[Closed] Never had a FS bike - am I missing out?

I went out last year with the intent of getting a hardtail, and ended up with a clown bike Fs ex demo giant trance for the same budget

Much more comfortable and capable than me or my old hardtail - I'd say get one but expect higher maintenance bills

Had many, sold them all,HT all the way now

I've got a rigid 29er, rigid forked fattie,650b front suss and 26/650b carbon full suss. The more suspension I find generally makes me faster in most areas so if speed is your thing then yes f/s is more fun and maybe less tiring. I find I use my other bikes more as I like to feel a lot of the trail and not have it damped away as such. So to sum it up , your right ,I don't actually know !

FS is worth it if you're willing to keep on top of pivot/bearing maintenance, and of course also the shock.

I ride with a few people who only use FS for heavy rides, i.e. Alps/DH, but here the Peaks, they just fly around on HT 29ers. It's all about their confidence and experience.

But I think for most riders, especially if you're only going to have one bike, I'd go with FS, but maybe not too much travel. I reckon 140/150mm is plenty enough for a 26er, and then 130/140mm for 650. My preference would be with the latter.

I was an HT rider till late last year. FS is harder to pedal generally, but they do have more grip when climbing, especially on techy stuff. But point them down, hang on and enjoy...... 😯

They are sooooo much faster......... 😉

Love my FS and HT I wouldn't be without either. For me HT is still fast over rocky stuff but it takes more out of you, FS let's me ride harder for longer with less pain and just as much fun. These days I have a knackered ankle so have to be careful where I did my HT and how I ride it, I don't get on it as much as I would like to.

Another thing that I find beneficial with FS is being able to sit down and pedal over bumpy ground without my arse being battered.

I've yet to ride anywhere that I couldn't ride on a HT - however, it's more fun on a FS.

It's not about comfort for me, it's about how fast I can ride technical terrain.

I have a HT also btw

Of course it depends a lot on how, where and who with you ride.

If you can't have both.....

After last nights ride on my Hardtail If I only had one bike it would be a full suss.

I think it depends on where you ride and how you ride. I live in the south and ride a rigid 29er. Cheap to run and does not make the easy trails around here too easy. I would not want full sus around here. But I'm looking at some 2nd hand 150mm ish fullsus machines for trips further away. I think if I liver in Wales I'd still want a rigid or HT bike for most riding and fullsus for special days.

I ride a HT most of the time, FS are just loads of fun.

HT for me here. Posted a few weeks ago about this. Only time I guess a floppy back end would benefit me (according to riding mates) is proper bumpy stuff. Most of the time I can use my legs smoothing the bumps out.

See I totally get that a FS is , all else being equal, faster and more comfortable and presumably less fatiguing, and therefore could be more enjoyable. Then at the same time I wonder if there's some sort of perverse satisfaction from riding the same stuff on a hardtail, if you've had to think more or it's been more physically demanding, and that I might be constantly thinking 'ah, but could you do that on a hardtail'. This leaves me wondering which would, overall, be more satisfying.

All mine are fully rigid now.
Still debating buying a full suss tho..

I'm shit at looking after my bike.
Bugger that though, they are just more fun, stop worrying and get one.

TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR

I totally agree, there is nothing round here I didn't ride on the HT (and not far behind the FS riders), however, now on the FS, its much., much faster.....

But hurts more when it goes wrong. 😥

however, now on the FS, its much., much faster.....

But hurts more when it goes wrong.

This is another factor. I was out with my wife today. She's much faster up the way, I'm much faster going down (credit for which must go predominantly to Sir Isaac and his gravity, not me). She was remarking that 'if you hit the ground or a tree at that speed it would be like getting hit by a car'. Maybe the enforced extra care/caution of the hardtail has some merit?

Define "fun"?

In the UK, i'm going to suggest that if you're relatively fit and strong, a good long travel lightweight HT is more "fun". But, you have to ride them properly to keep up with a modern FS bike when it gets rough, and you definitely get beaten up doing so.

