M_S

Oh man, I didn't realize that most of the trails most of the people ride most of the time are "fake?" Do I need to forsake all uphill riding and pay for lift and shuttle service on every ride to truly be mountain biking? Please help me, I told all my friends that I mountain bike but I don't want them to find out that I am just a poseur.

From now on I will be taking my road bike on all local rides since apparently that is what I am doing. Or is my XC HT actually a road bike? I'm so confused.

mystolenbikes

You don't mountain bike much do you?

skiahh

Anyone who claims trails other than those they ride on aren't real... well, aren't real; they lack any credibility.

While there are some trails that, no doubt, that would be near suicide to attempt on a HT or rigid any trail is a real trail.

I just sold an Epic to get a 29er HT in addition to my 26 FS. I'm still getting the feel for being back on a HT and and learning how to take advantage of the big wheels, but I'm also trying to figure out where I wouldn't ride it. I can't think of many... but there's plenty I'd prefer my FSer on.

I rode my Epic on all kinds of trails, from the Pac NW to New England to TX to Colorado. I certainly felt some of the trail would have been better with a more XC or all mountain type ride, but I still enjoyed the ride and none made me want to rush out and sell the Epic.

That said, if I could only have one bike, it'd be the FS; an XC since that's my primary type of riding. It might be a 29er FS... the jury's still out on that one, though.

M_S

False.

victim

"Hardtails make you pick better lines"

victim

I'm getting better as I get older. I did throw up in my mouth a little, but at least I was able to type it on the intra web.

TwinCam

A few months ago I frameswapped an fs for a hardtail. It should be fine until I get fat or old.

edit: oh or until i get on a real trail like dminor. loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool

UBUvelo

true, the FS bikes still look like bikes...but one day, the engineers will stop playing around with SQUISH and all that's connected to 'two wheels' (i.e., "bicycle") and just create big round ball that you can slip your bike into...then just go bouncing down the hill. . .

i like that FS has opned up the vistas a bit and allow folks to go into more gnarly (i.e. "real") situations, but there's a limit. isn't there?

one day, if this trend continues, only "real" mtbikers will have bikes than can ram into trees, fly through the air (propulsion, wings, etc) and, perhaps, mend itself after disintegrating (like T2)...

ah, the future.

for now, i'll ride forward into the past on this rigid, taking on as much as i can with tires deflated expertly as possible. of course, i could get a hardtail. or full-suspension, eh?

born2bahick

Yeah Doug you did throw a pretty big blanket there, But You did just ride whistler BC, The Mecca of mountain biking. Soooo.. WE will let that one slide, but from now on, you need to run "Thrill me kill me"
on a hardtail just to keep it real. All us butt hurt XCer's with big lungs and no skleez deserve that.
He he

Japhy

This is a good discussion. Been spending all my time in the roadie world and I am thinking about buying a mountain bike soon and am perplexed by the "all mountain" FS and the "cross country" hardtails. And where do the 29ers fit in?

ed 

Don't change the subject roadie. Run the search a few times and you'll come up with what you need. This is a pretty informative debate though, I agree.

TwinCam

29 is just another wheel size. It's all good but don't drink the kool aid. 26 and 24 inch wheels still work alright.

mystolenbikes

I know everyone here is gonna say never say never but I don't think I'll be owning a HT or a full rigid bike as long as I can afford to have a full suspension bike. I a few days ago I swapped bikes with my buddy who owns a rockhopper pro because he is looking to get a stumpjumper and man I am telling you that bike sucked! Flame me all you want I am telling like it is, I was bouncing over every rock and pebble I think I lost a few fillings from my teeth. IMO arguing about benfits of an FS is like saying first computers we build 30-40 years ago were better than the ones we have today or ford model T rode better because it had stiffer suspension, cmon people how is it that possible?
What's next? Replacing the shocks in our cars with steel rods?
Go a head let the firing begin.

ed 

You're totally off the deep end, dude. Why do DJ'ers use a hardtail? What about people who ride swoopy / climby singletrack with very little rocks or roots to negotiate? How is a dually gonna benefit either one of these groups?

If you ride rough terrain...buy a dually...if you ride rougher terrain buy a bigger dually...but if you're on pretty groomed singletrack, what's the point?


It's all in where you ride.

TwinCam

PROTECT YOUR TOOSH BRO

UBUvelo

why was this posted again?

go to page one:

08-21-09, 10:16 PM

any reason for the repetition?

TwinCam

I think he actually wanted us to bust his balls over it.

His tender little balls.

UBUvelo

when will they design a bike that can ride over landmines?

how would a FS do off a cliff?

the next level of racing will be through war zones.

or out of an airplane. w/o a chute...

TwinCam

They're going to need to design burlier chairlifts to get all these real bikes up to the real trails. We're going to need like... real chairlifts.

UBUvelo

the new omni squish bikes will be available only to folks who can do a specific number of insane yoga postures...you'll have to bring in your credentials....


seriously, i can see the FullSus bikes have automatic 'training' wheels that pop out when needed. at some point, a bike that can smooth out every bump will render it simply an amusement park ride...

mystolenbikes

Wow you guys are so funny you should have your own stand up show.
Well I guess someone forgot to tell Lance Amstrong about all the benefits of a HT or a rigid bike because he just won a race on a full suspension bike, in fact he just didn't win the race he actually destroyed the field and the previous race record.
Oh wait now you guys are gonna say...but if he rode a Hard tail he could've been faster right? Guess what? There were bunch of hard tails in that race and they were no where to be seen.
Let me just say this I will go to any trail with any of you guys and hang with you on my full comfort bike and if you happen to pull away from me during the climb that would because of my conditioning not because of my bikes lack of climbing.

DenisMenchov

Well that's it, but you are going to come across a path eventually where an FS might be needed. So to me, if I were to only have one bike...it would be a FS rather than an HT. But it would be good to have both I suppose. I would go high end on the FS, and maybe cheap on the HT though if I wanted both.

UBUvelo

i probably read The Onion too much...

(o yeah, www.theonion.com )

i used to not be a lance fan...this Tour de France, i became one...and was happy to see him shred the competition at Leadville, but i think he would've done it hardtail just as easy...it was lance, not so much the bike.

DenisMenchov

Yah, Lance rode a FS, but I don't think some people get just how stiff and rigid a good FS bike can be. I mean just lockout the front suspension...and if you got a stumpjumper...put the brain on the firmest setting - or another bike...put the rear on the firmest setting...and whala...you got a very rigid bike. It won't be as light though, so that's the drawback...but I'm sure Lance's full carbon FS was pretty dang light.

I would also say the drawback with an FS is more maintenance as well, so take that into consideration as mentioned.

ed 

The pitfall of the brain...at least with the RP23, you can just flip a lever to the firmest setting instead of getting off and twisting something. Why have a dually if you're just gonna make it rigid for the whole ride