hardtail or full suspension?

Hard tail (HT) vs full suspension (FS) is one of many great debates especially in the 29er class.

The HT fans will tell you that a with the 29 tire volume you don't need FS. They will also say that a HT will teach you to pick better lines. They will say that with FS petal bob will rob you of power on flats. There is also the added weight.

The FS fans will say that FS will save you power because you don't have to come out of the saddle every time you cross a root or rocks. That FS climbs better due to increased tire contact. The extra weight wont make a difference.

All the above is true.

I have ridden 26 rigids, HT & FS along with my current 29er HT. I will say good choice on the 29er (that is another debate). I have a HT because the 29FS bikes were not up to par a few years ago but that is not the story now. I will be building a 29FS this winter and for one reason. They are now the best combo you can get (my opinion).

Not all FS bikes are the same. I feel the best inexpensive 29 FS is the Giant Anthem 3. It has retail of $2400 and can be had for under $2000 if you negotiate. For an additional $500 you can jump to a Niner Jet 9 also a good bike. If this is out of your budget than I would not get a FS. If you want to spend more this is the year of 29FS frames. The Jet 9 RDO, Tallboy & Superfly 100 are all amazing FS bikes that are on the top of my list. The Scalpel and Epic are also bikes I might consider.

A few questions you need to ask yourself are. What kind of riding will I be doing? What are the trail conditions? What is my budget? What is my ability level? What do i expect from my bike?

I hope this helps.

yes it helps! thank you for your opinion, but I forgot to say that I don't want to buy a very expensive bike, in maximum 900€.. What's your opinion about the bikes that I mentioned? The CUBE or the rockrider.. Thank you for help me!

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by angelo40931996 [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

yes it helps! thank you for your opinion, but I forgot to say that I don't want to buy a very expensive bike, in maximum 900€.. What's your opinion about the bikes that I mentioned? The CUBE or the rockrider.. Thank you for help me!

I have not heard of either. Do you have links for the bikes?

MMMhills, the links you asked for are in his previous post above. :-)

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by ax25nut [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

MMMhills, the links you asked for are in his previous post above. :-)

Well I guess I should read before I post[IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/redface.gif[/IMG]

I didn't understand much on the rockrider website but I will say I do not like the rear suspension design.

The Cube looks like a solid bike with nice components. At your budget I think you would be happier with a HT. Nothing wrong with a HT they perform very well (many will say that they are the best). Out of those two I would get the cube hands down.

The most important thing about any bike is gettine one that fits. If you have a LBS I would recomend buying from them and getting their help.

The big problem is nobody else can tell you what is best for you. I have ridden both a full suspension and a hardtail, and a 29er and 26er. I like them all. It really depends on what you want to do. If I want to move fast and take tight turns, I will take a 26 inch over the 29er. Bigger tires roll over things so much easier, but you lose the tight and responsive control. Most of my local trails are not that rocky or rooty so a hardtail is just fine. But I do miss my Specialized Stumpjumper FSR on those 3 hour long mountainous terrain rides. I am looking at building a new 29er hardtail soon. My friend has a full suspension 29er and can never keep up with me on my 26er.

As for spending money, this is a very expensive hobby. I have bought a bike before only to sell it soon after as I didn't like the way it handled. I have recently gone back to my old roots by building a lightweight hardtail with good suspension and drivetrain. You really can't go wrong with a good ole hardtail.

Another thing, find a shop that allows you to demo a bike. This will help in your decision. Get a feel for the bikes. I know a lot of folks who just hate the way a 29er feels.

hi there.. thank you both for your opinions, I will follow your opinion.. 😉

I found another bike, wich is a rival of the cube.. it's a specialized, I heard that this brand is one of the bests in the world, like cube I think.. I'm very confused, because some people say to buy the cube one (www2.cube.euacid 29Open ↗) and others say me to buy this specialized (specialized.comSBCProduct.jspOpen ↗), I want one of these two bikes, but I don't know what's the best for me.. sorry to be bothering you with this matter .. but this is very important for me..

The Cube looks to have a little better components but both look acceptable.

Get the one that looks best to you.

I have bycicle specialized fsr full and i am full happy with them
For that litlle money it make a lot of joy for me becose i ride with it all of around
you have a feeling of freedom,thats what i buy exatcly this model
something like that:
bicikli.com.hr

My own mtn bike is a hardtail, the 1995 Giant Boulder, which I got used from a now-defunct shop. I never put that many miles on it, as my elbows and shoulders started hurting too much to ride, but it rides like I want a bike to ride. In the last few years I swapped the stock flat bar for an adjustable stem and drop bars, which I dearly love. This, of course, required also swapping brakes, shift levers, and cables. It's like a dream bike now. I can leave the stock knobby tires on for rough terrain, or replace them with 1-1/2" tires for road use. Considered "bomb-proof" by many riders, it's a comfy ride, in spite of my sore joints. I may even swap the stock triple crank for a Sugino triple, and the rear cluster for something with 34 or greater granny gear on it, as hill-climbing is more important to me than speed (I'm 57 yrs old and 230lbs w/enlarged heart). Hardtail or front/rear suspension? I'd say if you intend to put racks & bags on, get a hardtail. Choices are infinately greater for this, while being severely limited for suspended bikes. It has to do with the way the forks flex vs the rack/bag mounting. Also, beware of earlier rear suspensions, as some (not all) were poorly designed (dept stores). Enjoy your ride.... 73 de 'nut

Not all FS bikes are the same. I feel the best inexpensive 29 FS is the Giant Anthem 3. It has retail of $2400 and can be had for under $2000 if you negotiate. For an additional $500 you can jump to a Niner Jet 9 also a good bike. If this is out of your budget than I would not get a FS. If you want to spend more this is the year of 29FS frames. The Jet 9 RDO, Tallboy & Superfly 100 are all amazing FS bikes that are on the top of my list. The Scalpel and Epic are also bikes I might consider.

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Brand New Cube Acid 29er Hardtail Mountainbike 2014 in 19"