|
I t seems that every time I turn around, someone's asking questions about the difference between a hardtail and a full suspension bike as their first real mountain bike. While there are numerous different viewpoints about what is the best bike to "start" on and what you should be riding at what point in your riding career, there are a few things to consider when you're deciding what bike to buy. You'll need to keep in mind the kind of riding you invision yourself doing (be realistic about it though), the amount of money you have to spend, the amount of mechanical knowledge you have, and the amount of time you want to spend building your skills. So what are the pros and cons of each platform?
Hardtail
Mountain biking traces its roots to the humble double triangle'd hardtail, and it remains a popular choice to this day among riders both new and experienced. First the pros:
The first consideration with a hardtail will be cost. A very well equipped hardtail with excellent components can be had for the same price as a very basic full suspension design with very entry level components. Because there is much less R&D (this is debateable depending on the brand of hardtail you purchase) and many fewer complicated parts on a hardtail, you can get a much nicer package for your hard earned dollar. When you consider that there are fewer moving parts on a hardtail, you'll quickly come to the conclusion that maintainence is going to be significantly easier with a hardtail rig as well. There are no pivots, bearings, shocks (except the fork, but that's common with any bike) or linkages to maintain and keep on top of. Since there is no suspension linkage, you'll also find that a hardtail is going to be lighter and arguably more flickable on the trail. The flickability of the platform allows the rider to pick lines more precisely and minimize the amount of rough terrain they have to traverse.
The main attraction of the hardtail platform doesn't generally come from the price, weight or simplicity (unless we're talking about singlespeeds), but it comes from the pedaling efficiency on the trail. Suspension designs have progressed leaps and bounds above what they used to be and platform shocks have made great strides in technology and damping ability. Today's full suspension designs may be efficient on the trail, but they will never match the efficiency and snappiness of a well built hardtail platform. With a fully suspended chassis, it is inevitable that some of the pedaling force put into the cranks translates into suspension movement. In some conditions, you can lose a fair amount of pedaling power (as much as 20% when standing on a long travel bike) regardless of platforms and fancy linkage designs. A hardtail is the single platform that has no realistic amount of give in the rear triangle of the bike. All your pedaling force will effectively go to the rear wheel, making for snappy acceleration and excellent power delivery.
The main downside of a hardtail is exactly the strength of a fully suspended design; there is no vibration or big hit damping on the rear of the bike. Larger volume tires can add a slight amount of "travel" to the rear of a hardtail, but most of the shock absorbing capability on a hardtail comes from the rider's arms and legs. You will find yourself spending a lot of time standing out of the saddle to absorb chatter and larger hits otherwise it's likely that some kind of back pain will set in. Hardtails also force riders to pick better lines. Screwing up a line and riding over something much larger than you should have will quickly show negative consequences.
Full Suspension
Compared to a hardtail, a decent (take note of the word decent) full suspension rig will cost somewhere between 50% and 100% more than the cost of a good hardtail. With the introduction of suspension parts, the assembly, precision and just plain extra parts will start to add up. You'll generally get lower quality components unless you're prepared to spend top dollar on your ride. Purchasing a poor quality full susser will end up costing more in the end, both in broken parts and lost riding time. You truly get what you pay for in the full suspension world, and the more you spend, the better you'll get. With that rear suspension, you have a lot more choices on the trail; it's much easier to float over rocks, roots and other obstacles that may force a hardtail rider to pick their way through. Suspension efficiency particularly shines in technical uphill situations, deep sand or nasty bumpy sections of trail by keeping the rear wheel planted on terra firma. When the rear wheel maintains traction, the rider can more easily retain control of the bike.
When adding suspension to the rear of a bike, a rider will also notice that they can ride longer and harder than they could previously ride a hardtail. The suspension helps to cushion the spine and keep the rider's body from getting hammered during descents and rocky trail sections. Instead of using legs and arms for shocks, the bike takes up most of the slack and makes longer, rougher rides easier. Larger volume tires can easily increase the suspension "travel" that a rider has available and can increase the ability of the rear suspension to handle technical situations.
On the downside, a full suspension will lose some efficiency to the shock and linkage design. Even the best designs will suffer from some kind of efficiency loss, which can make climbs that much more taxing than climbs on a hardtail. Price and weight also ring in as a disadvantage for the fully suspended design, with both of them going up significantly. All that linkage and shock equipment add as much as five pounds to some bikes, and can add two or three thousand dollars to the pricetag. After dropping that three grand and adding a few pounds, riders typically neglect to pick good lines and instead choose to barrel over obstacles like a tank. Yes, your skills may improve in some ways, but basic riding skills tend to suffer when new riders start on fully suspended bikes.
The verdict?
At this point, it would be nice to tell you, as a new rider, to go out and buy a hardtail or a full suspension bike. I can't do that. All I can tell you is you'll need to look at your bank account, your skill level, your ambition as a rider and the kind of terrain you regularly ride. My recommendation is for every new rider to start on a hardtail, learn and hone basic bike handling skills and get a few years experience on a platform that makes you really work for your rewards. Riders who have bad backs or knees, a fair amount of previous experience, or who ride in exceptionally rough and brutal terrain may well be served by a priceier full suspension rig. There are always tradeoffs, but in this case, it's a matter of weighing the consequences of one platform vs. another. Happy riding, be it on a hardtail or a squishy rear end.
Questions? Comments? Love letters? Send 'em to Techeditor@mountainbiketales.com.
|
