I saw one guy bombing down the rocky chunky black diamond trail with a hardtail, and taking high rank in Strava. He is likely to be one of the best riders I've ever seen but learned that hardtail can handle most of the things if you have the right skill set.
Being Retired army and on my first bike and its a hard tail... I completely agree with the hard tail is a Drill Sergeant reference.. been on the bike over a month i'm running circles on some friends already
In high school, my mtb coach (yes my school had a mtb team very cool) would ride a crummy road bike with thin all-terrain tires. I always thought it was to show the kids with worse bikes (like me) that it's not the bike, it's the rider. Now I realize he was also training himself.
Modern hardtails with boost, 2.5" wide tubless tires, a long travel fork, and wide bars sometimes makes me forget I'm 3 times as old now as when started. I usually figure it out the next day when my legs still feel dead after yesterday's ride...
I think you are right on, on a hardtail you cannot get lazy as it can and will often punish you when using bad technique. If I am having an off day, feeling fatigued and not making the best riding decisions, getting bounced about, my hardtail can make the ride even more fatiguing. But when I am feeling good, using a more active and attacking riding style, the hardtail is amazing fun and the ride is very rewarding.
That’s an awesome video. Just got my hard tail yesterday. And watching all your videos really helps. And it’s true what you say. There’s a lot of feedback from a hard tail. But you know it’s teaching me so much. Thanks again. Cheers!
I recently got a HT that I've been riding alot, I went back onto my FS yesterday and wow! Its very different, and relaxed feeling. Although I then tried some things on my FS and rode bigger stuff than before!
I love the comparison! Although, I'm not sure there are even "plenty of people driving manuals" at all anymore 😉 feels like being part of a dying breed. I love that the spirit of "easier isn't always better" is still alive in the mountain bike world!
Very true, one of the guys who works for me had never driven a stick, he's probably 30. I was driving an old Subaru at the time and took him out and taught him how to drive it. I figure that's one more stamp on the man card for him :-)
I just bought a Status 160 as my first FS (still have my hardtail). People are always impressed by how capable the hardtail is and how fast it can be. I'm excited to see how three years of hard riding on a hardtail will translate. I hope to keep riding the hardtail to stay sharp especially on my local trails.
@@isenseasoulinsearchforansw1257 it goes well. The Status really takes the edge off the trail which my body is thankful for. It also can solve a lot of trail problems for me because 160mm of travel can eat almost anything. I am thankful that the hardtail has forced me to learn how to be active and smooth on the bike, and not a lazy passenger. My tolerance for big hits is also high because nothing feels worse than going to flat on a hardtail... That said, the Status doesn't make the trail boring, it just removes the annoying parts which is actually helping me work on parts of my riding. I just carry more speed everywhere which is forcing my cornering, braking and riding to improve accordingly. Having much reduced levels of fatigue also helps me keep sessioning which is good. When I went back to my hardtail, I found my cornering had improved, my braking and confidence at speed is better...to the point that I set a PR (faster than the FS even) on my local DH run. It also punished me much harder for messing up my lines, something that the Status just doesn't do. The two bikes give different experiences and sharpen different aspects of my riding. The Status lets me access a faster pace more consistently which improves my riding. The hardtail keeps me honest with instant feedback on my riding. It's crazy rewarding in that way... TLDR: I enjoy both, each one gives me something different and I am glad I am able to choose.
A few more things. 1) hardtails aren't always better than fs. But they do provide instant, direct feedback 2) riding a hardtail often means having to slow down on the trail compared to a full suspension. 3) Full suspensions exist for a reason. They have some incredible performance advantages over hardtails. 4) There are some techniques that are possible on a full suspension that aren't possible on a hardtail (more to come in a future video) 5) Feedback alone won't make you a better rider, it's all about what you do with that feedabck. 6) Full suspension make us feel like heroes because we can ride harder terrain without any extra skill. 7) Want even more feedback and challenge? Try a rigid hardtail, or a singlespeed (or a rigid singlespeed)
Back in the 80's rigid forks and slippery tires taught alot of the same lessons even faster, but at the cost of much more road rash and trips to the dentist. Modern hard tails are amazingly good.
