Hardtail Vs Full Suspension Mountain Bike- Finding The Right Option

When it comes to mountain bikes, there are plenty of options to choose from. If you're looking for adventure and a good workout, it's important to consider whether a hardtail or full-suspension bike is the best fit for you. In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into the details of both types of mountain bikes. By the end, you'll have the knowledge you need to confidently make the right choice.

Written by Luke Ameen

Updated by Rhodes Perry on May 17th, 2023

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As the cycling season has started, there are going to be a lot of races, both professional and casual, this is the perfect opportunity to get a new mountain bike. While getting a new bike, there are plenty of factors that we have to look into, some people have price points in mind while some have customization in mind, either way, with mountain bikes, the right bike will make all the difference for you.

Although a new mountain bike will be an expensive investment, over the course of years you will fall in love with the choice you made, both hardtail and full-suspension bikes are great, but in the end, what matters is what you really want in the bike, what kind of mountain biker are you?

Hardtail Vs Full Suspension Mountain Bike-Our Pick

If by any chance you score a good Hardtail Mountain Bike, you will find that they are even lighter than some of the best and most expensive full-suspension mountain bikes, this can work really well in your favor if you can use this to your advantage. I find these kinds of bikes to be very simple, as they don’t feature a shock and rear suspension in front and rear wheel , sometimes only a suspension fork.

Hardtail tend to be lighter and require less maintenance than a full-suspension bike

Since you won’t have to spend your hard-earned money on a shock and rear suspension, you can easily use that money to get more parts for your bike, a stronger drivetrain, and better wheels perhaps?

The reason I prefer hardtail mountain bikes is that they have a lot of room for customization. What I believe is that you can build yourself a really amazing Hardtail Mountain Bike without spending a fortune. Trust me, I have built my hardtail using the Kona Honzoframe. It gets the work done and lets me have fun.

Nevertheless, it also depends on the kind of trail riding you want to do. If you want to ride technical trails comfortably then a Full-Suspension Mountain Bike can be an even better investment than a Hardtail.

You can customize the wheels however you see fit but that’s about it. But that does not compensate for the fixed rear triangle that Hardtails are known best for. Either way, let’s dive into these amazing bikes and see what really sets them apart!

What Are Hardtail Mountain Bikes?

Do you love taking muddy rides, exploring rocky terrains, or just simply want to have a very low bike maintenance cost? Then your best bet is going to be the Hardtail Mountain Bikes, they offer amazing performance and are also budget-friendly to own and maintain.

If we compare these bikes to Full Suspension then there is an absence of shock absorption and linkage bearing since they lack both a suspension fork and a front and rear suspension system. Although this loss keeps the maintenance costs to a minimum, riding these bikes can also be hard sometimes.

Your riding style will matter a lot here. Do you strictly want the bike for adventures or want to use them as an all-purpose bike? The fun thing with these bikes is that they act as amazing commuter bikes. With a few modifications, you can use them for touring as well. Just make sure that the right parts are equipped.

Hardtail bikes can be unforgiving sometimes, if you have injuries that set you back like leg injuries then it is advised that you look for another type of bike. Although, these bikes can handle a mild descent without any kind of problems.

Different Types of Hardtail Mountain Bikes

There are different types of Hardtail Mountain Bikes that you can enjoy.

Types

XC (Cross-Country)
Trail Hardtail Bikes
Electric Hardtail Bikes
Enduro Hardtail Bikes
Jump Bikes

What Sets Them Apart?

There are plenty of features that set Hardtail Mountain Bikes apart, these features also make them useful in specific scenarios.

Top Features

Some of the defining features are:

Strong Front Suspension Fork
Have Fewer Moving Parts (Less Maintenance)
Lighter Design
Rigid Rear Fork

Advantages Of Hardtail Mountain Bikes

Apart from the great features that they possess, there are several advantages that you can enjoy when you get a Hardtail Mountain Bike. These kinds of bikes have many surprising benefits, let’s discuss them.

Budget Friendly

With a quality hardtail bike, all you need to do is do some basic maintenance. You can purchase them without breaking the bank and even customize them further without spending too much on them.

Versatile

They are extremely versatile. As we discussed earlier, they can be used as a commuter bike as well as touring. There are plenty of customization options that you can enjoy with Hardtail bikes.

Less Rolling Resistance

Enjoy less rolling resistance. Hardtail mountain bikes have less rolling resistance, which means that you will be able to build and maintain speed very easily.

Lightweight Structure

Hardtail bikes have a very lightweight construction, you can control them easily on the road. May it be on the trails or on the road, there will always be better maneuverability for you to enjoy. Hardtail bikes generally weigh very lightly so you would have a lot of fun with them.

Great Climbers

They are great climbers. If you love to climb hills while riding mountain bikes then the hardtail mountain bikes are great options to go for.

Disadvantages Of Hardtail Mountain Bikes

There are great features and a lot of fun advantages, but there are also a lot of cons that you have to be careful about when getting a Hardtail Mountain Bike. Let’s discuss the different cons of these bikes

Slow

They are very slow on technical trails. Although these bikes can handle the technical trails as full suspension mountain bikes, you would have to take them very slowly through the obstacles.

