[Closed] Getting beat up on my hardtail

what were you expecting a hard tail to ride like lol

I would have thought you need to get stronger be riding it more particularly in the lower back,arms and hands.use your legs as suspension.its always going to beat you up more though.

in true STW style MTFU ! 😉

You need to change your technique, look for the smooth lines in the trail, hop over rough bits rather than ploughing through. I don't know if you ride clipped in but IMO it is a big help on a hardtail.

The one area I find a hardtail will always come up short is seated pedaling over slightly rough ground as you do get bumped around and can't keep a good pedaling rhythm

What tyre pressures and widths are you running, particularly in the rear?

It's not the bike, it's you.

Going by your history, you seem to keep trying to buy yourself out of this, it never works, you need to get fitter and stronger, and get out more, otherwise you'll just keep buying ad nauseum.

you need to be up out of the seat... no other way about it... or at least ready to unweight the saddle slightly... you can definitely get away with more seated pedalling on a FS
once you click with it you'll have a blast though

No doubt in my mind it's me and not the bike.

I'm also in the worse shape of my life and not fit at all.

It's my back and legs that were hurting the most.

Tyres are 2.6 so quite large volume and not too hard.

I did one trail and absolutely loved it. Nice and swooping with a couple of lips and the bike just went.

It's you and the bike.

Its true that hardtails batter you more on any kind of terrain thats worth riding, but it's more you. You're unfit, heavy and probably weak and when you get tired, there nowhere to hide on a hardtail.

I find this with fully suspenders bikes.

obvs Renton has the wrong ht therefore = buy new ht just diff design

That's what they do innit, I used to love a nice steel hardtail....right up to the point I just wished I was riding my short travel full suss.

When I first got my Solairs felt exactly the same wondering if I should keep the bike or swap it for a flare max thinking had I been sold the dream of steel HT rather than actually wanting one. My problem was trying to ride it like my rocket which was a bad idea. After a few weeks I dropped the tyre pressure (A LOT) and started to pick different lines to smooth out the trail and now I love it the bonus of this was I now pick better lines on my rocket meaning I can go faster.

You must have been really beaten up after that ride, I saw you had the bike up for sale early this morning.

As hardtails go, I find the BfeMax a really comfortable one. Had a few 30k trail centre spins on it lately, which are normally fairly rocky and bumpy, was really surprised at the fact that I didn't feel at all beaten up.

Fitness is relative, I guess... I wouldn't consider myself fit, but for me, I'm riding fairly regularly, so better than usual. That probably helps more than anything.

I've gone back to a HT recently and know what you mean about the aching back! Funny where the strain appears.

If it's the latest BFe I'd assume it is quite LLS. I have found really focusing on keeping my weight forwards in true "modern geometry" technique has helped a lot, as I'm riding with my hips further forward with more flex in my knees. I don't think you can get away with old-school leaning back like you could (just) on an equivalent full sus.

I'd also check other things in bike setup like stack height etc that might contribute to soreness. If you are fresh back to HTs then it's helpful to remember the front sags and the back doesn't! Also for me, SPDs do help a lot with rougher trails.

I went to Cannock yesterday on new hardtail
Intended to do 2 laps of 🐒
Did one and was knackered
Consider myself reasonably fit too
Uses different muscles
Was meant to do 100 miles on the road today and just couldn’t be bothered
But imagine I’ll get better

Haha ok so the general consensus is that it's me being a fat unfit bugger and the bike is fine.

I'll just keep riding and hopefully get fit enough to enjoy it

Thudbuster seat post possibly to take worst edge off trail bumps?
I could do with a full sun sometimes but never had one so I don't know what I'm missing lol.

Plus tyres help a bit too but at expense of more weight and certain squirm on hard surfaces. When they work they are brilliant though.

Haha ok so the general consensus is that it’s me being a fat unfit bugger and the bike is fine.

The bike is what it is. You are the variable and capable of significant adaptation.

Cheers for all the replies.

I'm definitely going to persevere with it.

It was strange as a lot of the trails I did yesterday I had never done before, coupled with being unfit and I just felt totally cumbersome and clumsy on the bike.

Saying that .... On the two trails I did that I do know I was flying and it all felt like it came together.

Does that make sense ?

I keep thinking of another hardtail, then remember it kicks the shit out of you when riding in the lake district, which is my area.

