XC racing: hardtail or dual suspension?

Question

i do competetive XC racing and i am looking to buy a new frame. in your opinion, what type of frame is better? please list any pros and cons for a hardtail or dual suspension frame. i was looking into getting a specialized epic frame, so compare that to a good hardtail.

Answer 1

The advantages of a hardtail would be lighter weight, less cost and more reliability, all else being equal. The added complexity of a rear suspension will add weight and the moving parts will be more prone to breaking (like pivots going south and busted shocks). For racing, a well-designed suspension bike will afford you better traction and more comfort (allowing you to motor through rough stuff instead of having to slow down a pick a clean line).

The best hardtail I had was a Yeti and a Specialized Epic I tried was embarassingly close in performance for a lot less (Yeti's handling was spot on for me because it was sized for me but the Epic was almost as good without even trying).

Answer 2

The epic is a great bike. It is because it is a full suspension bike that almost acts as a hardtail. One major problem with a lot of full suspension is bouncing when you climb. Some rear shocks claim to eliminate that, but it's pretty tough. The epic comes with very high end components so you will get a shock that is about as good as it gets for XC riding. It will also be light in comparison to many other full suspension bikes. The hardtail eliminates some parts (dealing with the rear suspension) so it will naturally have a tendency to be lighter. Another thing to take into consideration is the length of the races you're doing. If your riding in endurance races (i.e. 12 hr or 24 hr) then a good full suspension would be totally worth the cons. If you're doing shorter races I would recommend a solid hardtail. You can get a lighter bike with better components for a lot less cash. Something else to think about...less moving components = fewer problems.

Answer 3

I hope you are ready for a long answer. A hardtail bike is one which has no rear suspension, while a full (dual) suspension has suspension front and rear. Suspension on a bike is there for the same reason there is suspension on a car... not necessarily for comfort, but to keep the wheels planted on the ground for better handling. But thats just part of the story... Both cars and bikes have a powerplant, cars have an engine, bikes have you. When cars are designed, an engine is put in to achieve the performance end which INCLUDES overcoming the energy lost as the suspension flexes. Luxury cars tend to have tons of horsepower and a lot of that power goes to the plushness of the ride. Conversely, a Jeep type vehicle is high torque and not really very powerful in part because the suspension is so stiff the car doesn't need it. Looking at a bike and it's powerplant, the typical person only puts out between 1/4 and 1/2 horsepower. Every time you pedal a full suspension bike the frame flexes and some of your energy is lost. If you aren't going to be racing downhill or picking your way across boulder fields, would you want to waste part of your 1/4 horsepower on full suspension?

Answer 4

Hardtail
Pros: Lighter, More bike for the money, more responsive
Cons: Can be rough on the body over the long run

FS:
Pros: Smother over rough terrain
Cons: Heavier, more expensive for the same components, some models have "pedal-bob"

The epic is a nice bike, no doubt about that. Most of the XC specific bikes have their rear-suspension engineered to virtually eliminate the dreaded pedal-bob. Some rear shocks also have lock-outs so your bike will act like a hardtail.

The two questions you need to ask is what trails are you going to ride, and how smooth do you want the ride to be. Most expert/pro XC riders use a hardtail unless the trail is very bumpy or on endurance rides where they will be riding for 6-24 hours. However, you may not want your body to take that kind of abuse. Some trials almost require a FS bike because of the terrain. Try to remember what kinds of bikes people are riding at your past races.

It will all boil down to what bike you want. If you are looking at the epic, it sounds like you have made up your mind.

Answer 5

Go hardtail. Most XC races are dirt criteriums now days, so the added weight of a full suspension rig puts you at a disadvantage. (You will be hard pressed to purchase a sub 25 lb. dual racer for under $3300 CAD)

You likely will only be on the bike between 45 min. to 2 hrs. per race anyway - no pain, no gain. Get a good fork and absorb the small bumps with your legs while out of the saddle. Scandium is the frame choice for most racers I compete against these days - but some can afford carbon and some old-school riders are switching back to titanium (2007 King Kahuna is Ti). The 2006 Kona Kula Supreme frame is scandium and weighs ~2.4 lbs. (available in the Kona Frame Shop on their website for ~$500 CDN) Makes for a good starting point when most CroMo and Aluminum frames start tipping the scales at the mid 3 lb range for exotic (expensive) tubesets. Add an XT build kit with V-brakes and some Easton carbon and you should be sub-20 lbs. Or go FSA xc-300s with Juicy 5s and XT drivetrain with Easton carbon post and bar - and be under 21 lbs, mud ready and under $2400 CAD.

Answer 6

The XC hardtail is excellent for the singletrack and the best frame advisable would either be ALUMINUM or SCANDIUM---though when there are tricky paths the dual-suspension rig is BEST----these are the high-end pricey kits by INTENSE, ELLSWORTH, SPECIALIZED,YETI,GIANT, HARO, etc. Yeah---the Epic really rocks---a fine choice though there are really rock garden KILLERS available----Santa Cruz Nomad,Jamis Dakar's XCR Expert,Kona Coiler, Rocky Mountain Slayer----which are really fantastic! Its best you test drive ANY of the bikes here---then feel free to decide what you find VERSATILE and worth your budget!!!

Answer 7

whats up dude? all these dudes have great advice. you know me and you know im down with the hardtails. and yea im a big fan of the Epic as well.