If your rides are typically multi-hour epics on rocky trails, then a medium travel FS is going to be a lot more forgiving, and you'll go faster with less effort.

But if your rides are a couple of hrs mucking round in the woods with your mates, then a good HT is a lot of fun too.

In all cases, you need to put more work it with a HT and be significantly more "active" on the bike to make it flow, but when you do, you go fast and really enjoy yourself!

I'd say try one of the shorter travel fs frames. the 120 plus are geared more towards trail/all-mountain as they say these days...I have a ht which I use most but also a 120 fs which is great fun in tougher rides where I know I'm going to be hitting some bumpy stuff and the ht would be utterly punishing - I'm thinking more actual mountainous terrain than the comparatively sedate south downs or something.
One thing I notice is on the HT I always aim for the smoothest line which in return tends to give more speed, with that same mentality on the fs - and the added bump-absorbance - trail speed is kept up pretty well and it's hugely fun

I've had FS in the past but am exclusively HT now. There's no doubt that FS makes the downs faster and stupidly easy in some cases - I borrowed a 650b Giant Trance last year and found I could hit rock gardens however I liked and it would barge through. But I don't necessarily want things to be fast or easy when I ride. Plus I really have little interest in shock settings or maintenance so HT suits me.

But if your rides are a couple of hrs mucking round in the woods with your mates, then a good HT is a lot of fun too.

Almost exclusively this at the moment...

If your rides are typically multi-hour epics on rocky trails, then a medium travel FS is going to be a lot more forgiving, and you'll go faster with less effort.

...but hoping for a bit more of this when my littlest one starts school later this year.

Was a HT dogmatist for years. Finally succumbed and got an FS (160mm) last Autumn. Both obselete 26ers (BFe and Alpine).

Lucky enough to keep and ride both, but if you really pushed me to choose I'd keep the FS.

Both are fun in different ways - the HT I find forces me to think more about what I'm doing and actually 'ride' the bike to get the most out of it and the trail. The FS is fun for the sheer speed it can carry - just point it at something rough or steep and hang on...

The FS can do everything the HT can - some a little worse, some a little better - but then it can also do a whole lot more that the HT can't (at least under a rider of my skills).

I use my hardtail for local, door to door, xc type rides which includes some tarmac, forest roads and some singletrack. I use my fs more on trail centres and so forth. I'd buy the bike thats more suitable to your riding curcumstances or one of each if you tend to mix up your riding.

I have an xc hardtail an xc FS, the FS is smoother and easier on the bumps, but I admit I prefer the drive I get on the Charge Cooker. I'm faster climbing on the Charge too, over a 6 min local climb I'm 10s quicker on it.

As with other posters, choosing for your typical riding makes all the difference. I had a 5 for years and sold it 2 yrs ago as it was only really being used for bigger days and trail centres. I used my 100mm steel hardtail for all the local and winter stuff. Got rid of them both for a 120mm Soul with a dropper which covers all bases for me.....

However, recently got a short travel light FS for longer days, summer dryness etc and am really enjoying having FS option now. At age 49 with health issues it is a bit more forgiving than the Soul on real mountains !

I have a XC orientated HT - Kinesis Decade Versa II - and a 650b FS - Whyte T-103 Works - and enjoy both just in different ways.

My riding buddies are all quicker up hill than me, I'm heavy :-), but only one is quicker than me downhill. The quicker guy rides a 26" Five and is one of those riders whose just fast everywhere. If I'm on the HT I'm usually 20 - 25 metres behind him on our longest singletrack descent and on the FS it's more like 10 - 15 metres.

One of the biggest changes I've made to the HT is to put good quality, Maxxis Ardent 3C, tyres on it rather than the slightly ancient Panaracer ones I was running, this has increased my confidence in the HT's grip and in particular corning speeds.

Both FS and HT get mud tyres in the winter but mostly ride the HT just due to the extra maintenance the FS takes in winter.

I have gone back to hardtail as it suits my long/XC/muddy rides more. I had a full suss for about 5 year s and did enjoy it but when it came time to retire it a hardtail was the right choice for me.

