Dual or Hardtail?

From what I've heard, full suspension mountain bikes in general are easier to handle then hardtails on technical terrain. I, however, am not very knowledgeable in mountain biking, and may be completely wrong.

If by trail you mean "packed limestone" or "paved," I would recommend a hybrid or hardtail.

keydates said:

From what I've heard, full suspension mountain bikes in general are easier to handle then hardtails on technical terrain. I, however, am not very knowledgeable in mountain biking, and may be completely wrong.

If by trail you mean "packed limestone" or "paved," I would recommend a hybrid or hardtail.

A dual suspension bike will be a lot heavier than a hardtail at the same price. You can get a really nice hardtail for under $1000 but I'm not so sure about dualies.

keydates said:

From what I've heard, full suspension mountain bikes in general are easier to handle then hardtails on technical terrain. I, however, am not very knowledgeable in mountain biking, and may be completely wrong.

If by trail you mean "packed limestone" or "paved," I would recommend a hybrid or hardtail.

I suppose by "trail" I refer to gravel tracks or formed earth. I noticed that during the Olympics a lot of the Mountain Bike competitors used hardtails rather than the dual suspension system. I guess that these guys are happy to spend what it takes to get the right kit so was curious as to why they would choose a hardtail over a dual.

I'd guess that it would be one of these reasons:
1. It might be illegal to use dual-suspension mtbs.
2. The lighter weight of hardtails.
3. More "macho" to ride a hardtail (kind of like some people find that double chainrings are the only way to go).

Of course, if some people were riding full-suspension bikes at the race, #1 would not be correct.

If it's only for fitness and recreational use then I would rather have a decent hardtail than an average full suspension for the same money, but everyone is different. Your friend may value a more cushy ride than they would higher end components.

Just remember, friends don't let friends ride Wal-mart bikes!!

John Picton said:

A friend of mine is looking to buy a mountain bike, generally for recreational trail riding, not competition. He's doing it to get fit rather than be fast.

As I use a road bike and a hybrid I can't really advise him which way to go. Should he buy a dual suspension bike or a hardtail with a suspension seatpost?

Any opinions would be appreciated.

Hardtail all the way! Downhill racing should be the only use for full suspension. I may be biased, but the feel of a hardtail is much better than a full suspension rig, especially at the same price point.

Hardtail all the way:
1. Better bike for the same cash
2. Better power transfer

Comeon, if you wanted a super plush ride you wouldn't be on a bike!

Depends entirely on the terrain. The Athens MTB field was faced with a dry hard packed course. With few lumps in the way a light maneuverable hardtail is the way to go.
However if you want to ride over a lot of rocky and bumpy areas then a dualie is the way.
You will notice tha most pro racers have both types, though it has to be said that dualies are becomming more prevalent due to them geting lighter and tougher.
Soft tails are generally useless (just a hardtail which costs more)

I've had a FS MTB for about three years. Added a locking shock two years ago. The only time I unlock that shock now is on fast downhills. Otherwise, it stays locked.