Soft Tail vs Hard tail
 

I'm looking to get a new MT. bike and most of the trails I ride do not justify a full suspension. I also want to compete next summer and perform well for informal time trials. I know a hard tail is the most efficent ride I can have but it's killing my back.

I guess what I'm asking is " Do any of you own a soft tail Mt. Bike? Is it durable or high maint? Is it worth the extra $? Is it all gimicky or the next great thing? "

Stand up on rough sections.

time trials on a mountain bike?

full suspension might be more comfortable for long endurance events regardless of the trails you use.

full suspension is not gimmicky. they are durable. they are more maintenance. they are worth the extra money.

hope this helps

mx

I know how to stand through the rough sections there shooter. I'm just looking to soak up some of the jarring on the back end. Standing or not it takes it's toll after a while.

My fear of a full on full suspension is the pedal bob will kill my speed. I guess I could get a rear lock out shock. It's just going to cost a ton.

mx599
do you have any good suggestions for a quality full sus.

I ride an old (2003) KHS Team Softail, and I love the little machine, its not going to take all the bumps out like a full squish, but it dulls it out a little bit, I wouldnt trade it for the world...Unless you wanted to give me a new one, or a moots softail

do you have any problems with the handling or responsiveness.

there is a big range of types of fs bikes, there are things like the c'dale scalple that are stiff as heck but don't have tons of travel and can't handle lots of abuse, they are good for xc, and on the other end you have DH bikes with 8in of travel, and then like 4 catagories in between.

:thumb:

I have a Dos niner softail. It's ok

I don't think there is much of a comfort difference between it and a steel hardtail.

riden many different hardtail bikes and a handfull of full suspension. for hard continuous downhill, id take a softtail anyday. for long rides off road, they really help out in the rider fategue department and at times make handling a lot easier. for mostly cross country riding or alot of hill climbing full suspension isn't all it's cracked up to be. i have a full suspension bike that i will take offroad, but never dare commute with it because or all the suspension bobbing on pavement.

id try to find a softtail with a rea shock that had a lockout feature. its been awhile since i was deep in the scene, but if you look, they outta be out there. that way you will have the best of both worlds.

Just so you know.. a softtail bike is not the same thing as a full suspension bike.

Full suspension bike shouldn't bob all that much if you have everything adjusted properly to your weight and usage. Well, unless it's an Xmart bike. But then again you should know that since you work on bikes - so nevermind. :o

price range?

mx

So, how do soft tails provide a rear "shock" without a pivot link?

Drop the air pressure
 

HI,
I find with mountian bike I run 10 to 15 pounds lighter on the front wheel than the rear, this really seems to dampen the jarring effects, and my hands appreciate that.
I have a cheep soft tail but it really makes a difference when I ride on the road, or trail and hit a bump, or a dip, when I ride the steel frame roadie it really take a toll on my arss and back, hey it is a different angle of attack.:twitchy: but it glides better and faster, geeze....
Just moving your seat alittle back or up or down can change everthing.
Doug

the chainstays flex vertically, like a leaf spring

I'm willing to spend 2000.00 if I feel the bike is worth it:love:

I ride a hard tail and I do the same... only different. I Have a good responsive fork, so I leave the front tire at normal pressure, but I run the rear at minimum pressure. If you get a good tire, and it may take a little trial and error, you can run lower pressure and it will not affect reliability. I run the Panaracer XC Fire Pro in the rear and have never had any pinch flats of snake bites (knock on wood) and I am 185lbs and rough on stuff. I didn't think that it would make a big difference, but 5 psi is noticeable and 10 psi is very different.

As a side note, I went back to a hard tail after 2 full suspension bikes. Not because of their bobbing or wasted power transfer (although there was some) but due to weight. After riding light weight hard tails all my life I just couldn’t justify riding a 30-something pound bike. So, now a ride my 22lb hard tail and am lovin life, but you have to ride what suits your and your terrain best. My advice would be to test out any bike (hard, soft, or full suspension) that you are thinking about dropping that much heard earned cash on.

If you are looking at a FS, many of them are comparable in weight to a HT. Granted, if you spend about $2k on a hardtail, it should be lighter than either ;) I recently switched from a rockhopper to a superlight and so far, so good. It soaks up enough bump that I find myself sitting and spinning through things I may have been standing on previously.

That said, some of the fastest guys around these parts often run an HT.

$2k is a very nice hardtail and the starting point (IMHO) of full suspension bikes that should even be considered.

You will never get the answer you want here. Hardtail and Full Sus both have pros and cons. You will get them listed here. Ideally you will ride some different options and see what you want.

Full might save your body some pain, but honestly pain might be from an ill fitting bike and not the lack of suspension. It could be from issue with your body (not flexible enough, etc). Full Sus will pass less impact to you any way you slice it. But a Full will be heavier . . . that can lead to fatigue over the same amount of miles especially if there is climbing. There is no way to know how it will all work out without trying different options.

Even if you decide on full, as others said, that could mean 3" of stiff travel designed for long cross country riding, it could mean 5-7" jack of all trades bike, and it could have massive travel.

Not to offend but I am talking about a soft tail not a full suspension.

no offense taken . . . sorry I misunderstood.

WTF is a softtail beside a harley?

From Wiki:
The Soft Tail (also Softail) relies on the flexing of the rear triangle and a rear shock or elastomer placed in line with the seat stays. Soft tails are a variation of the original Amp Research Mac-Strut design (technically a 3 bar suspension design). Soft tails have no moving parts, besides the shock/elastomer, making it extremely simple. It maintains pedaling efficiency and power delivery because of the solid chainstays. They tend to be extremely light compared to other rear suspension types. Soft tails are out of favor now because of the limited rear axle travel of these designs - typically around 1 inch. Some examples include the Trek STP and the Moots YBB.