Discussion: hardtail or full suspension?

I am in the market for a new bike and would appreciate your input on what would be a better choice for adventure racing. The longest race I will do this year is a 24 hour race. (The Angry Seagull) Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

What you probably *won't* get from us is agreement! :-) I love having full suspension to make things easier on my body in a long event. I think the trade-offs vs. hardtail (more weight, expense, complexity, not quite as good at climbing) are worth it for the types of terrain we usually ride in adventure racing. There are other points of view though and hopefully others will speak up here!

This question primarily depends on your budget. Can you give us a price range you're considering?

I like the 29er hard-tail (Gary Fisher Paragon) for most races, as it's a solid bike that isn't so expensive that I cringe when the Chilean race organization throws it on the back of a sheep farming truck for an 8 hour ride on dirt roads with 40 other bikes stacked on top.

Too much information?

For rockier, more technical riding, I have a 26" full suspension Klein Adept Race circa 2000 that still gets the job done. I've raced with it a few times and have no complaints.

The more I have this discussion, the more I think a HT 29er is the right ticket... in almost any price range.

What is the weight like on your Paragon Grant? I fell in love with a Specialized Stumpy HT 29er the other day, beautiful thing... but it wasn't a lightweight, not by a country mile! Neither is my Epic though, and it does a good job of hiding the extra weight when you're riding, but when it's on your shoulder there's no hiding it!

It's been a while since I weighed it, but for some reason the 27-28 lbs figure sticks in my head. Not light by any stretch, but it's all about trade offs.

Next classic AR topic: disc brakes vs pads ? ? ?

It wasn't long ago that I was in the v-brake camp!

27 - 28 lbs sounds about right... I figure that Stumpy was a bit heavier than that.

Thanks everyone for your advice. My budget is $2000-$2500.

That's a good budget to give you a lot of great options.

1. Steel frame 26" wheel hardtail with kick ass component spec... not difficult to get this thing well under 25 lbs. You can find a used steel frame without too much difficulty, and they last forever. Mine is still rocking out at 10 years old! And if you're building from a frame, try to buy a build kit as opposed to individual components, you'll save a lot of money. Sometimes you can find year old XTR groups for ~$1k online!

2. "Entry level" dual suspension cross country race bike. Entry level is in quotations because this type of bike is not really for recreational riding or beginners. The component spec is usually lower end as in LX or X7... but you occasionally get some XT or X9 bits. Sometimes there are generic parts too though, but they aren't the end of the world. Frame geometry and even composition are the same as the more expensive models, except for when you get into the carbon series'. Suspension has come a long way in the past few years, and there aren't many duds anymore. The difference between lower end and high end is usually mass and some features like lockout. DON'T buy a lower end dually XC racer with the idea of building up the components over time... very costly and you're better off shelling out more quid now.

3. Used high end dual suspension XC racer. There are a thousand online articles on things to look for in a used bike. Check them out and you'll save yourself some grief. Don't be afraid of this option, lots of people replace their bikes every other year, or even every year so it's quite possible you'll find a gem. Look for XT, XTR and X9, X0 components in this price range... tubeless wheelset would be nice too! Also consider that you'll likely have to replace at least a cassette and chain unless it's already been done recently. (Add ~$100)

4. 29er. At that price point you can get yourself on a pretty sweet 29er with a solid build. See here for some more 29er notes: http://www.ar.attackpoint.org/discussionthread.jsp...

With any of these options, make sure you get to try them out as much as you can. It's not hard to find someone who has the same bike you're considering to try theirs if your shop won't let you give it a real whirl.

If you've got any specific brands / models in mind, do let us know!

I guess I should compare the options:

1. Lightweight, solid componentry, great climber... not that efficient on technical stuff, sore on the bum on the bumps.

2. Efficient on everything but paved road where you lose some due to suspension... unless it's got a lock out. It's usually kind of heavy.

3. Efficient on everything, suspension can be locked out on paved roads, lightweight. Slight chance of a lemon, but that's avoidable if you do your homework.

4. Better efficiency than a 26" hardtail on the technical stuff, better efficiency than a dually on the paved stuff... even with the world's best lockout! A bit sore on the bum, but not as bad as a 26er. Also a bit on the heavy side.

I'm usually in the same price range and I think I'm looking at a 29er next time.

After participating in AR for years, not so much lately though. I used a hard tail for the majority of my races because full suspension was too expensive. However, now I would never go back to a hard tail, after a couple years of riding full suspension. Its much easier to control and not much heavier and well worth the wear and tear on your body, especially if you are doing longer ARs. As for efficiency just get a full suspension that locks out like the specialized epics or similar.

For the record I finally got my new Gary Fisher X-Cal onto trail at Storm the Trent this past weekend. I only did the Hike course as I brought a newbie with me so the trail was pretty simple. Having said that WORLD of difference from my 26" hardtail. Climbs like nobody's business and handled roots, rocks and sand beautifully.
On road I've found my easy working pace is something like 5k/hr faster than on my 26".
Admittedly I only had an entry level Trek 4300 before so I can't compare to the better 26ers or a full suspension but I LOVE this bike. I may marry it.

Also - happened to weigh it the other day too: 30lbs. I believe the Paragon comes in a few pounds lighter at 26 or 27.

How tall are you, 1L?

5'9". I'm riding the 19" frame. I understand the 29ers have posed a challenge for shorter rider which is why there aren't any women specific frames. The Gary Fisher crew have modified the geometery in their line up this year to overcome some of the challenges though.

A colleague of mine is a shorter woman and her 29er is arriving soon. I'm looking forward to hearing about her experience. Most of the things I've read say the small frame geometry troubles of the 29er have been solved.

I went with the hardtail. Thanks to everyone for all of your advice.

Which one?

Trek 6500.

Enjoy!

Thanks, I know I could have went up another level but we have another child on the way so I was given a limit by the wife.

Always a good move keeping your budget in check... I wish I was better at that!

Aye, I must make sure my wife doesn't read this thread. That's heresy, all that *responsible* thinking!

Sorry I didn't mean to throw anyone under the bus.