For the terrain, a solid hard tail and me just working on my technique, I don't feel like I have the need for a full suspension bike. Plus I love the simplicity of the hard tail. Watching hardtail party has made me a better rider... For Sure!!! 😎
This is exactly why I bought my Rootdown. One demo day in particular did it: I got to demo a steel hardtail from Ritchey, alongside several full sus bikes of different brands. It was a total revelation, finally showing me exactly how much the full sus bikes could compensate for my lack of skill and finesse. I'm not an unskilled rider, but the full sus bikes mellowed all the trails and hid any areas in my skill base that could be improved. The hardtail exposed those areas instead. The thing I really didn't expect was that I had the most fun on the hardtail! It made my trails feel so rowdy and lively, while the full sus bikes mellowed everything. That direct feedback is lots of fun! It showed me too that I'm not really about going as fast as possible. The thing I like about riding is challenging myself and pushing my skills to new levels.
Riding a hardtail is like riding a two stroke motocross bike. If you want to go fast you have to really make it go fast. Smooth line choices, riding light on ur toes and aggressively.
Perfect analogy. Several years ago I put a KDX200 motor into a KX125 frame and had one of my favorite 2t trail bikes of all time. I loved that thing. I'm definitely a 2t guy over a 4 stroke.
Yes, full suspension has it's place. Hardtails work for me on every blue trail I've ridden, and some black trails. They can have their limits, much of which is rider, and application dependent.
I've rode hardtails my whole life until a few weeks ago I bought a FS. I'm 100% converted to FS. I'm sorry but now a days the suspension systems are so good that there is basically zero Bob even when I'm standing cranking. It actually climbs better than my hardtail. It keeps the rear wheel in contact better and I have cleared trails and parts of trails I never could before. Basically the FS lets me carry speed better and stop from bouncing all over the trail. I can also ride nearly twice as far without feeling like I'm going to die from fighting the trail all day long on a stiff ridged ride. To each their own, like you say its more about technique and learning what you find important. I just can't take getting bounced around all day anymore.
@@hardtailparty As someone also living and riding in Sedona, I can't take all those sharp rock edges as well on my hardtail lol! Too harsh on my wrists and body.
I live in the midwest and most of the trails around here dont really need a full suspension. But obviously, people around here have 10k bikes and i end up passing them on a hardtail. I prefer the feeling of knowing what the back end of the bike is doing. And the power transfer is better. i just seem to ride better with hardtails.
Personally I find a rigid bike to more directly translate to my full suspension riding. In my experience a hardtail tends to react to drops/landings/bumps/compressions by the handling getting more nervous because the head angle becomes steeper through the suspension travel. A rigid bike obviously doesn't do that having no suspension and I've found that full sus bikes-especially ones with balanced travel-tend to keep their handling through their travel as well. Going from having a hardtail and a full suspension to having a rigid and full suspension I noticed less handling adjustment between the two bikes than with the hardtail and full suspension. All the feedback and more but less handling adjustment when riding the full suspension.
I was riding on my hardtail for 2 years and now I have full sus and the riding is way more comfortable and faster. That is what I like because I am XC racer, but riding hartail is super good and like special.
I've never ridden a full suspension bike in my life... but am very curious to learn how they feel. Sometimes I think having rear wheel suspension would be a good idea; being 230lbs I put a beating on my rear wheel even if I have reasonable (but far from great) technique.
I am looking to upgrade from old-school hardtail to modern. On one hand, before I drop a few thousand on something really sweet I want to try full sus to make sure that's not the way I want to go. But on the other hand, I am afraid to try it in case I like it.
I’m trying to decide if I should get a hardtail or a gravel grinder to get more miles in when I have to ride alone.. as much as a GG looks fun, I think the HT makes more sense. Deciding which one is the tough part!
Ah. I suppose it all depends on the trails you want to ride. I'd love to see you get a hardtail, but I trust you'll make the right decision. If you plan on doing any bikepacking with Tess, I recommend a hardtail.
In 2013 I bought a Ragley Big Wig frame to compare a hardtail and full suspension Norco Shinobi 3 I had. Bikes had almost the same geometry. I loved the ragley, it became the most ridden bike at that moment. But I sold the frame, because I decided that 4 bikes is too much for the moment. I still wish that I didn't.
