weight of bike and weight of rider

[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!

[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

[Voodoo Sally]

I too am a tried and true hardtail fan. I've tried both full suspension and hardtails for years, and I much prefer a hardtail. I like the simplicity, the clean look of the frame, and the "rider involvement", like han-grrl. I also am a weight-weenie. I like every thing on the bike to be light. Over the years I've found that the lighter, the better. As in, the longer you last on a ride and the less energy you use. That adds up.

I also live in eastern MA, and I ride my light hardtail on all the rocks & roots this region has. And it's OK. Body English and some care with picking a line and watching your speed help when descending in this stuff.