Is it a mistake to go Hardtail in 2019

[The duke]

My buddies who ride MTB say hardtail is a relic of the past. I tell them I'm a novice. I'll be primarily on roads or hard packed fire roads. I'm not a speed demon. I'd get off and walk it if I saw too many roots

But they say my 50 year old bones won't like the bumps. They say that with an e-bike, you're in the saddle so much that rear suspension is critical.

Honestly, it's hard to even find hardtail reviews of Haibikes, Bulls, Cubes, BHs when there are full suspension versions. It seems like the hard tails are an afterthought. But they're almost $1,000 cheaper and often at least 5-7lbs heavier!

My thinking is I should put the full force of my $2,500 into the best components I can get. Am I making a mistake?

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I'll be primarily on roads or hard packed fire roads.

For this purpose, hardtail is more than enough.

My buddies who ride MTB say hardtail is a relic of the past

If you are doing MTB, then suspension certainly helps. Every manufacturer has a Full suspension mountain bike, Trek, Giant, Specialized, Haibike, Bulls etc specialize in excellent mountain bikes. So, if you are looking for a MTB, then go for it.

Am I making a mistake?

What is a mistake?

This is a mistake: Not test riding enough E-bikes and reading too much online and becoming gullible for internet marketing.

 

[rich c]

Like Ravi says, until you ride one you won't know. For me, full suspension is the best. I just got home from a little 10 mile loop I ride in the city. It was on a Haibike Full Seven with Schwalbe Super Moto-X tires. I also ride a Haibike Trekking with a suspension seat post. No comparison in ride feel. The full suspension is easily tuned for the ride, whether smooth, urban potholes, or stones and roots. No concerns about hoping a curb on the full suspension either. 50 year old bones I wish, I'm 66.

 

[J.R.]

I have a hardtail 29er and I ride a mix of surfaces, maybe 10% paved, mostly dirt double and single track. Fire road, rail trail, canal towpath, farm tracks, etc...

Hardtail is much less maintenance. I added a BodyFloat and it handles what I need for the most part. A hardtail allows mounting a proper touring rack; I like to load up panniers for those all day cross country rides in the mountains. Rack comes off in a couple minutes for rougher terrain. I really think it's the best of both worlds.

 

[indianajo]

I'm 68 and I think limiting the life of my bike to 7 years is a waste. Who sells replacement suspension parts for your suspended bike? When I cruise on niagara & modernbike websites, I didn't see any. I see deflated suspension bikes at Salvation Army resale quite frequently.
I ride on road, and I find 2.1" tires smooth enough. No I won't be jumping any curbs. But I have no trouble on my 1/4 mile driveway out at the summer camp that hasn't had a load of gravel in 30 years. I don't intend to spend a lot of the time at >15 mph either: I like bikeing, as opposed to motoring. The motor is for those days when the winds of global warming are resolutely in my face. Hit 41 mph in my face last month and that wasn't a named storm. I can ride about 4 hours on my seat before my saddle starts getting sore.
Besides, I shop off my bike, and adjusting a suspension over and over for how much the load weighs right this minute would be too fiddly. Up to 50 lb regular weekly shopping, and 72 when I do water runs out at the camp. Cargo bikes don't come with suspensions.

 

[roadandmtbebikes]

There are lots of ways to improve ride comfort.

A carbon frame can help soften up the ride to a noticeable degree. Wider tires at lower pressures help. Tubeless allows for lower pressures, more traction and higher comfort. As well as excellent resistance to punctures. Install cushier grips or fatter tape. Poly/plastic pedals ride softer. Get a cushier saddle that fits properly.

Also, learn proper riding technique. Get your butt off the saddle for bigger bumps. Keep your knees and elbows bent to absorb bumps. Learn to bunny hop over larger bumps. Keep your head up and alert for bumps in the road so you can pick a line around them before it's too late.

On longer rides, consider bike specific gear. Padded gloves and shorts don't cost very much but add considerably to ride comfort.

On bumpy terrain I do agree that full sus is preferable, all else being equal. They provide more traction, comfort and control. Hardtails get knocked off their line more easily and are a bit more difficult to control. Having said that, if you can fit plus sized tires 2.8" in particular, a hardtail can still be very comfortable. I found a 2.8" plus sized hardtail close in comfort to a full sus carbon which is one heck of an achievement.

 

[linklemming]

On bumpy terrain I do agree that full sus is preferable, all else being equal. They provide more traction, comfort and control. Hardtails get knocked off their line more easily and are a bit more difficult to control. Having said that, if you can fit plus sized tires 2.8" in particular, a hardtail can still be very comfortable. I found a 2.8" plus sized hardtail close in comfort to a full sus carbon which is one heck of an achievement.

Definately FS is preferrable and downright more comfortable. I have been riding FS acoustic bikes since 98 and will always own one. Lots of rocks out here in Colorado.

My current eMTB is a Bulls Evo 27.5+ hardtail with 120mm fork and 2.8 tires. While I dont ride the super hard/technical stuff with it, its more than comfortable enough.

Would an FS be better, absolutely but more $$ (I wouldnt be concerned about the weight all that much).

