Full suspension bikes tend to get all the hype in mountain biking, but hardtails are the real work horses. Whether you’re just starting out, on a budget, or just like the simplicity and ride feel of a hardtail, there’s plenty of fun to be had. Not only that, hardtails come in all flavors from hardcore to XC flyweight, making them super versatile as well.
Tell us about your hardtail in the comments!
59 Comments
Dec 21, 2020
Dec 21, 2020
Dec 20, 2020
I only ride my FS on non-winter singletrack which accounts for just under half of my annual mileage. I ride my HT all year round and it is a fat bike with a front suspension fork and two wheelsets, 26"x80mm and 29"x32mm. Between the two wheelsets there are 4 sets of tires. 26x4 (singletrack dirt, pavement, the non-icy part of winter singletrack), 26x5 studded (icy part of winter singletrack, lakes, rivers, and riding UP the sledding hills), 29x2.6 (dirt singletrack, pavement), and 29x 2.25 studded (winter ice singletrack, winter pavement). Plus all the mullet combos :)
I love the versatility of the HT fat bike frame, but I also love the smooth speed of the full suspension.
Dec 21, 2020
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Midwest trails.
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When my boys learned to ride and race it has been on hardtails so they really know "how" to ride. I believe every kid who is learning and beginning racing should start with a HT. I see many with FS and they lack the finer techniques that only come from the HT experience.
Dec 21, 2020
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Dec 21, 2020
I’ve had 5 FS bikes. The 7” travel bike made local trails mostly boring, still fun but zero challenge.
So the older I got, the harder it was to get to the top of Powell Butte.
I did have a GT STS that weighed 28 lbs. with Hookworms on it. Long story.
In the end a hardtail is just more practical and less maintenance.
And so the Bafang BBSHD should liven things up.
So my normal bike will have to be the single speed that’s a 2 speed with the Sturmey Archer hub.
A good excuse to build the wheels myself. Haven’t had to true them ever in 5 or 6 years.
Dec 21, 2020
FS is easier on my 65 year old back and what I ride most of the year. I have three different Stumpies and a SC Tallboy in the stable.
Mar 12, 2021
Dec 26, 2020
I then bought a Kona Big Honzo “for my wife” so I could ride a HT on less technical stuff. Turns out she loved it and was riding it all the time. So I bought a second (carbon) one. I now ride it 80%+ of the time. I like how it makes less technical trails more fun.
The dropper post is what fundamentally changed HT’s. Now you can use the most sophisticated rear suspension ever created- legs. The new geometries and 29”/27.5+ wheels and good forks take much of the punishment away. I only pull out the FS for really harsh or technical downhill trails.
Dec 21, 2020
Travelled Europe last year for 4 months and 4000 km later....
we met so many people....
no one got a 29er like me and my wife
here in South Africa it is you must have a full suspension bike 29er
it is all about the image.....
and if you meet people on all sorts if bikes then you realised it is all about getting on your bike and cycling
not what bike you got...
Met an old lady 68 years old with a folding bike with atleast 30kg if gear on she travelled 16000 km on it in the last few year's full time bikepacking....
P. S. we go i offroad single track
on our bikes aswell
Pls google Gamkaskloof cycling in and out of The Hell
we did it a few times
Greetings from
South Africa
Dec 20, 2020
With a collection of 18 bikes and there are full squish as well as hardtails in that collection, there is a method to the use of a hardtail that makes them highly viable.
Rocky Mountain living and there are a number of us running HT's and it is fantastic.
My buddy hosts a Singlespeed only party ever year on his mountain spread, doesn't get better than BBQ, weed, beer, bikes on a finely tuned mountain top singletrack that is closed to the public! Also hosted is the Plussers only party, more of the same but full squish plussers are perfect up there!
Dec 24, 2020
Feb 4, 2021
Would not have a gravel bike they are only good for 20/30% of my routes.. I find gravel bike riders are road riders who generally don't like MTB riders. Its a bit like skiers vs Snowboarders.. (Im a snowboarder)
Hardtails still have there place between Gravel & FS..
Dec 25, 2020
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Nov 17, 2021
If you're curious you need to try it out, hard tail is nice and powerful. Also ride fixed gear to work, when you hit the trails you'll always be in front on the uphill.
Dec 24, 2020
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Shimano Deore XT M8000 Mountain Bicycle Chainring - SM-CRM81 32T with Teyssor 31.8mm-50mm Stem with Bucklos 25.4/31.8mm flat/Riser bars with Troy Lee design ODI Grips, and Continental ShieldWall Cross King 29x2. TIRES. And upgraded the Stock Teatro Hydro disc Brakes to Shimano MT200 MTB Hydraulic Disc Brake.
Sep 13, 2021
Even with full suspension, which I also own and ride, I stand up on the rougher stuff. It's faster because you are able to allow the back wheel to go up and down with your legs and you can also get in an occasional pump here and there.
The only difference I really notice between a full suspension and hardtail is when seated and I am only seated when powering on the smooth terrain and up steeper climbs that are not all rough.
It really has more to do with how a person chooses to ride. My hardtail is just as capable as my full squish with a few exceptions when there are massive drops and such or super chunky downhill. Those are the only reasons I own a full suspension bike........ otherwise, my hardtail is my go to.
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You can check out my build here: Custom Rocky Mountain Growler
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I think more riders should actually be on hardtails than full suspension. Most people don't really need full suspension and it's hard to have set up properly for most people and thus they do more harm than good.
Keep it simple and just ride a hardtail unless you are actually riding fairly gnarly trails.
Nov 29, 2021
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I used to live in the hills, so I've still got my steel 26" hardtail with the 120mm fox forks, but it doesn't see much use.
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