Downhill
Fast descents were always domain of the full suspension bikes. The downhill freaks wanted to go faster and that’s why we have such technology. The struggling was suddenly over and the roots, rocks, drops from the cliffs and landings have become a part of the game. Now we can take advantage of the new technologies even on the all-day long tour with our girlfriend. The downhill parts of trails won‘t look so scary in her eyes and you both can experience fun as never before.
Winner: Full suspension
Climb
Hard tail bikes were light and agile when it came to sprint or climbing. In comparison with rigid bikes early full suspension frames were heavy and tended to bounce up and down while the rider pedaled — especially during climbs up steep hills. But this is a history. Lockout mechanisms can disable a suspension to render it substantially rigid. After you lock the system the bike behave as a hard tail with all its benefits. At this moment there’s no use for hard tails and no space for argument of people defending them. Quibbler may mention the higher weigh. Yes, this is the only reason these days.
Winner: Draw
Weight
Full suspension bikes of the stone age were heavy and weird. They resembled MX bikes with their engines stolen. However, nobody cared because they were designed for downhill tracks only. The weight was really horrendous. You needed to wrestle a 20+kg machine to get on the track. Those early mastodons with steel coil spring suspensions were replaced by bikes with slender frames using distinctively lighter air shocks, and the purgatory was over. But still, if you buy a nice hard tail frame, you’ll get a catwalk supermodel on a fruit juice diet.
Winner: Hard tail
Comfort
Jump of a wall and land flat on the ground with unbent knees. It hurts, doesn’t it? Now do it again and flex your thighs while landing. Better? If this works in the human anatomy, why shouldn’t it in the bicycle engineering? That’s why there’s suspension all around us – we have it in cars, motorcycles, trucks, and most recently in bikes. Similar to the traveling by car, suspension used in cycling industry will make your cycling trips more comfortable and safer. Mostly in the rough terrain your lower back will thank you after a long day journey.
Winner: Full suspension
Handling
More travel doesn’t automatically mean better maneuverability. With the hard tail you don’t loose energy in the fast berms, but it’s an advantage only as long as you ride on the smooth surface. Even the smallest bumps make your rear wheel rebound, which means you’re loosing control over the handling and the speed, simultaneously. Suspension systems improve traction and safety, helping to keep both wheels in contact with the ground even while braking – when keeping your bike under control is needed the most. Beyond doubt those benefits prevail.
Winner: Full suspension
Price
More technology used on the suspension systems will always make the frames more expensive. You pay more when you acquire the bike and later you must count on bigger expenses on maintenance and service. For the same price you get the hard tail frame made with modern technology and equipped with better components.
Winner: Hard tail
Result
You can still enjoy wonderful experiences on the hard tail bike. Keep in mind it’s always better to go out on a cheap bike than sit in the office, earning money for the latest model of an “enduro” mountain bike. However, in case you can make a choice, although for higher price the full suspension bike will make your ride better, safer, faster, and will bring you more joy.
Score: 4:3