I'd suggest if you have never ridden one for any length of time then you are missing out. There is a reason why they were invented. THey are better in a great number of situations.

5 years of HT, went to FS, and faster everywhere, still do the HT "looking for the best line" mostly tho

if i had the room, would have a HT for local/easy rides to keep wear down on the FS

Agree, totally depends on where you ride.

I am solely fast fire roads, single track etc,. with very little challenging terrain.

Rigid single speed still does it for me.

Yes you are.

But be honest, is this one of those threads where you really just want people to say "no"?

Lucky enough to have both but the HT gets ridden more, it has a responsiveness and sprightly nature that you simply cannot get once you put a hinge and spring halfway along a bike frame, which is essentially what full suspension is!

Put a gun to my head and ask me to post my fastest time down a trail and i'll reach for the FS obviously....but i ride mainly for fun so find myself taking the HT out most days, its great.
All my uplift days so far this year have been on a HT (BPW, FoD, Black Mountain Cycle Centre) and my sole DH race entry so far this year is tomorrow in the HT class....steel frame, coil forks, short stem, wide bars, flat pedals, big brakes....it feels bombproof which just encourages silly riding!

am I missing out?

Yes, get one, so if nothing else you moan about it for the next 10 years for being rubbish (ala most of the haterz).
Been riding purely a HT for the last 2.5 years & it's great, but I would currently travel to South Asia, if it meant I could collect my new FS frame quicker..

I've tried the HT thing, on paper it should work, but I'm afraid I just don't get it.

Mot of my riding is what you'd class as tame. I'm not really into the whole adrenaline-fueled, MTFU, let's see how fast we can ride down this scary looking slope side of mountain biking. Been there, broke that 🙂 These days I'm just as happy exploring the huge network of forest trails, stalker's paths, wind farm access roads etc that criss-cross the local mountains. Just seeing where they go, which is often nowhere. On paper a hardtail 29er is the perfect tool for the job and I've owned two now; an FF29 and a Solaris. Both great bikes. However there is also a Five hanging in the shed and the simple fact is that, no matter how tame the trail may be, the Five is always more fun. It's more comfortable if I just want to spin along and admire the view but if I'm in the mood to play I can bounce up and down on it, like a kid on a trampoline, try and hop over that rock or puddle and if the path I'm exploring happens to dump me at the top of a steep rocky path I'll give that a go too.

The whole maintenance thing seems to be a non-issue too. There are two big bearings, which cost a few quid and can be replaced in ten minutes with a hammer and an allen key. The rear shock needs about ten minutes for an air can service every six months. So what's that, about 30 minutes extra maintenance a year, which can be done on a nice sunny day in the garden. I'll send the shock off every year or two for a proper service, so there is a bit of extra cost there, but it's a small price to pay for having a bit more fun on every ride.

I have a 150mm FS and an aggro HT. FS is easier to ride but i find the FS is only noticeably faster in prolonged rough stuff i.e. the kind of terrain that slows the fs down too. Everywhere else there's not much in it. I do ride the HT differently, as in less braking and trying to hop of the worst of the rough stuff to keep the speed up. Line choice is very similar and i prefer jumping the HT. My bestest riding buddie only has a HT (Bagger with 170 forks) and it's amazing and somewhat distracting following him. The rear end bounces about so much that it makes it hard to concentrate on the trail ahead - like trying to watch TV while someone waves their hand frantically in front of your face. If i'm feeling fit i'll join him on the HT (no dropper or granny which is the reason i generally ride the FS on big mountain days) and he says the same about following me. At the end of the runs, the man hugs are stronger and the high fives harder when we vibrate down the trails together. There is a certain satisfaction* to bombing down a trail with a like minded maniac 😀

Edit: When i get down a tough trail on the FS i think my bikes is awesome. When i do it on the HT, it's me who is awesome 😛

[quote="thegreatape"]See I totally get that a FS is , all else being equal, faster and more comfortable and presumably less fatiguing, and therefore could be more enjoyable. Then at the same time I wonder if there's some sort of perverse satisfaction from riding the same stuff on a hardtail, if you've had to think more or it's been more physically demanding, and that I might be constantly thinking 'ah, but could you do that on a hardtail'. This leaves me wondering which would, overall, be more satisfying.

