Hey there. I'm 52 yrs old, I raced bmx in the 80's like alot of us. I started out with full ridgid mtbs in the early 90's. I didn't get a fork until the 2000's. I've never been on a full suspension bike to this day. I have no idea what it's like. I'm riding a Chromag Stylus right now. I got this frame because of your videos. Thanks for the content.
Mountain biking, in my opinion, is all about the experience ( and the workout we get) and every bike will deliver something a little bit different. The goal is finding that perfect bike that exactly matches your riding style. Then the Zen of MTB is found. If only all of us had your skills, Jeff.
I ride a hardtail 99.9% of the time on trails in Coastal BC and my FS bike gathers dust. I don't see it as particularly risky. I just ride with appropriate speed and care. There are a few trails/features I would skip on the HT, but not all that many. All in all I find HTs a ton of fun and smiles/mile is the most important metric in mountain biking.
I rode hardtails/rigid bikes for 15yrs before going dedicated full suspension on all my bikes. I recently sold my dh bike and am buying a modern steel slacked out hardtail. I miss the playfull jibby nature of a hardtail and these days am less interested in peak speed/risk. I see it as a return to fun focused riding. This video was perfectly timed. Shred on my man. Thanks!
Im 55 been riding 20 years in México city desierto de los leonés you been there so you know the trails, sold all my full suspension bikes and now i only ride hardtails and i love it new geometry in hardtails are awesome
As a newer rider (2yrs) who has only ridden is a hardtail, I approve this video. Not that you need my approval 😅. Great to see what a hardtail is capable of on such gnarly trails. Especially when the majority of riders/videos are on full suspension bikes. Please post more videos riding your hardtail.
more hardtail content please. love my Stylus. perfect bike for Nevada City flow trails. Would like to try it with wider rims and tires and like the idea of mulleting it.
The mullet helped SO MUCH with general trail riding! The longer 45mm-50mm stem helped a lot with the weight bias, the initial 35/40mm stems were terrible with the mullet config. The 36mm inner width rims have also been great on that bike, and it's a solid application for CushCore. It'll never be XC bike efficient, but will be surprisingly good on rough stuff. Say hello to the WTB crew for me!
I turned 50 this year and enjoy my Rocky Mtn Growler immensely. I go slower and enjoy the feel. It makes one a smoother rider, a throwback to when I was racing in AZ in 95 and 96 on my alu hardtail with a Mag 21 fork!
Right on J! The old school bikes are so much harder to ride though- I was considering bringing my 1995 Mojo Ti up on this trip, but at the last minute decided we were too young to die, so cancelled that vid idea! Enjoy the Growler!!!
My one and only bike is a Banshee Paradox V3 with an 150 mm Pike Ultimate and 2.40 XR4 tires both front and rear on 29 inches wheels. Best bike i have ever had. I live in the PNW as well. Thank you.
At about 14:20 you suggested the Pike fork is "rinkydink" and looks smallish and that you were surprised by the stiffness of the Lyric. If I remember correctly the Pike came out around 2014 and took home a Best New Product award at Interbike with lots of commentary on how its stiffness was a game changer. I have a Pike RL 130 spec'd as OEM on a 2015 Stumpy and I've never felt it was the least bit noodley, and I'm a Clyde. That said, my first MTB was a $400.00 Schwinn Mesa Hard Tail and I was always amazed by how well it dug in up climbs, the geo was spot on. I was researching the Lyric recently and was surprised that the chassis is 35mm, splitting the difference between Fox's 34 and 36.
I live in the sea to sky area (Whistler area) and I just picked up my 2nd Chromag Stylus. I love the challenge of riding these trails on a steel hardtail and I absolutely love my Chromag! Hands down the best and most fun bike I've ever owned! It really makes you pick your line and your braking points as you do not have the same level of traction that a FS bike has.
Hey Jeff, I really appreciate the hardtail content! I have two trail hardtails in my shed, and no full suspension bike - and I don't even know why. I guess I simply like the simplicity and the direct trail feedback on a hardtail. As a mediocre rider with kids at home, I also stay away from big features and high consequence terrain, so I feel like a hardtail is the right tool for my abilities and risk level
Hardtails are the best. So good to flick around! Great to keep you real and humble on most trails. I have a Chromag primer and a doctahawk! Also have a custom titanium hardtail, custom made for me! Loooove hardtail!!!
how do you compare the two? I'm looking into the doctahawk as a replacement for my fs bike, as to make sure i dont push myself too hard on the trails haha
This is my favorite video you put out! Partially because I just completed riding my hardtail (Commencal Meta HT and posted that video) for two months AND I just got back from my own Squamish/Fromme trip, so this was extremely relatable. I 100% agree that there are moments the hardtail is more fun and moments the risk factor is too great. I feel blessed to have a hardtail in the quiver to mix things up in the PNW. Really nice job, Jeff!
@@JeffKendallWeed the meta HT is great! pretty stiff frame though, but it blends the poppy/jump feel and still being capable quite well. You'd love the yeti at Squamish! No slab would be safe from your wheelies and stoppies haha
Hi Jeff!! Your videos with such a cool riding style are always so inspiring to me. Last video you were still having fun with the trusty ripmo AF like mine, and today I realized you speak Spanish so well too!!! Nice mate! Keep doing that good, and if you're coming over Spain anytime I'll show you some great riding if need it.
