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Having lived and ridden in a bunch of different countries, and after spending well over a decade riding bikes now, I’ve noticed something is missing on the trails, in some places more than others. It’s the humble hardtail.
Us Brits love a good hardtail, especially if it’s made from steel, but this certainly isn’t the prevalent attitude everywhere, and even on the sunny shores of my home country more are riding full suspension bikes than they used to be. I get it, full suspension makes a lot of things easier and more comfortable, but I still think there’s room for a hardtail in everyone’s fleet, and I’m going to try to convince you. Hear me out.
Hardtails are great for learning
Possible unpopular opinion: everyone should learn to mountain bike on a hardtail, no exceptions. I learned to ride on a hardtail, as did many people, particularly the ones that have been around bikes for a long time, and I’d wager that most of those people would agree with me. I see many beginner riders these days riding full suspension bikes, and yes they make riding easier, but they’re cheating themselves out of learning fundamental skills and instead may learn bad habits.
Riding a hardtail is harder, it’s rougher, it’s less comfortable, but it forces the rider to ride at a speed more appropriate to their skill level. Without rear suspension to smooth out the bumps it teaches riders to ride smoother and use their legs as suspension — as everyone should when riding any bike, not just a hardtail. Riding a hardtail teaches line choice, because choosing the wrong line hurts. It teaches mechanical sympathy, because you can tell when you’re smashing your wheels about. It teaches how to bunnyhop properly without using the rear suspension to help. All of these skills are fundamental to riding, and by jumping straight on a full suspension bike, people are robbing themselves of those skills. Ride a hardtail first and put the time in, you’ll learn to love it and it will benefit you greatly in the long run. The first time you ride a full suspension bike will be incredible.
Hardtails are low(er) maintenance
Say what you like about any full suspension bike, a hardtail is less maintenance 100% of the time. Fewer pivots means fewer moving parts, fewer bearings, fewer things to maintain. Pivot bearings can cost into the hundreds of dollars to replace, particularly if you’re paying a shop to change them. Then you’ve got the annual shock service, that’s another $150+.
With no messy linkage to collect mud, hardtails are also much easier to clean, and typically cabling is less messy and considerably easier to replace. Hardtails are sturdy machines, and this makes them ideally suited to the rigors of winter riding, or as we call it in the UK, “riding.” This is perhaps why the hardtail never really went away in the UK, and is having something of a resurgence in other parts of the world. You can ride in any weather and spend a lot less time working on your bike. Just go for a muddy ride, hose your bike down, lube the chain and you’re good to go for next time.
When you do need to carry out a bit of maintenance, it’s usually easier because there’s less going on, and if you crack or snap your frame, you can simply weld it back up again if it’s made from steel. What’s not to love?
Bragging rights
Picture this, you and your mates are all at the watering hole post-ride enjoying an ice cold (or room temperature for us Brits) beer. Your friends are all bragging about that line that they hit, how big they sent the drop, or the rock garden that they cleaned. You chime in “yeah, I rode that on my hardtail.” Instant badass. You know, providing you can actually back up your claim.
Part of the fun of riding a hardtail, particularly a modern aggressive hardtail, is that they’re super capable now. Some of them are slacker and longer than a lot of full suspension bikes out there, and more often than not, the rider will reach their limits before the bike will. It’s a lot of fun riding a hardtail in your usual spots and trying to hit all of the same lines, or even trying newer and bigger lines. Nothing gives you confidence like being able to ride gnarly trails on your hardtail.
Hardtails are versatile
Hardtails are super versatile bikes. Maybe you don’t want to ride one down the gnarliest downhill track in your local trail system, however there’s a lot more you CAN do that you might not want to do on a full suspension trail bike. For starters, hardtails can make great commuter bikes. If you don’t have the space or money for more than one bike, a hardtail makes pedaling on asphalt a lot easier than a full suspension bike. Just put a little extra air in your tires and you’re good to go.
Maybe you want to try gravel riding or going for a big cross country burn. Throw some lighter, slicker tires on there, and provided you don’t have a super aggressive hardtail, you’re probably good to go. Want to try bikepacking? No problem, hardtails are typically more efficient than full suspension bikes and have plenty of room for frame bags. Some slight tweaks are usually all it takes to transform your hardtail into whatever it needs to be.
