Riding A Hardtail At A Downhill Bike Park!

There's no denying that Hardtails are hardcore, but are there any benefits of this for you? Can riding a Hardtail make you a better rider? Join Neil Donoghue at @BikeParkWalesOfficial for a seriously tough riding session where he runs you through some Hardtail thoughts and answers all of your hardcore queries. So strap in, this one's going to get bumpy!

Do you shred a Hardtail MTB? Let us know down below! 👇

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🎵 Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound and Artlist
So Damn Tired (Instrumental Version) - Deanz.
The Pit of Doom - Sightless in Shadow.
I Used to Be Free (Ooyy Remix) (Instrumental Version) - Ooyy.

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Leave us a comment below!

[nk-dwhm]

I always think of Blake as the gmbn jumper and Neil as the downhill guy, then something like this comes out to remind me they're all great all around riders

[uldis]

60 years old, 28 surgeries (and many more injuries that didn't require surgery) and a die hard hardtail lover here :)

[MattLowne]

Feels like I'm a cheating spouse watching a Hardtail video from GMBN without Blake on the Nukeproof Scout in it 😂

[JohnnyB.]

I love my hardtail!! I love knowing I'm one of the few left that ride hardtails. I always get respect at the local trails for riding a hardtail. Nothing against full suspension, I just love the predictability of the hardtail! Great video GMBN!

[bingoberra]

Rather a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow. Hardtails might be an entrypoint because of price, but skills wise I think its the next step from a full suspension if you want to be a great rider.

[JohnnyB.]

What I love about starting off with a hardtail is it really forces you to choose your line wisely so you have the smoothest/fastest run possible. Full suspension is a lot smoother and more forgiving, but we all will eventually encounter a difficult rock gardens where choosing the correct line is extremely important! Great vid!

[chrisridesbicycles]

I love my hardtail for muddy conditions (less time wasted cleaning) and for learning stuff because it feels the same every time.

[atanasbozhilov]

Great job Neil. It's a pleasure to see you on a hardtail. It would be great to see you again with Blake bike packing with your hard tails and after long ride to the campsite, to do some black trails, just to prove how versatile is a hardtail.

[tonywilson]

I've ridden a 26" wheeled hardtail for over 25 years and love it. It taught me how to read the trail, pick the right lines and have fun. I recently bought a 27.5" Whyte 905 hardtail and it is epic!!! It's handled everything that I've thrown at it and rolls better over rougher terrain than my 26" but is still playful. I've also got myself a full suss bike now which is ultra forgiving and capable, but so much less fun.

[orionlightheart]

I've been riding a hardtail for years now. I would say, full suspensions are still nice, but one thing I like about the hardtail is the more versatility of climbing, and I like a challenging climb.

[charlesb]

I've always loved Hardtails, I refuse to go dual suspension where we live. And I'm not far off pushing 50 years old with serious spinal injuries. You can make some changes to make it a little easier on your self by swapping out some parts, even tire pressure and tire type.
Fantastic videos as always!

[ThatAverageMTBguy]

I absolutely love my hardtail (Fuse Comp 29) and rode it exclusively while waiting for my new enduro rig to arrive. That 8 months of hardtail riding improved my skills so much, I now feel faster than ever, all thanks to the hardtail!

[darcyphillips]

Hardtail is all I ride & I love it… I ride with groups who are all on full sus, I can hold my own & keep up. I love that “seat of your pants” & direct feeling of knowing exactly what’s happening. I’ve ridden full sus and enjoyed it, but my hardtail makes me smile so much more and it keeps me honest & focused… after all, they are far less forgiving when it starts to go southbound 👊💥

[MrDTrain]

I love my hardtail and am by no means the fastest but race all the enduros on it. I find it sad that there aren't more high tier events where hardtails have there own dedicated category. In races where there is a specific category usually between 5-10 turn out and I will more than likely podium or be just off. This year I will endeavour to change this and hope to get more hardtail riders to events. I think with the lure of big expensive enduro and DH bikes takes too much attention away from the people who stick to the hardtail and master the skills instead of just jumping on a full sus and pretend to ride fast. I don't think hardtail riders get enough credit for riding in competition and would love to see this change.

[abshassan]

After 37 years living on this earth, I got into the world of MTB biking and I have owned my hard-tail (trek marlin 8) for about 8 months now and absolutely love it. I've learned alot in my 8 months of ownership and I am still learning. However I am at the point now where I think a decent full suspension bike is on the cards, that being said, I will not get rid of my first hardtail, it means the world to me. :)

[c]

Nice! Always great to see Neil shredding any trail, hardtail being a bonus.

[wesr]

Moved from the canadian rockies to the maritimes and moved from 150mm full sus to progressive hardtail... smaller terrain = smaller bike keeps everything interesting and pure!!! No regrets!

[endianAphones]

I'll be 37 in a few months and I have a 27.5" Stoic (S). It feels like it's more than enough bike for me. Super fun, lo-fi, doesn't feel like I would need more for the local trails. I would see myself going for something like a Kona Honzo ESD before going for a full squishy, which by then it will probably be an ebike because I'm not getting any younger and the fun part is going down. For going up I prefer my gravel bike anyway.

[brianrainey]

I have been riding a 26” hardtail most of my life and just today picked up a Rocky Mountain Vertex 29er. Can’t wait for spring to arrive!

[SteelRt]

Yup.. big hard tail lover for all the reasons you mention; primarily simplicity and versatility. I once said in one of Blakes videos that I rode my hard tail more than my full suss and someone responded, "Maybe you've got the wrong full suss". Thinking about that now, maybe I've got the right hard tail?