Hardtail vs. Full Suspension?

Ed von Schleck · 07-05-2006, 02:33 AM

My beloved NSMB-community,
once again, I need your help.

Well, as of right now, I totally don

SysCo. · 07-05-2006, 02:42 AM

whats your cycling backround.
like as kid.
past 10 years say?
every ridden bmx or raced?

heckler · 07-05-2006, 02:52 AM

Sexboy was you're first shore trail? How much of it did you ride without killing yourself?

Or was it not too bad?

IMO go hardtail for sure if you're spending less than $1000. Find a good used one with excellent parts.

like this one... (I have absolutely no affiliation to this bike, and I'm just judging it on the frame and fork)
http://www.nsmb.com/buy_sell/show.ph...ry=bikes_front

Incorrigible · 07-05-2006, 03:11 AM

You will need a job to keep in this sport. Unless you are patient enough to ride what you have meanwhile. A full suspension bike is more fun for downhill, but remember, it doesn't pedal up very well,isn't very good for DJ, and does take maintenance. We would all like a bike for each occasion, but few can afford it.

If you want a good DH bike made just for that, the Devinci series are good for the money. Many people I know around here (Quebec) race them .

Ed von Schleck · 07-05-2006, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SysCo.

whats your cycling backround.
like as kid.
past 10 years say?
every ridden bmx or raced?

Neither have I ridden bmx, nor have I raced it in the past. All I did in the last few years was riding my bike to school, so well... I started "serious" mountain biking just a year ago.

Quote:

Originally Posted by heckler

Sexboy was you're first shore trail? How much of it did you ride without killing yourself?

Or was it not too bad?

IMO go hardtail for sure if you're spending less than $1000. Find a good used one with excellent parts.

like this one... (I have absolutely no affiliation to this bike, and I'm just judging it on the frame and fork)
http://www.nsmb.com/buy_sell/show.ph...ry=bikes_front

Yes, sexboy was my first ever shore experience. I remember the little singe track from the parking lot to the entrance wasn

Ed von Schleck · 07-05-2006, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Incorrigible

You will need a job to keep in this sport. Unless you are patient enough to ride what you have meanwhile. A full suspension bike is more fun for downhill, but remember, it doesn't pedal up very well,isn't very good for DJ, and does take maintenance. We would all like a bike for each occasion, but few can afford it.

If you want a good DH bike made just for that, the Devinci series are good for the money. Many people I know around here (Quebec) race them .

Yeah, I kinda figured out that I

SysCo. · 07-05-2006, 05:32 AM

i'd reccomend a norco six.
theres a 2004 meduim sized frame and shock in the buy and sell for 400 canadian obo.
its an awesome frame, thats light doesnt have the full blown dh suspension.
but can take anything you throw at it.
buy one, it'll teach you to still be smooth, but you'll be able to ride whistler still, kill it at the local dirt jumps,even do epic riding.
as far as parts specs go it thats preference, id reccommend a pike for a fork, because you can run it down to 4" or up to 6" for dh, keep the stock shock because it'll hold up.

yeah, hows that sound.

Banshee Beast · 07-05-2006, 05:33 AM

If ya liked the giant Faith so much, why don't you save up for one of those?? Kinda cheap when slightly used.

