Does anyone ride...

Sure, I see lots of hardtails when I'm riding on the trails. I have a Cove Stiffee myself, it's a great bike. Riding a hardtail is certainly quite a different feel than a full suspension bike, it takes some getting use to. If you have a bad back I certainly wouldn't recommend one, my back gets sore sometimes after I ride mine....but everytime I ride it I tell myself I should ride it more often because I like the bike so much.
 
The reason I ask... is b/c I've been out of mtn. biking for about 5 years. I've started to get back into it... but i've realized my bike is some what outdated ('99). I've always ridden a hardtail but it seems like the full-suspension bikes are the majority nowadays.

I like DH and I like to climb, so I would consider that XC focused riding... thus requiring a hardtail...or am I completely off? :-s

Help a guy figure out what the hell is going on...
 
Use the bike you have now to get back into it a bit and then figure out if you want to keep it or get a new one.

Full suspension is definetly the way to go (my opinion) unless you're REALLY a weight weanie, are on a tight budget (under 1500ish), or do flat dirt all the time. Many full suspension bikes are under 30 pounds and are good climbers and will handle technical stuff and DH a LOT better then a hardtail.

welcome back :bang:
 
Hardie or Softie?

I started off with a Gary Fisher HT. I recently bought a Giant Warp and man I have to tell you, there are times that I miss my HT. It's a weird transition between HT and FS.

My opinion, I would stay with good HT with some choice XTR parts and a nice plush fork on it. Or you could always get a FS and convert your HT to a Single Speed?

RL
 
LBmtb said:
... unless you're REALLY a weight weanie...
Click to expand...

I believe the p/c term is "weight watcher", er thank you ;)

I luv my HT stumpy. I think it's a '99, but I'm not sure because I bought it off a friend for a steal! I bought a pricey Enduro afterwards, but being more of an xc-mtbr I ride my HT much more and love it. The only big upgrade I've made to it is a new Marz fork. I'd say if you're thinking about spending money on a new bike or your HT consider a new fork (if it still has the same old fork). A new fork is a lot cheaper than a new bike and can make a world of difference. You can get many good recommendations for good forks on this website. I luv my new Marzocchi Marathon S.
 
In Nov. I got my first FS after riding my '99 Kona Steelframe HT for years. Like miznaxxx, I upgraded the fork to a Marzzochi (EXR comp. Not the greatest fork, but good for the $$$ and it beats the sh*t out of the stock Rock Shox). It breathed new life into the ride! And I really enjoy riding my Kona HT! But riding my full susser out here in Cali has been like an MTB fantasy!!! I highly recommend getting one!

...but in my humble opinon, I wouldn't jump into a fancy full susser just yet. I think you could argue that an HT reminds you of "the basics" as it forces you to keep your form and technique in check since they are a little less forgiving in some situations. So get back into things by riding the daylights out of your HT. If you need to spend a few bucks to get it in good shape, go for it, just don't "over do it", as you intend to buy another bike soon.

While you are enjoying your HT, take plenty of time to do your research, shop around, and ride as many bikes as you can. You'll re-discover and fine-tune your riding style and become comfortable with you who are as a rider. You'll find out what type, styles, and options are important to you and that fit your riding style. Save up your clams so that when the time comes you can get a quality ride. Before you know it, the perfect bike will call you by name and appear in your dreams (almost). 8)
 
i rode GT hardtails for 14 years, one of which, my main bike was a '93 GT Bravado LE with full XT. it was a great bike and but i felt that i need a new bike.

so i did my research and bought '04 Specialized Epic Marathon with full XT/XTR components. it was reviewed as a great climber so that helped too. the main thing about it was the technology on it, it has inertia valving in front and back, which makes it feel like a rigid bike but will absorb any bumps it comes across. all in all, it feels like a hardtail, and my body doesn't get so beat up. you'll also enjoy the added control on your downhills

currently my hardtail is on my trainer, but i'll upgrade the whole bike later on just for the hell if it.

my suggestion is: do your homework and ride as many bikes as you can before you invest in a new one. find out the best type of rear suspension system is for you. and what your budget can get you. i went as high as i could since i know it will be my main bike for a long time. and if you love the feel of a hardtail, get an Epic \:D/

Good Luck
 
I rode a HT for about a year until I got my FS rig. I've had that for almost a year now and love it. My FS bike was recently in the shop for 2 weeks for a minor repair, so I rode my HT during that time. What a difference!! I see now how much I've been taking my FS bike for granted. The recent rides on the HT were bone jarring and a complete 180 degree flip from riding the FS bike. I was so glad to get my bike back from the shop. The Ht will strictly be a back up bike, I can assure you of that.