About ten years ago I got back into mtb after a long (22 years) love affair with street bmx. So I got close to what I was used to and got an old pbike and threw as fat and as aggressive tire I could fit on it and a cog set and that was really fun and challenging but the short rear end was so fun to pop off everything. I then found my way into a bottlerocket. It’s super super fun but it is really heavy. So I do shorter rides as fast as I can. I’ve been thinking about maybe getting a nukeproof scout plus. That looks pretty fun or something like it. Love your live and let live just have fun style and videos.
Thank for this video you shred!! I switch my full suspension enduro rig for a hardcore hardtail, no regret the thrill is reel that make the riding session more tricky but its so rewarding and fun!!!
Excellent video! There are days I miss my hard-tail but if as I get older I like the added "slop" allowed by a full sus. That said I really like the "new" hard tails with a longer slacker front fork. I want to try these updated designs.
Love hardtails because the maintenance is so simple. I ride like i have a home and family to get back too. Still have loads of fun. Thanks for a wonderful video. It was good to see logans truck, we dont have that engine here in nz. Surpose thats why the brakes looked so hefty. Cool thanks guys.
I love riding my hard tail, I’ve got a Kona honzo ESD with a 160mm Lyrik Ultimate that makes the HTA 62.5, it’s handling is very similar to your bike and it’s just so much fun to ride. It has improved my approach to steep tech and being able to go slower with the geometry and handling matching my riding style so well, being from the Bmx world as well I find there’s a lot of times I’m more comfortable on my hard tail on certain features like rock rolls and woodwork because I feel more connected to the bike. So I would say that riding my hard tail on hard trails has improved my riding but I think having a hard tail and a full suspension means that you can keep yourself amused and engaged riding the same trails often with both. Full suspension bikes are so good now that sometimes you can get bored with the bike handling everything so easily and the same trail on the hard tail can spice life up a bit, especially when riding solo.
20 years ago I joined a buddy for some riding in Cumberland, on Vancouver Island. He borrowed a bike for me from his cousin Darren, it was a fully decked out Demo 9 and it was a dream sled. Could hit anything with crazy confidence, but it felt dead below 30km/h and made hilarious trails almost boring. I lent it around the crew, tried out other bikes during the week and realized that I had just as much fun on a .243 HT (grandaddy to the Cromag) as I did on the Demo 9: Smaller hucks, lower speed, but same size smile and more fun at lower speeds with less consequence. When I got home to Baffin Island, I started planning my next bike and it was a hardtail. Has been ever since.
Aways thumbs up for hardtail! I have a full squish and a 29er rigid. So much fun on my rigid. It's Lighter and climbs better. My hands and back hurt at the end of a rock garden down hill. Other than that I feel every single bits of this planet. I can get a quick and fun exercise.
Just picked up a hardtail for the same reasons! Been having a blast trying to clean old janky xc moves and skinnies on it. You definitely feel every bump through the legs though
I ride a Stanton Switch9er with 160mm in the front as a Mullet secondary to a Propain Spindrift with 180mm travel front and rear. And I have to say that this Hardtail is just marginally less capable then the big rig. Terrain-wise it's just as capable to conquer the roughest gnar - just 5-10% slower. And I don't wanna hit jumps on it, bigger then 5m. Love the thing!
I actually got third place on Strava on a mostly uphill New England technical trail(MANY Roots&Rocks) on my Specialized Pitch that has a broken drivetrain(can only ride in highest gears). Only dudes that beat me were on either a full carbon enduro and a full carbon e-bike.
I have 4 MTB's.... Turbo Levo (eMTB), Stumpjumper Comp (FS), SC Chameleon (HT), and Demo 8 (DH). Obviously the Levo and Demo are considerably different but between Stumpy and Lizard.... there is surprisingly not that much difference. Yeah... the FS gets good traction uphill, but if you get traction the HT squirts ahead better. I very much like the clean top tube of the HT when I need to Hike A Bike. They're all fun, which is kind of the point, yeah?
Great video, I was that you will be able to get out more from hardtail. I am following @Hardtail party and due to Steve I bought My Ragley and having a great time with them. Today’s new age hardtail are so capable.
I ride a hard tail because i work a normal 9-5 and dont make a lot of money. Lower cost of maintenance and just the lower cost to enter the sport was what sold me. Havent met a trail that stopped me yet, though i have found a few that tried
Hey Jeff 👋 como estas! I do now descend the straight line and all those other rock slabs in my full suspension at slow speed, but just months ago I used to do only the middle line in my humble norco wolverine . Descender en una bicicleta hardtail es mucho mas dificil! You do all those tricks and jumping over the rock slabs in your hardtail that is another level, good for you 👏💯
Man I love my trail hardtail. I do dial it back from a speed perspective, but I also have a Lyric 160mm and I love it. One thing I hate, if pushing it, I can't carry a water bottle, it gets yeeted out over the chunk...
Loved the vid Jeffe and the comment about how good modern fs bikes are but the hardtail still climbs better i have been riding just on forty years really love my currant bikes both long slack ht 65 d ha 160mm lyrik 32mm stem 800mm bars i,m 188cm tall one is a mullet the other 29 front and rear. The only gripe is i wish i had bikes like this years ago ha ha and maybe xc wouldnt have turned out so tame .
