Although hardtails were once the only mountain bikes, times have changed and most of the bikes you see out on the trails will have full suspension.
But that doesn’t mean you should consign hardtails to the history books. These humble bikes continue to be the gateway bike for new riders and easily offer the most bang for your buck.
For some, hardtail mountain bikes will always be more than just an entry-level, beginner bike. But their visceral ride feel, simplicity and fun factor are more than enough to captivate even the most dedicated mountain bikers.
So with that in mind, here are six reasons why your next bike should be a hardtail.
A better connection
Cy Turner is the founder of Cotic, which originally launched with the Soul, a progressive hardtail that was ahead of its time back in 2003.
“Riding a hardtail is special because there is a responsiveness and immediacy you just can’t get from a full-suspension bike. It’s just a feeling,” says Turner.
Jon Woodhouse, Merida’s social media and content manager, agrees with Turner. “Going for a rip on a hardtail is always special, simply because of that direct connection you have with what’s under your rear tyre,” he says.
Unlike on full-suspension mountain bikes, your effort isn’t lost through suspension movement on a hardtail. So when you step on the gas, you surge forward.
“The feedback is instant, as is the response to any ride input – zero lag, zero filter,” continues Woodhouse.
“It’s like being right at the front of the gig, rather than watching it on telly.”
More rewarding
Full-suspension bikes are great at masking rider error and sloppy line choices, or compensating for those times when your skills are running a little dry. There’s nowhere to hide on a hardtail, which can make life tough on one hand, but much more rewarding on the other.
Turner says riding a hardtail is good for your riding because there’s less room for effort – even if that makes riding one higher stakes. “It feels great to nail a move, but also feels rubbish to miss it,” he says.
This is true on the trail, but also when using jump bikes, which have compact frames and smaller 24in or 26in wheels.
“If you hook up the rear tyre on a lip, you’ll know about it instantly. That’s painful when you get it wrong, but it makes the satisfaction when you absolutely nail it even greater,” says Turner.
In reference to Merida cross-country bike, the BIG.NINE, Woodhouse says: “No matter how efficient we can make a full-suspension bike, it’ll be hard to [beat] that feeling – and combined with the low weight, it’s a hard sensation to beat.”
Easy to live with
Ultimately, we all want to spend more time riding our bikes and less time cleaning them, and regardless of what bike you ride, dealing with the aftermath of a muddy ride can be a real drag.
Turner says hardtails are ideal, “if you want something low maintenance and easy to clean for the winter season, or indeed any season”.
While you’ll still need to clean a hardtail, it’s a quick and easy job. There are far fewer nooks and crannies to clean on a hardtail than on a full-suspension bike.
Full-suspension bikes are also more expensive to maintain because of their pivot bearings and the rear shock.
Go anywhere
The humble hardtail’s days as a professional race bike might be over, but they’re still more capable than they’re often given credit for.
“Hardtails go anywhere, so everywhere is hardtail territory,” Woodhouse says.
Naturally, as with most types of cycling, you’ll still need to buy the right bike for the job, so don’t expect a race-bred carbon hardtail to handle super-steep, techy rock lines with ease.
“Our hardtails are happy pretty much anywhere because the geometry is so good”, says Cotic’s Turner.
“You might not be the fastest down the hill, but you'll have fun doing it,” he adds.
Turner says that, as long as he had the right tyres, he’d happily ride the Cotic Solaris hardtail on Scotland’s demanding Golfie trails.
Make boring trails great again
If you're tired of your local trails, or you’re finding them too easy, switching to a hardtail could inject more fun into proceedings.
I recently built up a Specialized Chisel hardtail, which is designed for cross-country racing.
My first outing was to my old stomping ground to visit the trails I dug as a teenager.
On any modern full-suspension bike, these short tracks are nothing to write home about. There are a few roots and rocks here and there, but they’re relatively mellow and easy to ride. I’m not sure I could spend too long riding there before getting bored.
But riding them on the Chisel really shook things up. The fast-rolling XC tyres and short-travel suspension fork weren’t particularly forgiving if I drifted to the outer limits of the trail. This sharpened my mind and breathed new life into trails I’d normally ignore, leading to an exciting, engaging and fun ride.
“If you’re an experienced rider looking to add a bit more of a challenge into your local loops,” Woodhouse says, “you can’t beat a trail hardtail like a BIG.TRAIL for adding a touch of spice.”
Bang for your buck
Let’s not forget that in many cases, opting to keep things simple and avoid a frame with rear suspension can save you money.
Hardtail frames are generally simpler to make than a full-suspension equivalent, with fewer parts, zero pivots and no rear shock, all of which adds to the cost.
That means there’s more money to spend on fancier parts (if that’s what you’re into) or more riding trips away.
Take the Cotic Soul, for example. The frame-only option will set you back £2,549. While this is still a chunk of change for a 'simple' hardtail frame, you only need to compare it to Cotic's RocketMAX enduro frame, which costs £4,099.
Now, just think what that extra £1,550 could get you when you spec the bike, or the places that cash could take you.
It’s almost more important further down the pricing spectrum, where bikes such as the Whyte Secta S (£1,099) will almost always ride better than any full-suspension bike that costs the same or £500 more.
