Going back to a hardtail from a dualie?

[Coopz]

Just wondering how many people have rolled back from a dual suspension bike to a traditional hardtail? I know the standard progress is to get a HT and upgrade once you muster the basics and want to go harder off-road but I'm over 40 now and tend to avoid jumps and I just coast around fast berms. Had a few good stacks in the last 2 years on my NorcoI Sight so I sold it last year (it felt cursed..) but still have my Polygon T8. My last 30 rides have just been off-road trails, nothing really rocky and rough, I'm starting to think it would be better to get a carbon HT instead. Less weight, more simple, less moving parts and cheaper costs.

Anyone else done it?

 

[rangersac]

My MTB journey has been an old school geo 26 inch hard tail - longish travel (for the time) 26 inch dually (now sold) - mid travel 29er dually (still have this, such a versatile bike) - long travel 27.5 dually (subsequently sold, frame too small) - long travel 27.5 dually (also sold, too much bike for me) - 27.5 modern geo hardtail. Gotta say I loved going back to the hardtail, modern geo versions are incredibly capable and heaps of fun. Only minus is on rocky terrain you do get beaten up quicker, but that's what the dually in the stable is for.

 

[PJO]

Yes, did it in 2018, I'm still riding the hardtail and I'm close to 50 .
For me it was a cheap(er) way to try more modern geometry, the 2009 Giant Trance was getting a bit long in the tooth.
I bought a Pipedream Moxie and it was faster and easier to ride than the Giant. Pipedream actually weighs more than the Trance because steel frame, bigger wheels, bigger fork (35mm vs 32mm stanchions).
The only real downside is when it gets rough. Maydena is hard work, four laps and I'm pretty ready for a beer or three.

 

[Ackland]

Dual suspension lets you get lazy with your body language.

You just need to remember to get back to basics:
Pedalling smoothness/timing
Unweighting (f + R)
Hovering over your saddle through uphill chop

 

[Daniel Hale]

T8. My last 30 rides have just been off-road trails, nothing really rocky and rough, I'm starting to think it would be better to get a carbon HT instead. Less weight, more simple, less moving parts and cheaper

for the terrain u describe ht seems best option, theyre still the best gravel bikes voing around, new geo HT rides really well

 

[beeb]

Hovering over your saddle through uphill chop

This is what I struggled most with when I was running only hardtails for a year (?) or so.

Not actually the technique, but after a couple of climbs when I'd start to fade I found I didn't have the stamina to do this well, so ended up pedalling while seated and going over minor corrogations and steps. This still puts a fair bit of force into the body unfortunately, and I found easy-to-moderate seated climbing the most fatiguing aspect of riding (a hardtail). It made my lower back ache and get stiff, which then starts to effect the descents.

When I was still feeling reasonably fresh I didn't really find any issue with descending even in reasonably rocky terrain. Modern geometry hardtails are still very capable. Personally I ended up with a short-travel/lightweight dually (don't say the DC word!) as my go-to bike as it does most things except more extreme rocks or speed really well, but without being so punishing on the body.

If you have the option, I would suggest trying to borrow a hardtail and trying it out for a couple of rides. You'll know pretty quickly if your body thinks you should have a hardtail or not, but if you're like me and were a bit borderline to begin with - just be aware the fatigue does gradually build up over time if you're riding regularly.

That's not to say it can't be done/you shouldn't consider it - just don't go in with rose-tinted glasses dreaming of back when you were riding everything on a hardtail without issue when you were 15 or so...

 

[Flow-Rider]

I've kept on riding both, it's fun because it makes simple trails more interesting, and I find I can grind up the hills easier.

 

[PJO]

That's not to say it can't be done/you shouldn't consider it - just don't go in with rose-tinted glasses dreaming of back when you were riding everything on a hardtail without issue when you were 15 or so...

Some of us are still fairly delusional/dreaming when it comes to this.

edit: I speak from experience!

 

[beeb]

Some of us are still fairly delusional/dreaming when it comes to this.