Owning my first FS bike at around 40 years old and still torn on which I enjoy most. The extra margin for error is certainly nice, but just like with cars I have more fun riding slow machines fast than fast machines slow. Not many people on earth can manage to pilot fast machines fast, and when you do ditch it into the weeds the speed hurts a lot more.
I have been riding for 3 years now. Only experience I have so far is hardtail, but only because of monetary issues. I have my full suspension half paid off so hopefully I will be blessed to have in possession soon. I’m in Pennsylvania and it’s all gnarly jank out here so can’t wait to not be rattled to death everyday out. I’ll always love hardtail though.
Love the hardtail vids but speaking of Chromag, I wonder if you'll ever get a chance of trying out the Chromag Darco. Agressive geo short travel 29er. I think you'll have a blast!
Have only ever rode a hardtail. Have no idea what a fully is like but that’s likely a good thing. The hardtails are pricey enough for me. Plus I love riding and keeping up with guys on full suspension at triple the price in my locals trails! I do notice however, I think I could ride faster with a full sus but the hard tail is really fun!
I’ve done countless runs on my local trails on various bikes over the last 30 years. Unless it is really fast chunky terrain. My hardtail runs about the same segment times as my 140/170 Yeti SB 5.5. Looking at overall riding time/avg speed on my regular 10 mile loop, the benefits in climbing on the hardtails far outweigh the tiny speed difference of the squishy bike on descents. my hard tail is also much faster on tight single track.
Awesome Dirty! Hardtails are also the ultimate excuse- like when I skipped the Gouranga gap, "not on a hardtail" hahaha! Anyhow, modern FS bikes have gotten SO much better than the 90s. I feel the only way to become a great bike rider is to ride all the bikes- each one will teach something different! Same with riding conditions- rain, dust, hero dirt, etc.
@@SprSonik13 that’s really good to know. I love riding chunky stuff the most. It’s quite root and rock filled here offering a variety of terrain. I love bulldozing through chunk. That’s why I think I could do it faster on a full sus. The thing is though, I’m not out to set any records as far as time is concerned so at the end of the day the minor differences in time you report reassure me that I can have fun on my hard tail without thinking I could do this faster! Yes, I could see how the efficiency of the hard tail would far surpass the f/S on the climbs. Every time I go out for a ride, I make a conscious effort to be a better rider, pick better lines and just have a blast on the bike! Thanks for the info and have fun out there!
@@JeffKendallWeed agreed! I likely do features on my HT that I shouldn’t do. There is a rather large drop (5-6ft)at one of the riding areas near us that I would love to do, but every time I come up to it I think about all the bad stuff that could happen to my 120mm bike (and me) and end up skipping it. I would love to try a FS bike but don’t think I’ll have the opportunity. Though I’ll not say never:) Thanks for the content!
I had a Mango Habanero LMNT once. That was my last Mango Habanero LMNT. 😆 I do like many of the other fruit flavors, however! Thanks again for the sampler.
Man, in the early 90's we made fun of people with full-suspension bikes because they were so heavy. Nobody serious rode FS. Back then, we had 1.9-2.1" tires that we ran at 50 psi too, lol. The ride was rough for sure. I just got my first full-suspension bike last week and I'm 47, the blown discs in my back couldn't take off-road with a HT.
I’ve been riding off road for 40 years now. I went full suspension only around 20 years ago but added a hardtail after 5 years or so? I’m pretty close to 50/50 hardtail full suspension. I ride mostly the same trails too but I will tailor which bike I use on certain trails. Both are fun. Different fun. I live in Whistler and I do ride Squamish in the spring when there’s too much snow here. Wet slabs are a no go for me but I’m pretty comfortable on dry ones.
my favorite bike after 30yrs of mtn biking is my 2018 Chameleon, mullet, SS, 160mm Ohlins coil. Not the most capable or fastest of my bikes over the years. But it is the one I will take most of the time, regardless of what I am riding.
late to the party but wanted to add an view from a hardtail all the way guy. I had a fully in between but traded it for another hardtail as i didnt like the suddle flex in the rear, and the usual things. Now im a father and im feeling the need to be more conservative because hurting myself will turn into much bigger trouble for my family. So actually since 99% of riders dont ride for timed races its just not necessary to have a fully. The hardtail will go everywhere where a fully would but you will go there slower essentially. Which is a good thing because slower means if you mess up you your impacts will also be slower. You will enjoy much "easier" obstacles as much as you would much "harder" ones on a fully. A fully actually needs more difficult obstacles because you can blow through the easy stuff without even caring. So in the end the hardtail gives my legs and excellent workout at lower speeds(which will hurt less) and it also enables other fun activities like pumptracks a little better then a fully would. It just the media telling you the fully is the thing you should want but for most its not what the would need to have a fun day in the mountains essentially.
You say goofy, but I was on a 2.6 trail boss rear and 2.5 vigilante front for a season on my chromag wideangle, and this combo, so far, has been my favorite on that bike.
It feels great! Not the best for true wet conditions, but still pretty good there too. You're reminding me to try to get some more of those 2.6 rear tires!
I was wondering how does your fork setup in the stylus compares to the ones in your enduro bikes? Thanks for the video! You inspired me to get a stylus.
Honestly I hopped on a XC hardtail coming from racing 20 inch bikes with my friends. They have full suspension but I just got what I could afford. I now ride a more aggressive hardtail and I just keep brain washing myself by being stoked on having any kind of suspension. I haven’t spent much time on full suspension so what I don’t know won’t hurt me.
