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So, for years I've adopted the two bike strategy - A fun but short travel hardtail for the winter muck (29er these days) and full susser for the rest of the year.
I've never really questioned this strategy, although some of my riding buddies have, but this summer I've enjoyed riding my full suspension bike way more and I'm not really looking forward to spending time on the Solaris this winter. In fact, it's got me thinking about switching out the Solaris frame for a Smuggler.
So, are these daft thoughts that should be quashed or are full suspension bikes just way more fun?
A pony for the frame?
Run what you want, when you want. There no rules.
The full sus has made you soft, you'll be getting an E bike next.
is the solaris a L? tapered steerer? what colour? 😀
I built a hardtail for this winter rode it twice and decided I just prefer full sus so have broken it down again. Horses for courses I suppose but if you can afford to build two up then I would mix and match with them all year round. Smugglers look good too
I'm a firm believer in HT for the winter, but it only really starts to make sense when it gets muddy/wet under foot & becomes a slog. Run your current FS until it gets to that position. Or just buy another bike/frame, that's what you really want to hear isn't it 😉
It is a large, 44mm head tube, hot gloss yellow (or something like that) which actually looks way better than it sounds. Lovey frames just think I enjoy mucking around on a fs more these days.
it only really starts to make sense when it gets muddy/wet under foot & becomes a slog.
So, July to June then?
Goes in waves for me. I've got a stunning Cotic Rocket that mostly just sits there at the moment.
I always go for my Shan. Just love it and it does everything.
I'd say keep it. At some point you may like the difference it brings.
I bought a hardtail for the winter and ride that all year now so it works both ways.
As Science says there are no rules, ride what you want and when .... however the idea of a winter bike with cheaper and more durable components is not insane 😉
Bought a Stanton switchback Gen 2 16.5 long in July in preparation for winter, been riding it since end of August as the trails are now winterised. Absolutely loving the longer frame. Rallon looks hopefully at me everytime i'm in the garage
Having started mountain biking on a fully rigid Gary Fisher Wahoo..and then progressed to a hardtail in the shape of Big Sur ..you would think that I would have a soft spot for these kind of bikes ..but naaah..bollocks to that ..full sus all year round these days 😀
I was of the same opinion in the past but found myself this year with a short travel modern geometry 29” fs a longer travel 650b ht. Now think this may be the sweet spot. Ht for shorter rides with more arsing about and less kit, fs for bigger days or where progress if preferable to bunny hopping stuff. In the process of winterising the ht so that will probably get more use for a few months.
+1 for the winter hardtail, put a 1 degree angle set on my 29er HT with 140 forks (up from 120s) so just as much fun as fs without the endless cleaning off the Cotswold slop. If I go to a trail centre then the fs comes out
I always had a full suss and a hardtail but now I have a full suss and a rigid fatbike instead, does the same job. But then I had a series of really badass hardtails so they were still more capable than a lot of full susses.
Hardtails boss it all year round.
"Hard as nails? Ride hardtails."
(That's my own BTW).
I have 2 x FS, a 160/160 27.5” and a 120/100 29” but - at the moment - I’m having a lot of fun of a 140mm hardtail, without the worry about bearings and cleaning.
But it’s a plus bike with 3” tyres.
At my age I couldn’t put my limbs through a normal hardail but the plus tyres make it seem like it’s got a little bit of suspension. And the grip is amazing!!
So I wouldn’t have gone for a hardtail if it wasn’t for plus tyres and, TBH, I wouldn’t go for a plus tyred bike if it wasn’t a hardtail.
Long story short, I may well have bought in to the “hardtail for winter” thing.
I always rode HT up until mibbe 6 years ago, got a FS and kept HT for winter too.
Then 2 years ago, realised I preferred FS, so bought a 130mm 29 FS to complement the big FS bike, a yeti SB66.
I've almost came full circle, and decided I want a winter hardtail again, so the 29er has been stripped and bits sold (yet to sell the frame, got bearings to change first) and I'll be after another HT. Prob a burly one though, 650b and long n low, as I still like to ride the same tracks.
I don't really have a point to this post, just spouting ny thoughts really...
Scott Scale HT
Cannondale Flash HT
Can't say that I'll never own a FS again but I'm not in any particular rush tbh
Onza jackpot 150mm hardcore hardtail and cube reaction gtc carbon xc hardtail at the moment .i used to have a banshee spitfire ,but cant see me owning amother full suss in the near future . Kind of fancy a titanium hardcore hardtail next. I prefer the way hardtails ride
Ride what makes you smile. I've done the two bike thing but I always, always, always default to my hardtail. I don't know why the biff I persist with FS bikes, I really don't. Actually, I do. It's reading magazines and marketing gumpf watching sick edits, man, that makes me think, "Hmm, that looks like a good idea" when in reality (for me) it's not, it's just more **** on with expensive stuff that I can do without.
Back to one bike, a BFe 275, with a few sets of 26" wheels set up with different tyres and adjustable (120-160) forks. It does everything I need and want it to. It's getting close to having singlespeed gubbins stuck on it, now the trails round here are a soggy mess.
edit- using the Rocket over the BFe for a while made me soft and lazy. It's surprising how quickly bad habits (sitting like a sack of spuds, twiddling) form!
