weight of bike and weight of rider

[SadieKate]

Why do you want another hardtail? Just asking for the input.

[han-grrl]

Obviously there are advantages to buying a hardtail over a full suspension and vice versa

a few things to think about: once upon a time, there was NO suspension on bikes and people rode just fine. then front suspension came out then full, then it seems a lot of people are going back to hard tails or even rigid, partly for the simplicity, and partly because of loss of power in certain sections.

Another option would be buying a 29-er , a bike with 29 inch wheels. Because of the bigger wheels you can even get away with a rigid because they act a bit like suspension BUT 29ers are a bit hairier in some technical sections and you need to learn the handling of the bike.

Budget - buying a 25 pound bike can get very pricey very quickly. So set your budget and research within that limit.

Upgrading, with in your budget you can get a "cheaper bike" that might have some good things about it and then upgrade handlebars, seat post or wheels to make it lighter.

Personally I like the hard tail, even on technical because i feel i have more control over the bike, plus the simplicity, i don't like having all these little "parts" that need to be fixed regularly.

Another thing to think about is your riding style, and racing. If you plan on doing "regular" cross country races, investing in a lighter bike would be good. But if you plan on doing longer 8 or 24 hour races then a full suspension is definitely nicer on the body. when i did my 24 hour race i was very happy to have the full, but now i am back to the provincial cup circuit and i am riding the hardtail which is better to climb with (which there is lots).

Will the bike let you test ride the bike you are interested in? That's probably the best option. Test ride one versus the other and see which you like. because there is also the geomtry to think about, yes maybe you want to go with the lighter bike but if it doesn't "feel right" then it might not be the right bike for you.

anyway just throwing some thoughts your way...let us know what bike you are thinking of thinking about...

Han

[anakiwa]

I'm about your weight. I just started riding and got a Trek 6700WSD. I don't know the weight- I had guessed it was closer to 25 lbs, but I could be wrong. I find the bike to be really comfortable (though I'm used to a road bike so anything with 2+ inch wide tires is probably going to be comfortable for me). I don't know what the bike's actual weight is, but the price seemed to be quite reasonable.

[rocknrollgirl]

I weigh 115 lbs, and I have a 32 pound all mountain full suspension Marin, and a 25 lb Titus Racer X.

The Marin is better on the terrain in the NE. It is heavier for sure, but it takes the hits much better. The lighter bike does not stick as well over the rocks.

I did a race in the Daks this past Sunday and rode the Titus. The terrain was better suited to the Marin.

I upgraded to the Titus this year to race on,and although it is easier to climb on, I carry more momentum on the Marin, so sometimes I wonder if it does not all equal out in the end.

Lighter may not be your solution due to your location.

[LiquidFeet]

I weigh 115 lbs, and I have a 32 pound all mountain full suspension Marin, and a 25 lb Titus Racer X.

The Marin is better on the terrain in the NE. It is heavier for sure, but it takes the hits much better. The lighter bike does not stick as well over the rocks.

Lighter may not be your solution due to your location.

That's exactly what I'm talking about. When I ride full speed down a fairly straight New England rocky hill, I have my butt off the seat and back a bit beyond the saddle. I attempt to visualize my line, ignore the rocks on that line unless they are big enough to hit the chain ring, and just go. I keep my torso smooth on its path down the hill, and the bike bounces leftie-rightie beneath me. A lighter bike bounces MORE. A heavier bike, with its added momentum, bounces less. I've checked now, and know this from experience. Both are hardtails.

Would full suspension make a difference if my butt is up off the seat?

[dirtygirl1]

Hey Ladies ...

my 0.02 cents ...

Until this year I raced only on a hardtail ... and loved it. I was doing the shorter races though (2.5 hours) and the terrain wasn't that technical. On the more technical courses I was being thrown around a lot but came to thinkg of it as 'normal' because I trained, played, and raced all on my hard tail.

This year I switched to the distance racing and got a full suspension bike. i can't beleive the difference. I don't feel like I ever get thrown around ... and the extra weight is un-noticable.

When deciding which bike to purchase I would ask what your goals are and what type of riding (or racing) you enjoy.

Type of Terrain:
I beleive that if the terrain is technical you will go faster on a full suspension, even with the extra weight. you save so much energy by not having to use your legs as a suspension system ... you can use that energy to work harder on the climbs and will be faster overall. If the terrain is not techical you will likely go faster on the hard tail.

Type of riding/racing:
if you like to do longer races/rides, I reccomend a full suspension. I have found that I recover faster both during and after my ride on my full suspension. My body can focus on those nice round circles, breathing, eating and drinking ... and the bike takes care of the 'bumps' in the trail. It's a more enjoyable experience and a better way to go.