It's the brake discs squeaking a bit. It's usually nothing to worry about, although it can be caused by the brake pads not being bedded in properly, but if that's the case you will know because the brakes will be rubbish. Some brakes just do it and there isn't much you can do to stop it. Mine do it if they are wet, but they stop pretty quickly the first time I use them on a ride.
@@connorbobonnor22 yeah, but its not the same as a squeaky oil contaminated brake, you can hear it only when the wheel is turning very slowly. Maybe I should just go to my local bike shop.
@@killerzwerg73 Metal scraping sound? If yes then it's possibly a bent rotor or misaligned caliper. Loosen caliper, spin the wheel, slam on the brake, tighten caliper while still holding brake lever. If it's still doing it then true the rotor.
Hardtails also make you a stronger rider because every time the back wheel hits a root or anything sticking up it immediately slows down the bike instead of the wheel compressing over the bump. I always have to work harder pedaling than my friends on full suspension bikes.
Riding a mountain bike is all about focus and a hardtail takes more focus and concentration . That can add to mental fatigue which can affect your ride like physical fatigue . I can have a great ride where I am on my game and the next day I feel like beginner and that is the mental game . Similar to a baseball player at bat . They know how to hit the ball correctly but they can loose confidence which leads to bad technique and a slump in batting . As a rider you must be careful with a lack of confidence and also being overconfident . Both those attitudes can get you into trouble . Another factor is peer pressure and doing things you may not be comfortable with . I went for a ride with my son and friend and we ended up at a steep downhill trail . My steep HTA hartail has gone down steep sections before ( takes another level of technique and concentration) but not a prolonged decent . I ended up taking the climb back down while my son and his friend took their slack high travel full suspension bikes down the steep downhill . They did walk a few spots .
Great channel. Shout out to Dusty Betty also. Question Please? One of my rides is 2019 Trek Roscoe with 40mm rims so running +tires. Like to get a new wheel set perhaps 35mm or 30mm and run a narrower tire, maybe 2.4inch. Any suggestions on a possible set up that won't break the bank? thanks and keep up the excellent work! :-) PS. I ride both hardtail and fullsquish and reckon riding a hardtail is really important for skill building especially when starting out in the sport. Get a hardtail first it will make you a better rider in the long run.
I'd try to find a used wheelset off craigslist or pinkbike from a takeoff new bike. I see great new, never been ridden wheels on there all the time at half price.
I have been riding older 26” hard tails for a quick run after work and not getting geared up like when I’m on FS trance and I like the challenge and power transfer on my smoother local trails and I’m now thinking of adding a HT 29er to the fleet, hopefully someone will test some of the Giant hard tail line. Hint, hint
Waiting for delivery of my DV9, it will be my first Hardtail MTB. Over the last 12 months been riding my Intense Carbine and Turbo Levo a lot. My first ride on a hardtail is coming soon and I have to say I'm a little intimidated. How bad of a rider am I? I guess I'm going to find out?? Sure wish my ride series class with the Drew's hadn't been cancelled because of Covid.
hardtail party I have a long torso too, and have it setup about level as well. Been thinking about lowering my bars for experimentation sakes, but don’t want to lose how easily I can lift the front. With your experience on so many bikes I’d be interested in a full on geo-nerd video where you talk about how the stack, reach and cockpit setup affect ride quality for specific types of riding... unless you already have and I’m not caught up yet.
Being on hardtail makes you realize quickly it's the rider and not the bike that makes you better. Which in turn makes you realize you don't need a super expensive full squish to be better.
Hey Steve, would a Fuse Comp 29 be good for a beginner to MTB? Or should I dial back to something like a Rockhopper? I ask because my LBS is a Specialized dealer, and the only "beginner" bikes they have in stock (for the foreseeable future) are RH's. I wont buy a bike I cant test first so direct to consumer bikes dont appeal.
I love hardtails and fs, I just don't like myth that fs means you can ride more technical trails without the skill. I have seen enough riders without skill get torn up on technical trails with fs.
Nobody is arguing that fs makes it so easy to ride that zero skill is needed. Fs doesn't make it impossible to crash either. But if you were to take a ht and fs on the same black diamond trail, the ht will require more skill to safely navigate it than the fs. No amount of suspension can completely mask a deficiency of skill,. You can have a lower skill level on the fs and still clean it. That same level of skill may not result in a clean ride on the ht.
