My first MTB, vacation pics, and advice needed.....

[TigerMom]

Attached is a pic that I found on the web of the Algarviana that looksexactly like the terrain I struggled on. Do you guys consider this sort of trail easy, moderate or hard by mountain bike standards? Suitable for a hardtail? I felt very unstable and was afraid I was going to fall so ended up doing a lot of walking, even when moderatly flat. My husband too had trouble when this stuff got really hilly. I should add we had no instruction in skills, just bought these bikes and started to ride them as if they were road bikes. My husband did notice a difference on our two bikes though. He said his 29er just rolled over everything, whereas with mine he had to steer around things more and pick his line more carefully. With that being said though, he did like the increased maneuverability of the smaller wheels. If that is the case, then maybe it would be easier for me to roll over stuff on a 29er, but then many of you say women our size don't like them, and then I wonder if 27.5 is different enough from 26 to make a difference. Those of you that fell on 29ers, do you think it was because it was so much harder to control the bike, as that doesn't sound good either.

Based solely on this photo, I would say that this is NOT a beginner trail because "picking the correct lines" is very essential here due to the rocks that will throw you off balance. It also sounds like a carbon or titanium full suspension is best for you based on your previous comments.

In addition, I ride tubeless. I am 5ft 1in and weigh 120# and have my 29er tires at 20 PSI. Because of the tubeless tires, I can set up my bike at a lower PSI which gives better tractions on the descents (which is my weakness).

Having your handle bars measured by a bike fitter and cut to the right length also helped increase my bike maneuverability without sacrificing stability.

Many people say that 27.5 makes a big enough difference from the 26 which is why a lot of bike manufacturers have discontinued their 26ers from all their bike lines except the downhill bikes. Personally, I couldn't tell much of a difference between the 27.5 and the 26, but I feel a HUGE difference between my 29er which is why I went with the 29er instead.