I'm sticking with just a hardtail for now, less maintenance, keeps easy trails fun and I can just about keep up with my mates on their "enduro" bikes on the steep stuff which is what I love 🙂
Kayla1
was interested in what you said about running 26" wheel in a BFe 275 frame as I'm thinking of doing the same to upgrade from the old 456 I'm riding. Any thoughts on what it would be like to run 26 on the back and say 140 on the front but with a 650B wheel as I'm trying to decide between that and running 26 back & front (I want a new fork and front wheel either way)? I know it'll look a bit odd but it'll lower the bottom bracket a bit and slacken the head angle without the need for a long fork!
I can only afford one bike at a time and normally I want the one I haven't got.
Had a 26" HT wanted FS, got one then wanted 29" HT, got one then wanted smaller wheels and FS again, got a 650b FS, it had issues so I wanted a HT again, got a 650b HT now and trying to work out how I can pay for a new FS.
It's never ending, I'd keep both in your position, or get a new hardtail if there's something specific about it that puts you off.
I just sold my FS, and thinking of a HT, but not 100% sure my old bones will be too happy about it!! Might look what other cheap FS bikes are out there!
currently building up my HT for winter, cannot wait to ride it again.
I can see the ‘less expensive bearing maintenance’ angle but I don’t really agree. Forks, drivetrain, wheels and brakes (and seat post!) need as much maintenance no matter what they’re on.
Ride the bike you want to ride. Right now for me that means hardtails year round, but I’m considering recommissioning my old 26er FS rather than trying to sell it for beans.
I can see the ‘less expensive bearing maintenance’ angle but I don’t really agree. Forks, drivetrain, wheels and brakes (and seat post!) need as much maintenance no matter what they’re on.
Depends what you ride.
Forks -rigid
frame - hardtail
brakes - never bled them (shimano)
seat post - reverb only because it was in my spares box, I could live without it if I tried.
drivechain - singlespeed
OK that's taking it to an extreme, but it does cut down on maintenance to an absolute minimum (I might wash the bike at christmas).
But it's not the cost as much as it's the performance, I'd be faster on a more appropriate bike, but after a few weeks of riding in the filth it'd be slightly worse for wear and the rides would not have been any more fun than my normal (rigid SS) bike. So I tended to keep the nice FS bike for days out where it made sense, I don't begrudge wearing out a drive chain or suspension parts in the Peak District, it's doing it's job, in Surrey on the other hand it's just a pointless expense.
Ragley Blue Pig 2011 vintage with 26inch wheels!...in retina burning orange with matching pedals and grips....im all class!
But it looks good compared to another 'stealthed' out black/grey carbon bike and with a minus 1.5 degree headset it's numbers are surprisingly current, it's awesome and I'm far more precious about it than my FS, in fact I'll be enjoying the HT at BPW on Friday.
Hardtails are for life* not just for Winter!
*I love my full sus too, but where/how I'm riding, or who I'm riding with dictates the bike I choose to use rather than the season (not as catchy).
I'm not really looking forward to spending time on the Solaris this winter.
Is 'winter' the key word there?
Carbon FS sold...replaced with a steel hardtail (Stanton Switchback)...life is good.
With our lot the convention is:
Hardtail for local nightrides - year round.
Local slop-proof build, light bracket permanently fitted
and
Full sus for all day rides with proper hills and hike-a-bike - year round.
I'll use the hardtail for night rides purely as its cheaper than the full sus, which means i don't mind putting it away wet and dirty.
bikingbob- my BFe was* at its best with a 130-140mm fork in it with the same
size wheels. I didn't feel it needed to be any slacker or lower to be honest.
* past tense, it was nicked on Sunday night. Bastards. 26" Switchback on the way to replace it though, so, well, silver lining and all that.
Thanks kayla1 when you say same wheel size do you mean 26" wheels in a BFe275 frame?
Yes. 26" front and back in an old shape BFe275.
I have never seen how spending money on two bikes (winter bike) makes financial sense. I keep one full sus and maintain it because it costs less than buying a second bike. Besides I enjoy riding FS more.
I run a 29er hardtail over the winter unless it’s a big day trail centre sesh. I am really struggling to get into the hardtail this year, I am just not enjoying it! Even with 140mm forks it’s still not scratching the itch. I have bee on the look out for a cheap full sus 29er Frame. Can’t find anything that ticks the box currently. So will stick with the zero hassle hardtail
I ride my HT (Solaris Max) lots in the summer on the local trails. I'll put the 29 wheels it in for when the grim returns. Winter riding - especially night rides in winter - really just fill the gap between being clean and being drunk. The bike is mostly irrelevant 😉
I have a smuggler for the winter. Tyre clearance even on the 2017 isn't that great with a 2.3 in there. Great bike tho.
I'd pretty much given up on HT's until the Stache and then the Solaris. HT's are for all seasons - not just winter!
I’ve given up on FS for a while. My new 27.5+ hardtail is ticking all the boxes for my riding currently. I’m thinking of getting a set of 29er wheels for it but I’ve only had it for 5 or 6 rides so far and I’m enjoying the + tyres.
Climbs better, less wallowy (I am fat) and just as good going downhill as my, admittedly older, FS. I’ll get a new FS when I lose 20kg, it’s my reward. I just don’t see the need right now.
I did once build a Scandal for winter use, but I liked it so much it got used more than anything in the summer.
I’d just suggest everyone buts more bikes.
Two bikes.
Spitfire and BFe. The BFe has Hope Hoops, 1x10, Hope M4's, Reverb, 150mm Revs, Fatbars - the usual stuff. Barely ride it, even in winter. It's not that it's a bad bike, or that it's 26", QR rear, straight steerer or anty of the other non-current standards.
It's just not as much fun as the Spitfire.