Originally Posted by
DnvrFox
I'll move this post here. This could easily have been done on a non-suspension bike. Your friend is a mtn bike snob, IMHO
At almost 75yo (one week away) I do some pretty mean mtn biking on a Spec Rock Hopper (one step up from a SHR - the equivalent of your bike), and also did it on my SHR.
Here is a youtube of some riding in my backyard, so to speak
[EDIT] - By the way, tell your friend that, while my Specialized Rock Hopper does have front suspension, I lock it out while doing trails like the above, and treat it as a non-suspension frame. I don't happen to like suspension.