Do I Need a Full Suspension Mountain Bike?

Triathlon Forum
41

“the MAJORITY of those courses aren’t technical enough to warrant a FS, in my opinion”

I think it depends on the riders ability. many courses will be fine with a HT for almost everyone. And they can ALL be COMPLETED with a HT.

But think about a MOP rider who wants to move 1-2 spots up, or more. The FS will allow them to take less than ideal lines (which they will do even though they try not to, or might not know the best line) and allow them to carry speed rather than getting beat up or bucked off.

42

true, i guess i was thinking about someone going for an age group award
.

43

“true, i guess i was thinking about someone going for an age group award”

Then you’re probably right. Though this year a ton of pros were on FS in Pelham, we’ll see about Richmond. If they were racing in the mid-west though, HT all the way.

For me? FS…I can’t always get that stupid bike on the right line and the FS will save me numerous times each race.

44

To say that HT can’t do stuff that FS can do and vice versa is a bit of a stretch. It really all comes down to fun and what combination of equipment is going to get you out and train. Remember, your training days are going to outnumber your race days AT LEAST 10 to 1 if you race a ton. There is a trail that I frequently ride that is called Telonics. It is ridiculous with elevator shaft hair ball descent sections that are difficult to hike down let alone to clean it (no unclipping). To give an idea of the burlyness, Hans Rey in a mag interview said that this is his favorite trail. Anyway, I lower my saddle as low as it’ll go and I lean on my FS and hydraulic brakes for all they’re worth. I use all this new fangled mtb technology for all its good for. But the truth is, this trail was found and ridden frequently by the laguna RADS in the mid 80’s (maybe even earlier) with no suspension what so ever. Anything is possible on any bike, so it comes down to what you like, or think you like. There are 29’rs, SS’rs, HT’rs, 1X9’rs, FS’rs, and shuttle running DH’rs that will swear up and down that what they do is the best. What’s going to keep you riding is the important question - E

45

I vote for the Epic (yes, largely because of the brain). I’m guessing a lot of the people on this thread pushing for HT have never tried an Epic on trail… Especially one with an '07 brain. It essentially is a hardtail except for the times when a full suspension is more useful, then it’s FS… Takes a ride or two to dial it to your preference then you just leave it alone and ride. Hard to explain how well it works until you try it. The weight is now comparable to the upper range of high end HTs but the performance benefits gained far exceed the weight difference IMO.

I’ve never tried 29er, but from what I hear some people love them, some hate them, and regardless there are limited (but increasing) options for wheels, tires, etc.

I agree that HT can be the best choice for extremely non-technical courses with a lot of climbing (think fireroad only), or for extremely experienced riders who simply prefer FS, but these days with the proven new FS XC technology, I think race tuned FS is the way to go.

The FSR is a FS bike that fits the description many of the nay-sayers are using. It’s really more for very rough trail riding etc. The Epic is for climbing and racing.

46

Each year the Epic gets nicer and nicer, and the Brain is a nifty piece of suspension. If my LBS could have gotten its hands on an Epic when I was in the market for a MTB, I would have gone with that rather than the FSR Expert I picked up.

I’ll be riding my FS in Richmond – WISHING I had a hardtail…or Epic. :wink:

47

What’s the Richmond course like? I love the Pelham course, TONS of fun. But I was wishing I had a FS instead of my HT down there!

48

Opinion will vary on the Richmond course, but it has a little bit of everything - some short but steep climbs, some technical sections, a little fire road, a couple stair-climbs (with your bike), roll-y single track, etc…

Guaranteed fun bike course though! The run will be HOTT.

49

I can level with hot, it was about 102 degrees in Pelham!

50

I just love it when people ask the “HT or FS” question on Slowtwitch. First of all, it’s a TRIATHLON forum!!! You’re asking the opinion of triathletes, most of whom:
a) do not mountain bike
b) don’t know the least thing about mountain biking
c) think XTERRA and cross country are the same thing
d) can barely change a tube, let alone perform mid-level maintenance
e) would still offer an opinion even if they knew nothing about MTB’s
f) all of the above

Sure, there are a few people here who know their stuff when it comes to MTB’s…Irondad, Julien, GearGrinder, Brandoncept, Tai and a few others…people that actally race xc a lot. But the majority here probably think the weight weenie approach is the way to go - HT with carbon frame, post and stem (yikes!!!). Most have no concept of the actual performance differences between a Specialized Epic and an NRS, or couldn’t explain stable platform valve technology, lockouts, Shimano vs SRAM gear ratio’s, etc. How are a bunch of triathletes

If you’ve got a mountain bike question, and you want an accurate representation of answers, ask the mountain bikers. Try the forums on MTBR.com Asking here is like asking a tri bike question on a MTB forum - you’d probably get a few decent answers, and a lot of ridiculous ones.

51

“Sure, there are a few people here who know their stuff when it comes to MTB’s…Irondad, Julien, GearGrinder, Brandoncept, Tai and a few others…”

I’m not sure I qualify with that group, but thanks! I feel honored! But the guys I ride with know TONS more than me, I just pick up what I can from them.

But GearGrinder is right, MTBR.com is the place to go. Weight matters with a mountain bike, but not as much as relibility and having the right bike for the terrain. Ideally, you’d have a HT, a soft-tail, short travel (3-4"), medium travel (5" or so), long travel (6"-up) and a downhill bike. That should cover it.

If you can’t drop $20,000 for all of those, get something in the 3-4" travel range with X.9 (my preference, XT will do quite well also) and a good fork and go ride. If you can afford more, awesome. But the 3=4" travel bike will do everything well, especially with todays modern suspension designs.

Oh, and get a Thompson post/stem before carbon. Jamie Whitmore gave a little talk about breaking a carbon post in a race and having to quit because she one day “wants to have kids”. it ended her race, and she only weighs 115 lbs. The 40 grams you’ll save aren’t worth it.

FWIW, I am on a HT right now, but only because I don’t have a FS yet (should be in this week). The HT is nice up smooth climbs, but the FS really saves you from bad lines and should leave you feeling better for the run following the bike leg in XTERRA.