MTB Hardtail vs Full Suspension

I have the opportunity to borrow a bike for some riding near our place, with choice of hardtail or fs. The trail I'm riding on isn't really technical and the ground is somewhat soft, so I guess a hardtail makes sense.  In addition I rode this trail in July with a full suspench and couldn't get up some of the hills.


So I guess my decision is made. But still I was wondering... do you have criteria for picking a frame based on terrain? Any benchmarks or rules of thumb you use to decide your tool of choice?

Mostly roots/rocks.

I have no problem with my rigid bike (no suspension at all, for people who don't know) on a lot of the more manicured trails (Luther Forest, Pine Hill, fire roads), but if I'm doing anything technical or am going to be out for more than a couple of hours, I'd rather have the full suspension (which sucks because my Full Suspension Frame broke and I'm going to have to buy a new one - warranty would only give me a hardtail frame).

A good full suspension bike will climb as well or better than a hardtail - with suspension (front or rear), it's easier for a wheel to track when it hits something (as opposed to bouncing off course) so it's easier to pick your line and hold on to it with suspension. You do lose some pedaling energy to bob, but a lot of the newer bikes have an ability to give you a little more suspension when you need it (down) and a little more stiffness when you don't (up).

Now be honest. Did you post this because you wanted to get more hits on the website (because I'm sure it is one of the most searched bike questions on the internet)?

Getting up those hills wasn't the bikes fault!  Come on old man

LOL. While I am certainly not beyond that kind of thinking (as that is what I do for real money) that was not the case here. The way that works is that it's about more than just words on the page, you've got to have some "domain authority" on a topic. I bet a donut that if you google hardtail vs full suspension you'd get many pages of biking sites before you'd see a ski site much less nysb.

It's not super rooty or rocky.

Really it was that I wanted to use a full suspension as it seems like somehow it's just more fun, but I couldn't believe I couldn't get up one of the hills.  It wasn't that steep, and it was like I was honking on the bike really hard, sitting, standing, whatever and felt like I was going to break the thing, I was pushing so hard on the cranks.  The trail is new and very soft, but it may just be that I suck.

Somewhere I have a pic of the bike I used that day. I'll try to find it.

Chris wrote

Getting up those hills wasn't the bikes fault!  Come on old man

There has to be SOME reason I suck!  (you know beside that fact that I suck).

If you cant make it up the hill with a full suspension a hard tail is not going to help.  Try one with a motor.

You're not alone, Harv. There are pleanty of hills I can't make it up for one reason or another. The obvious being it's so damn steep I'm not going to waste my (limited ) energy even trying, and the other being I lose traction at times. Doesn't seem to matter if I'm sitting or standing, rear wheel just stars to slip and I lose my momentum.....it's all good tho, cause I don;t mind walking either


The motor thing is the best idea i've heard yet

when climbing keep those elbows low and get up on the nose of that saddle til you feel a bit violated

gorgonzola wrote

when climbing keep those elbows low and get up on the nose of that saddle til you feel a bit violated

I'll walk

Back in my teens when I used to race Mtn bikes I was a hardcore hard-tail proponent.  This was back in the late 90's and at the time most full suspension bikes weren't as stiff as they claim to be today.  I also couldn't afford a FS bike. I've not tried a modern FS bike, but based on how my joints are aging, if I was going to invest in a new trail bike, I'd seriously consider FS.

And back to the racing days... I can tell you this, the amount that I gained in speed and efficiency climbing and on single track was no where near the amount I lost going downhill on a hard-tail or fully rigid bike.  It only happened to be that cross-country races in those days were predominantly climbing and single-track in terms of mileage that I felt there was an advantage.  I think I partook in a DH and Slalom for fun and placed near last while I consistently placed top 3 in XC.

This is probably of little use for a casual rider but in XC races the start and first climb were particularly important.  Getting out front and staying on the bike (people would often wipe in front of you forcing you to run with the bike uphill - ALWAYS slower) is what would get you to the front and even if you were a slow DH'er, rarely could those guys catch you.  I'm a sprint runner, and on a hard-tail I could out-sprint most any FS bikes of that era.  That was a big advantage in XC.

Well there's your problem.

That's not a "Full Suspension Bike", that's a piece of shit . . . Currently going for $179.00 at Walmart.com

A good rear shock costs more than that.

well on the bright side does it give me an excuse for sucking

I've been a bit partial to Specialized as of recently.  My last two bikes were and I liked them both (one was stolen, so someone really like that one!).

I was a GT man before that.  Then Gary Fischer.  I've always wanted a late 90's Cannondale - pretty much any high end model.  Those were my dream bikes.

I tried some Cannondales out last Mtn bike I bought and I wasn't impressed.  Funny how things change.  Mongoose made decent BMX bikes back in the day.  Now they are a Walmart brand... same with Schwinn.  WTF is this country coming to?

Wanted to borrow: non-shitty MTB for next week  

As I recall the brakes were really bad too. The calipers worked better than the fancy one up front.

Pedal bob ? Do they really still do that ? Maybe cheap crappy ones ?

I haven't ridden as much as Matt, but my Gary Fischer Cake doesn't bob when set up proper. I can literally stomp the pedal hard, go from sitting down to a stand up quickly full weight stomping and no bob. Yet hit a bump and it's smooth as Cake.

I rode across a 25- 30 ft long boulder field SITTING DOWN , rocks like honey dews. I thought before hand that I might loose control. Nope. Smooth as Cake and a very stabile, straight line. I'm tell ya, it was seriously impressive, the bike not my riding. Easy as Cake.

I would never buy something else than a FS. I would never buy a cheap bike either if riding much. I used to wonder why the heck would anybody pay over a thousand dollars for a bike UNTIL I road one. Question instantly answered.

Go rent or borrow a FS 29er.  Once you get on one of those you will want to buy one.  You can roll over anything comfortably and staying seated you can grind up climbs.

Harv that bike may be the problem.  Remember the brand Huffy, thats what you got.  All bikes are not created equal.

Coach Z wrote

borrow

Working on this.

Not sure what I'll get, beggars can't be choosers.  

May be able to access some old Gear Source inventory.  

Look for a demo day or just go to a good bike shop

The fit is just as important as the bike