I'm a petrol head (Cars and bikes) but was looking for a hobby more fitness orientated and cheaper in the long term. Loving how accessible and cheap it is as a hobby compared to £250 a day track days, ect.
I've been riding some blue and red trails on a £130 very crap but mostly functional XC bike (Carrera Vengeance) and tried renting a few bikes (Trek Marlin). Decided this is a hobby I want to go all in with but want to keep the budget sensible for once.
My workplace has a bike scheme but it unfortunately locks me using a retail chain called Halfords (UK based). However, you can buy another bike and or parts every 12 months. Worth mentioning bikes on the scheme are discounted at about 45% so definitely worth it!
I will ride trails 95% of the time but I much prefer the looks of a hard tail but I really am suffering with the aches and pains (especially knees) from the rougher trails so FS is on my radar. Plus I want to progress to black trails when the time is right.
I'm undecided between buying a good hard tail (Voodoo Bizango Pro). Alternatively, thinking of getting a lower spec FS (Boardman MTR 8.6) for a bit more money and then potentially upgrading parts in 12 months time when I can use the bike scheme again.
I have no interest in keeping up with the Joneses, plus as I am a beginner, I can imagine either bikes are more than what I need at my skill level anyway, but would rather stick to one MTB as a solid foundation and progress with it rather than owning multiple.
Worth noting I love modifying and upgrading cars and motorbikes so I think upgrading a FS over time would be a better way to go? Am I wrong? Let me know.
TL/DR: Buy good hardtail and potentially regret it cus arthritis vs buy less good FS and upgrade over time if necessary?
Extra question: Can you buy a hardtail with good spec parts and swap it to a FS frame and add a shock later down the line?
by tolleya12
2 Comments
If those two are your only options, get the hardtail for sure. It’s a much better spec, has lighter and more durable components, and comes with a dropper seatpost (practically mandatory).
If you believe full suspension is the best choice for you and where you plan to ride, then your budget needs to expand to accommodate that. I recognize a similar spec FS is going to be close to double the price, but going from an entry level build to mid-range (Deore equivalent) is a big jump in quality.
There’s a fallacy in saying “I’m just a beginner, I don’t need/won’t notice higher end whatever”, because higher end components do work *better*. They’re less frustrating to use, easier to adjust, and less likely to break. The experience is better, even for a beginner.
Upgrading as you go is much more expensive over time, usually, than getting a higher spec to begin with. It is possible to swap components over to a new frame, but often the interfaces can be different.
Ohhhhhhh booooyyyyy. lol, my friend, I don’t think you know what you’re getting into. (though I think deep down you do)
*would rather stick to one MTB as a solid foundation and progress with it rather than owning multiple*
*Worth noting I love modifying and upgrading cars and motorbikes so I think upgrading a FS over time would be a better way to go? Am I wrong? Let me know.*
You sound like you’re not the type that will be able to just own one bike when you really get into things and start getting the chance to tinker and upgrade and realize different bikes are better in different situations…. 🙂
My advice is before you decide what to do, have an honest conversation with yourself, knowing that mountain biking also allows you to really get into tinkering and modifying and upgrading and playing around with builds and such….can you really stick to just one bike?
If you weren’t having issues with aches and pains, I’d probably recommend starting with the hardtail and moving to FS down the road…but if that’s already an issue for you, it probably makes sense to just start with the FS. Know that upgrading down the road tends to be a more expensive path than just buying the same build the first time around, but I don’t know how potential discounts fits into everything.
*Extra question: Can you buy a hardtail with good spec parts and swap it to a FS frame and add a shock later down the line?*
Hmm…not really that simple. Yes, just about everything from a hardtail can *potentially* be moved over to a FS (FS frames typically come with the rear shock, FYI)…but it depends on compatibility, standards, and geometry. So sometimes yes, sometimes no. You just really have to check each part to see if they’re the same. And even if both bikes use the same front travel, for example, you need to make sure your steerer tube wasn’t cut too short for the hardtail. So it just takes effort to figure that all out, but yeah, you should be able to check it all with some work.