I'd like to see more videos like this. Do you think it's possible to test out maybe like 2 other more hardcore hardtails? That Starling Mur Mur looks like a bike you'd like.
You should give fat bikes a go. Something like Rocky Mountain Blizzard with a slack head angle. All the advantages of a hardtail, but also with like 20mm of rear travel which is enough to take out a lot of chatter. They are also super poppy because all of that tire suspension has no rebound. You can get faster rolling tires to help with pedaling as well.
I consider myself a bit above average rider. Most trails I ride are of medium difficulty. My guess is folks buy full sus because they want to ride the hardest parts immediately, without effort and training, adrenaline is what they want. I decided to progress slowly on a hardtail, and the upside is that easy trails are still fun for me. Thank you for a cool reminder what capable rider and solid hardtail can do.
JKW ace video mate! Any chance you could share where you set your fork sag for this bike? I’ve heard that on aggressive hardtails it’s helpful to set more sag. Is that how you go at it?
for better, or worse - hardtails made me a rider :) still pretty much like my current HT better than my full sus. i like the way it rides; slightly sketchy on my relatively tame local trails and the aesthetic is so much more what the word 'bike' means to me
Dudee this is just the video I’ve been needing! Im trying to figure out whether I am going to buy a hardtail or full sus. Ive had a few full suspensions in the past, and i like them but am wondering if I should try something else out.
Hi Jeff, Great video! I've been loving LMNT on my rides. I'm going to be visiting Bellingham for the first time soon and I'm wondering what trails you'd recommend for an intermediate rider? I ride a Pivot 429.
Theory on progression: New riders should have the best, lightest FS rides you can find. Once skills hit a plateau, switch to hardtail and learn to ride again. I got spanked last year by the old guy on the group ride on fully rigid singlespeed!
So 160 fork and a 29er on a Stylus? That would have the geo at 62°? Or 61°? Wouldnt it be comparable to a 190mm fork? ...and the bike sure doesn't look mulleted in the video. Not that i doubt you, but its odd how it appears as duak 27.5 on camera.
You talk about riding conservatively because you have a family. I'm in the same situation and I've surprisingly been having a lot of fun riding my hardtail on blue trails.
As someone who rides full rigid I totally feel like the bike industry and shops want riders to think that you should move to carbon and full suspension as you progress. Everyone is constantly telling me "Imagine how much faster you would be on a full suspension", but that's not the point. I love the challenge and having a disadvantage trying to make my skill work for me and not the bike. That being said Jeff is very skilled, whatever he rides..
Thanks to LMNT for support in 2023! Head to www.DrinkLMNT.com/Jeff to get your free sample pack with any purchase.
Hey there. I'm 52 yrs old, I raced bmx in the 80's like alot of us. I started out with full ridgid mtbs in the early 90's. I didn't get a fork until the 2000's. I've never been on a full suspension bike to this day. I have no idea what it's like. I'm riding a Chromag Stylus right now. I got this frame because of your videos. Thanks for the content.
Mountain biking, in my opinion, is all about the experience ( and the workout we get) and every bike will deliver something a little bit different. The goal is finding that perfect bike that exactly matches your riding style. Then the Zen of MTB is found. If only all of us had your skills, Jeff.
The journey, not the destination! Thanks Paul
I ride a hardtail 99.9% of the time on trails in Coastal BC and my FS bike gathers dust. I don't see it as particularly risky. I just ride with appropriate speed and care. There are a few trails/features I would skip on the HT, but not all that many. All in all I find HTs a ton of fun and smiles/mile is the most important metric in mountain biking.
I rode hardtails/rigid bikes for 15yrs before going dedicated full suspension on all my bikes. I recently sold my dh bike and am buying a modern steel slacked out hardtail. I miss the playfull jibby nature of a hardtail and these days am less interested in peak speed/risk. I see it as a return to fun focused riding. This video was perfectly timed. Shred on my man. Thanks!
As a lifelong diehard Hardtailer.... I approve of this content.
❤I totally agree: If you enjoy climbing difficult terrain, nothing works better than a hardtail a locked up full suspension is heavier
I am with you :D
Not sure what I would have done if you disapproved 😮.
Im 55 been riding 20 years in México city desierto de los leonés you been there so you know the trails, sold all my full suspension bikes and now i only ride hardtails and i love it new geometry in hardtails are awesome
As a newer rider (2yrs) who has only ridden is a hardtail, I approve this video. Not that you need my approval 😅. Great to see what a hardtail is capable of on such gnarly trails. Especially when the majority of riders/videos are on full suspension bikes. Please post more videos riding your hardtail.
Hardtailer here too. The modern hardtail is very capable. Steve from Hardtail party, recommend checking his channel out if you havent already.
@@Loindeehaa Yes, I've seen his channel.
In for more hardtail content! #hardtailsonhardtrails needs to be a thing.
Love the hardtail videos. Keep em’ coming!
Thanks Josh- stay tuned!
Love the hard tail vids, keep them coming please :)
more hardtail content please. love my Stylus. perfect bike for Nevada City flow trails. Would like to try it with wider rims and tires and like the idea of mulleting it.
