"…Let's Ride"

It doesnt matter what kind of mountain biker you are or aspire to be, one of the first and foremost things to consider, and one that will have a direct and definate impact on performance, is the suspension. Mountain bike suspensions come in two styles, hardtail and full.

 　

 1. Hard Tail (Front Suspension)

A mountain bike that has a stiff rear frame and only front shocks or the shock absorbers are absent all together, is known as a hard tail mountain bike.

One huge advantage that hard tails have is that they are great for jumping and just as good in downhill racing as full suspension. Though less sophisticated than full suspension, by comparison, these bikes are very popular with alot of riders due to there lighter weight and the fact that they’re easier to peddle. Most professionals prefer hard tails and even the amateurs consider them to be less expensive and more durable.

 

2. Full Suspension

As the name insists, a mountain bike that has the front and the rear shock mechanisms is considered a full suspension mountain bike.

These bikes are great for downhill racing and for jumping. They’re extremely comfortable to ride and perfect for event rides that require you to stay on your bike for a long period of time, like cross country racing. The problem is that full suspension bikes are alot heavier and cost quite a bit more than hard tails. If your just gonna be casual riding and want extreme comfort, and don’t mind spending the money, full sespension might be the way to go.

 

If this is your first mountain bike you might want to consider getting one with just front suspension. Good suspension forks will give you better control and more comfort than a set of regular stiff forks but will still allow you to actually learn how to trail ride, assuming that is why you want a mountain bike, without letting full suspension hamper the feeling of what the bike is actually doing.

 

OK…here’s an example:

You are riding down a slope covered in fist to soccer ball sized rocks. On a front suspension bike you would have to pick a good line down the slope to avoid crashing through / over the rocks saving both yourself & the bike from a beating.

With a full suspension frame,  you could pretty much just plow over and through anything – while this can be fun, it won’t let you learn how your bike handles in different circumstances and thats very important information to know, especially when you’re just starting out. This is the time when all your riding techniques and habits will be formed. You’ll eventually find that, while your able to jump in at an advanced level with a full suspension bike, you can’t improve your skills all that much because it’s the bike that provides them.

 

I always advise anyone who wants to learn how to ride properly to start with front suspension. It’ll be worth it in the long run, you will get a good feel for how to control your bike and how it reacts in certain terrains. Once you become more experienced, you can move up to a full suspension if you want, but as I’ve said, even professionals prefer hardtails over full.

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