I'm looking to swap my dual suspension for a hardtail, any advice?

[Justinvanwest]

I have a silverback stratos al5 softail and i just dont feel comfortable on it , i find a hardtail much easier to use and i feel more confident on a hardtail . What is the best way to go about this 

[splat]

That's unusual.
Normally, its the other way around.

What is uncomfortable about the DS ?
Is it a sizing and set-up issue ?

[RobynE 🚵‍♀️]

3 hours ago, splat said:

That's unusual.
Normally, its the other way around.

What is uncomfortable about the DS ?
Is it a sizing and set-up issue ?

I would also ask this.

Are you bobbing? Does it feel too squishy? Losing too much power in the squish? Can you lock the rear and if you do does it feel better?  

[love2fly]

I'm with the above comments, when I lock my suspension and get to feeling what a HT would be like makes me glad I've got suspension.

The philosophy that HT teaches you to ride better is like saying driving without a windscreen teaches you how to drive with barely open eyes...I'm married to my dual suss for life! 😀

[RobynE 🚵‍♀️]

2 minutes ago, love2fly said:

I'm with the above comments, when I lock my suspension and get to feeling what a HT would be like makes me glad I've got suspension.

The philosophy that HT teaches you to ride better is like saying driving without a windscreen teaches you how to drive with barely open eyes...I'm married to my dual suss for life! 😀

Oh no please don’t misinterpret my questions 😂 I am HT all the way and really don’t like the feel of the dualsusses I’ve sat on so have no desire for one. But, as splat mentioned, this is a reversal of the usual question posed. 

[love2fly]

14 minutes ago, RobynE 🚵‍♀️ said:

Oh no please don’t misinterpret my questions 😂 I am HT all the way and really don’t like the feel of the dualsusses I’ve sat on so have no desire for one. But, as splat mentioned, this is a reversal of the usual question posed. 

😄

[MORNE]

I get this.

i’ve been lucky enough to have some pretty awesome full-retard, full squish enduro bikes…but for some reason always yearn for the simplicity and feedback you get from a hardtail. There is nothing like it. Mid travel trail hardtails are so much fun, and i ride mine on everything i ride big bikes on. Yes slower, but thats not the point. They are so much more engaging. 170mm bikes just delete trails. A 140mm hardtail will make you FEEL like you are going mach3, whereas on big squish bikes, you kind of have to go mach10 to feel like you are going mach3 - if that makes sense.
 

I rode the last WC enduro on my hardtail…and i placed exactly where my lack of talent gets me…even on a big bike - lower mid field lol.
But somehow it feels like much more of an achievement on the hardtail…plus bystanders are always super stoked when you come smashing past on one - almost like you are some kind of hero haha. 

In summary, no you aren’t crazy. Hardtails are metal AF.🤘

Edited July 30, 2025 by MORNE

[RobynE 🚵‍♀️]

39 minutes ago, MORNE said:

hardtail will make you FEEL like you are going mach3, whereas on big squish bikes, you kind of have to go mach10 to feel like you are going mach3 - if that makes sense.
 

 

So much sense! The joy and exhilaration I get from clattering my way down whatever never touching the brakes is just… it’s just. 

[splat]

41 minutes ago, MORNE said:

I get this.

i’ve been lucky enough to have some pretty awesome full-retard, full squish enduro bikes…but for some reason always yearn for the simplicity and feedback you get from a hardtail. There is nothing like it. Mid travel trail hardtails are so much fun, and i ride mine on everything i ride big bikes on. Yes slower, but thats not the point. They are so much more engaging. 170mm bikes just delete trails. A 140mm hardtail will make you FEEL like you are going mach3, whereas on big squish bikes, you kind of have to go mach10 to feel like you are going mach3 - if that makes sense.
 

I rode the last WC enduro on my hardtail…and i placed exactly where my lack of talent gets me…even on a big bike - lower mid field lol.
But somehow it feels like much more of an achievement on the hardtail…plus bystanders are always super stoked when you come smashing past on one - almost like you are some kind of hero haha. 

