My legs are taking a beating, how much better is it on a full suspension? Is it night and day or am I going to be angry that I dropped 5k for an upgrade (looking at the Levo 4 alloy)
Should I buy a Full sus for this type of riding?
byu/wainstones inMTB
by wainstones
14 Comments
Absolutely. More than night and day
Try a friend’s bike for a lap
A full suspension does make a difference. I ride both HT and FS and after riding my hardtail for some time and switching to a FS I feel like I am surfing down the trail on a couch.
I’d say, rent one out, get it set up properly and judge for yourself.
If you couldn’t afford full sus then we’d be ruling out tyre and fork setup, or even fork upgrade. The terrain looks fine for hardtail to me to be honest but they’re your knees! No option to rent/borrow a full sus and see how it feels on the trail?
Yes. You ll never look back.
It’ll be a lot more enjoyable on a full squish.
It will feel boring
Get clipless pedals. It will allow you to stay looser on the bike.
Not to hijack, but as it’s on the same theme; how much more ‘dull’ would it feel?
I wouldn’t want to increase the overall risk of severe consequences by just using the rear suspension to increase speed on cross-country trails like these, and fear it might turn ‘a bit of fun’ into a slightly more nature-focussed road ride.
Anyone got any buyer’s remorse, or did other factors compensate?
Looks like my local woods. So much faster and better on full sus
I’m die-hard FS, so I’m pretty biased, but whenever I’ve tried a HT it really was a night-and-day difference in a negative way. I agree with the other people saying to see if you can borrow or rent a full-sus to give it a try.
I used to love my hardtail until one day it was stolen and I treated myself to a FS. I couldn’t go back now, especially as I’m older and have had knee surgery. I feel less beaten up and I enjoy being able to cruise down things with the bike taking the beating for me. I’m over biked for most things I do, but it means I can do more and go further. It’s a great skill compensator.
Absolutely buy a full sus. Your body will thank you, you’ll be faster, have more confidence, and you’ll be able to hit bigger features. I did 3 years on a hardtail and I regret not upgrading sooner.
You could, you might need it.. but you don’t have to
I ride a fs to the grocery store.