Cost
Hardtails are cheap to buy, as well as maintain. Often you can pick up a much higher quality hardtail for the same money as a low quality full suspension bike — you just need to figure out what your priorities are. Don’t get me wrong, you can still spend a lot of money on a hardtail — thousands even just on the frame, but consider the new Norco Torrent. That’s an awesome steel frame with a great spec for just $3,149 USD. That’s almost $1,000 less than a Trek Remedy 8, and it has a better fork, brakes, wheels, etcetera. If what you want is an indestructible bike that’ll go anywhere and do anything for a reasonable outlay, you can’t go wrong.
Fun
This is maybe the biggest reason to ride a hardtail. They’re fun! It’s hard to really take yourself seriously (unless you’re an XC racer) when you’re riding a hardtail. You’re unlikely to be getting a KOM on that super gnarly descent, so why not just have fun and don’t take life too seriously?
Hardtails are great for goofing off, hitting jumps, riding some street trials, or just enjoying on the same trails as usual. Hardtails are a little rougher, but that just adds to the sense of speed, even if you’re not riding as fast. They can even be more fun on some trails: the kind of trail that isn’t too rough and needs a bit of pedaling, a sweet jump trail, or a fresh secret trail where you’re surfing loam all the way down. It’s hard not to have fun on a hardtail, and after all, fun is the reason that most of us ride, right?
Go back to basics, swing your leg over a hardtail and remind yourself why you ride mountain bikes in the first place. You’ll be glad you did.
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Great points. I believe the biggest turn off to mountain biking is cost and complexity/intimidation. A hardtail helps relieve both of them. Never owned a full suspension but I have yet to become skilled enough to ride even up to the limits of my hardtail. You have to be an exceptional rider or riding some super gnarly terrain for a hardtail not to work. Maybe some day I will have the disposable income to afford a full suspension but right now I am having a blast on my hardtail. Bike Nerd I agree that plus size tires add much to the bike much like modern geometry and dropper posts.
Over the past 20 years I have owned 3 hardtail bikes ( no fs). Riding a hardtail is akin to riding on rails. I love the thrill of knowing I can not stop picking the best lines and pumping my body like a shock to navigate my way down the trails. Nothing wrong with fs bikes at all. I just love the total mental and physical absorption of riding the hardtail.
After purchasing my San Quentin 2, I can agree with all of your reasons.
I have found hardtails to be like the sports car of trail riding. It is not the smoothest ride but, it is a very enjoyable experience. I am 5′-8″ and my 26″ Gary Fisher always entertains me on the trails with it’s agility and speed.
Great analogy, its like an old sports car and just as rewarding.
Man, I’ve got a Gary Fisher 26” as well, and it’s a fun little ride. Nothing fancy, just take it on the trail and let her rip!
It is difficult to compare hardtail (HT) and full – sus (FS) mountain bikes. While I’ve never owned an FS, are area where I live is more appropriate for HTs, Fort Worth, Texas. To be specific, the geography here is referred to as the central plains; no death – defying downhills custom made for young riders. Overall, is it mostly flat, with some elevations.
Personally, I prefer a hardtail. It’s classic.
Who the hell needs a reason when an excuse is good enough!!
Reason #1, to ride a Chromag Stylus!
I like the simplicity and affordability for a hardtail. However, the constant pounding the rider gets from the rear wheel makes riding hardtails much less enjoyable. 29×2.6 or wider tires and a suspension seatpost make hardtails bearable. Plus tires have saved hardtails from extinction. Before Plus tires I would never have recommended a hardtail to anyone. However, a recent crop of very affordable well-specced full-sus bikes like the YT Jeffsey Base 29 ($2300) is stealing the thunder from 29+ hardtails.
On a roscoe 8 with handful of upgrades including a insert in rear tire as the last and bike is super capable. Can definitely ride it to its limit at times but it sure does keep you honest. Haven’t wrecked a rim yet but they still get a ping almost every ride. Hands down you can roast full suspension bikes on a hardtail the problem is how long can ya do it for. This hardtail has brought me back into riding with room for improvement for that i dont think i would ever get rid of it, however a full suspension bike i feel will keep me in the trails i like to ride ( technical ) for a while yet. Affordability with full suspension is getting like ya said.I’ve had those comments where person would say, you are riding that on a hardtail? Yup-er, catch me if you can
i had to sell my hardtail because i found i wasn’t riding my FS as often. it was too much fun!
I’m still rocking a 2003 Jamis Eureka. Front rock shox and hard tail. Bought it for a song at a garage sale 6 years ago. All original components, just added a better seat, new beefier wheels/hubs and wider tires. I take this bike everywhere and its a blast and indestructible. I have no interest in a full suspension bike.
