patentcad

What do you race on?

Cypress

Raced a hardtail forever before it got stolen.

Switching to FS now due to the local terrain. The courses have gotten more technical over the years too. Seems like they want you to try just as hard on the downhills as the uphills.

The last race I did had something like 14 miles of nasty fast downhill. On my F3000sl with 80mm of travel up front, going down was one of the hardest things I've ever done... I looked forward to the uphills.

dminor 

Right now I XC race on a hardtail but not by choice; I'm spending most of my biking money on DH racing, so I have to settle with what's left over in the stable. For me, a hardtail is an uninspiring, workman-like tool and no more. When I can build a FS for racing I certainly will; I'm tired of getting beat up by forty-year-olds who can stay fresher on their FS mounts

patentcad

I will not participate in my own poll, I do not race MTBs. But I am very curious about what gear others are using in their racing. I'm a hardtail guy for a number of reasons. But again, I do not race off the road. I'm not quite that insane. Yet.

Bike Lover

The bike shop I ride with/for doesn't sell my hard tail bike so I ride my full suspension. There are plenty of trails that a hard tail would probably work better on but I like to ride what it sells (not a requirement).

On a side note, I'd love to try the Ti hard tail that you're getting and see if that's more or less the best of both world alternative, but I'll be getting a road bike and wheels from the GB. Hopefully next year, BD will have a Ti 29er hard tail on the group buy. I'd be all over that!

patentcad

>> a Ti 29er hard tail on the group buy. I'd be all over that!<<

How about a Ti 29er Fixie Power Crank bike?

ZeCanon

For most Norba and world cup courses, hardtails tend to be faster. This is especially true of western US courses. East coast, not so much. Mt. Snow is faster on a FS I think, as is the Mont St. Anne world cup course.

I have raced on a Yeti full sus for years now, but I'm switching to a hardtail this year because I don't feel the FS is any faster on the downhills, and it sure isn't faster on the ups. For me the positives in the FS lie in techinical, but flat or slightly rising terrain. Going down I'm out of the saddle anyway, and can move the bike underneath me and go just as fast on a HT as on my old FS. It's techy stuff where I have to remain seated, and the speed is relatively high, where the FS has an advantage. Since much of my racing is now done in CO, there is no longer a need for a FS. If I still raced primarily in New England, I would probably keep my FS.

But to answer your question: I'm a hardtail guy now. I like the stiffness, weight, and speed it provides for racing.

Cypress

ZeCanon brings up a good point: Where will you be riding this?

I choose FS because of where I live. Bozeman's Rocky mountains are ROCKY. The race courses in MT are generally built the weekend before a race, so we have a lot of rough sections of flat ground. I dislocated a rib in one of the state champ races off of a rutted section that had been created with a lawnmower the day before.

If I still lived in Colorado, like ZeC, I'd have a hardtail. CO trails see hundreds if not thousands of people per day. Here in MT, on the other hand, I could probably name every serious cyclist within 200 miles of myself, so the trails don't get the nice smooth worn in texture.

xcracer13

I race a hardtail just b/c its light and efficient and it teaches you to take better lines. I will probably eventually by a FS but not for a year or two

dminor 

Someone needs to shoot this outdated and false myth and put it out of its misery.

sjs731

I just bought a 29er rigid steel (Redline D460).

ZeCanon

It doesn't teach you better lines, it teaches you smoother lines (for a hardtail). These aren't necessarily faster or better, simply less bumpy. Ride a cross bike on some mtb trails and you will see what I am talking about... I can go just as fast, but I actually have to pay really close attention to where I'm going or else I go over the bars. When a 2" square edge can take you out and pinch your tube, you tend to pay closer attention...

I would argue that running a HT or rigid does make you a smoother rider, however. It's simple necessity. You ride like a hack on a HT, you get your butt handed to you on a silver platter.

Note smoother rider DOES NOT equal 'better lines'

Spanky

I race FS now, when I was younger, (35 now), I raced hard tail, but I love riding longer races, and about 3 hrs in, my back starts aching without rear suspension.

Maybe I'm wussy....

If I could have both though, I would, the new road bike is eating my cash right now, and the pivots on my MTN rig are starting to feel loose.

patentcad

Dude, anyone who does 3 hour long MTB races can't possibly be Wussy.

Spanky

Thanks, the last one was 67kms, simple on a road bike, but took nearly 4 hours on the mountain rig... through lots of technical stuff. There is a group up here that loves to punish us.... which I love!!

I was seeing spots near the end!!!


Greg

Cypress

Ignore my first post.

I just ordered an '08 Taurine team.

patentcad

I'd race you on my Motobecane Fly Ti, but sadly your new Cdale is so heavy I'd have an unfair advantage.

Nice bike Cypress. How much are they, like $4500? Looks pricey but worth it. Pcad isn't worthy of an MTB that nice, believe me. Hence the VeloCheapo approach.

xcracer13

Not really, If you train on something thats "heavy" then your body will get used to it and be able to keep the same pace as someone with a "light" bike. Assuming both riders are at the same fitness level. I can keep a 20mph average for 27 miles with roadies on a 28LB mountain bike with slicks.

Cypress

My 20.5 lb mtb is heavy? If you're mistaking heavy for "stiff as hell and toted as the fastest XC machine on earth", I understand.

It retails for $5500. I get a 10% discount... so, a ham sammich under 5 grand.

ZeCanon

xcracer, I'm sorry but you really need to start thinking about what you say. Does that really make sense to you? Under that logic, all I have to do to be a world cup level racer is train on a DH bike with a backpack full of lead. You don't "get used" to a heavy bike.

Cypress

+1

I'd rather train on the bike I race with. When race day comes, I'll know exactly how my bike is going to handle in almost any situation your average XC course can throw at me.

xcracer13

If you train on something heavy and pull the same times as someone on a light bike, when you get on your light race bike and ride at the same pace you'll be faster b/c your body is used to having to push more weight around. Have you read Lance Armstrong's "It's Not About the Bike"? He explains it in his book.

Cypress

It slightly works on road... Mountain is a bit different. (for me anyways. You may find differently)

xcracer13

do you understand what im saying now**********?

patentcad

You're taking this way to seriously. Take more doobie breaks. This is biking already. MOUNTAIN biking. That's like cycling devoid of any semblance of sanity (and the entire sport skates on thin ice as it is).