Less comfortable

Compared to a dual suspension mountain bike, the hardtail mountain bikes don’t offer that much protection when it comes to shocks and vibrations. There is no better way to explain this but you will feel every jump and turn, your legs and hands will be used to absorb shock.

Less traction

With hardtail bikes, you will not be able to enjoy the best traction possible. The handling is not that great and sometimes there is no contact with the ground at all. Extra precaution will be needed when you will be going for hardtail mountain bikes.

Simple Bikes

They are very simple. Needless to say but hardtail mountain bikes are not technologically advanced as other types of bikes, their design is still stuck in the past although there are some key areas that they have improved upon.

What Are Full-Suspension Mountain Bikes?

With the full suspension mountain bikes, you will always be protected against every kind of shock and absorption. If you worry about inflicting an injury while riding then these bikes will be our best bet. If you are planning to expand your skillset, and just be better at riding while also being safe then I would say that you should definitely get full suspension bikes.

What I like about full-suspension mountain bikes is that they allow you to ride professionally on the most demanding trails without many problems, with harsh terrains, the training opportunities are also refined. I know that going over the bars (OTB) is a nightmare scenario for all kinds of riders. There is a lot of support here, and you will never have to worry while riding a full-suspension bike.

From my experience, I can say that hardtail bikes cannot handle rocky and technical terrain properly. This is where the full-suspension bikes come. Your progression will definitely be smooth, even a full-suspension bike that offers a short travel distance will be much better than a hardtail that cannot withstand bumps.

Although these bikes are not cheap, a good full-suspension MTB can cost you north of $2000, but sometimes money is not important when it comes to comfort.

What Sets Them Apart?

Suspension bikes feature a lot of important aspects, these features set them truly apart from a hardtail bike.

Top Features

Let’s discuss what those features are:

Two Powerful Suspension Points: Front and Rear Suspension
Powerful Structure
More Technologically Advanced Construction
Better For All Sorts Of Riders Especially Those That Are Not Physically Fit

Advantages of Full Suspension Mountain Bikes

Full Suspension Mountain Bikes grant a lot of advantages, they surely offer a better experience than hardtail bikes. Here are all the advantages that you can enjoy.

Better Traction And Handling

The first thing that you can enjoy with these bikes is an enhanced level of traction and handling. Even if there is a collision with an obstacle, your bike will be able to roll over. The damping system with these bikes is really impressive. You will finally be able to ride smooth trails.

Comfortable Ride

With the inclusion of a rear shock, all of your rides will be smooth. Even if land on a rough surface, you will always be well-protected. There will also be less fatigue while riding, these bikes are best if you have an issue of joint pain.

Faster Technical Trails

Unlike the hardtail bikes, you can ride quickly through a technical trail, you will not have to worry about the impacts or any other kind of problems.

Confidence Boost

They inspire more confidence. With these bikes, there is a much better chance of skill progression. There is also a wider margin of error, even if you stumble upon problems, you can always bounce back quickly.

Disadvantages of Full Suspension Mountain Bikes

Now let’s get to the not-so-pretty part of full-suspension bikes, yes, they are amazing machines but not without their own set of disadvantages. Here are some disadvantages of full-suspension mountain bikes

Expensive Machines

Full-Suspension Mountain Bikes are expensive to say the least, since they have a lot of technical components, the price point goes way up. A good quality full suspension mountain bike will cost you north of $2500.

Less Efficiency

These bikes are less efficient as compared to hardtail bikes, having all these components makes them prone to errors sometimes. Most of the time, the bottom bracket of these bikes comes down which is not a pretty sight.

Requires More Maintenance

Full-Suspension bikes require more maintenance than usual, so if you don’t maintain them often, the performance will drop, to say the least. Also, maintenance does not come cheap, you will need to get certain tools and maybe even take the bike to a professional mechanic.

Not-Beginner Friendly

These bikes are not suitable for beginners, although they do allow you to ride lazily and roughly. Learning the essential skills without that pressure is not possible with full-suspension bikes, for example, you will never be able to bunny hop with these bikes.

Less Durabale

As these bikes absorb shocks and vibrations more, their durability takes a big hit. That is why you have to repair them often. Only get these bikes if you can get them repaired frequently, even though these repairs are hard themselves.

Learn More About Mountain Bikes:

Guides and Tips:

Best Mountain Bikes Reviewed:

Recap

Mountain Bikes are great for having a workout, exploring, or even commuting. Just know what kind of experience you want first, go for a hardtail or full suspension, neither of them will let you down!

Hardtail bikes are best for beginners, and advanced riders alike. When I started my mountain biking journey, I benefited the most from them. I had more room to explore my interests since the bikes are durable, and I was not afraid to go on rocky trails. It did take double the effort though!

Nevertheless, All types of riders can enjoy these machines and even learn new tricks and skills if they want to. With a hardtail bike, you can easily learn different body positioning and balance.

Although if you want some really intense action then full-suspension bikes would be the best option since they require half the effort. Full-Suspension bikes are heavier in comparison and are even more expensive but they offer amazing ride quality. You just have to keep a focus on your balance without worrying about obstacles that much.

Now that you know the advantages and disadvantages and which will suit you best in the long run of both bikes, Which one are you going to vote for? Let us know in the comment section below. Happy Ridding!