If you enjoy ripping it up and only do shorter rides, you won't notice the tole on your body so much - so it goes back to the type of terrain you enjoy rideing/racing.

My bikes are both Norco, both top of the line XC bikes (EXC 1.0 and Faze 1.0) so they are very comparable. I had to take my HT out for one lap at the 24 hour solo I did not too long ago and I could not BELEIVE the difference. I was sooo glad to get my FS back!

[LiquidFeet]

Why do you want another hardtail? Just asking for the input.

Two reasons. Less expensive. Less buttons and whistles to repair and maintain over time.

At this point I don't THINK I'll be racing. I ride for personal improvement - do one more trail with less dabbing, go faster through one section, take that decline this time without brakes, make it up that loose incline all the way. That sort of thing. I'm not in a hurry.

When I watch videos of others riding, they are so often out west where the trails have long declines (not so in my neighborhood) and long passages of sandy trails not riddled with big pointy rocks. No wonder those people go fast. There's no way I could go fast on these trails around here, not the single tracks anyway. So do I need that back end suspension? I ride downhill with my butt off the seat anyway....

Yes, I need to try out full suspension on the trails before I decide for sure. The only person I know who has one is a tall guy, so his bike is not going to work for me. But is some shop going to let me take a bike out on these gnarly rocky trails??? I haven't even asked. I wonder if they will.

[SalsaMTB]

But is some shop going to let me take a bike out on these gnarly rocky trails??? I haven't even asked. I wonder if they will.

It's definitely a possibility. Our shop along with a few of our competitors have some demo bikes offered for people to try out before purchasing. It's definitely something with calling around about.

[wavedancer]

Yes, I need to try out full suspension on the trails before I decide for sure. The only person I know who has one is a tall guy, so his bike is not going to work for me. But is some shop going to let me take a bike out on these gnarly rocky trails??? I haven't even asked. I wonder if they will.

I'm getting into this conversation late, but if you still haven't decided on a bike (or even if you have), you may want to go down to Wompatuck this weekend for NEMBA-fest. Specialized and Trek and others will have bikes to demo on lots of singletrack. Should be a blast!

NEMBA Fest

[LiquidFeet]

I'm getting into this conversation late, but if you still haven't decided on a bike (or even if you have), you may want to go down to Wompatuck this weekend for NEMBA-fest. Specialized and Trek and others will have bikes to demo on lots of singletrack. Should be a blast![/URL]

Thanks, Wavemaster.
I had seen this mentioned some time ago but had decided not to go. I'm rethinking now. And no, I haven't bought a bike yet. In fact, I had a little accident on asphalt (my autopilot misfired and I did an endo for no apparent reason) so I've given myself some time to heal. It's time to get back on the bike, I guess.

[lph]

and... sorry if I'm pointing out the obvious here, but make sure you're not riding with too high tire pressure. Will make any bike go pinging off the rocks.

[DirtDiva]

Don't forget the impact geometry has on off road handling too. For example, that all mountain Marin will have slacker angles and probably more travel than the Racer X, not just greater poundage, so of course it goes downhill more competently. Suspension set-up can have quite an impact too. A fork that has adjustable travel can make climbing much easier when you wind it down, as can a rear shock with different settings to choose from. Climbing is generally easier with firmer suspension, descending generally easier with softer. I'm not knowledgeable enough to explain it very clearly, but you really can feel it when you rid different bikes, so do what you can to get some test rides!

(The real answer is that we all need one of every kind of bike. )

[Irulan]

and... sorry if I'm pointing out the obvious here, but make sure you're not riding with too high tire pressure. Will make any bike go pinging off the rocks.

excellent point, I was going to post that but you beat me to it.
Tire pressure makes a HUGE difference.

[han-grrl]

I can vouch for the effect the fork travel has on angle. My husband "pimped" my 2001 fuel with new components including the Reba fork. I was noticing that i was having trouble handling the bike, i thought it was me, but a bike mechanic friend said that the fork angle was affecting things and turned it to minimal travel and then it felt a bit better, but still not the same as my original fuel.

As for HT for FS bikes, i prefer HT more for simplicity sake. I agree that the weight difference can be minimal but there are more parts to break in a FS and things that go wrong. I also feel a ride better on the HT, i'm more involved in the riding, if that makes sense, but for longer races like my solo event, i prefered the FS to spare the body.

I have the Gary Fisher big sur (female version) and the trek fuel at the moment is much much heavier and quite noticeable. I find for the provincial cup races that i was working very very hard managing the bike, and not as hard with the lighter hard tail.

I love discussing HT vs FS especially with the ladies!

Smile

Hannah