The mullet helped SO MUCH with general trail riding! The longer 45mm-50mm stem helped a lot with the weight bias, the initial 35/40mm stems were terrible with the mullet config. The 36mm inner width rims have also been great on that bike, and it's a solid application for CushCore. It'll never be XC bike efficient, but will be surprisingly good on rough stuff. Say hello to the WTB crew for me!
I turned 50 this year and enjoy my Rocky Mtn Growler immensely. I go slower and enjoy the feel. It makes one a smoother rider, a throwback to when I was racing in AZ in 95 and 96 on my alu hardtail with a Mag 21 fork!
Right on J! The old school bikes are so much harder to ride though- I was considering bringing my 1995 Mojo Ti up on this trip, but at the last minute decided we were too young to die, so cancelled that vid idea! Enjoy the Growler!!!
My one and only bike is a Banshee Paradox V3 with an 150 mm Pike Ultimate and 2.40 XR4 tires both front and rear on 29 inches wheels. Best bike i have ever had. I live in the PNW as well. Thank you.
hardtail is not just an intermediate step in a mtb journey. it’s an end in and of itself.
At about 14:20 you suggested the Pike fork is "rinkydink" and looks smallish and that you were surprised by the stiffness of the Lyric. If I remember correctly the Pike came out around 2014 and took home a Best New Product award at Interbike with lots of commentary on how its stiffness was a game changer. I have a Pike RL 130 spec'd as OEM on a 2015 Stumpy and I've never felt it was the least bit noodley, and I'm a Clyde. That said, my first MTB was a $400.00 Schwinn Mesa Hard Tail and I was always amazed by how well it dug in up climbs, the geo was spot on. I was researching the Lyric recently and was surprised that the chassis is 35mm, splitting the difference between Fox's 34 and 36.
I live in the sea to sky area (Whistler area) and I just picked up my 2nd Chromag Stylus. I love the challenge of riding these trails on a steel hardtail and I absolutely love my Chromag! Hands down the best and most fun bike I've ever owned! It really makes you pick your line and your braking points as you do not have the same level of traction that a FS bike has.
Logan seems like an honest guy, I believe he wheelied the whole bridge.
Thanks Tomas!
Hey Jeff, I really appreciate the hardtail content! I have two trail hardtails in my shed, and no full suspension bike - and I don't even know why. I guess I simply like the simplicity and the direct trail feedback on a hardtail. As a mediocre rider with kids at home, I also stay away from big features and high consequence terrain, so I feel like a hardtail is the right tool for my abilities and risk level
Ditto
Hardtails are the best. So good to flick around! Great to keep you real and humble on most trails.
I have a Chromag primer and a doctahawk! Also have a custom titanium hardtail, custom made for me!
Loooove hardtail!!!
how do you compare the two? I'm looking into the doctahawk as a replacement for my fs bike, as to make sure i dont push myself too hard on the trails haha
This is my favorite video you put out! Partially because I just completed riding my hardtail (Commencal Meta HT and posted that video) for two months AND I just got back from my own Squamish/Fromme trip, so this was extremely relatable. I 100% agree that there are moments the hardtail is more fun and moments the risk factor is too great. I feel blessed to have a hardtail in the quiver to mix things up in the PNW. Really nice job, Jeff!
RIght on Corbin! How are you liking the Commencal? I wanna copy you and take my Yeti to Squamish!!!
@@JeffKendallWeed the meta HT is great! pretty stiff frame though, but it blends the poppy/jump feel and still being capable quite well. You'd love the yeti at Squamish! No slab would be safe from your wheelies and stoppies haha
Hi Jeff!! Your videos with such a cool riding style are always so inspiring to me. Last video you were still having fun with the trusty ripmo AF like mine, and today I realized you speak Spanish so well too!!! Nice mate! Keep doing that good, and if you're coming over Spain anytime I'll show you some great riding if need it.
About ten years ago I got back into mtb after a long (22 years) love affair with street bmx. So I got close to what I was used to and got an old pbike and threw as fat and as aggressive tire I could fit on it and a cog set and that was really fun and challenging but the short rear end was so fun to pop off everything. I then found my way into a bottlerocket. It’s super super fun but it is really heavy. So I do shorter rides as fast as I can. I’ve been thinking about maybe getting a nukeproof scout plus. That looks pretty fun or something like it. Love your live and let live just have fun style and videos.
Thank for this video you shred!! I switch my full suspension enduro rig for a hardcore hardtail, no regret the thrill is reel that make the riding session more tricky but its so rewarding and fun!!!
My custom Landyachtz 1146 fat bike was actually inspired by JKW's custom Chromag Stylus with the Trust fork and the same original Chromag saddle.
Nice Edgar! For dry conditions, I truly liked the Message on the Stylus, that was a neat feel!
Excellent video! There are days I miss my hard-tail but if as I get older I like the added "slop" allowed by a full sus. That said I really like the "new" hard tails with a longer slacker front fork. I want to try these updated designs.
Thanks Eolle! The new school agro hardtails are fun- still hardtails, just more fun!
Love hardtails because the maintenance is so simple. I ride like i have a home and family to get back too. Still have loads of fun. Thanks for a wonderful video. It was good to see logans truck, we dont have that engine here in nz. Surpose thats why the brakes looked so hefty. Cool thanks guys.