My local trails really don't justify full sus. There is some big stuff but the grounds very smooth for the most part. A bunch of lads came down with big DH rigs. They were casing most of the big gaps (and some small ones) but 8"+ of travel saved them so they all got to fist bump each other and shout "send it bro" etc.. If they'd been on hardtails they'd have been badly hurt. Some of the newer technology is great but it's a shame to see it masking poor riding, especially when the rider doesn't acknowledge it or maybe doesn't even realise.
Yep, I feel it does. Line choice, agility and feeling relaxed on the bike are all dialled up I find. It also makes tamer trails more challenging. Still love the dually though!
Of course a hardail make you better. A full rigid mtb is a great advantage for a begginers. To learn the basement. The big travel off mtb, make riding more simply. Ride straight in the rock ! Before, i ride a Giant Reign. Great bike, but the pleasure of mtbiking is not wonderfull for me, when i rode a full suspension bike...
Does anybody remember riding hard tail and rigid fork mountain bikes? No forgiveness here, the teacher was a drill sergeant. Feedback without mercy. I personally prefer hardtail for all same reasons, old school riding, low maintenance and place more value in components. Enjoy the climb as a challenge.
@@hardtailparty lol I think it is a lot harder than my hardtail to go up and requires so much more skill and power. Really miss my hardtail at those moments.
Still can’t get used to my big enduro full sus. I think I ride hardtail better that fullsus. I am more aware and pick up lines better on HT. I though maybe this due to reach number . My HT (Meta) has 420 and fullsus has 442, but somewhere I found that Full sus has smaller reach when sagged, so it should be comparable. Not sure if this is a true thing.
I started young as a BMX rider and now love full suspension for comfort. If your not looking to compete......Full suspension is best. Just don't buy department store MTB.
Best thing about HT's is when you ride with others down some gnarly trail and they're like 'you rode that on a hardtail!? '
Dude this happens to me allll the time haha I love it😂
@@FusedAdventures haha totally!
I saw one guy bombing down the rocky chunky black diamond trail with a hardtail, and taking high rank in Strava. He is likely to be one of the best riders I've ever seen but learned that hardtail can handle most of the things if you have the right skill set.
Being Retired army and on my first bike and its a hard tail... I completely agree with the hard tail is a Drill Sergeant reference.. been on the bike over a month i'm running circles on some friends already
Nice! Keep at it brother
In high school, my mtb coach (yes my school had a mtb team very cool) would ride a crummy road bike with thin all-terrain tires. I always thought it was to show the kids with worse bikes (like me) that it's not the bike, it's the rider. Now I realize he was also training himself.
I'm a fan of a good analogy to help explain things and you are killing it!
I taught both my daughters on hardtails with flat pedals. Now they are ready for clipless pedals and their skills are crazy good!
Your intro music and graphic crack me up! Fits the channel and the retro-hardtail style so perfectly.
Hardtails make me remember im not that young anymore and I have to be more careful.
Modern hardtails with boost, 2.5" wide tubless tires, a long travel fork, and wide bars sometimes makes me forget I'm 3 times as old now as when started. I usually figure it out the next day when my legs still feel dead after yesterday's ride...
Hardtails are generally lighter and improve the riders line choice and technique, I find them more challenging and more fun
Great video Steve. Love riding my hardtail. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the Cotic! Have always wanted to ride/buy one
I been riding a hardtail my whole life
Same here, and loving it 💪🏼😎
I think you are right on, on a hardtail you cannot get lazy as it can and will often punish you when using bad technique. If I am having an off day, feeling fatigued and not making the best riding decisions, getting bounced about, my hardtail can make the ride even more fatiguing. But when I am feeling good, using a more active and attacking riding style, the hardtail is amazing fun and the ride is very rewarding.
That’s an awesome video. Just got my hard tail yesterday. And watching all your videos really helps. And it’s true what you say. There’s a lot of feedback from a hard tail. But you know it’s teaching me so much. Thanks again. Cheers!
Congrats. welcome to the party
Riding skills certainly are important. Thanks.
I recently got a HT that I've been riding alot, I went back onto my FS yesterday and wow! Its very different, and relaxed feeling. Although I then tried some things on my FS and rode bigger stuff than before!
Yeah, crazy how that works.
Totally agree. That’s why my teen kids are staying on HT until I’m satisfied with their skill level.
