How To Ride A Hardtail On Hard Trails!

Today Rich Payne will teach you the essential skills to get down any trail on your hardtail! He will cover how to correctly set up your MTB by adjusting tyre pressures and your suspension. Also showing you how hardtail line choice may differ from a full-suspension bike. With some more technical tips including braking zones and body position.

⏱ Timestamps ⏱
0:00 - Welcome!
0:52 - How to set up a hardtail for trails
5:11 - The trail we’re going to ride today
6:01 - Line choice on a hardtail
8:05 - Braking zones on a hardtail
9:03 - Riding stance on a hardtail

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Do you own a hardtail? Is it your second bike?

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Cool Dog - Andreas Dahlback
Devil on Your Shoulder - Will Harrison
Flame Soup - Got Happy
Strict Believer - Elliot Holmes
The Future Will Tell - Got Happy

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[gmbn]

Do you own a hardtail? Is it your second bike?

[HeidenherzLP]

Yes, more Hardtail content would be awesome 👍

[JeroenW]

My HT is my only bike and I am loving it. No need to upgrade to FS. My trusty Nukeproof Scout has a the magic to do it all! More HT content is appreciated. Cheers

[voicelessnote]

Yes, more hardtail please! I love the content you and Blake are putting out. Always fully enjoyed 😁 And yes I do own a hardtail and it is my only bike. Loving it!

[vrwgqq]

I think most people assume hardtail is a simpler setup because typically they are "cheaper" - but really US hardcore hardtail purist, who want to ride the same trails, same conditions and try to as quickly, have to really really nerd out on the setup and possibly spend more for similar levels of performance.

Rich, you were really on point. Everything, the minutia meets just that much more.

The right tire choice, casing, precise tire pressure and the use of inserts - you want the right contact patch, pinch protection and a rear insert adds that insurance and damping. Like you, my guidance is just a bit softer, and using an insert give you that ramp up like using volume spacers.

Fork - SUPER important to be properly forked and setup. Its your only suspension and your pivot is on the back. You are ALREADY super active on the bike fore and aft on a HT, you want to setup the fork to be the perfect unicorn... supple off the top, rampy, not linear and not blow through your travel. Basically you want all that, but still to sit "high-ish" in the travel to not blow through. Stiffness while compliant is also important, which basically means you need a higher end fork with controls for at the least HSC along with LSC, rebound and the ability to add spacers for ramp up. - High/Low speed rebound is also important, but ultimately you want your rebound to be as FAST as possible, so it not only doesn't pack in, but with the right HSC doesn't get stuck in holes and throws you over the bars when the HTA changes by upwards of 5 degrees.

Brakes - because you have less traction, you need brakes you can better modulate while being super strong as you'll be on them more than you would a full sus. Some people say to run a smaller rotor out back to prevent locking... For me, it needs to be 4 pot with metalic sintered pads and >180mm rotors

Geo - this is what everything hangs off and supports. This needs to be selected appropriately for your riding. You're going to be having to move your body way more fore and aft to deal the dynamic head tube angle.

Frame materials and design - you notice this more on a HT than anywhere else. Alu vs. steel, and even if steel, the type of steel and where the reinforcement is. The Chromag rootdown became the 'standard' or baseline for Geo, but a Chromag rootdown for instance is waay more stiffer than say the Norco Torrent or even the Honzo ESD. This is all preference, as some people prefer that.

Bars - again because of the shifting geo, and lack of compliance, you may want to look for something that gives you something more upright, more rise if you prioritize gravity. >30MM rise, and even looking at carbon over ALU or 31.8 over 35MM

[MisterKalevra]

Yes, more hardtail content will be great. I love my third hardtail mtb❤

[arekb]

For me the biggest difference was using clip in pedals, it allowed me to "fly" over rough terrain along with the bike, on flats I used to stand "heavy" on the pedals and I used to push the rear wheel into every unevenness on the trail in fear of losing shoe to pedal contact.

[Stk]

My only bike for almost 10 years was a Chromag Surface (Steel Canadian HT). Still my favourite bike although I have a FS as well now. Perfect for adventures and bike packing. I’ve never had trouble following any friends on tech North Shore trails. People would be amazed what you can ride on a HT

[Michaelarvin]

Hardtail lover -marin San Quentin. I urban downhill mostly on it..just started riding trails

[didgineil]

Hard tail bike packing, races, adventures, would be amazing to see more of. 4 yrs ago I had a stroke caused by a treatment for arthritis, I set a goal to riding. Started training bike at home 2yrs, got my bike hard tail, riding that now 2 yrs now. Got loads to improve on, 2025 I set a mission to do an adventure / bike packing. Would love to know more on this, types of adventures best for hard tails, best set up, ridding tips, prep, I’m invested now so going all in, its git me back being mobile

[Richard_Payne_GMBN]

Cheers man and your right just because they look simpler doesn’t make setting them up just right any easier if anything it’s true let because they do need to be spot on 👊

[Chris-wdce]

Yep. I'd like to see more hard tail stuff. Great video. Very informative

[vrwgqq]

To add... riding hardtail makes you better. You not only pick up on line choice, but as mentioned very strategic braking zones, understanding how to use your traction, how to make traction, along with alot more "fore and aft" movement will translate to just better and faster riding.

Jumping? - Nothing better than a hardtail to really understand how to ride through the lip, how to press into compressions and then "why" you shouldn't case ;)

[tomashajek]

yes pls.more HT content. Been riding my Commencal Meta HT since 2015 and is still super fun.

[jesseleon]

I built myself an Octane One Sour with good used parts (fox34, carobon bars, xtr cranks, hzn wheels, maxxis 2.6, oval chainring, deore brakes, 180 dropper...). The cheapest frame I could find with nice geometry. It's an amazing bike, probably my favourite one ever. And I have owned an Ibis Mojo and now I have an Orbea Rise

[butchkhandives]

Custom hardtail personally assembled 25 yrs after competing in mountaincross in a stumpjumper. I'm in my. 50s and getting back on the trails now with my mtb crazy 14yo rocking a nukeproof scout.

[themoss]

If you ride "aggressive" hardtail, you already know the rules. You chose hard difficulty for a reason and you expect a full body workout!

[junka]

We need a hardtail challenge video with Rich, Blake and Neil. The boys always have fun challenge videos.

[ralphcrosby]

Thank you for the informative vid I am devoted hardtail rider enjoyed the tips can't wait to try them out

[TIMVIX]

More Hardtail content please! This was amazing!