Even my T129 with 140 Pikes is hardwork at times, I'll be looking for a 150/160mm FS soon I think ...

You are going to have to ride more, even if that means easier trails. More time on bike, the fitter and better conditioned you get. I have an old fully rigid that's just used now in sloppy conditions, but ride full sus all the time due to a knackered back (bad fracture 5 years ago in car vs bike - missing part of my L1 now).

But, riding more is the answer. A bike won't fix that.

If you are going to bring a knife to a gunfight you need to have some skills if you want to come out the other side 🙂

Stand up and attack -

Stike First
Stike Hard
No Mercy

On a hardtail, you are the susoension, so your arms legs and core are constantly working to absorb and rebalance. That's a lot of work, especially if you are coming from a fs.
I suspect the reason you felt faster on the trails you knew is because you knew what was coming and picked a line you knew how to ride and got your body in position in anticipation. Hardtails can be really fast when you get it just right.
I remember reading a top rider from a few years back saying suspension isn't about faster, it's about less fatigue.

I remember reading a top rider from a few years back saying suspension isn’t about faster, it’s about less fatigue.

I agree with this up to a point. Beyond a certain level of speed and chunder, theres only so much the body can suck up and a HT just hooks up and slows down. I reckon that level is higher than people think though.

I love a good Renton bike thread.

I think you need to be honest with yourself. You don't ride enough. That's why you struggle and don't enjoy it.

Sell the bike and buy an full suss ebike and never look back!

Tbh, I think he's bang on renton, you'd love an ebike.

I’m in the same boat as the OP, or at least, similar. But a little further down the journey. I just love my hardtail, and choose it for 90% of my riding. But it definitely beats me up. And it’s really, really tiring - because you’ve got to constantly work the bike, instead of just sitting there and letting a full susser suck up the trail.

For unfamiliar trails, or for rides over 1.5 hours, I tend to défaut to the full suss. But for my local trails, or shorter blasts, nothing beats a good hardtail.

I think a specialized levo would be perfect for you. In XL (my size 😉)

I appreciate what you are all saying about an E bike.

If I get one Im sort of giving up on getting fit and that isnt what I want. I want to be able to do the trails under my own steam. Christ, in 2018 I built up to a 100 mile road ride so I know Ive got it in me.

HTs are rubbish. It's not you, they're just rubbish.

FS and accept on some bits you'll be a tiny bit slower, but who cares

I don’t get your connection of an ebike meaning giving up being fit. Most of us find it quite the opposite as you get out more often, more riding for same time etc.

2.6 tyres set up tubeless. Tyre inserts are optional.

“I went to the wyre forest yesterday and only did 8 miles but feel proper beat up and tired today.”

This is GOOD! You do proper exercise, you feel tired and ache the next day (or two) and you get stronger and fitter. The more you do it, the more it takes to make you feel as tired and beaten up.

Keep doing it! (And stand up downhill and for any bumpy bits elsewhere).

If I get one Im sort of giving up on getting fit and that isnt what I want

That's just silly talk.

Also, I find my Levo a more intense ride than my hardtail but that’s because I pedal just as hard and go a lot faster uphill and a bit faster downhill. There’s just no let-up, no pause to consider the lilies, it’s simply flat-out stupidity.

When I get to go to Wales again I’m quite torn over which one to take...

I can't believe that no-one's mentioned cross-training for power, strength and endurance.

It's not all about riding more. Mountain biking is a whole-body sport and putting the miles in will only get you so far.

Also...why is everyone showing as a free member?

Maybe take a D lock out with you - pretty tasty in a fight and plausible deniability....

Either that, or ride with a mate?

HTs are rubbish. It’s not you, they’re just rubbish.

FS and accept on some bits you’ll be a tiny bit slower, but who cares

Not being an “HT person” I still disagree.  My clockwork Evo has been amazing when I stood up and let it flow, my Spark beat me shitless in a recent 8 race - because I sat down when tired.  The Spark is faster.

You’re as middle aged as I am OP.  Take the advice on riding style, stretching an an fitness and learn to enjoy the bike more, it’s not for sitting into.

Please don’t sell this one, it’s a beautiful bike.

To echo the above, I got a PR on Devil's Elbow in Sheffield last week.

On my Clockwork. Faster than my Aeris 145.

I've not ridden it on my 145 for ages, but I have spent a lot of time in the gym since...

