Mountain Biking - Are Hardtails Comfortable???

I'm looking for a new mountain bike, and I found one that I liked. However, it is a hardtail. Right now, I have a FS Triax PK7 which I bought years ago from Walmart on clearance for $50. It was very comfortable. Will a hardtail be as comfortable for riding casually on the paved bike trail?

no

Paved bike trail? Yes.

why are you buying a MTB to ride on a paved bike trail. you are wasting your money. seriously. look at a flat bar road bike aka hybrid.
if you must buy a mtb, the hardtail is probably better, it should be faster than what you have now

If you like it and you have ridden it (I assume) then you should be able to answer that one yourself. In any event go to a bike shop....try some different ones out for fit and comfort. I have several different bikes and all feel different in different situations. And yes a hard tail can be comfortable on pavement and "off" road. Tires and saddles make a big difference in the conditions you ride in.. Don't just jump on the first thing you see until you've ridden it. Now given that most anything will be an upgrade from what you have now.

Let me answer your question with another question: Are clothes comfortable?

I rode Hardtail and rigid bikes for 15 years and had a blast. Coming home last night I rode with a guy on an early 90's Raleigh rigid. If the bike fits and the saddle is comfortable, enjoy. A full suspension would be overkill for paved trails.

Yes, if you don't ride like a hack.

maybe with seat post suspension

As mentioned before, I wouldn't ride a MTB on a paved bike path(unless I could only afford one bike and also rode the bike on off road MTB trails). That said, I would buy a ridged MTB and put wide-ish commuter slick type tires on it. My second choice would then be a hardtail, again with the slicks. A full suspension on a paved path would just be... I don't know what it would be, but I'd just never ride a full suspension bike on a paved path. It's a huge waste of energy to have your bike bobbing up and down with each pedal stroke. You'll get where you're going much faster on a hardtail or ridged bike. Not to mention that you'll get more for your money with a non-full suspension bike if you're not taking it off road. I'd rather have a mid-level hardtail than a low-end full suspension Any day for path riding.

I ride hardtales on pretty rough single track, I just run the tires at a low pressure but it is a blast. Wouldnt take it downhill or off big jumps but I dont live in the mountains.

Yes, if you don't ride like a hack.
That's my problem!

I'm looking for a new mountain bike, and I found one that I liked. However, it is a hardtail. Right now, I have a FS Triax PK7 which I bought years ago from Walmart on clearance for $50. It was very comfortable. Will a hardtail be as comfortable for riding casually on the paved bike trail?

It might even be more comfortable than such a low end FS. Cheap suspension eats up your power to by bobbing up and down. So definitely more efficient, maybe more or as comfortable.

I've always preferred hardtails over a full suspension bike, easier to climb hills and less parts that can break, are you using it strictly for paved trails?
If so I would recommend a commuter bike, they usually have smaller tires and are pretty durable but I always like the option to hit some dirt!:beer:

I see. I did not want to get a road bike because all of my friends have mountain bikes (I'm 14), but I suppose I should go check them out. Thanks guys

Road bikes are the shizzy, but if you wanna roll with your boys, get a hardtail mtb. It's the way to go. You will be faster than on that Wallyworld FS POS and you can boom boom huck jam to your little hearts content.

This one rides like a dream...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8348/8201485762_91b027cb27_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8490/8201485920_e76656f30a_b.jpg

Oh, given the fact that you're 14 and you're just riding for fun with friends, not like you're commuting, I say skip the road bike(Unless you decide that's what you want. Then go for it.) Get yourself a decent "entry level" MTB if that's what's in your budget and have fun. If you're spending less than $1000 then don't bother looking at full suspension bikes. You can get a bike perfectly worthy of just beating around on paved paths and riding across yards for a few hundred. I grew up riding walmart type bikes, and maybe they'd suit a 14yr old still if you're not taking them on real MTB trails. I do know there's no way a walmart bike would hold up to me riding it the way I ride my MTB now. If nothing else, the rims on those bikes are Really low end and will bend very quickly if you take them on real MTB trails. You're best off spending the ~$400 to get something decent if you plan to get into MTB trail riding.

Thanks for the feedback. I bought a Diamondback hardtail and the front shock is good, but the seat hurts on bumps. I guess I'll just get one of those suspension seats. Thanks for the advice and the Paramount looks really cool with orange on black! Even the writing on the tires matches!

Most HT MTN bikes are comfortable. Of course, that would all depend upon your tail too! :lol:

I decent pair of bike shorts can help on the bumps. You can even buy a pair of underwear shorts where you can have a diaper for a ride and then trade out for a pair of boxers. As you develop your skills you will learn to keep your butt off the sea a few inches. I use my knees as kind of a rear suspension. I pinch the saddle with my thighs just above the knees.

Thanks for the feedback. I bought a Diamondback hardtail and the front shock is good, but the seat hurts on bumps. I guess I'll just get one of those suspension seats. Thanks for the advice and the Paramount looks really cool with orange on black! Even the writing on the tires matches!