I still think I can do rolling endos and other triallsy type moves "if only I had a trials bike". So far I've chosen not to reveal my own ignorance to myself.

 

[PJO]

So far I've chosen not to reveal my own ignorance to myself.

You are wise beyond your imagined years!

 

[caad9]

For the type of trails you have mentioned, a hardtail would be a far more engaging ride.

I have been through a number of duallies and currently riding a steel hardtail with 150mm fork. Unfortunately, I’m dealing with a one bike quiver and have been for a while. I think a solid trail HT is too easily overlooked.

Without any actual deep comparison, I think I could descend most trails within 5% of my best ever efforts on it, however you do know about it. Obviously this is not full blown rocks or gnarly DH trails, just my local (Silvan)

It’s a bloody fun bike to ride and I’d love to continue owning a modern HT for an authentic experience. It’s also bloody good not servicing rear shocks all the time

 

[ozzybmx]

I was forced on to a hardtail when the quick sale of my Santa Cruz crossed over with the delay of my Deviate, 6 months on a 150mm HT and my first ever ride on 27.5.

It was ok but I was happy to get back onto a FS bike. I found it very easy to damage a rear tyre and during that spell, I was also carrying about 8kg more and I found it felt good on flowy trails, it wasn't so nice on chunk.

 

[Ultra Lord]

I’ll get back to you once it stops raining and I cam get a decent ride in.

 

[The Reverend]

Running a modern aggressive HT with 150mm and it's great fun, especially with huge tyres on.

That said, it's still nowhere near the level of control one has with a FS bike. Definitely space for both if you can run them, and as mentioned earlier I very much appreciate not having to much about with linkages, pivots, suspension settings and maintenance.

If your trails are not that chunky, it adds a bit more excitement to them. You'll definitely get either fitter or tired / beaten up.

 

[ashes_mtb]

Had a couple of months without my Norco in early 2021 and went back to riding me 26” On-One full rigid. Had just as much fun as I do on dually and didn’t really find it that hard on the body.

If I had the money for a custom frame I’d happily have a HT as my only bike. Maybe with a few different wheel and fork options depending on the ride.

 

[Labcanary]

Just wondering how many people have rolled back from a dual suspension bike to a traditional hardtail? I know the standard progress is to get a HT and upgrade once you muster the basics and want to go harder off-road but I'm over 40 now and tend to avoid jumps and I just coast around fast berms. Had a few good stacks in the last 2 years on my NorcoI Sight so I sold it last year (it felt cursed..) but still have my Polygon T8. My last 30 rides have just been off-road trails, nothing really rocky and rough, I'm starting to think it would be better to get a carbon HT instead. Less weight, more simple, less moving parts and cheaper costs.

Anyone else done it?

I'm doing this kind of by accident. I didn't really gel with my dually, but I'm a midget and it's difficult to find a good fitting bike.
The hardtail fits me well and is super comfy and fun to ride. So I was using it the most anyway. I've got my eye on a Canyon Neuron but can't afford a new bike yet, so I'll be using just a hardtail for a while.

 

[frenchman]

Shit yeah @Coopz. Get on it and show those other old pricks that should’ve stuck with 15k road bikes and Lycra how to send the kickers on a ht.
It’ll go good on those machine built flow trails and it’ll make u shit the bed when you think about sending it at Mach chicken into the chunder though.

 

[clockworked]

Dont do it. Hardtails are the horses of the car world.
In isolation they're good and have character and whatever, but it almost every measurable metric they suck unequivocally.

 

[silentbutdeadly]

Anyone else done it?

Yeah...but only because there's not much in the way of trails around here and what is around tends to be more than what I and the dually are really suited to (and I can't afford to move to a burlier dually). Besides, being an old bloke carrying chronic injuries, bouncing from arsehole to breakfast doesn't hold quite the appeal anymore. So the hardtail on the less gnarly stuff and even the fire roads holds me together...

 

[Ultra Lord]

it’ll make u shit the bed when you think about sending it at Mach chicken into the chunder though.

This^
One send into some rocks and my ankles still cooked weeks later.