Hello I purchased the bike 2 days ago and finally got time to ride it on a local trail. Will start with saying down hill it's a beast and jumps great landings are super soft and plush. But I will say compared to my Marling 8 gen 3 this thing is way harder to pedel. I feel like I'm significantly slower on flat easier terrain climbing is much tougher. I tried locking rear suspension out and that seemed to help some. Do you think a tire change would help? Right now it has minion dhf on the front and a different tire on the rear? If rolling resistance is this greatly Increased I may need to stick with a hardtail for my local trails.
by Broad_Ad_9914
3 Comments
You’ll get used to it being a little slower in climbs and flatter trails fairly quickly. I would recommend running a Maxxis Aggressor/Dissector combo if you want a faster rolling setup. I went from a Specialized Rockhopper to a GT Force and it is significantly harder to climb with but way more capable on descents to the point where putting up with it on the climbs is worth it.
Hard tails will almost always climb better than full suspension bikes. Your new bike has more flex points and weighs more than your Marlin. As long as you’re having fun keep ripping it out there!
Tires could be one but also suspension setup (rear specifically) is more likely. Have you set up the suspension for your weight, trails and riding style? If not do that and see if it changes anything. A full suspension will pedal worse than a hardtail due to not having instant power transfer because there is rear suspension ofc.