LB said it best I think. Ride your old rig and make sure you want to stick with it before dropping lots of $$ on a new bike.
 
My current main ride is a .243 hardtail. ( http://www.243racing.com/ ) She is set up fairly aggressive right now with a boxxer up front, and some DH tires and such. Except for the fact that we're running a single chainring up front she is a blast to ride. The single ring makes it difficult on the climbs but I figure I'll just get stronger. Downhills are great. I suppose some would say that she's a freeride bike. I dunno, I  just call her my all around bike, because I ride her all around. :)

Not that I don't likes me some suspension though. I plan on getting another big hit full squish as soon as I can.
 
I have a Haro v2 hardtail that was my first mt. bike since I got into riding. I pretty much gave it to my girlfriend and have it all dialed in for her. There were times when I wanted to put a better fork on it and throw some Avid Mechanicals on it too, but to spend all that money would be silly. With the cost of the new fork and brakes, and new wheelset I could easily buy a new HT for the cost of all those upgrades.

I agree with riding as many bikes as you can to see which one feels best in the saddle. The hardest part about test riding is that it is difficult to see how the suspension really performs when doing laps around a flat parking lot. There might be an occasional curb/sidewalk you can ride off, but other than that, theres not much to test out the suspension.

Wouldn't it be rad if they had a simulated offroad section at superGO or something that you could actually see how the bike performs over bumps and what not. I know you can demo a bike, but not everyone has money to throw down on demo'ing a bike.
 
When I sold my enduro -- I actually let the woman ride it on Turnbull with me. So she got to see exactly what it would be like -- and she loved it. I guess that's one advantage of buying a used bike.
 
I just got a new hardtail in January. I've been riding FS bikes since 1991 (P.O.S. Cannondale v2000, and then a Heckler), and decided it'd be nice to get back to the simplicity of a hardtail. It wasn't for weight but for control and climbing ability. I love it, and doubt I'll ever go back to a FS bike. In fact I just sold my Heckler with no regrets. My new bike's all pimped out. It cost me just over $3000! I spent way more than I needed to, but I wanted to get the best and have it last years. I see alot of people going back to hardtails recently, IMO. Here's a picture of my Voodo Bizango. It's the sweetest. It feels like it's connected to my brain. I can pick lines I never thought possible at speed. It was hard getting used to it on the downhils, but for overall XC riding, I'm way faster than on my full squishy.
0113bizango.jpg
 
jinks said:
I just got a new hardtail in January.  I've been riding FS bikes since 1991 (P.O.S. Cannondale v2000, and then a Heckler), and decided it'd be nice to get back to the simplicity of a hardtail.  It wasn't for weight but for control and climbing ability.  I love it, and doubt I'll ever go back to a FS bike.  In fact I just sold my Heckler with no regrets.  My new bike's all pimped out.  It cost me just over $3000!  I spent way more than I needed to, but I wanted to get the best and have it last years.  I see alot of people going back to hardtails recently, IMO.  Here's a picture of my Voodo Bizango.  It's the sweetest.  It feels like it's connected to my brain.  I can pick lines I never thought possible at speed.  It was hard getting used to it on the downhils, but for overall XC riding, I'm way faster than on my full squishy.
0113bizango.jpg
Click to expand...

Nice Voodoo................Hardtail still rule!! :clap:
 
The frame was about $700, I think. I ordered all the parts and had it built up at The Path. They were shocked/stoked at the color when the bike shipped in, because it says on the website that it's platinum, but it's actually this strange iridescent green. I like it, because it matches my car, which actually cost me half the price of the bike! :D
 

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