromag Surface to be exact
  • 1 0
 Matter Slay Ride - Best hard tail out there.
  • 3 4
 Id ride a hard tail if I could, but these trails around here would destroy that bike.
  • 1 1
 Lol my hard tail sits on my kinetic bike stand for workouts lol.
  • 1 0
 K2 BRASS MONKEY FTW
  • 1 1
 Procaliber ftw
  • 1 1
 Hell I love al bikes...
  • 1 3
 I like my hardtail. Its also called a road bike.
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