Hardtail VS Full Suspension

[Phillippe Coetzee]

Hi All

This is the first time I am creating a topic but am really curious on some opinions and thoughts.

I ride a 2022 Titan Cypher Team edition (Bike build up from the frame) the bike weighs around 12-12.3 ish kg's. Its got a 1x12 on with a SID Ult with Mavic wheels and alloy cranks. I like the feel of the bike and the way it rides. My dilema is as follows, From Monday to Friday I mainly cycle on tar roads and on the weekends ill do a long ride that includes gravel or it will be a full gravel ride. 

Is it worth it selling the dual sus frame and getting a Carbon hardtail frame (a light one thats around 1kg), I believe then the build weight will be around 10kg. 

Will it make a difference on tar if a bike is 2kg lighter ?

Will it make a difference on a trail, speed wise ? (Please note I dont do jumps or anything like that.) 

At the moment on tar I avg a 30km on 22kmph but if I push myself I can avg 28kmph.

 

Also not looking at a roadbike since my weekend rides consist out of gravel and dirt roads, will possibly get a cheap road bike for road races in the fuuture.

Any feedback will be appreciated. 

[Headshot]

10 minutes ago, Phillippe Coetzee said:

Hi All

This is the first time I am creating a topic but am really curious on some opinions and thoughts.

I ride a 2022 Titan Cypher Team edition (Bike build up from the frame) the bike weighs around 12-12.3 ish kg's. Its got a 1x12 on with a SID Ult with Mavic wheels and alloy cranks. I like the feel of the bike and the way it rides. My dilema is as follows, From Monday to Friday I mainly cycle on tar roads and on the weekends ill do a long ride that includes gravel or it will be a full gravel ride. 

Is it worth it selling the dual sus frame and getting a Carbon hardtail frame (a light one thats around 1kg), I believe then the build weight will be around 10kg. 

Will it make a difference on tar if a bike is 2kg lighter ?

Will it make a difference on a trail, speed wise ? (Please note I dont do jumps or anything like that.) 

At the moment on tar I avg a 30km on 22kmph but if I push myself I can avg 28kmph.

 

Also not looking at a roadbike since my weekend rides consist out of gravel and dirt roads, will possibly get a cheap road bike for road races in the fuuture.

Any feedback will be appreciated. 

You sound like a candidate for a decent gravel bike. Either that or just buy a cheap road bike for the weekly commute/tar rides.

[Phillippe Coetzee]

Just now, Headshot said:

You sound like a candidate for a decent gravel bike. Either that or just buy a cheap road bike for the weekly commute/tar rides.

Did try a gravel bike, I still prefer suspension over rigid XD

[Phillippe Coetzee]

7 minutes ago, Headshot said:

You sound like a candidate for a decent gravel bike. Either that or just buy a cheap road bike for the weekly commute/tar rides.

Appreciate the feedback 👍🏼😁

[eala]

16 minutes ago, Phillippe Coetzee said:

Did try a gravel bike, I still prefer suspension over rigid XD

You have your answer

[Super Sywurm]

Keep you bike, get a second wheel set with slicks for the commute.

[Phillippe Coetzee]

8 minutes ago, eala said:

You have your answer

Mainly trying to figure out if its worthit to go over to hardtail. 

[Mook]

Keep your dual and rather go for the most expensive gravel bike you can get. Fit slicks to the GB and you have a road bike. Don't go for a road bike, cause you will hate yourself for not having something to do gravel with if the dual is not suitable or on the heavy side. The GB would be more suited to commuting than a road or dual MTB.

My 2 cent's worth

[waveduke]

I recurrently ask myself the same question - why don't I get a hardtail instead of full suss?
Save some on maintenance and weight.

But every time I hit the three hour mark on a ride / race I'm glad to have suspension 🙂

My solution is now to have a cheap aluminium road bike for early morning road rides and CTCT and a full suss for weekends and marathons.

 

[Phillippe Coetzee]

2 minutes ago, waveduke said:

I recurrently ask myself the same question - why don't I get a hardtail instead of full suss?
Save some on maintenance and weight.

But every time I hit the three hour mark on a ride / race I'm glad to have suspension 🙂

My solution is now to have a cheap aluminium road bike for early morning road rides and CTCT and a full suss for weekends and marathons.

 

Lol yea exactly the same question, never done 3 hours on a hardtail thats the thing 🙈

[Skubarra]

56 minutes ago, Phillippe Coetzee said:

Did try a gravel bike, I still prefer suspension over rigid XD

I'm with @eala

If you preferred the full sus over a gravel bike on gravel/road rides you would probably prefer it over a hardtail too

The 2kg weight saving is less of difference than one might imagine, especially for social type rides. And you will miss your FS when you do trails.

If you are only allowed to own 1 bike I would keep the FS, possibly a larger chainring more suited to road/gravel type riding might be an option for you.

[gemmerbal]

Having sold my HT in 2022 and upgrading to a FS I can categorically state that I miss the simplicity of my HT, as well as the reduced running costs especially after a very muddy 361 and a wet TB. If I could choose it all over again I’d keep my HT. My DS is excellent but just overall the HT is cheaper and simpler even though slightly less comfortable. And that is just because I’m a fatty at 1,8m and 100kg. 

[peepeekaitjie]

Mountain bikers who say they prefer hardtails over full suspension are just engaging in mental gymnastics to cope with being too poor to ride a full suss

 

[Phillippe Coetzee]

4 minutes ago, gemmerbal said:

Having sold my HT in 2022 and upgrading to a FS I can categorically state that I miss the simplicity of my HT, as well as the reduced running costs especially after a very muddy 361 and a wet TB. If I could choose it all over again I’d keep my HT. My DS is excellent but just overall the HT is cheaper and simpler even though slightly less comfortable. And that is just because I’m a fatty at 1,8m and 100kg. 

Does the DS feel a lot slower or not really ? 

[Phillippe Coetzee]

5 minutes ago, Skubarra said:

I'm with @eala

If you preferred the full sus over a gravel bike on gravel/road rides you would probably prefer it over a hardtail too

The 2kg weight saving is less of difference than one might imagine, especially for social type rides. And you will miss your FS when you do trails.

If you are only allowed to own 1 bike I would keep the FS, possibly a larger chainring more suited to road/gravel type riding might be an option for you.

Appreciate the feedback 😎

[Nic Brigando]

1 minute ago, peepeekaitjie said:

Mountain bikers who say they prefer hardtails over full suspension are just engaging in mental gymnastics to cope with being too poor to ride a full suss

 

Or they like having fun ;D

Time and place for all types of bikes. Depending on the type of riding you do, some are faster, some are more fun.

Don't discount a gravel bike with a small suspension fork - maybe look at a Lauf fork on a cheap-ish gravel bike, it'll probably be faster than even the lightest FS bikes on a longer gravel ride, and you can definitively take it out on the trails still.