Mountain Biking - F/S is better than hardtails

Hardtails are becoming obsolete in these days in the 1500+ price range. With weight no longer an issue, and suspension designs becoming better, hardtails are going the way of rigids.

With the new Specialized Epic coming, hardtails no longer have any advantage except for weight.

and the ability to accept a serious luggage rack for commuting and touring duty.

Also the lack of maintenance associated with rear suspension and their pivots.

and components for price.

Depending on your needs, i gladly take a good built rigid MTB to the middle of nowhere, than a high end FS

But for XC, i truly appreciate my FS, better for the body!

Maybe you think rigid is history, but i know a lot of riders who like their rigid, including me :D

When you guys talk about component spec thats why the 1500 mark is the golden spot. Thats where you get quality components on f/s, and with it all being at a reasonable weight.

I dunno, I still think rigids are a thing of the past. Never seen one on the trail before.

its all what you get used to my hardtail has been through 3 years of xc and free-ride conditions, and has never had any trouble, so anyways..... hardtails rules!@~

You're probably right. At that price point, and for a rider needing a general purpose mountain bike, full suspension is getting more and more appealing. However, if I had tons of money I would still have a hardtail or three in my stable.

The only thing that would hold me back from buy a f/s rig right now (besides the fact that I can't afford one:)) is that I know that every year they get better and cheaper. Hardtail tech is pretty stable, while full suspension is just starting to stabilize.

If you race xc a hardtail is going to be your best option. Unless you can swing the dough for a top of the life Fuel or Scalpel (the only full suspension bikes to win world cup races IIRC) you’re going to go with a hardtail. With upgrades I can get my Trek 8000 down to about 19lbs. Try that with a full suspension rig.

Originally posted by Cdude
hardtails no longer have any advantage except for weight. Dig deeper my friend, and you'll also find no loss of pedaling efficiency from suspension, less maintenance, a stiffer ride, more bang for your buck, point and shoot accuracy...

Hmm, I hadn't heard of the Specialized Epic yet before I posted my reply, but afterwards I did some research and found this article:

http://www.mbaction.com/sneakpeek.asp

While I stand by my post for the next couple of years, in the long term I think you are right. In 10 or 20 years, nobody is going to be riding hardtail mtbs.

i don't think hardtails will become obsolete. The new FS bikes coming out (the specialized - studying your MTB mag eh? hehe) are not cheap. For a similar priced FS, you can still get a HT w/ lighter weight and better parts spec. It's all about how much you can afford to pay. If you want an FSXC bike that is race-worthy (ie: light weight) you'll be paying a fortune for it, only to have it weight 23lbs. Then you'll have to dump a fortune on it to get it bellow 22lbs, if the frame is light enough...For a HT, you can get a light bike that can be raced, and without going anywhere near the price of a fully lightened FSXC, can still make it lighter than 22lbs. For some people, weight is one of the highest concerns for XC riding/racing. This is where the HT is tough to beat.
In my opinion though...if i bought a FS bike, i wouldn't see a reason to have a lockout if the design of the suspension was efficient.

peace

Originally posted by Cdude
Hardtails are becoming obsolete in these days in the 1500+ price range. With weight no longer an issue, and suspension designs becoming better, hardtails are going the way of rigids.

With the new Specialized Epic coming, hardtails no longer have any advantage except for weight.

You are either completely clueless or a troll. Go ride your tricycle.

Although the Specialized Epic looks promising, you'll never get the same pure ride sensation that a hardtail/rigid bike can offer....but who cares...as long as you're out there riding, you'll get a wave from me :D

Rich

Originally posted by riderx
Dig deeper my friend, and you'll also find no loss of pedaling efficiency from suspension, less maintenance, a stiffer ride, more bang for your buck, point and shoot accuracy...

Nice bike Rider X....I'm turning my old faithful Trek 8500 into a singlespeed, will post some piccies when completed. Can't wait to get the Nuke Proof/Sun Rims built up :D

Rich

Maybe in the upper ranks but I see many people riding hard tails. I was watching joyride in Whistler, happened to be passing by the base of the mountain while working, and saw a number of riders riding hardtails. Since I don't care for bikercross I don't know the names of the rider.

There are fairly large groups of hardcore hartails riders and a number of riders still use them to increase their 'base' skills. I for one love hardtail riding.

Some people are too concerned about weight. I personally believe ride quality is more important than weight. I use to ride a hardtail, but then I got the funds for a FSR Comp.

I have found the quality is more important than weight anyday. WIth a hardtail you will never get the same pleasure out of it. But ride on, I have no porblems witth hardtails. I just think that over 1500$ hardtails just can't compete w/ f/s, unless you are talking about a jekyll.

Cannondale road bikes are cool, just their mtb's suck!

Originally posted by Cdude
Cannondale road bikes are cool, just their mtb's suck!

If you talk about components, yeah, but they beat Specialized in frame design :p

The hardtail will never be extinct, because it will always rule the lowest price points and there are certain applications where a FS bike is overkill - bike paths, dirt roads, commuting, etc.

Many, even most, recreational riders - non-racers - are well-served by a hardtail. If you can beat your buddies on your hardtail, why go FS? Of course, component lust plays a part in the hardtail lovers world. $1,500 will buy lots of XTR and a high-end fork, while the same money buys a mid-range FS with LX and XT.

So, why FS XC? You go faster on FS. You might give up a little on the climbs, but get it back, and then some, on the descents and technical singletrack. When the trail turns rooty, rocky and rugged FS is simply better. The more technical, the more FS advantage. If your trails are smooth and wide (paved?), or you carefully pick your way throught the technical stuff, then stay with your hardtail.

As for the weight issue: do your trails only go up? If yes, I agree that weight is a huge issue. However, most trails are out-and-back or loops with equal climbing and descending. While the HT may have the advantage on the upside, the FS has the advantage on the downside. On the flats weight is far less an issue. It's physics and has something to do with and object in motion stays in motion, or something like that.

If you're happy with your hardtail, great. But keep in mind that Eddy Merckx was happy with toe clips, 10 or 12 speeds, steel frame, 36-spoke wheels and down-tube shifters.

Here we go on the Cannondale (aka crack and fail)

The Scalpel is an alright design. The jekyll sucks, the headshock, and left suck.

Headshocks are truely terrible. And if you think that the Cannondale frames are better than Specialized you obviously have a biased opinon.

Frame design: FSR vs. Jekyll, you got to be kidding

And when I said hardtails will become obsolete I think I was goin for controversy rather than the truth. Hardtails will always be around. Hardcore racers will always love the lightweight.