All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

Like some of the other guys I rode a BMX bike as a kid, I had a Walmart full suspension at some point but that doesn’t count haha. My first real mountain bike was a hardtail, then I switched to full suspension. My primary bike right now is a hardtail. Full suspension bikes are great but not required.

 

I bought a hardtail first. After 3 rides i realized it was not the ride i was after. Sold it and got a full suspension after that and will never look back. Hardtails can rip hard for sure! But i felt i needed and wanted the rear suspension for the type of riding i like and get into.

 

Just about everyone started on a hardtail because of the cost and location(more flat areas). Also with that comes age. The younger you are the less money you usually have. That’s why all the old people have $6k Santa Cruz and Yeti’s. But don’t think for a minute that hard tails suck. Most people own both.

 

What's considered "old"?

 

I love my hardtail! I also have a FS but still find I ride my HT more. It's just lighter and more fun for me. I also did BMX as a kid so I also ride with flat pedals

 

I started back in college with a Trek 8500. Took a hiatus for 5 years, got back in to it with a Specialized Enduro, took another 5 year break and been at it since moving to Colorado.
Hardtails are great, just not for my old man knees.

Great memories of learning to ride and explore on that thing...

 

I started on a full sus, then bought a hardtail to go with it. Different tools, but you do learn a lot of good habits on a hardtail that will pay dividends later .

 

My first two mountain bikes were hardtails. They were both XC bikes, and I rode them on and off for 15 years. I moved a few years ago and my local trails are more technical, so I made the jump to a full suspension. A lot of people ride hardtails here, but they are on trail bikes, and my XC wasn't well matched to the terrain. I'd love to have a hardtail trail bike to mess around on sometimes, but I can't justify another bike. I do take my fat bike out occasionally just to ride something different.

 

Curious as to why you're saying you're unlucky. After years of riding nothing but full susps, I'm back on a hardtail and loving it

 

Depending on the mood and the trail, some days I'm on the single speed, some days the full squish.

 

I'm really close to being in that crowd! Started with BMX (track as a kid, then street, then to get to work lol). Tried out trail riding for the first time a year and a half ago and it turns out a lot of the bike control and bike/body awareness and separation translated really well, even after 12 years off of bikes (especially in jumps/gaps/drops). I tried trails out on my old commuter bike (cannondale hard tail that I upgraded the fork on), fell in love and made a silly financial decision for a full suspension bike. It's been rad and I love riding it, but... My fear is that it's gonna make me soft! Also, I need major help on line selection. Right now it's set to "BULL DOZER" and I just ride it like an angry bull.

Also.... Lord help me (mainly my wallet)

 

I got mine for snow, but I end up using it randomly. It's good for late fall and early winter when there isn't a good base of snow or consistent enough snow for cross country skiing. Once winter is in full swing, the trails around me don't get groomed regularly, so opportunities to ride it are random. In late winter and early spring, I use it for road rides, particularly on dirt roads that might be soft and potentially have snow patches.

I ride it randomly on trails the rest of the year for something different. I think in some cases it makes me think about how to ride some trails differently and makes me better. I also have some trails on my land around my house and ride the fat bike on those quite a bit while "walking" the dog.

 

But in short, the answer to my question is still that there is not much reason for it other than snow.

 

My only thing with hardtails is that on a more lively trail, I do find myself bucking more than usual the first time around. After I get a run through and a line sort of pictured in my head, I feel much more flowy from there out. Besides that, casual descents and climbs are a breeze with the hardtail.

 

Yeah, snow is probably the only surface where a wide tire has any advantage over a narrower tire.

 

The throne "talk" is a running joke about a photo that I've had with @Gunshot-6A since the last time I visited SLC. It has absolutely nothing to do with riding skills or who might be better or worse than anyone else. I'll leave worrying about that kinda petty bullshit to others.

Appreciate you chiming in with your usual insults and arrogance, though. Always a pleasure!

 

Y'all know each other?

 

Nope. Just TW ribbing...for now that is.

For reference: this is what started it. I forgot you actually declared "King of SLC" your title, but later admitted you skipped Sled. We demoted you to king of CC at best.

 

I've purchased a bunch of stuff from them over the years including a bike frame. I've never had anything but good experiences including customer support. It's coming from the UK....Amazon can't even get me stuff in less than a week when it would normally be next day or two days (I'm 12 miles from Seattle). I'd contact them and give it some time.

 

Same as most people, grew up on bmx. Just picked up my first full suspension after years of not riding. I’ve spent the last 15 years on dirt bikes, so in my mind there was 0% possibility of going the hard tail route. I would however think about a dedicated hard tail dirt jumper if I wanted to spend more time at the jump park here.