[Closed] Yes it's faster, but is it funner?

I’m the same as you in some ways. Rode HT’s for years and gave full sus a go. It was like riding a sofa down a slightly bumpy road as opposed to trying to hold on for dear life down a rock strewn nightmare. I didn’t like it at all.

Few more years of riding HT’s and tried full sus again. Regretted it almost straight away. For me it just saps the fun from a ride and I can sort of switch off. I can definitely see the appeal of full suspension as it allows you to go a lot faster but, I’ve never been the fastest and prefer the challenge of riding a hardtail. I’m currently contemplating getting a Stooge Dirtbomb as my only bike. Probably seems mad to most people.

I suppose it depends on the individual and what they find fun. I’ll probably give full suspension another go at some point but it will be something with short travel out back.

I see both sides. Yes, there's nothing better than going down a natural trail like the Beast or Nibthwaite on a MK1 Soul, thinking you're going otb for the whole 20 minutes. But there's also nothing better than doing similar stuff in 5 minutes, keeping up with the others an knowing you're not going to be eating hospital food.

Similar to a phrase I heard last night which made me laugh and cringe. A mate talking about his new-to-biking colleague who has "outskilled his hardtail". Eh... I still ride a hardtail after 30 years, I'll never outskill it, and its way more fun / challenging than my FS. And just a bit slower.

This is the reason I sold my Orange 5 all them years ago. I love my rigid SS Stooge and wouldn't be without it but I think a hardtail like a Soul is the best of both worlds. Can definitely keep up with full sussers on the right trail but are so much more fun and reward better riding.

Totally depends on what you want, I get my kicks from hitting stuff as fast as I can and scaring myself a little. I can't go as fast on some bits I ride on a hardtail, and it doesn't mask my poor riding as much, so I don't get away with as much stuff, and I crash more. Which is definitely less fun. *shrugs*

I just found the full suss I had just meant I was going faster when I crashed.

I'll not be getting rid of my full-sus (It's an 8 year old DMR Bolt long, so worth bugger all anyway!)
I'll just keep it for future trips to BPW, etc.

My Stooge MK4 is probably my most ridden bike over the last 12mths.

I do also have a 150mm forked hardtail - a new shape DMR Trailstar - for bigger days out.

I just found the full suss I had just meant I was going faster when I crashed.

This made me laugh because it’s true. I managed to catapult myself clean over a wall by taking a corner way too fast on a full sus. Landed in nettles too!

Love my FS bike it's a great bit of kit. A real energy saver on a longer ride due to the cushiness and it's quick too (relatively).

BUT I wouldn't say I have more fun on it except for the fact it climbs a shed load better than my heavy, long forked, steel hardtail (old 456).

Most fun for my local trails is probably a hard as nails XC hardtail.

That'll be the bike when the FS retires.

I don't have the skills or appetite for big drops and risk and just not a regular part of any riding I'm likely to do anyway.

My last MTB was a 29er, faster, but much much less fun to ride. Wouldn’t rush for another.

This made me laugh because it’s true. I managed to catapult myself clean over a wall by taking a corner way too fast on a full sus. Landed in nettles too!

Over the bars at high-speed at BPW, tore the cartilage in my knee and ripped my ACL off the bone, it was dangling about with some bone still attached apparently....needed 2 oporations.....hurt like a mother ****er, worst part was when I tried to walk on it after 10mins on the floor!

“ I see both sides. Yes, there’s nothing better than going down a natural trail like the Beast or Nibthwaite on a MK1 Soul, thinking you’re going otb for the whole 20 minutes. But there’s also nothing better than doing similar stuff in 5 minutes, keeping up with the others an knowing you’re not going to be eating hospital food.”

I took my Soul to BPW when it opened, and Antur Stiniog the same weekend. It wasn’t MK1 but it was a 26” one with the same geometry.

The hardtail that replaced it is so different! Head angle 3 deg slacker, reach 50mm longer, so the front centre is about 90mm longer. Chainstays are the same length but bottom bracket is 36mm lower. And the fork is way stiffer and properly damped, wheels a little bigger, tyres a bit wider.

All those changes mean that although it still kicks and bucks and the back end appears out of control on gnarly stuff, the front end feels like a trusty full-sus, it just goes where you point it and you’d have to really screw up for it to throw you OTB.

I need to take it somewhere gnarly rather than my full-sus next time - probably a good idea as the current one has a motor so it doesn’t suit group rides so well!

It was like riding a sofa down a slightly bumpy road as opposed to trying to hold on for dear life down a rock strewn nightmare.

