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

[PhilipT]

Look at the end of the day it will depend on the type of riding you intend to do & your comfort levels you want. Be realistic & honest about this and your capabilities so as to get the right frame.

I 100% agree the fun factor on a HT is legit IMHO - it puts a smile on your dial and it def forces better bike handling - I went HT Trail> soft tail trail bike> HT Enduro and I noticed it the impact of riding 2 HT before switching to soft tail. I am my current rig’s limitation, the rig handles blacks and tech stuff no problems.

 

Next do your research on frames that suite what you want. Buy the best frame you can that is designed to do the riding you want to do, materials/ geo/ brand(who/where is was made) are compounded on a HT and you feel it more than a ST & DO affect the compliance of the ride. Also factor in max tyre size & clearance of the frame. There is alot you can do around the frame to further soften it up (wider tyres, type of tyre, tyre pressure, inserts, grips, bars, fork) but the frame is a biggy and can’t be changed.  

The big + on the tech side, there are less moving parts, bolts, shocks, pivots etc which at the end of the day means less stuff going wrong, leas maintenance & ultimately more reliable.

Also like the idea/ feels more efficient with less stuff compressing, moving by nature of design; transferring energy more directly.

For the record, I have two HT:

1) A ragley mmmbop alu which rides a smidge harder than my trail ST I had( to be fair im not bombing downhill lines/ massive jumps ) and I put it down to frame build(sure running inserts, tyres with good sidewalk support etc) but a super fun and capable bike!
2) Steel Rapide Tigre with rigid carbon fork which is super compliant and will only get softer with change in tyres/ rear insert changes. Sure perhaps on the heavier side but im not planning on winning any races and is setup for comfort & endurance stuff down the line.

Welcome to DM as yes I'm a HT fan and am happy to share and help where I can.

[WT]

22 hours ago, MORNE said:

 Hardtails are metal AF.🤘

 

Escpecially if said hardtail is a steel hardtail(Steel is real)😝

Making me miss my Mercer frame now, got caught trying to keep up with the Jones's and got a full squish (Love my Pyga though😁).

Rode some gnarly stuff on the hardtail(Well I thought it was gnarly at least😅, other will probably disagree) and I always felt cool doing it on a hardtail instead of a fully.

There is more suspension travel in your legs than a full squish bike anyways right😜

Only tip I can think of is consider a burlier back tyre and/or an insert maybe. The lack of rear suspension is a little harder on rear wheels and tyres.

Hope you enjoy whatever you are getting!

[PhilipT]

P.s make sure you put a dropper on whatever you get- it will enable you to better handle the bike using you natural shocks(as per WT above) through the tech stuff or just maintain flow through corners etc> its a game changer/must.

[WT]

6 minutes ago, PhilipT said:

P.s make sure you put a dropper on whatever you get- it will enable you to better handle the bike using you natural shocks(as per WT above) through the tech stuff or just maintain flow through corners etc> its a game changer/must.

1000% agree! Dropper post is an absolute no brainer (insert BIG LYNE components dropper post recommendation here😜).

[JoeMerida]

20 hours ago, Justinvanwest said:

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 

Just Buy a Hardtail as well. They are Cheap enough on the Hub. Then you got both. 

[Bub Marley]

I rode a hardtail for years and then finally made the switch to full sus so I kinda see where he’s coming from. I dunno if it’s just me riding it for so long that I became accustomed to it, but I do feel that people overplay the advantages of full sus. Yeah, it’s great to have a bit of cushion every so often but this idea that you can only do certain thing or ride certain trails if you have full sus is complete nonsense. Your skill level is way more important in this respect. Hardtails are just so much fun. Yeah your bottom will bobble a bit more but who cares. 

[Bub Marley]

Honestly, if i were to buy another mtb right now, I’d get a hardtail with a slightly slacker geometry, to fit 120mm travel and with clearance for nice and wide tyres. And then slap on a dropper post.