I will own a specialized turbo levo eventually, just a matter of time.

 

[MikeDD]

If you ride a FS bike on a gravel, washboard road, you will not buy a hardtail. A suspension seat post cannot makeup for a full suspension bike. I own a Rad Mini and a Specialized Turbo Levo FSR.

 

[The duke]

Definately FS is preferrable and downright more comfortable. I have been riding FS acoustic bikes since 98 and will always own one. Lots of rocks out here in Colorado.

My current eMTB is a Bulls Evo 27.5+ hardtail with 120mm fork and 2.8 tires. While I dont ride the super hard/technical stuff with it, its more than comfortable enough.

Would an FS be better, absolutely but more $$ (I wouldnt be concerned about the weight all that much).

I will own a specialized turbo levo eventually, just a matter of time.

The Bulls Evo 2 27.5+ is what I'm seriously thinking about getting. Your thoughts on it would be REALLY helpful! I could go up another $900 and get a Bulls full suspension with lower quality components, but I'm just not sure.

 

[The duke]

I'm 68 and I think limiting the life of my bike to 7 years is a waste. Who sells replacement suspension parts for your suspended bike? When I cruise on niagara & modernbike websites, I didn't see any. I see deflated suspension bikes at Salvation Army resale quite frequently.
I ride on road, and I find 2.1" tires smooth enough. No I won't be jumping any curbs. But I have no trouble on my 1/4 mile driveway out at the summer camp that hasn't had a load of gravel in 30 years. I don't intend to spend a lot of the time at >15 mph either: I like bikeing, as opposed to motoring. The motor is for those days when the winds of global warming are resolutely in my face. Hit 41 mph in my face last month and that wasn't a named storm. I can ride about 4 hours on my seat before my saddle starts getting sore.
Besides, I shop off my bike, and adjusting a suspension over and over for how much the load weighs right this minute would be too fiddly. Up to 50 lb regular weekly shopping, and 72 when I do water runs out at the camp. Cargo bikes don't come with suspensions.

Hi IndianaJo. Sorry, I'm a little dense, but I think what you're implying is that a full suspension bike has about a 7 year lifespan due to difficult to replace components and that won't be the case for a hardtail?

It's funny you say that, because the e-bike haters I know say similar things about buying an ebike like the Bulls Evo or any other with an integrated, proprietary battery. They say in 5 years, the battery will be shot and I won't be able to replace, or will have to spend north of $750 to replace, so am therefore buying a 5 year lifespan to, while their analog bikes (mostly full suspension) will ride on into the future.

 

[The duke]

Like Ravi says, until you ride one you won't know. For me, full suspension is the best. I just got home from a little 10 mile loop I ride in the city. It was on a Haibike Full Seven with Schwalbe Super Moto-X tires. I also ride a Haibike Trekking with a suspension seat post. No comparison in ride feel. The full suspension is easily tuned for the ride, whether smooth, urban potholes, or stones and roots. No concerns about hoping a curb on the full suspension either. 50 year old bones I wish, I'm 66.

Hi Rich. Let me rephrase my question. Do you feel, personally, that the rear suspension is equal to, or close to equal in importance to the front suspension?

Does rear suspension add nearly as much, by way of comfort, rideability and control as a front fork does?

 

[Ian Moone]

My buddies who ride MTB say hardtail is a relic of the past. I tell them I'm a novice. I'll be primarily on roads or hard packed fire roads. I'm not a speed demon. I'd get off and walk it if I saw too many roots

But they say my 50 year old bones won't like the bumps. They say that with an e-bike, you're in the saddle so much that rear suspension is critical.

Honestly, it's hard to even find hardtail reviews of Haibikes, Bulls, Cubes, BHs when there are full suspension versions. It seems like the hard tails are an afterthought. But they're almost $1,000 cheaper and often at least 5-7lbs heavier!

My thinking is I should put the full force of my $2,500 into the best components I can get. Am I making a mistake?

B.S. !! I'm 58 years young , and I Ride Both a Hardtail Specialized and a E.G. Full Suspension ... My Specialized is actually Lighter, and More nimble, and Unless your suspension is needed, you Might be better off Locking it out. ?

 

[steve mercier]

If you are not doing downhill just spend the money on the hardtail with the best components you can get and stand up over the speedbumps. (-: On the other hand if you are buying a quality bike you will have it longterm ,so choose wisely the first time and you will save in the long run . If you buy a bike with a Bosch or similar quality system, you will certainly be able to buy replacement batteries and parts in 5 years. You can look at online bike shops such as Scooteretti ,which offers a comprehensive list of Bosch parts that one can order.

 

[linklemming]

The Bulls Evo 2 27.5+ is what I'm seriously thinking about getting. Your thoughts on it would be REALLY helpful! I could go up another $900 and get a Bulls full suspension with lower quality components, but I'm just not sure.

That should be a great bike. I couldnt live with the bright yellow accents although it would have been quite a bit cheaper. I had initially planned on going with the 29 version but they were not in stock anymore. Luckily with 27.5+ I can always run 29 wheels/tires

I have had suntour fork(aion) issues (initially leaked air, fixed under warranty although I had to pay shop time).