What's the verdict on the Cotic? Can't wait for the full review.
That Cotic looks smooth!
I love the comparison! Although, I'm not sure there are even "plenty of people driving manuals" at all anymore 😉 feels like being part of a dying breed. I love that the spirit of "easier isn't always better" is still alive in the mountain bike world!
Very true, one of the guys who works for me had never driven a stick, he's probably 30. I was driving an old Subaru at the time and took him out and taught him how to drive it. I figure that's one more stamp on the man card for him :-)
I just bought a Status 160 as my first FS (still have my hardtail). People are always impressed by how capable the hardtail is and how fast it can be. I'm excited to see how three years of hard riding on a hardtail will translate. I hope to keep riding the hardtail to stay sharp especially on my local trails.
how'd it go?
@@isenseasoulinsearchforansw1257 it goes well. The Status really takes the edge off the trail which my body is thankful for. It also can solve a lot of trail problems for me because 160mm of travel can eat almost anything. I am thankful that the hardtail has forced me to learn how to be active and smooth on the bike, and not a lazy passenger. My tolerance for big hits is also high because nothing feels worse than going to flat on a hardtail...
That said, the Status doesn't make the trail boring, it just removes the annoying parts which is actually helping me work on parts of my riding. I just carry more speed everywhere which is forcing my cornering, braking and riding to improve accordingly. Having much reduced levels of fatigue also helps me keep sessioning which is good.
When I went back to my hardtail, I found my cornering had improved, my braking and confidence at speed is better...to the point that I set a PR (faster than the FS even) on my local DH run. It also punished me much harder for messing up my lines, something that the Status just doesn't do.
The two bikes give different experiences and sharpen different aspects of my riding. The Status lets me access a faster pace more consistently which improves my riding. The hardtail keeps me honest with instant feedback on my riding. It's crazy rewarding in that way...
TLDR: I enjoy both, each one gives me something different and I am glad I am able to choose.
I love all the analogies you make! Good stuff!
Steve always has the analogies on point lol 👌
that BFe max... drooling...
I agree and especially enjoy the immediate feedback from my hardtail’s especially my fully rigid single speed.
You've got the most blunt feedback decide on the market: a rigid singlespeed. Rigid singlespeed riders are some of the smoothest riders I know.
hardtail party thanks brother
Come to So Cal and ride with me
Msg me on Patreon
A few more things.
1) hardtails aren't always better than fs. But they do provide instant, direct feedback
2) riding a hardtail often means having to slow down on the trail compared to a full suspension.
3) Full suspensions exist for a reason. They have some incredible performance advantages over hardtails.
4) There are some techniques that are possible on a full suspension that aren't possible on a hardtail (more to come in a future video)
5) Feedback alone won't make you a better rider, it's all about what you do with that feedabck.
6) Full suspension make us feel like heroes because we can ride harder terrain without any extra skill.
7) Want even more feedback and challenge? Try a rigid hardtail, or a singlespeed (or a rigid singlespeed)
Back in the 80's rigid forks and slippery tires taught alot of the same lessons even faster, but at the cost of much more road rash and trips to the dentist. Modern hard tails are amazingly good.
For the terrain, a solid hard tail and me just working on my technique, I don't feel like I have the need for a full suspension bike. Plus I love the simplicity of the hard tail.
Watching hardtail party has made me a better rider... For Sure!!! 😎
Great video!
Been great since getting on a hard tail in the past two weeks after 15 years of full squish
Best Video on youtube!! lol honestly Loved your Analogies.. good stuff brother!
When is a review on that thing comming? It looks so good
This is exactly why I bought my Rootdown. One demo day in particular did it: I got to demo a steel hardtail from Ritchey, alongside several full sus bikes of different brands. It was a total revelation, finally showing me exactly how much the full sus bikes could compensate for my lack of skill and finesse. I'm not an unskilled rider, but the full sus bikes mellowed all the trails and hid any areas in my skill base that could be improved. The hardtail exposed those areas instead. The thing I really didn't expect was that I had the most fun on the hardtail! It made my trails feel so rowdy and lively, while the full sus bikes mellowed everything. That direct feedback is lots of fun! It showed me too that I'm not really about going as fast as possible. The thing I like about riding is challenging myself and pushing my skills to new levels.