I think the same thing, sort of, to the point that I ended up with an itch that I had to scratch. There's a 1km downhill (byway) 5 minutes from us that is brilliant fun bombing down on a long travel HT and I really fancied a go at it on a FS but couldn't justify the expense of a new-ish bike that may end up not getting used so I bought myself a 2006 Kona Stinky (yes, it's a essentially a DH tank of a bus of a boat of a thing) on Thursday for £notverymuchatall and am waiting for the weather to clear so I can bomb down it on that. If I end up thinking it's great I might save up for a newer, lighter FS frame to build up and keep the Stinky for ridiculousness' sake. I'll be keeping the HT whatever I end up doing, it's gaan neewhere.

So yes, but no. Try having a go on your mates' bikes. The worst that can happen is you don't enjoy it and the best is that you end up wanting a new bike to live with your HT >>> n+1, everyone's a winner! 😀

Yes you are.

But be honest, is this one of those threads where you really just want people to say "no"?

I don't think so, I wasn't expecting that anyway. I never gave it much thought until recently, and have started wondering if the riding I do now might merit one. Not that these things need to be justified of course!

I'm another rider fortunate enough to own a FS (26er 120mm with short stem / wide bar - call it a mini-enduro bike*) and a HT (steel 29er on 100mm forks).

I ride mainly woodsy singletrack and fire roads plus linking them with the odd stretch of tarmac / grassy fields / towpath etc.

Given a body full of injuries I so wanted a FS and even sold the HT I had at the time as the FS was about 4 lb lighter!

Problem is I found that although the FS helps my back and prevents fatigue, the pedal bob (even with propedal on) irritates my hip like crazy.

I then bought a 29er HT as I was offered a great deal on one. It was my first big wheeler and I was won over immediately. It became my total 'go to' bike.

Then, about a year later, when my son was looking for a replacement bike he asked for it and, despite saying no at first, I did start looking at other 29ers and a month later I had a new bike and he had my old one! (I still think it's too xc for his riding but he loves it 😉 )

Even after playing around with the set up on the FS and getting it as 'right' as can be I still grab the HT first. All this despite often feeling beaten up after 20-25 offroad miles.

So really then, as others have said try one. You might like it. You might not.

*pat pending on that rad to the power of gnar marketing term.

I'm a HT rider, tried full suss along the way but always prefer to ride HT.
Currently do have a big 160mm full suss but I only use that for uplift days and Alps trips.

For me the HT is always more fun, the full suss only really sees use for uplift riding because I can't ride the ht as hard on the lighter wheels and tyres and a repeated long descents get tiring fast on the HT. I wouldn't want to be without the full sus but if I had to bin it I would. Anything I wouldn't ride on the HT I wouldn't ride on the full suss either!

I'd say if you're happy with what you've got, why not try a full suss out and see how you like it, but don't just ride where you would be happy on the HT, go do an uplift day or something new that you might not fancy on the ht.

Should be easy enough to try a couple of different ones then.

Righty-o, I had a blast out on the Stinky this morning and it answered my question insofar as I wouldn't choose to take a FS out for a 'normal' trail ride around here but I would choose to take it somewhere that it would be put to use. I know it's a world away from more recent (ie lighter!) trail FS stuff but I kind of like the sketchyness of a HT- the Kona just steamrollered over/through everything 😆

I started on HT's, owned 3 in total, the most recent my 456 is sat in the store room in bits. I loved riding it when my FS bikes were overbuilt and lardy. Now I have a nice carbon 140mm FS it seems more redundant. I wanted an XC bike and toyed with HT's but ended up with a 100mm 29r FS. The HT just doesn't fit in the plans these days, it also doesn't do my back any good these days but that is just my body getting older before it's years.

I have only had HT until now, then last week halfords were doing an amazing deal on the Boardman FS, so I was able to get one.