Sell the bike and buy an full suss ebike and never look back!

Don't do this. You'd complain that your upper body and core hurt from trying to ride the nasty heavy ebike around trees and not being able to hop over stuff.
As basic as it sounds just ride whatever you have more.
There is no magic bike.

You just need to adjust to it and accept it’ll be uncomfortable for a while. HT is my go-to bike almost all of the time right now (I’m a regular in the Wyre). Do you feel tense/worried about it while riding? Try to relax, enjoy yourself 👍

@renton. How many bikes have you owned and sold?

For some reason you don't connect with them. They are too short, too low, too stiff, not compliant etc.

On Strava how many Hours have you done this year?

But an ebike, it will make you ride more. You will enjoy your rides. It's not cheating. Use the extra fitness and energy to ride the road bike and get upto 100 miles on your own steam.

Ebikes are expensive but think how much you've spent on bikes. Or do you just prefer researching, buying, building bikes over riding them? I know lots of people who do.

I've just bought a hardtail after having a FS for last 10 years.
I'm surprised I like it so much and am finding that I'm choosing the hardtail instead of the FS on rides now.
Arms ache a bit more but the bike is brilliant.
I've just set up tubeless so should be a more comfortable ride.

@damascus ...... Far too many bikes bought and sold to remember !!

It all went downhill when I sold my Turner 5 spot. I've over analysed every bike since and some how always find something wrong with them when in actual fact it's been my issue all along.

I've also read far too many reviews about stuff and jumped on trends etc only to not like them.

I do enjoy building and then selling but it's taken over doing any actual riding and that's a problem.

Deep down I know I've got a good engine on me and when I'm half fit I start enjoying it loads more.

I've made a pact with myself that I'm going to stick it out this time and just start to enjoy riding again.

@renton, how about this?

Edit. Swytch

Use this to get fitter. If you still don't like it with a battery then it's not the right bike for you. If you do like it then it's you and getting fitter will make it better.

Then when you've got your fitness back either remove it or leave it on?

Other ebike mods arw available.

@damascus have you linked the right thing there.

The link looks like a computer game ?

Nope, completely wrong. That's the stw search for you.

Try this

https://www.swytchbike.com/?cpn_referrer=ga_ntwrk%3Dg_plcmnt%3D_trgt%3D_adpstn%3D_dvc%3Dm_dvcmdl%3D&cpn_country=9046700&cpn_strategyid=11063680773_adgrpid%3D116934573828_crtv%3D462528735720_trgtid%3Dkwd-26191300828_mtchtyp%3Dp

Steve, as someone who's sold you a bike before, given impartial advice and tried to be as helpful as possible, and has mutual friends... Please note that EVERYTHING I say is said with the best of intentions. It may be blunt, it may not be what you want to hear, but you need to hear it...

I'm 1m78 and 90kg. I'm at least 10kg overweight, and I live a fairly active lifestyle. You're about 1m83 iirc, 120kg+(?), and live a fairly sedentary lifestyle... Quite simply, no matter what you get and where you ride, it's going to hurt! Even a full sus, or an ebike...

I appreciate what you are all saying about an E bike.

If I get one Im sort of giving up on getting fit and that isnt what I want. I want to be able to do the trails under my own steam. Christ, in 2018 I built up to a 100 mile road ride so I know Ive got it in me.

It wouldn't be though... Nobody's saying sell the existing bike! At your current size and lack of time on the bike, it's like trying to drive an F1 car when barely even drive your family saloon regularly! Getting a full sus eBike isn't giving up, it's giving you the tools you need to actually get out there and enjoy yourself. If you don't enjoy riding a bike, you won't do it, you won't lose the weight, you won't ride the bike! If you do enjoy riding because suddenly it's a lot more accessible, and it's more comfortable, you'll start riding more, enjoy it more, and you'll conciously put more effort in anyway, and you'll start losing weight as a result... If you're 35-40kg overweight, you have a MASSIVE amount extra to shift about, and it's not fun! An eBike will help you find the fun element, and you'll rekindle your love affair with MTBing as a result, put more effort in, ride more etc...

Then when you've lost 20kg or more, start riding your normal bike again occasionally. It'll be hard work still, but a lot easier than now, and it'll give you more motivation to keep getting fitter!

