UtahMountainBiking.com

[Chadmama]

Hey guys,


I was curious what the general consensus is about racing xc with either a hardtail or full suspension bike. I am beginning to ride quite a bit and am wanting to ride in a couple of series this year but I'm wondering if I need to consider getting a different bike. We live in a relatively flat part of the world(Memphis,TN) so fs is kind of over kill for most of our trails. I currently have a 2001 specialized fs pro comp(xtr equipped). I kind of feel as if I may be losing some of my power through the full suspension and am unsure if maybe I should think about a hardtail? Any opinions? Thanks.

[Crackbaby]

You really need to just be honest with yourself. Are you just trying to find an excuse to buy a new bike or do you really feel like it is only the bike that is holding you back? For a beginner MTB racer, you would be just fine on the ride you have. Yes, most professional riders still ride hardtails as their race bikes and they are still the fastest bike for most courses. However, they are paid to ride a certain bike for a race and I can show you that for a recreational ride, they don't ride the same bike. You and I have to pay for our bikes so you need to decide what you want to ride ALL of the time, not just at races. For most people, that is a FS bike. If you look at the amateur ranks, most racers are on some kind of FS bike.

Some other thoughts....Look into a hartail 29er. The bigger wheels are not suspension but your ability to roll over things and to maintain momentum are greater, equaling a suspension "feel" and less stress on your body.

29ers account for 19% of all high end bikes sold in 2008 (over $800) and a whopping 47% of hard tails in the same price range. Some may not agree or like the statistic but the change to bigger wheels is definitely happening. If you are looking at a new bike, now is the time to move up to a 29er. (shameless plug )

[TrailGeek]

[STT GUY]

I have a Kona Hei-Hei 29er.

It's fast, climbs well absorbs trail chatter nicely. With Pro-pedal "on" it is quite similar to a hardtail but on a big hit it gives a little when I really need it. Flip the pp off and it has 85mm of rear travel which is quite nice when needed and seems to be more than enough.

I've been riding it a lot lately and aside from a having a very tough time selecting a good front tire that works for my 190lbs I'm really liking it.

[thesnail]

There was a article in VELO news a couple months ago and they tested hard tail 26" against full suspension and the full suspesnion was faster overall. I have a hardtail 26" mt bike and a 26" hardtail single speed but if I could afford a full suspension carbon fiber 26 inch I would get one in a second.

[STT GUY]

In the latest issue of Mountainbike Action/Fiction a XC champ states that he finds the new dual suspecsion 29er Gary Fisher far superior to his hardtail and he made the switch becuase it will help him win races.

[stupidbike]

and what we read on the intrawebs is always true.

seriously, the engine matters much more than the chassis.

On some course full suss is faster, on others hardtail is.

there is no one answer. in the end, do your ride or race more?

Full Suss gives you more options and speed on tech trails.

[oilcanracer]

[tuffguppy]

Chadmama, are you still here?

For racing on rockier or more rugged courses FS has some advantages, but...

Most XC races are won on the climbs and any small time losses on the downs will be more than made up on the climbs with a HT. Have I said it before? "The bike really doesn't matter much on a XC race course." Get a pretty light one and add a good engine and you will do well." I have raced on a 22lb Ht, using a suspension fork that doesn't lock out, for 4 years. Most racers would consider my Motobecane bike no better than a dept. store bike, but my results have been acceptable. A top 3 finish in 14 of the last 15 races. A flat tire in one race moved me to 5th place. No fault of the bike.

For XC races, ride a HT. For recreational rides the bike doesn't really matter. Buy what you prefer and enjoy the ride and the views and your photos/videos when you get home.

[Superfly]

[Superfly]

[Crackbaby]

I find it hilarious that a guy named "superfly" is poking fun at a guy with a recalled Jet9!

The #2 most broken frame ever giving crap to the #1 most broken frame ever.

[stupidbike]

if your knowledge of 'Superfly' is limited only to a bike, then you need to get outa Utah more.

[Crackbaby]

Yeah, but we are on a MTB forum so....any bets?

[Superfly]

I stole the Superfly moniker long before that fiend Gary Fisher stole it from me. Much to my chagrin it does fit his bike better than it fits me.....unless of course you're a fan of irony.

[Crackbaby]

Fair'nuff.

[tuffguppy]

[Cobes]

[tuffguppy]

[Crackbaby]

This one....

[zoso]

See, what started as a fairly uninteresting topic turned into good stuff.

Ya all are sandbaggers!

[tuffguppy]

[Giant Warp]

There are only two kinds of mtn bkrs in this world. Those who ride behind Tuff Gupp and .....mmmmmm...........ahem, there is only one type of mtn bkr in the world. Those who ride behind Tuff Gupp.

Just like Chuck Norris, Tuff Guppy doesn't wear a watch. He decides what time it is.

[Crackbaby]

Blasphemy!!

You will most assuredly die of a round house kick related death in the near future. I would tell you to watch your back but you will never see it coming. Nice e-knowing you.

[thesnail]

I think this is tuffguppy that I'm chasing a couple weeks ago, however he is 10 years older than me and started a minute behind our group, and he did drop me.