The HT place welcomes you
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The last 2 years i enjoyed a 29er 100 mm and santa brought me a cool HT 120 mm on 27.5x3.0 it is a smooth one. For me that is plenty but my jumps are more 6 in than 6 feet.
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Yeah, getting over some back issues from years ago, and currently some ankle issues that the physio is doing wonders for... at the moment have 3 HT's (all 26), 1 aluminium that's brutal, but awesome fun to ride, and old Ti bike, that's more comfortable but not aw much fun (old school for old school trails, it great) and a scanduim frame that's somewhere in between (just getting ressurected after being retired 10 years ago, so not really sure how it goes, only done a few short rides on it.
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Sounds like all your hardtails are brontosauruses. Modern geo and a proper fork is a nice addition to a FS bike, but it makes hardtails sing. If you get a chance, give one a good proper test ride. They have a lot of fun to offer. My favorite bikes are hardtails, and i'd rather walk than ride an old one.
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Oh they're old, 96 GT Xizang, 03 Yeti ARC, 08 GT Zaskar reissue, but I love them, they are great to ride, all different, it's more that I'm a bit broken...or more lardy and unfit to really get the most out of them, it punishes me too much. If I had the choice I'd prefer to ride a HT
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Yeah. Hyperbole is fun, and the best norba era bikes are fun, but we should both set our favorite tools aside.
I couldn't ride those old bikes on rides when others are using modern equipment; my body couldn't take it. My main ride is a 2x9 26'er hardtail with fairly modern geometry and the best modern components. 1210mm wheelbase. Fatigue isn't a problem when it's set up correctly, but that window is a bit smaller than it is on a FS. I can't keep up with equivalent riders on FS bikes if it's chunky, but it's 100% as fun on the descents and still has that hardtail frantic-ness and demands an active riding style. I hit some big lines on it, but they're stuff i've nailed on my FS. Overall, i'm a mid-pack rider on my hardtail, and i'm a mid-pack rider on my FS.On climbs the bike is plain-old superior. It's heavy-ish, and the steering is relatively slow, but i can sit centered on the saddle and steer and mete out power more precisely. I save energy by keeping my body calm and not bouncing myself over the terrain.
I don't think your hardtail days are behind you! You just need a modern tool.
Well it is to bad we are not living close. I would lend you my HT 120 mm with 27.5x3.0 on 40 mm, at 61 i feel like i can ride it for the next 30 years. It is just an Alu bike, 2017, i am sure u could find one on a small budget. About 6 months ago i sold a 2000 HT 27 speeds still in great shape, i still use it s saddle, i just needed space.
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The efficiency and trail feedback from a HT are two of my main reasons for riding them, but I also prefer them for the simplicity. I don't want to deal with the additional maintenance of pivots and a shock. After spending 1 or 2 seasons with my FS bikes, I have always sold them and returned to my HTs.
About 25-30% of the time I do cheat a bit by riding a soft tail. It rides like a hard tail and has the same low-maintenance, but has about an inch of pivotless travel at the rear axle to take the edge off in the big chunk or for a long day in the saddle during an endurance event.
About 25-30% of the time I do cheat a bit by riding a soft tail. It rides like a hard tail and has the same low-maintenance, but has about an inch of pivotless travel at the rear axle to take the edge off in the big chunk or for a long day in the saddle during an endurance event.
I started about 3 years ago and i think i have never read nor heard about them. Are they just old bikes not sold anymore?
Around Montreal, Quebec i know 2 guys with thudbusters on their fatbike for the problem about people walking in the trails. Twice last season i used a gel cover to absorb a bit.
Like you i just enjoy the simplicity, those bikes just demand to be ridden daily, very low maintenance.
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You can still buy a soft tail today, but they are not as common as they were 20 years ago since suspension technology has advanced considerably in the past 20 years. My 29'er soft tail is a 2011 model and my 26'er soft tail is a 1997 model.
There is a small slider with an internal spring just behind the seat tube at the seat stay junction and the flex of the chainstays allows the rear axle to travel about an inch without any pivots.
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Agree on efficiency and feedback. Not so sure about maintenance though... comparing between me on a hardtail and my mates on fs bikes, they have to deal with servicing their pivots & rear shocks while I have to deal with rear hub/rim damage they don't seem to suffer from. I try to ride smoothly etc, but I mess up sometimes too.
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That is a valid point. Fortunately I am only 74kg and ride pretty lightly so I don't suffer many rear wheel issues. My rear rims take an occasional hit, but the only rear hub damage I've experienced has been shearing pawls or other climbing / torque related damage.
Ah, the good old reliable go everywhere do everything hardtail. There was a time I swore to myself that I wouldn't ever buy a full suspension bike but I couldn't keep myself to it and have owned 2 FS bikes. Sold one after 6 months and I keep the other as a spare/loaner bike.
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My last two custom frames have been steel hardtails. This one is the best riding bike I've ever thrown a leg over, including high end Ti and Gucci tubed production frames. It rides with such a high quality of feedback, I've made up a word to describe it's springlike ride. I call it "sproing".
I love the CNC vintage era so that's the direction the build went. The wheelset is Ti spoked on ceramic rims.
I love the CNC vintage era so that's the direction the build went. The wheelset is Ti spoked on ceramic rims.
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Nice looking bike! My buddy Jeff has one of those, but he is running it with a rigid Potts fork.
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