Right on! A lot of us have similar stories. Hardtails can be a blast!
have been rinding xc hardtails since October 2014
Riding a hardtail is like riding a two stroke motocross bike. If you want to go fast you have to really make it go fast. Smooth line choices, riding light on ur toes and aggressively.
Perfect analogy. Several years ago I put a KDX200 motor into a KX125 frame and had one of my favorite 2t trail bikes of all time. I loved that thing. I'm definitely a 2t guy over a 4 stroke.
got rid of my full squish bike (2017 DB Mission) for a hardtail with more modern geo (2020 Orbea Laufey). I am having twice the fun on my HT.
i need that bike in my life..
I like hard tail but I don’t know about riding park on a hardtail. My legs would be destroyed and i would need a new back wheel every month.
Yes, full suspension has it's place. Hardtails work for me on every blue trail I've ridden, and some black trails. They can have their limits, much of which is rider, and application dependent.
need a new wheel if you case a lot!! with the proper technique your back wheel will be fine!!
I've been riding my Ragley MmmBop quite a bit. Love the geo and I definitely think it's making me a better rider when I switch over to the FS.
When can we expect the review of the Cotic?
I've rode hardtails my whole life until a few weeks ago I bought a FS. I'm 100% converted to FS. I'm sorry but now a days the suspension systems are so good that there is basically zero Bob even when I'm standing cranking. It actually climbs better than my hardtail. It keeps the rear wheel in contact better and I have cleared trails and parts of trails I never could before. Basically the FS lets me carry speed better and stop from bouncing all over the trail. I can also ride nearly twice as far without feeling like I'm going to die from fighting the trail all day long on a stiff ridged ride. To each their own, like you say its more about technique and learning what you find important. I just can't take getting bounced around all day anymore.
Fair enough. Full suspensions are often the right choice depending on terrain and the rider.
@@hardtailparty As someone also living and riding in Sedona, I can't take all those sharp rock edges as well on my hardtail lol! Too harsh on my wrists and body.
I live in the midwest and most of the trails around here dont really need a full suspension. But obviously, people around here have 10k bikes and i end up passing them on a hardtail. I prefer the feeling of knowing what the back end of the bike is doing. And the power transfer is better. i just seem to ride better with hardtails.
full sus are overrated i even see people on downhills in flowtrack trails... lol
Another great video! Keep it up
Personally I find a rigid bike to more directly translate to my full suspension riding. In my experience a hardtail tends to react to drops/landings/bumps/compressions by the handling getting more nervous because the head angle becomes steeper through the suspension travel. A rigid bike obviously doesn't do that having no suspension and I've found that full sus bikes-especially ones with balanced travel-tend to keep their handling through their travel as well. Going from having a hardtail and a full suspension to having a rigid and full suspension I noticed less handling adjustment between the two bikes than with the hardtail and full suspension. All the feedback and more but less handling adjustment when riding the full suspension.
Your analogies are spot on lol
I was riding on my hardtail for 2 years and now I have full sus and the riding is way more comfortable and faster. That is what I like because I am XC racer, but riding hartail is super good and like special.
Good video and good explanations
I've never ridden a full suspension bike in my life... but am very curious to learn how they feel. Sometimes I think having rear wheel suspension would be a good idea; being 230lbs I put a beating on my rear wheel even if I have reasonable (but far from great) technique.
Ever since I got my Chromag Surface, I've definitely added some skills!
Great video ! love my Roscoe 7
Would love to see you do a review on the new canyon stoic!
Me too. It's up to canyon at this point.
@@hardtailparty hopefully they do it.i bought it since on paper it looks like a good bike
Great video man👍 hardtails are so fun!
I am looking to upgrade from old-school hardtail to modern. On one hand, before I drop a few thousand on something really sweet I want to try full sus to make sure that's not the way I want to go. But on the other hand, I am afraid to try it in case I like it.
Give it a try. You may love it
I’m trying to decide if I should get a hardtail or a gravel grinder to get more miles in when I have to ride alone.. as much as a GG looks fun, I think the HT makes more sense.
Deciding which one is the tough part!
Ah. I suppose it all depends on the trails you want to ride. I'd love to see you get a hardtail, but I trust you'll make the right decision. If you plan on doing any bikepacking with Tess, I recommend a hardtail.