Two primary reasons I want a HT for my next bike. Speed is the first one. On most trails, and I live in New England where there’s plenty or rocks and techy stuff, you can simply go faster. Not every tail, no, but a lot of the time you definitely can. The other reason is I view it as a superior gravel bike. Too many gravel rides go over rough stuff (where I live anyway), and a carbon HT with light wheels, and some extra psi in the tires and the forks mostly locked, is much more comfortable, and not a heck of a lot slower over the length of a ride than most gravel bikes.
I ride the same hardtail I built up 12 years ago and it’s my only bike. I only care about descents, but I’m short and never had much money, managed to build up a DH survivable NS Bitch. It’s a great bike and I know I can still improve on it and continue to get faster on it. But if I had money I would definitely get a modern full suspension bike! I’d keep my hardtail for sure, but I feel like I am missing out on something amazing not ever going full suspension
Nobody has mentioned the weight difference too with FS versus HT. I have never owned a FS since I come from the road bike world, but I have been Mt Biking since 1990. I like the better climbing ability of a HT and the lighter over all weight of the bike. My full carbon Bianchi Methanol SL is right at 20 lbs, not bad for a Mt Bike. I also love the 27.5″ wheel size as well, the few times I have ridden a 29er I did not like the clunky feel compared to the original 26″ wheel size. 27.5″ wheels are lighter too and wheel weight is the single best way to improve performance of a bike. I have nothing against FS bikes and their purpose, but I still think a good solid HT is the best overall experience on dirt.
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I 100% agree with this author, especially regarding beginners. Everyone’s first MTB should be a hardtail and every seasoned rider should have at least one in their collection. I’m probably biased, because I’ve never owned anything but a hardtail, and yes I do kinda consider that kinda bad ass….especially when some of the full suspension riders in one of the clubs I’m in let me go ahead on the downhill because I was on their rear end the previous descent.
I generally agree with every point. However I would say that I LOVE my FS. I love what you can do with it, it’s versatility, and all of the options available. I find that part of it fun. I think they both have their benefits, and if you can afford to get an FS, it’s totally worth it. When I first got my FS, I had considered selling or giving away my 26” HT and I’m so glad I didn’t. This article was great to read because it reminded me how fun a Hardtail really is. Thank you!
Hi guys. Last time I owned a bike was when I was 13 years old. Some decades have passed. I’ve been spinning in the gym for like 2 years, but these days the gym doesn’t see me much because of Covid-19. I have been hitting the road, but it’s not easy on the knees. I had an achilles injury about 8 years ago so I have a bit of an imbalance.
My QUESTION IS – which MTB bike will give me the best workout in terms of getting strength and definition in my legs? Definition particularly for my calves coz the one is slightly smaller than the other (muscle atrophy from injury). I hope to hit the gym again when everything is a little “normalised”. The plan then is to hit the spinning bike once a week and then to ride the MTB on other days.
So HT or FS? Which will give me the tougher workout for strength and definition?
The bike choice shouldn’t matter; even an e-bike will give you a workout if you ride hard enough. It might be helpful to read up on strength training and possibly contact a coach to determine the best types of rides for getting the results you want. Good luck, and have fun!
I’ll read the whole article later….
My Banshee Scirocco does not feel like an aluminum bike. A full ridged alu bike will rattle the fillings out of your teeth. My 4130 single / two speed skinny bike is smooth as silk. So a good steel hardtail would be awesome. I’m just past worrying about it. : )
Hardtails are super rad and this article nails the reasons why! I’m sure as more people try the latest aggressive hardtails and see how capable they are, we’ll be seeing a lot more of them on the trails.
For another take on riding a hardtail, check out my article: Hardtail Mountain Bike: Why You Should Ride One
Nice work on this article!
This article just appeared in my Google feed which is awesome for two reasons. First, I love my hardtails! Second, I’ve now discovered Singletracks 😎 I agree with all the reasons mentioned in the article as being good arguments for a hardtail. I would also add the lower weight of hardtails (typically) as another. I do a lot of 4, 6, and 24hr racing, usually on race loops of approximately 10km long. Many of the locations are flat to undulating with few technical features. On these courses, I love my hardtails (either geared or single speed) for the low weight compared to hauling round my dually. Well, my legs are grateful, at least!
I could easily afford a full suspension, but why? Hardtail is more of a challenge and climbing is easier. I don’t get it… unless you’re doing downhill or Whistler what exactly is the benefit of a full suspension other than the swag, of course.