I have only been for a couple of rides but I love it 🙂 I have a dodgy back so I didn't seem to get as battered (3hrs riding the trails of qecp a few times) and had lots of fun on the downhills. I don't think I will go back to HT now!

I can't afford to run two mountain bikes, so I will spend my money maintaining this one and riding it all year.

I used to be HT only but got a FS for a whistler trip and I haven't really looked back despite trying to "ht only" a few times. It's just not as fun to me and I can't get used to the unbalanced feel of a hardtail, I think I'd rather go fully rigid so both at least ends move around the same. My bikes probably a bit overkill (Scott voltage) but so much fun. I still think about getting a Mega TR for more pedally rides but I'm more about the dh bombing and jumps so I don't think it'd be as suitable.

and for balance on the maintenance thing, not touched bearings on one bike in nearly 2 years (grease port on one of the links is a good start), the shock service takes about 20 mins and can be done at home.

Hardtail for cross country , climbing days every time. For big downhill days fullsusser. At 44 my body appreciates it and much faster. Personal choices I'd say. Did wait till I was 41 before going full sus though.

Lots of comments about being battered/bad backs etc. Better core strength = less need for FS?

bad backs etc. Better core strength = less need for FS?bad backs etc.

Back injury when I was much younger, but in all respects I prefer my 2 FS bikes for just about everything I do.

Back injury when I was much younger

Understandable then! It wasn't a criticism, just a question really, to see if people thought it made a difference?

I do core strength exercise most night have done for a couple of years, to avoid back ache.. I simply don't trust what the back end of a HT will do when it's get too gets fast & bumpy, I would freely admit to being a wuss.. The FS allow me to still feel in control/confidence and go much much faster than I could on any HT.

kayla1 - Member
Righty-o, I had a blast out on the Stinky this morning and it answered my question insofar as I wouldn't choose to take a FS out for a 'normal' trail ride around here

??? You ride a 5/6" DH bike on your trails and then are going to pronounce that no FS would work well/better on those trails than your current HT? So like all HT are exactly the same? Nice unbiased testing there.

Picked up my first ever FS yesterday. Can't wait to get out for a decent ride.

Nicely taken out of context Z1ppy, did you choose to ignore my disclaimer of "I know it's a world away from more recent (ie lighter!) trail FS stuff" and the fact that (I thought I made it clear from previous post(s) in this thread) my post was only relevant to me and the trails local to me, or are you just a wussy trolling arse?

I only chimed in on this thread because the OP's musings were similar to mine 🙄

just returned from a couple of days in the lake.
so so glad i was on a big bouncy comfy full susser.
but in other easier rolling place, ht is fine. i am looking for a new ht 29er for such a reason.

5 hrs XC today on the HT, on horse hooved then wind dried hard tracks.

Tomorrow morning, there is a good chance you're going to have to use a forklift to get me out of bed! 😉

(not helped by a comedy off on a berm that decided me and my bike were too heavy and hence collapsed completely under me as i railed it. #bloodyknee )

Only you can be the judge of that. Nobody on this forum could tell you what's best for you since its all individual tastes.
Only thing your missing is experiencing what a fs does/feels like etc. But you could say the same for riding a unicycle/road bike etc...

Meant to finish that with you need to ride one for a while to make your own mind up...

You don't get these threads on motorbike or car forums.

How about welding some struts next to the rear suspension in your car and see if the road comes alive?

Yes.

I have just gone back to a ht, a ti switchback from a long travel 29er. I have had loads of fs in the last few years and a bfe thrown in to. Test rode the switchback and just loved it. I ride peaks mainly with lakes etc. There is no doubt a FS is faster in lots of situations but not all and I actually prefer the switchback on the really tight steep stuff as it is well slack but more precise. I ride a lot and got fed up with bushings, bearings etc

No doubt I will be back on a full suss but don't see it having much travel, there is nothing out there that I know about though which I would consider.