Don't think of an eBike as giving up... Think of it as a tool to help you to get where you want. Right now, you're severely lacking motivation, you have a lot of excess weight, and you keep trying to buy your way out of this situation with a succession of conventional MTB's...

Seriously... Even if you take a bank loan and buy an all singing all dancing £8k full sus eBike, if it helps you lose 25-30kg, gets you fitter and healthier, allows you to enjoy a sport you used to love... It would be money VERY well spent! I'm not saying I advocate getting in debt, but I definitely do advocate the fact that you can't keep banging your head against a brick wall. You have a LOT of work to do before you enjoy riding a normal bike again I'm afraid, so think laterally!

FWIW, at 90kg, I don't find HT's fun any more anyway... I ride harder and faster now at 40 than I did at any point in my life previously, and I'm at least 20kg heavier myself now than the last time I really enjoyed riding Hardtails anyway! I just sold my HT the other week, I have 2 full sus bikes now. I honestly couldn't give a shit if anyone else thinks you need to have a HT to be a "real" MTBer (or ride flat pedals etc. I've been clipped in since 1995, I am fine with it)... I ride my bike to have fun, and a full suspension bike aides that, so full sus it is for me... To be honest, I've been considering getting an eBike (as well as, not instead of my current bikes) for a while, I just haven't found one I like. But as and when I do get one, it would mostly be for solo rides, taken at a FAST pace with my heart beating out of my chest anyway!

Think of the eBike as an alternative to liposuction and a gastric band... SERIOUSLY! IN that respect, it'll be amazing value for money!

OR... Keep posting these posts after your solitary 8mile ride per month, on a bike you realy don't enjoy riding, as sadly there's a few people on here who seem to take pleasure in your suffering and misfortune! At least they'd get a kick out of it... 🤷🏻‍♂️

It's your life mate... You only get one of them... Live it to the fullest!👍🏻

Suspension seat post .

It’s about time you bought another bike tbh - this is about normal isn’t it?

HT’s are harder work than fs as you can’t have a sneaky sit down and pedal so much. You just need to get fitter.

Hurting the next day is a good thing, it means you’ll progress as you’ve challenged yourself 😝

Pain is just weakness leaving the body... or something like that

Go on a diet and you can buy suspension dropper posts these days. It sounds like you need to get in shape before you ride, not ride offroad to get in shape. In which case ride a road bike, a strong one, or just shove some road tyres on the Cotic. After all it's time spent in the saddle not how fast the bike is that gets you fit.

It sounds like you need to get in shape before you ride, not ride offroad to get in shape. In which case ride a road bike take up running.

Running sucks, but if you want to get fit and lose weight, it's much more effective than riding a bike.

It sounds like you need to get in shape before you ride, not ride offroad to get in shape. In which case ride a road bike start a full body training regime incorporating strength work, flexibility, core stability and both aerobic/anaerobic activity.

Steve, as someone who’s sold you a bike before, given impartial advice and tried to be as helpful as possible, and has mutual friends… Please note that EVERYTHING I say is said with the best of intentions. It may be blunt, it may not be what you want to hear, but you need to hear it…

I’m 1m78 and 90kg. I’m at least 10kg overweight, and I live a fairly active lifestyle. You’re about 1m83 iirc, 120kg+(?), and live a fairly sedentary lifestyle… Quite simply, no matter what you get and where you ride, it’s going to hurt! Even a full sus, or an ebike…

I appreciate what you are all saying about an E bike.

If I get one Im sort of giving up on getting fit and that isnt what I want. I want to be able to do the trails under my own steam. Christ, in 2018 I built up to a 100 mile road ride so I know Ive got it in me.

It wouldn’t be though… Nobody’s saying sell the existing bike! At your current size and lack of time on the bike, it’s like trying to drive an F1 car when barely even drive your family saloon regularly! Getting a full sus eBike isn’t giving up, it’s giving you the tools you need to actually get out there and enjoy yourself. If you don’t enjoy riding a bike, you won’t do it, you won’t lose the weight, you won’t ride the bike! If you do enjoy riding because suddenly it’s a lot more accessible, and it’s more comfortable, you’ll start riding more, enjoy it more, and you’ll conciously put more effort in anyway, and you’ll start losing weight as a result… If you’re 35-40kg overweight, you have a MASSIVE amount extra to shift about, and it’s not fun! An eBike will help you find the fun element, and you’ll rekindle your love affair with MTBing as a result, put more effort in, ride more etc…

Then when you’ve lost 20kg or more, start riding your normal bike again occasionally. It’ll be hard work still, but a lot easier than now, and it’ll give you more motivation to keep getting fitter!

