what kind of bike is better a hardtail bike or a full suspension bike?
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Filed under: hardtail bike
A valid and relevant answer to your question should be based on the premise that you already know what type of riding you will most likely be using your mountain bike for.
So I will just assume that you intent to use the bike for almost every type of riding (from off-road trails, climbs, descents and even commuting in city streets). This is the premise: the bike will be used as a "do-anything" bike.
So which will be a better "all-rounder", a hardtail or a full-susser? My answer is: the FULL-SUSPENSION bike. Why?
1) Better traction.
With full-sus, your wheels "track" the terrain, meaning they absorb the bumps and dips on the trail so that your weight doesnt get thrown here and there when you hit rocks,roots or potholes. The wheels of a full-susser can give better forward momentum because the force from bumps is absorbed by the suspension rather than converted to upward force against the frame. On a hardtail, such upward force affects the wheels’ forward momentum because there’s no suspension to absorb it other than the suspension provided by the tires.
2)Comfort.
On a full-suspension bike, you can ride off-road trails without thinking too much of picking lines, weighting either front or rear tire, when to sit or when to stand up. The suspension reacts to trail inputs so you can enjoy the ride rather than be focused on how to negotiate the terrain.Chatter, bumps, dips and drops can exhaust you more if you are on a hardtail because most of the force is transfered to the frame and then absorbed by your arms, legs and back.
3) Efficiency.
Contrary to common belief, full-sussers are more efficient than hardtails in the full spectrum of riding environments. With hardtails, all the pedal force you give is translated to forward movement. But this efficiency only benefits you on mostly flat and smooth terrain because there’s no bumps to affect the forward momentum. With full-suspension, some of the pedal force is absorbed by the suspension But only, ONLY in low-end bikes that tend to only have bobbing springs. New technology and advanced engineering has aforded mid-priced to hi-end full-susers efficiency because today’s suspension linkage designs,shocks and forks are designed to filter out low-frequency pedal force so that pedalling doesnt affect shock compression,thus eliminating suspension bob. Moreover, some shocks and forks offer lock-outs to give you the option to "turn off" the suspension when you dont need it, for example when you use your bike for commuting.
4)Versatility.
The design of a full suspension bike frame gives you more riding choices because bike designers know that the full suspension biker will be pressing the bike for service in various riding situations. Hardtails are designed to be lightweight and most of them have a specific purpose. XC hardtails are the choice of racers because they know they have the professional skills to handle such a bike..and besides XC trails are "groomed" so there’s no worry of unexpected gnarly terrain to tackle.Dirtjump hardtails are specifically for jumping and their frame geometry dictates thatt they cannot be used for extended trail rides. Full-suspension bikes have geometry that lets you climb, descend, hop, drop and do pretty much anything. They capture the original essence of mountainbiking.That is riding your bike wherever the trail takes you, letting yourself "get lost" on purpose and discover new paths going back.
The debate about which bike is better can go on endlessly if we pit bike against bike without being aware that the answer will always depend on your intended purpose for your bike.
Man, that’s hard to answer because it depends on so many things, and on the individual person.
Full suspension is nice and cushy……great for beginners, non-aggressive riders, rough trails, or aggressive riding on rough trails. They’re much more comfortable and forgiving, meaning that your lower back won’t get as tired or sore on long rides, and they can keep you on track sometimes instead of crashing, sliding out, or getting bucked. But full suspension is much more expensive and requires extra maintenance. The cheapie department store full-suss bikes are like fragile iron bricks…..so if you’re considering one of those, think carefully before you buy one.
Hardtails are usually lighter weight and feel more zippy, so they’re nice for smooth trails, doing stunts or jumps, and are arguably superior for racing when skilled riders use them (take a look at the xc pro riders….most of them are on hardtails). They’ll make you learn to bike better…..OR beat the crap out of you if you don’t. It’s a love-hate thing. Generally, you’ll get better parts on a hardtail than you will on a full-suss bike priced at the same level. If you run big tires with not-too-stiff air pressure, a hardtail can be pretty comfortable on rough terrain as long as you develop some basic skills and techniques.
It just all kinda depends.
I use mine for xc and always ride hardtails. I find dual mushy and heavy. I like to go fast as I can and hardtail is what does it for me.
I use hard tail, I find full suspension bikes a little harder to control but it all depends on your riding
HT!
One small additional detail: when riding a full suspension bike, part of your pedalling energy will get lost to the suspension. This is because you´ll most likely pedal in "almost" a perfect circle and the bouncing effect produced by this fact will make you lose more energy than on a hard-tail.
You want to make a serious thought as to the kind of riding you´ll do most: down hill a mountain slope (full suspension), along a trail (hard tail), on a road (road bike) in the city (cruiser).
Great answer from TIGS. You have pretty much said everything I wanted to say.
Horses for courses. But let’s hear it for FS – you can ride terrain that you can’t fide on a HT at speed and work less meaning less fatigue – longer faster rides = more fun – pretty simple equation.
XC race bikes are also changing, the brain shock introduced by Specialised has enjoyed numerous world cup and NORBA podiums. The Turnner rigs do well too. Still dominated by HTs but only because the courses are designed to test the riders rather than the bikes. Nothing wrong with that, or is there ?
I ride both FS and HT and would love to find the money and time to own and ride more of both.