Hi ape

I was in a similar situation to you a few years ago
However I had only ever really ridden FS bikes. It was when the on one 456 came out that I though "an I missing out"?
So I bought a second hand on one 456 and built myself a nice fun hardtail
So was I missing out? Yes, the HT was a hoot and I suddenly gained a load of respect for folk that can really fly on them.
Started riding the HT a lot, went and did all my fave local rides on it just because it was all different.
Ended up selling the 456 and bought an mmmbop
Things changed a bit at that point because the mmmbop weighed as much as my FS bike but it was brutally stiff. I just stopped riding it.
Eventually after a year I realised it wasn't for me. Sold that and bought a Ti 456.
That bike still gets ridden, as does my FS bike. But they get used for different days out.

Why not buy a used FS and see if you like it? Or borrow or demo one for a day?

Appreciate all the views/suggestions. Shouldn't be too hard to try one or two different bikes so I guess I'll just do that!

I've only ever ridden at HT except in the Alps last year when I hired a Scott Voltage, which was good fun for a change.
Some of my mates have always sworn by FS, to the point where I thought I might get one, but suddenly they all seem to be buying HTs.
My HT has a steep head angle and I always feel like I'm going over the bars, but it's good for climbing.

I started properly riding off-road in 2003, and have ridden HT for over 10 years. After riding the ardrock enduro 2 years ago, I decided I needed a dropper, so sold the soul and bought a bfe as I thought it suited my riding better. Noticed the lack of flex and the stiff back end pretty much straight away, compared to the soul which had 27.2 seat tube, it was just not as good to be riding all day.
I kept it for about 8 months and decide to go back to a soul, but by this point, they were updated seat tubes too, and CEN tested too. I felt it had lost that back end compliance that I loved so much.
During this time, I was waiting for the unicorn bike for nearly a year, the cotic rocket. This obviously never materialised, so I ordered a SB66 instead. I've also sold my fatbike and soul since then and replaced them with a spectral 29er.

I'll never go back. The spectral is incredible as a HT replacement, modern FS bikes are awesome on techy climbs, don't have the pedal Bob they used to have, and aren't much heavier now either.

I love both the spectral and the yeti, always thought I would have a soul after riding them for 10 years, but some things just change.

LOL @ kayla1, you ride a completely DH orientate bike once, then decide there no good, limited disclaimer or not.. yet I'm the one trolling, yeah go on with ya 😉

Had full sus since 1999. No way would I go back to having a hardtail as my main bike. I've got a hardtail, but the fully rigid bike gets used more.

Got both

Both good

Get both

Are you missing out? Yes.

Do you need one? No.

Are they good? Some yes, some no, depends on you and your riding.

They let you go way the hell faster on rocky ground, basically. This means that corners that were previously just bends become exhilerating fun. But that's only a benefit if you want to go fast. It depends what riding means to you. If you just like a bimble through the woods then save your money.

This only applies if it's rocky and/or rough though. If it's not, then it won't make a lot of difference unless you are looking for comfort.

It does take a while to learn how to get the best out of a FS though. If you just jump on it and expect a revelation, you might not get one. It takes repeated riding and learning to figure out just how fast you can go, and how to use the suspension to your advantage. The same is true for switching the other way round, of course.

My advice is - if you have the cash to splash, go for it.

I've never owned an FS either although I test rode a few some years ago, I just preferred hardtails - I have three of them. I ride the xc trails at Cwmcarn and Afan okay in good times, did Cafall in 1hr:16 a few weeks ago. I don't think I'd be any faster on an FS because my bottle runs out before the bike reaches it's limits. It would just be a comfier, smoother ride for me but that would take the fun out - I like picking lines and working the bike - and Im not one for taking the big drops anyway so it would be wasted on me. The only time I really felt I needed FS was going down that last decent on the Blade trail at Afan last year, I nearly got literally rattled right off the bike!

because my bottle runs out before the bike reaches it's limits.

But would lots more control not give you more in your bottle?

that ^^^ +1, more control = more confidence, and the rattle off a bike comment, is now why "I" wouldn't be bother to return to afan in a rush without a FS.