Don’t think of an eBike as giving up… Think of it as a tool to help you to get where you want. Right now, you’re severely lacking motivation, you have a lot of excess weight, and you keep trying to buy your way out of this situation with a succession of conventional MTB’s…

Seriously… Even if you take a bank loan and buy an all singing all dancing £8k full sus eBike, if it helps you lose 25-30kg, gets you fitter and healthier, allows you to enjoy a sport you used to love… It would be money VERY well spent! I’m not saying I advocate getting in debt, but I definitely do advocate the fact that you can’t keep banging your head against a brick wall. You have a LOT of work to do before you enjoy riding a normal bike again I’m afraid, so think laterally!

FWIW, at 90kg, I don’t find HT’s fun any more anyway… I ride harder and faster now at 40 than I did at any point in my life previously, and I’m at least 20kg heavier myself now than the last time I really enjoyed riding Hardtails anyway! I just sold my HT the other week, I have 2 full sus bikes now. I honestly couldn’t give a shit if anyone else thinks you need to have a HT to be a “real” MTBer (or ride flat pedals etc. I’ve been clipped in since 1995, I am fine with it)… I ride my bike to have fun, and a full suspension bike aides that, so full sus it is for me… To be honest, I’ve been considering getting an eBike (as well as, not instead of my current bikes) for a while, I just haven’t found one I like. But as and when I do get one, it would mostly be for solo rides, taken at a FAST pace with my heart beating out of my chest anyway!

Think of the eBike as an alternative to liposuction and a gastric band… SERIOUSLY! IN that respect, it’ll be amazing value for money!

OR… Keep posting these posts after your solitary 8mile ride per month, on a bike you realy don’t enjoy riding, as sadly there’s a few people on here who seem to take pleasure in your suffering and misfortune! At least they’d get a kick out of it… 🤷🏻‍♂️

It’s your life mate… You only get one of them… Live it to the fullest!👍🏻

Thanks Mboy, some valid points to think about.

Whether you have an ebike or not, if you’re not riding it (or doing comparable exercise) a few times a week, it’s never going to be much fun. You don’t need to find the time to do hours but it does need to be intense and fairly frequent.

Since lockdown I’ve had hardly any time for MTBing and none for going to the gym, as I’m trying to keep my business alive and help look after three small children. But I’m doing a quick commute most days, about ten minutes each way on my Levo. The reason it only takes ten minutes is that I pedal as hard as possible on the flat and uphill and downhill I find interesting urban diversions with hops and drops and odd corner even. I’ve felt fairly quick when I’ve been able to take the hardtail out for a proper ride.

Obviously you could get an ebike and let it tow you uphill and then let gravity wobble you back downhill but that’ll never be as fun as Riding it like you mean it.

Mboy, I think the majority are trying to help.   Renton has a couple of really nice bikes, the bikes are not the issue as you've alluded to.   Hell, I'm fitter than I've ever been and 73kg and I've pushing hard or riding a lot my bikes cause all kinds of aches and pains at my age.

But you have to adapt to what you want to do, whether thats riding style, MTB vs Ebike, or losing weight and gaining fitness.  Ultimately you're putting physically effort into a machine designed to traverse rough ground and that will not absorb all of the impact, so your body will always be the recipient of some kind of effort.   Renton just needs to accept which path he prefers to take, and keep on track with it.

It all went downhill when I sold my Turner 5 spot.

Is this the point when you started to ride less and less?
Maybe what you are remembering isn't the bike being good but how good it felt to ride when you were riding more and fitter?
Of course it's no fun at times if you're over weight and unfit. Ultimatley theres only one way round that and to start with it'll hurt.
I've gone from doing 150 off road miles a week to not riding for 10 weeks due to broken bones.
I have no idea when I'll even be able to ride again but one thing I know is it's going to hurt like **** to start with but it'll come back with perseverance and each ride will be better than the last.
Just get out on a regular basis and you'll slowly get further and further each ride.
As fun as buying new bikes is you still have to ride them. Even Eeb's need a fair bit of fitness to ride on fun trails.

You are clearly addicted to buying and selling bikes. Do you even like the actual riding?