At some time I tore off the rebound adjuster at the bottom of the fork during a ride. The rebound adjuster is part of a cartridge which costs $250 (and being a european designed bike, using a european spec fork, requires it to be shipped from europe). So basically the fork now has no rebound damping and clunks when it tops out. I will eventually find a 'take off' rockshox fork(better rebound adjuster design and easily servicable) on ebay and replace it. I prefer to do my own fork service and info on suntour is sparse as well as finding parts.

Make sure to verify the standover height works for you, the evos seemed a little higher than normal (seems typical for many Bulls eMTBs). At 6ft, 32inch pants inseam, the 46cm frame works for me. I did need to get a longer seatpost (400mm).

All that being said, the bike is a gem

 

[linklemming]

On the FS 7 year lifespan....

If you spend the money on a popular frame by a reputable manufacturer, you will likely have parts for quite awhile.

I have an 2000ish specialized FSR s-works FS bike. It was originally a non-s-works but there was a bottom bracket frame issue and specialized replaced the frame with an s-works. I rode that bike pretty hard for 5 years and had no issues. Eventually chainsuck took its toll on the chainstays and I found a new frameset on ebay for a great price.

Im not riding as hard as I used to but Im still riding that bike today.

 

[ebikemom]

My bike has a suspension seatpost. And balloon tires. Nothing else. I have no problems with the lumps and bumps of roads and bike paths. The tires probably provide some cushioning. I don't notice the seatpost moving much. I don't think it has much function.

I used to have a bike with a suspension fork in the front--it was a hybrid sort of upright cruiser type of bike, not an ebike. It stopped working and I never really noticed ... I think for street riding it really isn't necessary to have front fork suspension, but that's just my opinion. You need to get what works for you. Test-ride lots of bikes. That's how you can figure out what matters to you.

 

[steve mercier]

I'm 68 and I think limiting the life of my bike to 7 years is a waste. Who sells replacement suspension parts for your suspended bike? When I cruise on niagara & modernbike websites, I didn't see any. I see deflated suspension bikes at Salvation Army resale quite frequently.
I ride on road, and I find 2.1" tires smooth enough. No I won't be jumping any curbs. But I have no trouble on my 1/4 mile driveway out at the summer camp that hasn't had a load of gravel in 30 years. I don't intend to spend a lot of the time at >15 mph either: I like bikeing, as opposed to motoring. The motor is for those days when the winds of global warming are resolutely in my face. Hit 41 mph in my face last month and that wasn't a named storm. I can ride about 4 hours on my seat before my saddle starts getting sore.
Besides, I shop off my bike, and adjusting a suspension over and over for how much the load weighs right this minute would be too fiddly. Up to 50 lb regular weekly shopping, and 72 when I do water runs out at the camp. Cargo bikes don't come with suspensions.

They do if you have enuff money...ala Riese and Muller Load !

 

[The duke]

My bike has a suspension seatpost. And balloon tires. Nothing else. I have no problems with the lumps and bumps of roads and bike paths. The tires probably provide some cushioning. I don't notice the seatpost moving much. I don't think it has much function.

I used to have a bike with a suspension fork in the front--it was a hybrid sort of upright cruiser type of bike, not an ebike. It stopped working and I never really noticed ... I think for street riding it really isn't necessary to have front fork suspension, but that's just my opinion. You need to get what works for you. Test-ride lots of bikes. That's how you can figure out what matters to you.

You didn't notice the suspension going away? I remember distinctly going from my old teenage huffy over to my first front end suspension....soooooo plush. And I only did road biking. Curbs, cracks on the sidewalk were all noticeably smoother. I can see not necessary, but not noticeable?

And reregarding testing a lot of bikes....most dealers will let you circle the block but you can't really test a bike the way your ride. Dirt trails, crappy roads. I don't see much value in the 'once around the block' test ride beyond verifying the bike is a good fit size wise.

 

[ebikemom]

Interesting. Bike dealers around here allow a decent test-ride, but, sure, dirt trails? Um, no, but local roads? no problem.

I didn't really notice the suspension going away, but I didn't jump curbs (I wasn't a teenager!) My kid and teenage bikes had zero suspension... no problem for me. I do stand a bit if there are lots of bumps, sometimes. And that's good exercise!

Everyone has different preferences, for sure! Get what you love!

 

[indianajo]

Hi IndianaJo. Sorry, I'm a little dense, but I think what you're implying is that a full suspension bike has about a 7 year lifespan due to difficult to replace components and that won't be the case for a hardtail?
It's funny you say that, because the e-bike haters I know say similar things about buying an ebike like the Bulls Evo or any other with an integrated, proprietary battery. They say in 5 years, the battery will be shot and I won't be able to replace, or will have to spend north of $750 to replace, so am therefore buying a 5 year lifespan to, while their analog bikes (mostly full suspension) will ride on into the future.

That's why I converted a non-powered bike. The battery is generic, the wedge on the front of the bike left. That bike has frame holes for a front basket, which balances my load better. The battery case is diy of aluminum angle. Doing a conversion, make sure your frame slots for a hubmotor are substantial, the "dropout" (fork width) is compatible, and use torque arms.