5 Reasons Why Hardtails Suck! (And 4 Why They Are Awesome!)

23 Comments

1. The HT are good for nice and smooth XC trails, everyone can agree. But if you want more exciting and extreme trails , the HT will make you keep short. Of course there are HTs built for light enduro y harder trails but they cost as much as a trail bike because of the 130+ mm suspension and the thick wheels and tires. So that tale of having HT because is cheaper is kind of invalid , cuz a cheaper HT will only take you to easy rides.

2. i love hardtails, but this is true for a better performance and comfortable ride the full suspension are the best, but the money its a problem today, top bikes cost much money and hardtails can handle now a big enduro forks.

3. I love the simplicity, hardtails seem like they just take me back to the roots of mtb. Modern full suspension bikes numb the terrain and make riding way to easy in my opinion. I also love the added challenge of riding a hardtail!

4. Uhhhh if anything full suspensions brake stuff way more often. And maintenance is way more on a full suspension

5. I ride smooth trails without jumps and drops that have a few chunky bits have learnt to deal to with tricky bits. Rode same trail on decent quality full sus bike can just plough through chunky bits but all rest of time harder to pedal and slower overall. If was going to bike park would use a full sus so it’s horses for courses.

6. but only vacuums and mosquitoes suck

7. I'm switching to a full suspension for the extra grip when pedalling through rougher sections, and to look after my knees and ankles!

8. Suspension is ok. I'm currently riding a 1997 Trek 930. Full rigid baybee. First bike, took it to a bike park for the first time not long ago, took it on the black diamond trails. Bent the front wheel coming off a berm badly on a blue trail. Only crashed on loose sections of blue trails, it took the black diamond stuff like a champ, but the technical climbs *sucked*.

9. I have a hard tail EMTB (Trek Powerfly 4). I like my bike. I think your points are valid.

10. Within its limits, I love my Hardtail, but my Full suspension is better generally. Have done a number of long rides eg Ridgeway on my Hardtail over a couply of days and it was brill, even been to BP Wales and while I love it, I'm glad of my F/s. So I recon I agree with Neil.

11. Loves it, but it was a bit hard in Åre bike park last week whit my Kona Honzo I can still feel it in my body 🙁

12. Just upgraded from a early 2000s Kona hardtail to a 2019 boardman htr and I couldn’t me more happier it feels like my skills can go further now as I felt restricted by the pad rim breaks and weight of the bike

13. Just got a Boardman MHT 8.6, nothing special but it looks sick and is 750 quid, spent money on deore drivetrain, tektro brakes and disks and vittoria tyres, new stem and bars, but my bottom bracket has worn down, any suggestions on the best bracket for a hardtail????

14. For me, learning mtb skills went the other way. First I was too scared to ride down steep gnarly descents on a hardtail. Then on a full sus, I learned how to manage such features, and now I do have the courage to ride them not only on my hardtail, but even on a gravel bike. Slower, yes, but no less fun. And I have to add, that for me, the hardtail is the ultimate long distance mtb, I get way less fatigued on a ride involving 2000m of elevation, because it’s so much more efficient when pedalling.

15. I love the full suspension smooths out the trail too much argument…..well duh!

16. Ive done the whole rigid than hardtail then full sus trail bike. When I try to ride my hardtail as fast as my full sus it gets sketchy quick. At my age Im not looking to rattle my kidneys anymore😅

17. Hardtails good. But out of the saddle all the time. Can't pedal through rough terrain and keep back tire tracking. Depends on what u like . Lil more nimble. But also stresses parts out from jolting with no suspension. I have full rigids, full suspensions, and hardtails.

18. Why does my hard trail make noise in the seatpost when never I wash it . But when I check it is tight

19. I had a Full Suss and a HT. After building a Steel Stanton Switch9er I just found I never rode my full suss, so sold it and now have two HT instead. I do find the compliance of steel gives you all the benefits of a HT, plus a little added comfort.

20. 0:54 – That's still track dependent, isn't it? I saw mostly hardtails in Leogang and Albstadt XCO still in 2022 for example. I really don't think that Average Joe's home trails are much gnarlier than those XCO-tracks.

21. Having started mid 1980’s with no suspension, my go to bike is my hard tail xc bike packing configured machine. A USE elastomer/ spring seatpost takes away trail buzz and it’s a ride all day bike.

22. They really are struggling with content 😅

23. If I was doing hardcore trail I’d opt for a FS but I’m not. HT is way more fun hitting smooth tracks with decent jumps. Plus it’s a pleasure to outperform all the FS guys with $3,000+ bikes with all their gear on and GoPros 🤣

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