Not being funny but this post in some form or other pops up after every single bike purchase you make. What do you expect to happen if you ride a HT like it's a full suss? Do you really need people to tell you to stand up in situations where you are sitting down?

You will either stop over thinking everything, ride the bike and get stronger, or you will sell it (again) and start the process all over again.

Might seem harsh but I think you need to address this problem If I'm brutally honest.

Remember when I asked how much you wanted for the Bfe before you had even purchased it........

Some good advice above.

Sounds like you just need to ride more and more and start to get your fitness up. Yes it’ll hurt and you’ll get aches and pains but as long as they aren’t proper injuries then you just need to push through it.

I’m 1.75m tall and just over 80kgs and know I’m overweight compared to my fittest points. My lowest weight as an adult was 73.5kgs just before I got married (and before kids) and I know how fit I felt then. I don’t believe I will ever get back down to that as I was playing hockey twice a week, doing a bit of rod cycling, doing circuit classes, weight training 3 mornings a week and eating fairly clean for a few months before the wedding.

However over lockdown I’ve gone done and up and on the way back down in weight again - really having to concentrate on exercising every other day - mixture of weights / cycling (road and mtb) and circuit training in the garage. Trying to lay off junk food although still having treats like ice cream on weekends.

I’m rambling, but maybe just try to ride more and introduce some other exercise into your lifestyle and maybe just make the effort to cut the volume down of something you know you shouldn’t be eating. As soon as you lose a few jags you’ll start to feel fitter and lighter in the bike and that’ll go in a circle with you then wanting to ride it more etc.

Bfe I imagine is a great bike - probably close to the most comfy hardtail you’re going to get with big wheels / steel frame / long travel forks. Changing to another hardtail isn’t going to help.

Get on the 100 days of exercise thread and do short intense sessions of something every day, eat a bit better and by Christmas you'll be a new man. Intervals/hill repeats on the bike circuits off it. You'll hate it but it will make a huge difference. Start the new year raring to go. And stick with the BFe.

Thanks for all the comments folks.

After reading through it all again its quite evident that I have a bit of an issue with buying and selling bikes and not really getting out and actually riding them. Looking at my Strava since 2018 and its bloody woeful. I think Im at less than 300 miles in 2 years 🙁

Both the bikes I have now are all the bikes I'd ever need (Hightower and Bfe) in reality there is nothing wrong with either of them, yes they may be longer, lower and slacker than my old 5 spot that I keep trying to compare every bike to but trying to get them to fit like that did isnt the way forward ad its me that has to change and not the bikes.

I am unfit, massively unfit and dare I say it quite heavy, I have let my self go over the last couple of years. No one elses fault but my own.

Time to just get out and ride !!

P.S.. checked the rear tyre on the Bfe and it was quite hard, might drop the pressure a bit !

Don't be too harsh on yourself. Whilst others may not understand the bike buying and selling, it's your choice, your decision.

Just go out, ride, try and enjoy, slow or fast, gnar or simple, just enjoy being outisde. Leave strava off, you'll only compare a segment. Just ride to the pub/cafe, enjoy and see where it goes.

I ride a hard tail (Solaris max) pretty much exclusively, in the lakes. I think the key is to be as dynamic as possible, which is harder with less riding/fitness. Play around with getting the seat down and out of the way as soon as the trail flattens off/lints downhill, and spend as much time stood as possible. Go out for short efforts initially with a view to being as ‘busy’ on the bike as you can, even for just an hour or so. You’ll soon start enjoying it!

The 100 day challenge is a good shout, it'd give you a bit of focus and perhaps help you get out of the door when you otherwise wouldn't have.

“Go out for short efforts initially with a view to being as ‘busy’ on the bike as you can, even for just an hour or so.”

An hour is a long time if you’re unfit!

Five minute sprints around the block, “urban assault” - hop kerbs, jump off walls, spot anything that can be a kicker and air off it. Just stick a helmet, some shorts and some shoes on and go for it. Find a hill to sprint up, set Strava to private and try to beat your efforts up it. Make your legs hurt.

Don’t search for motivation - make a
commitment to exercise and don’t break it, even when you can’t be arsed.

I think an overriding message should be, do the exercise that you enjoy, as if you enjoy it you'll do more of it.