~mike*bodnaruk~ · 07-05-2006, 06:13 AM

if u like the faith my friend has one for sale, but you'll have to build it up

http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=80199

ZHendo · 07-05-2006, 07:14 AM

i'd go yeti asx if you want a fs bike. however, because you are money constricted, a hardtail might be the way to go. i bought an asx about 4 months ago and have found the bike to be a blast all around because it is heavy duty while still being capable of riding my local 14 mile XC loop and keep up with the trailbikes. however, now that i have my FR full suspension, i have become more and more wishful for a nice hardtail trailbike to replace my now cracked Iron Horse Hollowpoint. The ones i am looking at are actually the .243 SL and the Chromag Stylus. hardtails are amazing to ride. they are so simple and you get more of a sense for the trail. a philosopher coudl call it becoming "one with the trail". i understand the whole crappy hardtail issue that may be steering you away from hardtails just by the way your current ride handles. i have been a proud owner of a Rocky Mountain Flow F1.0 for the past 2 years now, and i am actually quite frusterated with it. The frame is fairly nice, but the parts spec drives me absolutely crazy with it's crappyness. the fork is always topping out, the rear derraileur is screwed just 2 days after readjusting it and the bearings in the massivly heavy wheels are completely shot. despite this though, i still love riding the bike because of the feel of a hardtail. many may not think the same as me, but i think that hardtails are the ultimate toys. so, if you are choosing to have just one bike, go for the full suspension if you have the money, but be sure to keep that hardtail around if you can. you'll be glad you did.

edit: not to mention, if you do go for the freeride hardtail, you will be forced to be more precise and active on the bike. this could be a pain in the ass at the outset, but ultimately, you will be a much better bike handler when you do decide to step up to a big bike.

smoochy · 07-05-2006, 07:31 AM

spend money now on a good hartail, or save for a dually?
if you spend on the hardtail, are you going to sell your current DJ/er? or keep it? do you have any intention of dj'ing in the future? is your current bike worth keeping?

a good hardtail like the ones you describe will last the proverbial forever. they are investments and are way mad fun. i went from a dj'er (norco 4hun) to a FR hardtail (norco torrent), and the riding got way more better. the geometry was so superior, it didn't matter that i didn't have rear squish. like Zhendo says, you get great trail feel with the HT. but if you want to keep your DJ, you might just hold out if your heart is set on DS.

PS not to slag any companies, but most (about 0.243% cough) use a pretty standard DJ geometry (69deg head angle with 5" fork) on their HTs, calling them both FR and DJ bikes - think twice if you want this for FR and DH. some (chromag and norco) slack their head angles out a bit (68 and 65 ish) for increased stability. this is good. from experience.

johnnystuntrider · 07-05-2006, 08:58 AM

A lot of limits we set in biking are in our heads... there's really no reason why you wouldn't be able to do 6 foot drops on a hardtail, or bigger ones for that matter... unless they have no trannies

You'll also learn to be a lot smoother and may take more satisfaction from just negotiating the trail, not to mention conquering the stunties.

As for whether you should buy a new bike or keep your old one, well that's a tough one... I say if you can get a deal that you're really happy with, then go for it. Otherwise, ride your current bike until you think you've maxed out it's capabilities (if you work on riding smooth, this should happen later rather than sooner!). Good luck

ERregular · 07-05-2006, 03:06 PM

The fork you have (Pike) is nice and would do well on either a HT or FS. If I was in your place, my first stop would be the Transition web site. Given that you are new to riding, and torn between FS and HT - I'd really give the Preston some thought. You may be surprised how much of a difference 4" of travel actually makes. If you want to go HT, the Vagrant looks very promising.

I'm a HUGE fan of Sinister bikes. Look at the Ridge(HT) or the Splinter(FS, 5"-6") (find a used one). They are pricier than the Transitions, but the workmanship, geometry and design is unbeatable. A Splinter with a Pike would be an AWESOME setup.

Again, if it was me, I would not go above 6" of travel if you go FS - I think you will find the bike very wallowy, no matter what suspension design you get.

Tom · 07-06-2006, 01:07 AM

http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=80305

Carbuncle · 07-06-2006, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERregular

The fork you have (Pike) is nice and would do well on either a HT or FS. If I was in your place, my first stop would be the Transition web site. Given that you are new to riding, and torn between FS and HT - I'd really give the Preston some thought. You may be surprised how much of a difference 4" of travel actually makes. If you want to go HT, the Vagrant looks very promising.

Again, if it was me, I would not go above 6" of travel if you go FS - I think you will find the bike very wallowy, no matter what suspension design you get.