I love riding my hard tail, I’ve got a Kona honzo ESD with a 160mm Lyrik Ultimate that makes the HTA 62.5, it’s handling is very similar to your bike and it’s just so much fun to ride. It has improved my approach to steep tech and being able to go slower with the geometry and handling matching my riding style so well, being from the Bmx world as well I find there’s a lot of times I’m more comfortable on my hard tail on certain features like rock rolls and woodwork because I feel more connected to the bike. So I would say that riding my hard tail on hard trails has improved my riding but I think having a hard tail and a full suspension means that you can keep yourself amused and engaged riding the same trails often with both. Full suspension bikes are so good now that sometimes you can get bored with the bike handling everything so easily and the same trail on the hard tail can spice life up a bit, especially when riding solo.
Those are ultra sick bikes.
I’ve had multiple FS bikes and keep grabbing my carbon Honzo whenever I go out to ride. It’s just so fun and capable! Love the video 👍🏼
Rocky Mountain Instinct rider from Ontario here. Visited the Whistler bike park 2 summers ago - those rock slabs are no joke.
Def appreciate the more ride focus nature of this one. Thanks Jeff 🤙🏽
Sold my full last year to get back on a HT. I like the stuff control better 😉
I enjoy riding hardtails and I enjoy this channel. Perfect mix!
Thanks! Working on another hardtail vid soon!
20 years ago I joined a buddy for some riding in Cumberland, on Vancouver Island. He borrowed a bike for me from his cousin Darren, it was a fully decked out Demo 9 and it was a dream sled.
Could hit anything with crazy confidence, but it felt dead below 30km/h and made hilarious trails almost boring. I lent it around the crew, tried out other bikes during the week and realized that I had just as much fun on a .243 HT (grandaddy to the Cromag) as I did on the Demo 9: Smaller hucks, lower speed, but same size smile and more fun at lower speeds with less consequence.
When I got home to Baffin Island, I started planning my next bike and it was a hardtail.
Has been ever since.
Ive never ridden a full suspension mtb before but i love my modern hardtail. It feels like a monster truck version of a bmx bike. Super fun.
I honesty like all your content I've learned more from you than any other.
Thank you!
Hardtailing costs you more physically, but the reward es complete. That’s why they’re awsome!
Loved it thanks for the videos and tips. Could you do some more hardtail videos?
Aways thumbs up for hardtail! I have a full squish and a 29er rigid. So much fun on my rigid. It's Lighter and climbs better. My hands and back hurt at the end of a rock garden down hill. Other than that I feel every single bits of this planet. I can get a quick and fun exercise.
Just picked up a hardtail for the same reasons! Been having a blast trying to clean old janky xc moves and skinnies on it. You definitely feel every bump through the legs though
I ride a Stanton Switch9er with 160mm in the front as a Mullet secondary to a Propain Spindrift with 180mm travel front and rear. And I have to say that this Hardtail is just marginally less capable then the big rig. Terrain-wise it's just as capable to conquer the roughest gnar - just 5-10% slower. And I don't wanna hit jumps on it, bigger then 5m. Love the thing!
That "medium" really looks small and playful,quality riding as always,Jeff👌
I actually got third place on Strava on a mostly uphill New England technical trail(MANY Roots&Rocks) on my Specialized Pitch that has a broken drivetrain(can only ride in highest gears). Only dudes that beat me were on either a full carbon enduro and a full carbon e-bike.
I have 4 MTB's.... Turbo Levo (eMTB), Stumpjumper Comp (FS), SC Chameleon (HT), and Demo 8 (DH). Obviously the Levo and Demo are considerably different but between Stumpy and Lizard.... there is surprisingly not that much difference. Yeah... the FS gets good traction uphill, but if you get traction the HT squirts ahead better. I very much like the clean top tube of the HT when I need to Hike A Bike. They're all fun, which is kind of the point, yeah?
Great video. Yep. When it comes to having fun on a bike, everything started on a hardtail 🤙🏾✌🏾😎.
Thanks Marci!
this was one of your best videos yet 👌
Great video, I was that you will be able to get out more from hardtail.
I am following @Hardtail party and due to Steve I bought My Ragley and having a great time with them.
Today’s new age hardtail are so capable.
Steve is awesome! Glad you're digging the Ragley.
@@JeffKendallWeed thank you.
I ride a hard tail because i work a normal 9-5 and dont make a lot of money. Lower cost of maintenance and just the lower cost to enter the sport was what sold me. Havent met a trail that stopped me yet, though i have found a few that tried
Hey Jeff 👋 como estas! I do now descend the straight line and all those other rock slabs in my full suspension at slow speed, but just months ago I used to do only the middle line in my humble norco wolverine . Descender en una bicicleta hardtail es mucho mas dificil! You do all those tricks and jumping over the rock slabs in your hardtail that is another level, good for you 👏💯
Ah muy bien Abra! Me encantan los hardtails. El mejor es cuando se hace un pump, y el hardtail responde con tanto velocidad!
Man I love my trail hardtail. I do dial it back from a speed perspective, but I also have a Lyric 160mm and I love it. One thing I hate, if pushing it, I can't carry a water bottle, it gets yeeted out over the chunk...
Loved the vid Jeffe and the comment about how good modern fs bikes are but the hardtail still climbs better i have been riding just on forty years really love my currant bikes both long slack ht 65 d ha 160mm lyrik 32mm stem 800mm bars i,m 188cm tall one is a mullet the other 29 front and rear. The only gripe is i wish i had bikes like this years ago ha ha and maybe xc wouldnt have turned out so tame .