Tire pressures make a huge difference to comfort. What pressure are you running the tires at? When a tire is rated something like 2.5-4.5 bar (I don't know what units you use over there) I found it rolls pretty much as fast at 3.5 bar as it does at 4.5 bar, but comfort is much better at the lower pressure. However, you are not really supposed to be in the saddle when going over a big bump. You lift your ass out of the saddle when you see a big one coming or you "go light in the saddle", just relieving the pressure to make the impact less harsh.

I have just purchased a 29er MTB and am putting on big apples 2.35" tires because I need to cover big distances on concrete slabs with tar expansion joints and I want maximum tire damping for this. Hence the biggest wheels with fat tires. Don't bother with seat post suspension I'd say, they sag and bob a lot (at least they do in the budget segment that I tried).

My tires are rated at 45 to 60 psi which is about 3 to 4 bars. I'll lower it and see what happens though I don't know what I'm running at since it's sitting at a shop to get the front derailleur tuned.

Stand up when you go over bumps. Thats what the rest of us did for a decade or two before viable full suspension came along.

In the summer I prefer a hardtail, but as the nights start getting longer and colder, I start to really long for a soft tail. If you catch my drift.

I'm looking into a full suspension bike to ride mostly paved and some non paved trails do you guys think that's over kill.I was thinking of a Heckler (http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/heckler/)
Superlight 29 (http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/superlight29/) My soft tail is asleep.

both are overkill.
http://sheldonbrown.com/pain.html
read this, I bet you could do a few adjustments to your bike and be much better off.

For mild dirt roads and paved paths I would get an entry level hybrid and call it good.

I'm looking into a full suspension bike to ride mostly paved and some non paved trails do you guys think that's over kill.I was thinking of a Heckler (http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/heckler/)
Superlight 29 (http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/superlight29/) My soft tail is asleep.
Extremely overkill. The Heckler is more at home descending after riding chairlifts, as one of my friends has done with his.

I'm looking for a soft ride and a little performance to keep it interesting.My main ride is a custom sport touring bike I built 30 years ago.TNX for the input

I'm looking for a soft ride and a little performance to keep it interesting.My main ride is a custom sport touring bike I built 30 years ago.TNX for the input

Look into 29er full suspension mountain bikes. Cross-country versions are light and efficient, and you can slap on a set of 700 X 35 road tires and have the broken-pavement monster speed bike.

I'm looking for a softride and a little performance to keep it interesting.My main ride is a custom sport touring bike I built 30 years ago.TNX for the inputDid someone say "softride?" :twitchy:

http://gallery.mtbr.com/data/mtbr/500/medium/Softride-2.jpg

^^^Why is my Oh Crap alarm ringing so loudly? Great wheels though!

That's... interesting. At least you could still stand up and climb well...

Look into 29er full suspension mountain bikes. Cross-country versions are light and efficient, and you can slap on a set of 700 X 35 road tires and have the broken-pavement monster speed bike.

That sounds like the ticket.

A comfortable seat and less air pressure would help.

I own an older hardtail gary fisher and it is a dream on the trails as long as i keep off the saddle on the big stuff, i can keep pace with full suspension bikes on the down hill and out climb them on the up hill , im all about the hardtails.

If you are riding on roads, then change to slick tyres. Those big aggressive knobs are useful for climbing off-road as they dig into the earth. But on paved road, they give out a lot of vibration. So smooth tyres = less vibration = more comfort.

But if still want to do a bit of light off-road riding, use those tyres which are narrower and with smaller knobs.

you also may need to adjust the tilt of the seat either up or down as well as sliding it forward and backward to get your position dialed in. last but not least, you just gotta ride more and get those parts conditioned to the seat.

As others have said, you can raise a bit off the seat to ease the worst of the bumps, and in time you'll start doing that naturally. I'm often off the seat when riding my hardtail on technical trails, much more so than when riding dual suspension.

I agree with lowering the tire pressure too, particularly if you aren't a really big guy (yet). I run as low as 20lbs front and rear on 2.2" tires, but I'm lightwieght. Wider MTB tires can help too, but they will slow you down a bit.

hard tail up hill, and easy trails, full suspension technical trails, beach cruiser paved path.

If you're only 14, make sure you'll fit the bike a few years later, unless you plan on replacing it, in which case I'd suggest a hardtail - more bang for your buck.

I sometimes ride my full suspension on road and smooth trails for the plushness when I don't mind slower speeds.

Did someone say "softride?" :twitchy:

http://gallery.mtbr.com/data/mtbr/500/medium/Softride-2.jpg

:wtf: wth is the point??? Why not just get a suspension seatpost..

^^ I think the whole world asked that. Softride was a mostly tri-bike company that I guess thought they had the hot ticket for MTB too. Not.

^^ I think the whole world asked that. Softride was a mostly tri-bike company that I guess thought they had the hot ticket for MTB too. Not.

There were numerous companies who built frames based around their older flexible carbon fibre beam suspension. Ritchey, Otis Guy, Cyclops... and a few others. THe concept and original beam design predates the age of modern suspension seatposts. ANd except for the few decent linkage style seatposts (like the Thudbuster), most suspension seatposts don't offer enough suspension to comfortably ride over a cigarette butt.