Ditto, although the Preston will run either four or five inches depending on how you set it. Lotta good options there, and both mine and my wife's next bikes will be Transitions: I want the Dirtbag with a 66 and she's after the Preston.
http://www.transitionbikes.com/

07-05-2006, 02:33 AM	#1
Ed von Schleck the german dude Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Frankfurt, Germany Posts: 1,462 Rep Power: 55371	Hardtail vs. Full Suspension? My beloved NSMB-community, once again, I need your help. Well, as of right now, I totally don

07-05-2006, 03:11 AM	#4
Incorrigible Registered User Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Far far away Posts: 1,084 Rep Power: 1048	You will need a job to keep in this sport. Unless you are patient enough to ride what you have meanwhile. A full suspension bike is more fun for downhill, but remember, it doesn't pedal up very well,isn't very good for DJ, and does take maintenance. We would all like a bike for each occasion, but few can afford it. If you want a good DH bike made just for that, the Devinci series are good for the money. Many people I know around here (Quebec) race them . __________________ www.joemamma.ca www.intensecycles.com

07-05-2006, 07:14 AM	#10
ZHendo Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 1,057 Rep Power: 173174	i'd go yeti asx if you want a fs bike. however, because you are money constricted, a hardtail might be the way to go. i bought an asx about 4 months ago and have found the bike to be a blast all around because it is heavy duty while still being capable of riding my local 14 mile XC loop and keep up with the trailbikes. however, now that i have my FR full suspension, i have become more and more wishful for a nice hardtail trailbike to replace my now cracked Iron Horse Hollowpoint. The ones i am looking at are actually the .243 SL and the Chromag Stylus. hardtails are amazing to ride. they are so simple and you get more of a sense for the trail. a philosopher coudl call it becoming "one with the trail". i understand the whole crappy hardtail issue that may be steering you away from hardtails just by the way your current ride handles. i have been a proud owner of a Rocky Mountain Flow F1.0 for the past 2 years now, and i am actually quite frusterated with it. The frame is fairly nice, but the parts spec drives me absolutely crazy with it's crappyness. the fork is always topping out, the rear derraileur is screwed just 2 days after readjusting it and the bearings in the massivly heavy wheels are completely shot. despite this though, i still love riding the bike because of the feel of a hardtail. many may not think the same as me, but i think that hardtails are the ultimate toys. so, if you are choosing to have just one bike, go for the full suspension if you have the money, but be sure to keep that hardtail around if you can. you'll be glad you did. edit: not to mention, if you do go for the freeride hardtail, you will be forced to be more precise and active on the bike. this could be a pain in the ass at the outset, but ultimately, you will be a much better bike handler when you do decide to step up to a big bike. __________________ FRS Healthy Energy, www.frs.com - Its whats for dinner...but seriously, drink it (only available the states ) "If I'm ever becoming someone I don't want to be, I can always trust my bike to make me right again" - anonymous Last edited by ZHendo; 07-05-2006 at 07:18 AM.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes	Rate This Thread
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode	Rate This Thread:

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Custom full suspension bikes?	b-man	Gear	4	02-02-2004 08:34 PM
How much does you Full Suspension way?	chopcity	Gear	59	07-17-2003 03:14 AM
The switch from Full suspension to hardtail!!	Jibbster	The Shore	23	03-28-2003 12:57 AM

07-05-2006, 02:42 AM	#2
SysCo. Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,827 Rep Power: 0	whats your cycling backround. like as kid. past 10 years say? every ridden bmx or raced?