Owning my first FS bike at around 40 years old and still torn on which I enjoy most. The extra margin for error is certainly nice, but just like with cars I have more fun riding slow machines fast than fast machines slow. Not many people on earth can manage to pilot fast machines fast, and when you do ditch it into the weeds the speed hurts a lot more.
Hi jeff,been chatting on Facebook recently.Love your chromag.
I have been riding for 3 years now. Only experience I have so far is hardtail, but only because of monetary issues. I have my full suspension half paid off so hopefully I will be blessed to have in possession soon. I’m in Pennsylvania and it’s all gnarly jank out here so can’t wait to not be rattled to death everyday out. I’ll always love hardtail though.
Love the hardtail vids but speaking of Chromag, I wonder if you'll ever get a chance of trying out the Chromag Darco. Agressive geo short travel 29er. I think you'll have a blast!
Have only ever rode a hardtail. Have no idea what a fully is like but that’s likely a good thing. The hardtails are pricey enough for me. Plus I love riding and keeping up with guys on full suspension at triple the price in my locals trails!
I do notice however, I think I could ride faster with a full sus but the hard tail is really fun!
I’ve done countless runs on my local trails on various bikes over the last 30 years. Unless it is really fast chunky terrain. My hardtail runs about the same segment times as my 140/170 Yeti SB 5.5. Looking at overall riding time/avg speed on my regular 10 mile loop, the benefits in climbing on the hardtails far outweigh the tiny speed difference of the squishy bike on descents. my hard tail is also much faster on tight single track.
Awesome Dirty! Hardtails are also the ultimate excuse- like when I skipped the Gouranga gap, "not on a hardtail" hahaha! Anyhow, modern FS bikes have gotten SO much better than the 90s. I feel the only way to become a great bike rider is to ride all the bikes- each one will teach something different! Same with riding conditions- rain, dust, hero dirt, etc.
@@SprSonik13 that’s really good to know. I love riding chunky stuff the most. It’s quite root and rock filled here offering a variety of terrain. I love bulldozing through chunk. That’s why I think I could do it faster on a full sus. The thing is though, I’m not out to set any records as far as time is concerned so at the end of the day the minor differences in time you report reassure me that I can have fun on my hard tail without thinking I could do this faster! Yes, I could see how the efficiency of the hard tail would far surpass the f/S on the climbs. Every time I go out for a ride, I make a conscious effort to be a better rider, pick better lines and just have a blast on the bike! Thanks for the info and have fun out there!
@@JeffKendallWeed agreed! I likely do features on my HT that I shouldn’t do. There is a rather large drop (5-6ft)at one of the riding areas near us that I would love to do, but every time I come up to it I think about all the bad stuff that could happen to my 120mm bike (and me) and end up skipping it. I would love to try a FS bike but don’t think I’ll have the opportunity. Though I’ll not say never:)
Thanks for the content!
I had a Mango Habanero LMNT once. That was my last Mango Habanero LMNT. 😆
I do like many of the other fruit flavors, however! Thanks again for the sampler.
Thanks for the note! I like the spicy flavors on cold days, and the sweeter flavors on warm days. Ride on!!!
Man, in the early 90's we made fun of people with full-suspension bikes because they were so heavy. Nobody serious rode FS. Back then, we had 1.9-2.1" tires that we ran at 50 psi too, lol. The ride was rough for sure. I just got my first full-suspension bike last week and I'm 47, the blown discs in my back couldn't take off-road with a HT.
I’ve been riding off road for 40 years now. I went full suspension only around 20 years ago but added a hardtail after 5 years or so? I’m pretty close to 50/50 hardtail full suspension. I ride mostly the same trails too but I will tailor which bike I use on certain trails. Both are fun. Different fun. I live in Whistler and I do ride Squamish in the spring when there’s too much snow here. Wet slabs are a no go for me but I’m pretty comfortable on dry ones.
Right on Andy- Whistler hardtail vid needs made!!!
i like both riding and parts. do whatever you feel, both r great and prefer content quality
Awesome video as always Jeff 🤙🏽
my favorite bike after 30yrs of mtn biking is my 2018 Chameleon, mullet, SS, 160mm Ohlins coil. Not the most capable or fastest of my bikes over the years. But it is the one I will take most of the time, regardless of what I am riding.
Oh man, jealous of your Chameleon! I loved that bike!!!
late to the party but wanted to add an view from a hardtail all the way guy. I had a fully in between but traded it for another hardtail as i didnt like the suddle flex in the rear, and the usual things.
Now im a father and im feeling the need to be more conservative because hurting myself will turn into much bigger trouble for my family. So actually since 99% of riders dont ride for timed races its just not necessary to have a fully. The hardtail will go everywhere where a fully would but you will go there slower essentially. Which is a good thing because slower means if you mess up you your impacts will also be slower. You will enjoy much "easier" obstacles as much as you would much "harder" ones on a fully. A fully actually needs more difficult obstacles because you can blow through the easy stuff without even caring. So in the end the hardtail gives my legs and excellent workout at lower speeds(which will hurt less) and it also enables other fun activities like pumptracks a little better then a fully would. It just the media telling you the fully is the thing you should want but for most its not what the would need to have a fun day in the mountains essentially.
You say goofy, but I was on a 2.6 trail boss rear and 2.5 vigilante front for a season on my chromag wideangle, and this combo, so far, has been my favorite on that bike.