See for me, just being bumped around isn't fun. I like speed, and the sensation of handling the bike at speed. Bumps on a rigid bike reduce the opportunity to do that. On my rigid bike there are trails where I have no choice to go slowly, and I just oof and bump my way down. But on the FS I can go that much faster that they become swoopy and fun. There are trails where being forced to choose a complex line through rocks is fun - but I still do that on the FS as well just 50% quicker.

I do ride my rigid bike a lot, and I love it - but I love it because it's a positive place to sit and pedal, and it's somehow much faster and more satisfying to travel long distances. But for technical riding it's shite, the FS is about a million times funner.

And as above, FS isn't safer. You're at less risk at the same speed as on rigid, but if you're going to ride a FS at then same speed as a rigid bike then you're definitely doing it wrong.

I have a full suss that I haven't ridden in ages, a 2008 stinky that I bought in 2014 for doing the Mega.
For doing the Mega it was perfect, I was well out of my comfort zone and I never felt like the bike was holding me back at all, it was my bravery limiting me.
But, how often do I ride the Mega amd feel like I need it? Once so far...
I have subsequently got a Solaris HT, infinitely better on the ups. What surprised me was that it is also faster on the downs (at the Golfie, according to Strava). I generally find it more fun to ride.
However, there are certain things I will do on the Stink which I bottle completely on the Solaris. Is that because it's a full suss? Is it something else about it, ground clearance or bigger brakes perhaps, or because I tend to wear my full face and armour on the full suss?
I dont know.
I think the HT is more fun most of the time, but I keeping the FS as I will do the Mega again and I will want it for that and that is a lot of fun

You just need better trails for the FS to be fun. Hardtails and FS bikes are fun in different ways and excel on different trails.

If you want everything to be more fun op you need an ebike
Hth

See for me, just being bumped around isn’t fun. I like speed, and the sensation of handling the bike at speed. Bumps on a rigid bike reduce the opportunity to do that. On my rigid bike there are trails where I have no choice to go slowly, and I just oof and bump my way down. But on the FS I can go that much faster that they become swoopy and fun. There are trails where being forced to choose a complex line through rocks is fun – but I still do that on the FS as well just 50% quicker.

I do ride my rigid bike a lot, and I love it – but I love it because it’s a positive place to sit and pedal, and it’s somehow much faster and more satisfying to travel long distances. But for technical riding it’s shite, the FS is about a million times funner.

And as above, FS isn’t safer. You’re at less risk at the same speed as on rigid, but if you’re going to ride a FS at then same speed as a rigid bike then you’re definitely doing it wrong

I'd 100% agree with this. I love my Mk4 Stooge but I know for a fact it isn't the best choice of bike for 100% of the riding I like doing. Once things start to open up and we can travel about more I'll be breaking out my FS more. For big long XC type rides around my local area and early morning pre-work blasts the Stooge will always be the weapon of choice. It is really good fun and suits the types of trails I ride.

This is why one bike is never enough. I love riding my hardtail locally as my full sus just makes everything boring but I'm happier on the full sus if I'm heading to a bike park or doing an all day ride where I need the seated comfort.

I usually find the limit of speed on my HT is when I pinch flat the rear on the rougher Lakeland trails, which isn't the same problem on my FS. However it's a bit apples and oranges as they both do different things very well.

I see this all the time, why do some people think that you either have to choose between fast or fun? To me, fast is fun. Steep is fun too, rocky, techy is fun for me as well. A long travel FS is just more fun for me, in every aspect.

It really just boils down to the trails you ride, and how you want to ride them. Fast is fun.

I see this all the time, why do some people think that you either have to choose between fast or fun? To me, fast is fun. Steep is fun too, rocky, techy is fun for me as well. A long travel FS is just more fun for me, in every aspect.

Yeah, me too. I think it probably depends where you ride though. I've ridden my local trails on a rigid bike and it's horrible, jarring, stop-starting over melon-sized rocks. On my FS I buzz over them and it's great fun.

If I lived somewhere with only smooth trails then yes, the FS would potentially be overkill and less fun.

I think we are right to start re-framing the conversation around MTBs though. It should be about fun. For 98% of us, riding is for fun/exercise/travel/hanging out with friends. It's not about speed (racers excepted). Even Strava 'racing' is a lot less popular these days. A bike which compromises fun for speed isn't the right thing for most of us. But like you I don't think there is much of a compromise here - at least not yet.

My local routes are around the Peaks, Macc, Buxton and Marple. So plenty of rocks around but I still prefer the HT. Picking lines and thinking ahead are what’s fun for me. Plus being limited to a single bike a HT just makes more sense. Everyone is different though and as long as you’re having fun whilst being mindful of others it’s all good.