The urban stuff is a good shout, but if you hate it or feel like a fool doing it, you won't. It doesn't have to be on the bike, 20 or 30 mins of exercise 5 days a week will get you some weight-loss and fitness fast, be that running, circuits, HIIT, or something bike based.

Might be worth getting a turbo trainer of some sort to get pedalling and build up base fitness on days you haven't got time to get out. A quick half hour interval session a few times a week will help increase fitness and lose weight

After reading through it all again its quite evident that I have a bit of an issue with buying and selling bikes and not really getting out and actually riding them.

To be fair, you might not be the only person on here with that issue.

I did first hardtail ride for a while yesterday. It felt horrible at first, dropped the pressures by feel on the trail till it felt right. measured back home and it was 20psi rear, 18 front (29er 2.4 ardent rear, 2.6 DHF front, tubeless). Also the fork sucked (the cheap wiggle fox only had 2 tokens in it @120mm), which didn't help.

Big volume tyres, low pressures and accept you will still use more energy keeping your spleen from being ruptured than you will on a full-suss.

Might be worth getting a turbo trainer of some sort to get pedalling and build up base fitness on days you haven’t got time to get out. A quick half hour interval session a few times a week will help increase fitness and lose weight

I'll second this, after a few inactive years Zwift really helped me get enough fitness back so that rides were enjoyable rather than a battle with my fitness. I didn't have to go mad with it, just three or so sessions a week maybe 30 to 40 mins each to start with will help get you back into it, especially when the weather is rubbish.

I did first hardtail ride for a while yesterday.

Same. Rode my SolarisMax on every midweek right last year and five months in the UK 'wet season'. Since then it's been all FS and it was a bit of a brutal re-introduction (as evidenced by the deep pedal strike on my calf!)

By the end of the ride tho I was loving it again. It's challenging but it's lots of fun and definitely makes for an engaging ride. I'd just got lazy, not dropping my ankles or picking decent lines. 17PSI on a fat rim with a RIMPACT insert and wide tyre makes a big difference.

One of the biggest improvements for me (and I'm the wrong side of 50) was Pilates. Primarily core strength and hip mobility. Absolutely translates into less fatigued riding.

Don't be too hard on yourself

Just ride to the pub/cafe

Nope and nope. For too long I rode to cafes and pubs, and got fat and lazy, I needed to be hard on myself as it was only going one way. 4 stone lighter now, my biking is a million times better than it ever was.

Lose weight, move more, do something else too, classes, running, whatever you like, and the weight will come off. The hardest part is admitting it and making that first step, after that, it only gets easier.

Good luck.

I always find it takes a few rides to adjust to a hardtail after riding the comfier bike for a bit, especially in the bigger hills in The Lakes. I really enjoy riding mine (switch9er) but my ankles seem unhappy with the choice, due to many ankle injuries from when I was younger. There's a small wood nearby where the hardtail is just way more fun though so it's staying around for a little longer.

Good luck!

I haven't had the struggle with fitness it sounds like you have but for a long time I had trouble motivating myself to get out and ride regularly. Losing my other forms of exercise in lockdown (even if it was just a walk to work) made start riding my bike every day, wherever I had the time/energy to go. At first that was just 20-30 minutes on the streets and round the park, but it helped a lot to build it into a habit and it started to get easier surprisingly quickly.

Tyre pressures and front suspension are critical for a "comfy-er" ride. Your quads will often get tired as they are now your rear suspension. You'll struggle to keep up/whilst remaining in control of the bike and eyes not being shaken out of your skull, so probably best not to try and match your FS speeds 🙂
Also you'll benefit from clipless pedals. It'll help your feet not jumping off the pedals on the roughest descents.

Hi Renton, it does sound like fitness is a big issue and definitely the first one to address before buying/selling another bike anyway.
If you already have a road bike I’d suggest getting a smart turbo and getting on Zwift. It made a huge change to my fitness when I first started using it back in 2016. I went from struggling to stay with the group to being the one bombing off at the front on the climbs. Having it set up In my spare room meant I could just jump on and do an hour a few times a week and I was still riding my mtb every weekend.
It’s made little difference to my weight but I’m just a lot fitter (if that makes sense).
The best thing about it was for a couple of hours of indoor training that it really made those weekend rides a lot more fun. I don’t use it so much now as I’m riding 4-5 times a week anyway now because I’m more motivated to go out knowing that it isn’t going to suck.
Good luck with it.