In summary, no you aren’t crazy. Hardtails are metal AF.🤘

But are you uncomfortable on your full suspension bike ?
Do you feel more confident on your hard tail ?
These are OP's issues

[Jekyle]

I did the swop after seeing the Banshee paradox V3 reviews. This is a really good hard tail.CHeck out hard tail party on YouTube. Very interesting .

good luck with choice

 

[MORNE]

21 minutes ago, splat said:

But are you uncomfortable on your full suspension bike ?
Do you feel more confident on your hard tail ?
These are OP's issues

I think he might be referring to the lack of feeling he’s getting from his DS on the trails he’s riding. maybe even the kinimatics under braking (anti squat etc). Not fit or anything. That was my take at least.  Sure, if you get your suspension totally out of whack it could contribute to feeling uncomfortable or not confident..but these days you’d have to fill your shock with oros and pump it to 400psi with an open rebound circuit to get it to suck to the point that makes it unridable. 

For me it's trail dependant when it comes to confidence on my personal bikes. I have HT PR’s down specific trails that i cant come close to on my DS bike. Surely that means I was more confident/ comfortable going fast on the HT on those specific trails? Similarly, the other way around too on other more chunky trails with the big bikes. I’m more uncomfortable and LESS confident on black trails on a hardtail…but i still enjoy the challenge, and its just different. Still a bike on a trail. Fun = more confidence. Then when you go back to the ‘mattress bike’ …you are so confident from all the HT fun that you tend to do stupid things in your quest to go even faster😋

[MORNE]

21 minutes ago, Jekyle said:

I did the swop after seeing the Banshee paradox V3 reviews. This is a really good hard tail.CHeck out hard tail party on YouTube. Very interesting .

good luck with choice

 

I had one too! Amazing bike. Plus, rare as unicorn poop. Have a Steel Cotic BFe at the moment.

Edited July 30, 2025 by MORNE

[MORNE]

8 minutes ago, MORNE said:

I had one too! Amazing bike. Have a Steel Cotic BFe at the moment.

 

*‘Bigfoot sighting’ level pic on purpose😋 - i don’t like sharing detailed pics of my current bikes on here.

Edited July 30, 2025 by MORNE

[Mook]

10 hours ago, MORNE said:

 

*‘Bigfoot sighting’ level pic on purpose😋 - i don’t like sharing detailed pics of my current bikes on here.

Sasquatch for sure 😳

Is that 210mm upfront 😘

[MORNE]

1 hour ago, Mook said:

Sasquatch for sure 😳

Is that 210mm upfront 😘

(Offtopic sorry OP)

Rotors? Yes, 203 front and back lol. I like big stoppers. and here be mountains…i said i ride it everywhere i ride big bikes. I think it has been established on here that my 197cm frame doesn't fit size medium bikes haha, so i ride big boys. It’s for all intents and purposes a hardtail version of my enduro bikes. 

RXF38 (coil version) - nice because you can adjust travel between 130-180 in 15min. Running it 150mm on this. Virtually maintenance free too. Renthal 60mm riser bars, cut down to 800mm - because tall people problems, but they pair well with the latest BFE and its huge stack height (~670mm) and longer rear centre. The tall stack is something that was nice on the Paradox too. The reach is 20mm longer on the BFE though so it fits me better. The straight seat tube also swallows my 240mm dropper no problem. Something i couldn't do on the paradox.

love this thing.

Edited July 31, 2025 by MORNE

[Justinvanwest]

On 7/30/2025 at 2:27 PM, splat said:

That's unusual.
Normally, its the other way around.

What is uncomfortable about the DS ?
Is it a sizing and set-up issue ?

I feel like it is a much heavier bike , i enjoy the downhill and the softness it brings but i noticed a lost of pace and power when climbing . I also feels more uncomfortable to turn and maneuver when im doing single track