07-05-2006, 02:52 AM	#3
heckler skookum Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: The Darkside Posts: 14,543 Rep Power: 13158808	Sexboy was you're first shore trail? How much of it did you ride without killing yourself? Or was it not too bad? IMO go hardtail for sure if you're spending less than $1000. Find a good used one with excellent parts. like this one... (I have absolutely no affiliation to this bike, and I'm just judging it on the frame and fork) http://www.nsmb.com/buy_sell/show.ph...ry=bikes_front

07-05-2006, 05:32 AM	#7
SysCo. Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,827 Rep Power: 0	i'd reccomend a norco six. theres a 2004 meduim sized frame and shock in the buy and sell for 400 canadian obo. its an awesome frame, thats light doesnt have the full blown dh suspension. but can take anything you throw at it. buy one, it'll teach you to still be smooth, but you'll be able to ride whistler still, kill it at the local dirt jumps,even do epic riding. as far as parts specs go it thats preference, id reccommend a pike for a fork, because you can run it down to 4" or up to 6" for dh, keep the stock shock because it'll hold up. yeah, hows that sound.

07-05-2006, 05:33 AM	#8
Banshee Beast Hurtin' for certain Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Port Coquitlam, B.C. Posts: 516 Rep Power: 81017	If ya liked the giant Faith so much, why don't you save up for one of those?? Kinda cheap when slightly used.

07-05-2006, 06:13 AM	#9
~mike*bodnaruk~ NSMB Blogger Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Stealth Team Remix Posts: 2,524 Rep Power: 41619	if u like the faith my friend has one for sale, but you'll have to build it up http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=80199

07-05-2006, 07:31 AM	#11
smoochy Maximiliano Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: 1/3 UBC, 1/3 west end, 1/3 Nanaimo Posts: 989 Rep Power: 1031	spend money now on a good hartail, or save for a dually? if you spend on the hardtail, are you going to sell your current DJ/er? or keep it? do you have any intention of dj'ing in the future? is your current bike worth keeping? a good hardtail like the ones you describe will last the proverbial forever. they are investments and are way mad fun. i went from a dj'er (norco 4hun) to a FR hardtail (norco torrent), and the riding got way more better. the geometry was so superior, it didn't matter that i didn't have rear squish. like Zhendo says, you get great trail feel with the HT. but if you want to keep your DJ, you might just hold out if your heart is set on DS. PS not to slag any companies, but most (about 0.243% cough) use a pretty standard DJ geometry (69deg head angle with 5" fork) on their HTs, calling them both FR and DJ bikes - think twice if you want this for FR and DH. some (chromag and norco) slack their head angles out a bit (68 and 65 ish) for increased stability. this is good. from experience.

07-05-2006, 08:58 AM	#12
johnnystuntrider Twotick-itstwopairo'dice Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Vic Posts: 85 Rep Power: 0	A lot of limits we set in biking are in our heads... there's really no reason why you wouldn't be able to do 6 foot drops on a hardtail, or bigger ones for that matter... unless they have no trannies You'll also learn to be a lot smoother and may take more satisfaction from just negotiating the trail, not to mention conquering the stunties. As for whether you should buy a new bike or keep your old one, well that's a tough one... I say if you can get a deal that you're really happy with, then go for it. Otherwise, ride your current bike until you think you've maxed out it's capabilities (if you work on riding smooth, this should happen later rather than sooner!). Good luck

07-05-2006, 03:06 PM	#13
ERregular Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 1,150 Rep Power: 102750	The fork you have (Pike) is nice and would do well on either a HT or FS. If I was in your place, my first stop would be the Transition web site. Given that you are new to riding, and torn between FS and HT - I'd really give the Preston some thought. You may be surprised how much of a difference 4" of travel actually makes. If you want to go HT, the Vagrant looks very promising. I'm a HUGE fan of Sinister bikes. Look at the Ridge(HT) or the Splinter(FS, 5"-6") (find a used one). They are pricier than the Transitions, but the workmanship, geometry and design is unbeatable. A Splinter with a Pike would be an AWESOME setup. Again, if it was me, I would not go above 6" of travel if you go FS - I think you will find the bike very wallowy, no matter what suspension design you get.

07-06-2006, 01:07 AM	#14
Tom Witch Hunter Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Red and Bear Posts: 6,947 Rep Power: 3022322	http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=80305