It feels great! Not the best for true wet conditions, but still pretty good there too. You're reminding me to try to get some more of those 2.6 rear tires!
Would love to see more videos with the hard tail. Thanks
I was wondering how does your fork setup in the stylus compares to the ones in your enduro bikes? Thanks for the video! You inspired me to get a stylus.
Ordered a custom geo Marino HT last year. I've bashed it for 600 miles so far... No issues.
Honestly I hopped on a XC hardtail coming from racing 20 inch bikes with my friends. They have full suspension but I just got what I could afford. I now ride a more aggressive hardtail and I just keep brain washing myself by being stoked on having any kind of suspension. I haven’t spent much time on full suspension so what I don’t know won’t hurt me.
my "enduro" bike is a mullet Ritchey Timberwolf. the thing is unstoppable.
I'd like to see more videos like this. Do you think it's possible to test out maybe like 2 other more hardcore hardtails? That Starling Mur Mur looks like a bike you'd like.
Are you riding inserts and 22psi or no? That's why you mentioned the rim dings?
You should give fat bikes a go. Something like Rocky Mountain Blizzard with a slack head angle. All the advantages of a hardtail, but also with like 20mm of rear travel which is enough to take out a lot of chatter. They are also super poppy because all of that tire suspension has no rebound. You can get faster rolling tires to help with pedaling as well.
I consider myself a bit above average rider. Most trails I ride are of medium difficulty. My guess is folks buy full sus because they want to ride the hardest parts immediately, without effort and training, adrenaline is what they want. I decided to progress slowly on a hardtail, and the upside is that easy trails are still fun for me.
Thank you for a cool reminder what capable rider and solid hardtail can do.
Sick bike!
Hardtail and FS in the quiver, mood determines which bike I’m reaching for.
Rad! Hardtail Gang!
Hard to tell how hard is to ride with hardtail 😉🤘
Hahahaha! Easier for some stuff, harder for other!
JKW ace video mate!
Any chance you could share where you set your fork sag for this bike? I’ve heard that on aggressive hardtails it’s helpful to set more sag. Is that how you go at it?
Hardtail Gang🤟
That bridge he wheelied. I fell off it into the water last summer 😂
for better, or worse - hardtails made me a rider :) still pretty much like my current HT better than my full sus. i like the way it rides; slightly sketchy on my relatively tame local trails and the aesthetic is so much more what the word 'bike' means to me
Hardtails are THE BEST skill builders out there!
🇸🇻🇸🇻🇸🇻. Great Spanish Jeff 🤙🏾.
I love the gnar 🤙🏾🫶🏽🔥 rock slabs and rock drops, but know my limits. Building a hard tail my self.
Enjoy your build, Shredder!
Sadly, my HT has to go to the hospital for a week so meanwhile I’ll be on the FS.
Awesome
hardtails hell yea!!!!!!
Thanks Jenkins!
that was some Wayne's World Garth in Reebok level product placement.
Dudee this is just the video I’ve been needing! Im trying to figure out whether I am going to buy a hardtail or full sus. Ive had a few full suspensions in the past, and i like them but am wondering if I should try something else out.
Hardtails are a GREAT second bike, as they feel so different from a FS. ANd they aint too crazy expensive!
@@JeffKendallWeed Thats true, thanks for the input!
Hi Jeff, Great video! I've been loving LMNT on my rides. I'm going to be visiting Bellingham for the first time soon and I'm wondering what trails you'd recommend for an intermediate rider? I ride a Pivot 429.
Thanks Kyle! Enjoy Bellingham- I'd recommend riding Galbraith, and doing Spacewolf/Dad Bod/Devil Cross and Happy Hour. Happy riding!
@@JeffKendallWeed Awesome! Thanks Jeff!
Really cool 👍 video i have a 2021trek Roscoe 8 hardtail
Thanks Rob! Enjoy your Roscoe, I hear rave reviews of those!
Theory on progression: New riders should have the best, lightest FS rides you can find. Once skills hit a plateau, switch to hardtail and learn to ride again.
I got spanked last year by the old guy on the group ride on fully rigid singlespeed!
If forced to just one bike, I'm reaching for a hardtail
YES!
Saludos dede España ✌🏼
Imma hardtail fan from Indonesia. It's like riding n taming a buffalo LOL. BTW are u a blader too?
So 160 fork and a 29er on a Stylus? That would have the geo at 62°? Or 61°? Wouldnt it be comparable to a 190mm fork?
...and the bike sure doesn't look mulleted in the video. Not that i doubt you, but its odd how it appears as duak 27.5 on camera.
That slap roll must be steeper than it looks. Everyone doesn’t seem to be bombing it that fast.
Peace & Wheelies!!
YES!
More hardtail content
You talk about riding conservatively because you have a family. I'm in the same situation and I've surprisingly been having a lot of fun riding my hardtail on blue trails.
Nice Partida! Careful tho, the biggest jumps are always on the blue trails!
As someone who rides full rigid I totally feel like the bike industry and shops want riders to think that you should move to carbon and full suspension as you progress. Everyone is constantly telling me "Imagine how much faster you would be on a full suspension", but that's not the point. I love the challenge and having a disadvantage trying to make my skill work for me and not the bike. That being said Jeff is very skilled, whatever he rides..
Gnar!!