weight of MTBs

[bychosis]

Maybe it'd be worth buying a cheap used hardtail to test wether you like MTB riding and your back can cope with it.

[Calvin27]

hmm you guys are making me think dual suspension.

Like i said, if your back pain was anything as bad as mine, you won't even question the dually. Heck even the Minister of Finance had no qualms when I wrote the purchase off as a medical claim!

[Mububban]

I'm thinking of building a MTB....can I do without front suspension?

BTW the tracks I'll be taking are fairly tame, which suits me.

I saw a guy on an olde skool Specialized Rockhopper with skinny frame and rigid forks at the top of a blue trail on the weekend Considering how hairy it felt on my old bike WITH basic front suspension, I can only imagine how he went going downhill!!!

Very much like this one! An early 90s model apparently:



So yes, it can be done, but I think as has been said, your arms and hands will thank you if you get suspension

[mikgit]

^Sometimes having a rigid fork is better than a basic suspension fork.
I took the suspension forks off one of my bikes a while ago put on a rigid, was a blast, so direct.
Don't get me wrong, I'll always prefer a suspension fork, but if you're only doing easy trials, its not needed.

[cooperplace]

on the other hand there is the considerable expense and extra weight of rear suspension.

I'm going to borrow a hardtail and ride it on some trails.

[Bentnose]

on the other hand there is the considerable expense and extra weight of rear suspension.

I'm going to borrow a hardtail and ride it on some trails.

I was looking at some carbon full suspension frames, without shocks, and they were nearly triple the weight of my carbon hardtail.

[Mububban]

On the subject of overall weight (and a bit of fun):

[andrewjcw]

on the other hand there is the considerable expense and extra weight of rear suspension.

I'm going to borrow a hardtail and ride it on some trails.

I was looking at some carbon full suspension frames, without shocks, and they were nearly triple the weight of my carbon hardtail.

Maybe try comparing XC with XC... Yes if you compare XC with a DH there will be a big difference. We all know a DH bike is just a couple of cylinders short a motocross bike anyway.

[Bentnose]

on the other hand there is the considerable expense and extra weight of rear suspension.

I'm going to borrow a hardtail and ride it on some trails.

I was looking at some carbon full suspension frames, without shocks, and they were nearly triple the weight of my carbon hardtail.

Maybe try comparing XC with XC... Yes if you compare XC with a DH there will be a big difference. We all know a DH bike is just a couple of cylinders short a motocross bike anyway.

Okay comparing apples with apples its more like double, but for a high end carbon XC hardtail frame and a high end XC full suspension frame there is a large cost difference. I can afford to build a very good carbon hardtail but the full suspension frames by themselves are quite pricey so I'd have to go a complete bike. This would only be an aluminium frame, with my budget, with lower components than I'll have on my carbon hardtail so for the same money I'd get quite a lot of extra weight. IMHO heavy full suspension bikes just aren't as nimble as a lightish weight hardtail and I can't afford a lightish full suspension bike. It depends on what you want out of your bike, evreybody will be different.

[boyracer]

Hey Coops.
I'm Adelaide based in Goodwood. i ride a full rigid XC - alloy frame with carbon fork through sheps/cleland /belair/eagle.
A nicely built light bike with tubeless big bag tyres (and correct PSI) is a fine ride for Adelaide trails.