In 2013 I bought a Ragley Big Wig frame to compare a hardtail and full suspension Norco Shinobi 3 I had. Bikes had almost the same geometry. I loved the ragley, it became the most ridden bike at that moment. But I sold the frame, because I decided that 4 bikes is too much for the moment. I still wish that I didn't.
3:58 what's that's sound? I noticed the same sound on my own bike recently and I am wondering if everything is fine.
It's the brake discs squeaking a bit. It's usually nothing to worry about, although it can be caused by the brake pads not being bedded in properly, but if that's the case you will know because the brakes will be rubbish. Some brakes just do it and there isn't much you can do to stop it. Mine do it if they are wet, but they stop pretty quickly the first time I use them on a ride.
Brakes, you can hear it a couple more times throughout
@@connorbobonnor22 yeah, but its not the same as a squeaky oil contaminated brake, you can hear it only when the wheel is turning very slowly. Maybe I should just go to my local bike shop.
@@killerzwerg73 hmm I don't know then. For my old bike, the brake noises changed depending on the speed and when it's really slow it sounded like that
@@killerzwerg73 Metal scraping sound? If yes then it's possibly a bent rotor or misaligned caliper. Loosen caliper, spin the wheel, slam on the brake, tighten caliper while still holding brake lever. If it's still doing it then true the rotor.
Great vid
Hardtails also make you a stronger rider because every time the back wheel hits a root or anything sticking up it immediately slows down the bike instead of the wheel compressing over the bump. I always have to work harder pedaling than my friends on full suspension bikes.
Riding a mountain bike is all about focus and a hardtail takes more focus and concentration . That can add to mental fatigue which can affect your ride like physical fatigue . I can have a great ride where I am on my game and the next day I feel like beginner and that is the mental game . Similar to a baseball player at bat . They know how to hit the ball correctly but they can loose confidence which leads to bad technique and a slump in batting . As a rider you must be careful with a lack of confidence and also being overconfident . Both those attitudes can get you into trouble . Another factor is peer pressure and doing things you may not be comfortable with . I went for a ride with my son and friend and we ended up at a steep downhill trail . My steep HTA hartail has gone down steep sections before ( takes another level of technique and concentration) but not a prolonged decent . I ended up taking the climb back down while my son and his friend took their slack high travel full suspension bikes down the steep downhill . They did walk a few spots .
Great channel. Shout out to Dusty Betty also. Question Please? One of my rides is 2019 Trek Roscoe with 40mm rims so running +tires. Like to get a new wheel set perhaps 35mm or 30mm and run a narrower tire, maybe 2.4inch. Any suggestions on a possible set up that won't break the bank? thanks and keep up the excellent work! :-) PS. I ride both hardtail and fullsquish and reckon riding a hardtail is really important for skill building especially when starting out in the sport. Get a hardtail first it will make you a better rider in the long run.
I'd try to find a used wheelset off craigslist or pinkbike from a takeoff new bike. I see great new, never been ridden wheels on there all the time at half price.
@@hardtailparty thank you, great idea! I'll check it out.
I have been riding older 26” hard tails for a quick run after work and not getting geared up like when I’m on FS trance and I like the challenge and power transfer on my smoother local trails and I’m now thinking of adding a HT 29er to the fleet, hopefully someone will test some of the Giant hard tail line. Hint, hint
Hardtail teach you a lot, like line choice etc, but the fast line on hardtail often the slow line on full suspension.
Agreed
leatning to drive a manual car imo is essential especially in south africa because most of the cars on the road here (south africa) are manual
How about going full rigid?
BFe = so slick, my next bike
Waiting for delivery of my DV9, it will be my first Hardtail MTB. Over the last 12 months been riding my Intense Carbine and Turbo Levo a lot. My first ride on a hardtail is coming soon and I have to say I'm a little intimidated. How bad of a rider am I? I guess I'm going to find out?? Sure wish my ride series class with the Drew's hadn't been cancelled because of Covid.
hardtails for the win
Do you guys have your hardtails setup with handlebars above, equal, or below seat height with your seat fully extended?