If I only had one bike it would be a full sus. They really don't cost much to maintain at all, that bit is a fallacy. I ride mine all year, 12 months, through all the gloop and paste imaginable and it has only asked for one bearing change in 2 years (total cost £28, diy). One shock service (£80) and anything else has been equivalent to a hardtail.

A full sus will be faster. You'll be able to ride all sorts of lines in ways you could have never imagined. Much more fun in my opinion.

dunno Molly, I've ridden them before and didn't seem to go any faster by overall time... maybe I was faster on the downs but slower on the climbs?

Had a few, loved them. Came from an old XC HT to a XC FS, then a trail FS and an AM/Enduro FS, and they did re-calibrate my brain as to how hard I could ride stuff.

Now gone back to a slack angled HT for pretty much all UK trail riding. For me it's just more fun and I enjoy the technical challenge of it being harder to go as fast. Just a lot more rewarding than pointing a big enduro bike downhill and steamrollering a trail. There is a tipping point though, trips to the Alps for example, just a lot more fun on a big bouncy bike. But for most UK trails (and certainly trail centres) it's HT for me.

Had several. Going to be selling my current one (very capable, lots of fun, but sick of replacing pivots) and get an Orange (again).

Saying that, I'm also planning to get another hardtail (on top of the rigid SS I already own).

I'm now beginning to see where N+1 comes in...

Re pivots, I've replaced one pair of bearings on my 5 in 8 years of ownership. Cost £15. Replaced two sets of shock bushings in that time.

Bearing life is a major plus of Orange FS bikes imo.

For me it's just more fun and I enjoy the technical challenge of it being harder to go as fast.

Riding a FS for me is just as technically challenging, because I'm going faster. I love the thrill of speed - HTs seem horribly slow now and quite frustrating as I see a line but I can't attack it!

dunno Molly, I've ridden them before and didn't seem to go any faster by overall time... maybe I was faster on the downs but slower on the climbs?

How much time did you spend on FS though? Took years for me to learn how to use it properly.

Have got several incarnations of both I consistently enjoy the FSs but blow hot and cold with the HTs

One thing I've learned is to accept the HTs for what they are and not try to make them into FS with a solid back end. Play to their strengths and minimise their weaknesses and ride accordingly. Wouldn't be without a HT and while I acknowledge that the FSs are better in some situations they#re not better everywhere, all the time.

Generally agree with above sentiments, I have a slack angled 650b full 120mm full suss and a rigid 29er and they suit very different rides.

Local XC, towing the Chariot, muddy winter rides - The 29er's perfect.

Anything fast, steep or rocky - full suss all the way, loads more fun.

I'm loving the HT just now, tbh there's not much I'd not ride on it, that I'd ride on the big bike- I'd just be slower. But then, sometimes I think, maybe I only got that way by riding things on the big bike. The biggest difference is grip imo.

Variety is the spice of life, I rode the same loop twice the other day on 2 different bikes and it felt very different.

Been a HT rider for ooooh, as long as I care to remember, then out of the blue, bought a 5 inch carbon Yeti...As you do. 😆

control, speed, grip...all those things happen on a HT, but happen "more" on a FS. Enjoying it, as much for novelty as anything else, and will probably at some point get bored by it, and go back to HT.

But yeah, you're missing out.

Riding a FS for me is just as technically challenging, because I'm going faster. I love the thrill of speed - HTs seem horribly slow now and quite frustrating as I see a line but I can't attack it!

Maybe if you get to ride loads of natural DH trails. And for trips to the Alps, for example, that definitely applies. UK trail centres which, TBH, is mostly what I ride these days, it really doesn't apply.

control, speed, grip...all those things happen on a HT, but happen "more" on a FS. Enjoying it, as much for novelty as anything else, and will probably at some point get bored by it, and go back to HT.

Yes, you might have more control, stability and grip... but where's the fun in that 🙂

UK trail centres which, TBH, is mostly what I ride these days, it really doesn't apply.

I think it does! I go to Cwmcarn a lot, it's not smooth.

Yes, you might have more control, stability and grip... but where's the fun in that

The fun is in the increased speed!