A lot of that has to do with rider height. My legs are short and my torso long. With my seat fully extended, it's about level with the bars.
hardtail party I have a long torso too, and have it setup about level as well. Been thinking about lowering my bars for experimentation sakes, but don’t want to lose how easily I can lift the front. With your experience on so many bikes I’d be interested in a full on geo-nerd video where you talk about how the stack, reach and cockpit setup affect ride quality for specific types of riding... unless you already have and I’m not caught up yet.
Being on hardtail makes you realize quickly it's the rider and not the bike that makes you better. Which in turn makes you realize you don't need a super expensive full squish to be better.
Hey Steve, would a Fuse Comp 29 be good for a beginner to MTB? Or should I dial back to something like a Rockhopper? I ask because my LBS is a Specialized dealer, and the only "beginner" bikes they have in stock (for the foreseeable future) are RH's. I wont buy a bike I cant test first so direct to consumer bikes dont appeal.
I recommend the fuse over the Rockhopper. Mich better bike.
@@hardtailparty thanks! Guess I'll wait til stock returns. Hopefully not too long, want to get riding!
Cotic 🙌🏻
Loved the comparison ride bys, really emphasised the point.
I love hardtails and fs, I just don't like myth that fs means you can ride more technical trails without the skill. I have seen enough riders without skill get torn up on technical trails with fs.
Nobody is arguing that fs makes it so easy to ride that zero skill is needed. Fs doesn't make it impossible to crash either.
But if you were to take a ht and fs on the same black diamond trail, the ht will require more skill to safely navigate it than the fs. No amount of suspension can completely mask a deficiency of skill,.
You can have a lower skill level on the fs and still clean it. That same level of skill may not result in a clean ride on the ht.
You're right, I wasn't trying to be argumentative, my bad. I hope you can review a Spot Rocker at some point btw.
So I guess a full ridged bike would be best way to learn riding smooth.👍
Yup. Rigid singlespeed riders are the smoothest riders I know
So following you're line of thought and comment, why not switch to a rigid and become an even more skilled rider.
Hardtails make me better while I'm on it.... As soon as I go back to my full suspension bike, the lazy habits immediately return LOL
My local trails really don't justify full sus. There is some big stuff but the grounds very smooth for the most part. A bunch of lads came down with big DH rigs. They were casing most of the big gaps (and some small ones) but 8"+ of travel saved them so they all got to fist bump each other and shout "send it bro" etc.. If they'd been on hardtails they'd have been badly hurt. Some of the newer technology is great but it's a shame to see it masking poor riding, especially when the rider doesn't acknowledge it or maybe doesn't even realise.
Yep, I feel it does. Line choice, agility and feeling relaxed on the bike are all dialled up I find. It also makes tamer trails more challenging.
Still love the dually though!
"we are not curing cancer" lmao!!
Of course a hardail make you better.
A full rigid mtb is a great advantage for a begginers. To learn the basement.
The big travel off mtb, make riding more simply.
Ride straight in the rock !
Before, i ride a Giant Reign.
Great bike, but the pleasure of mtbiking is not wonderfull for me, when i rode a full suspension bike...
Does anybody remember riding hard tail and rigid fork mountain bikes? No forgiveness here, the teacher was a drill sergeant. Feedback without mercy. I personally prefer hardtail for all same reasons, old school riding, low maintenance and place more value in components. Enjoy the climb as a challenge.
Full suspension is unnecessary on most trails
My 38lb squishy on technical uphills challenges your assumptions
Explain
@@hardtailparty lol I think it is a lot harder than my hardtail to go up and requires so much more skill and power. Really miss my hardtail at those moments.
I don’t know what a rear suspension is. All my bikes are hard tail.
Still can’t get used to my big enduro full sus. I think I ride hardtail better that fullsus. I am more aware and pick up lines better on HT.
I though maybe this due to reach number . My HT (Meta) has 420 and fullsus has 442, but somewhere I found that Full sus has smaller reach when sagged, so it should be comparable. Not sure if this is a true thing.
Where did you hear that it has less reach when sagged? Reach should remain constant.
I started young as a BMX rider and now love full suspension for comfort. If your not looking to compete......Full suspension is best. Just don't buy department store MTB.
What the squish bike also gives you is the ability to drop off stuff and still be able to walk in 10 years.
They do make you a better person, though.
BIKES!!!
What did you expect it's even called HARDtale🤣
That bfe makes me 🤤.
Steely non suspended for me
Yes hardtails make you a better rider .
I very much doubt that.