How To Choose A Hardtail Mountain Bike

If you're thinking about buying a mountain bike, a hardtail MTB might be a great option for you. They can be an affordable entry point into the sport and no rear suspension makes them great for agility and simple to maintain.

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⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️
00:00 - Intro
01:25 - What's The Difference?
04:10 - Choosing Frame Material
05:18 - Choosing Wheel Size
06:32 - Choosing Fork Travel
08:37 - Hardtail Geometry
10:29 - Choosing Components

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What do you think about hardtails?

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[crankshoptv]

A cheapish hardtail makes the perfect bike for winter/bad conditions. Save your E or full sus for good weather and you'll save a tonne in maintenance bills. It will most likely pay for itself within a few years.

[rottenhells]

Tire selection makes the biggest difference especially for hardtails - more important than the amount of suspension travel imo. Get a set of bulky enduro tires for rough trails, XC tires for longer rides and u have 2 bikes in 1. Beauty of HT versatility.

[snowmanism]

I love my hardtail... Still brings me joy to take it out riding.

[rpvnwnkl]

Often, the word “often” can be often overused far too often

[housepianist]

Still digging my ‘18 Trek Marlin 7 hardtail with Continental Cross Kings. It’s all I need.

[Notreallymeggriffin]

Only Hardtail bike suited with my financial situation 😂

[DizRidesMtb]

Love my Hardtail . Had my Cannondale Cujo 3 since 2018. 1 puncture in all this time only changed my drivetrain frm 3by to 1/12 oh n new Forks too . Another fantastic vid Anna x

[bitumen]

One thing that I noticed about HT market is that there is a very little companies (almost none) who offer aggresive CARBON hardtail. So basicaly something with 66-65 HTA and room for 2.6 tires and droper post which is also light and capable for longer rides...

[theshadow]

My h t evolved from trail to xc, now its called xc trail...

[stevebennett]

😎love my ragley 140mm of travel is plenty for me😆parts are cheap👌deore 1x10 is plenty 😉could probally run a 11-40 cassette anymore is overkill for me personally, but then im 50yrs old, and just love to ride👍

[jj]

Hard tails are ok but I’m looking for A bike that’s kind of like the Trek procaliber as it’s a soft tail

[blakekennard]

Anna what is the shreddiest, slackest hardtail that you have ridden?

[Paganiproductions]

A modern xc hardtail is plenty capable even without dropperpost depends on the geo.And massive difference comfort with a alu or carbon frame.

[Paganiproductions]

I wish their where xc hardtails with 110 or 120 mm suspension travel from the factory.

[KenGilbert-ynqz]

LTHT (Hornet mullet with 160 fork ) for the fun and play days and the full squish for long days in the saddle. The LTHT teaches you to pick the lines on the blacks and rough stuff and be an overall better rider and subsequently faster and better on the full squish. Do put a rim protector in the back wheel. The LTHT is also lighter than the full squish trail 150/140 bike.

[seano]

Wish they would bring back the Superfly!

[jakebrakebill]

interesting video, been riding a full suspension carbon enduro for 16 years, just bought a zero-suspension carbon fat tire and was worried I wouldn't like it. I think I like it more after a couple rides.

[Milessongs]

Bravo Anna!(again). This is a great example of how to keep it real. All terminology is explained and kept simple and straight forward. All bike options are couched in real-world decision-making parameters, all options are discussed with common pros & cons...
SO glad to have honest, clear info like this online, especially for newer riders struggling to parse the over-complicated marketing gauntlet of MTB shopping!❤❤👍🏼👍🏼
#Annacipullorocks

[Krizefugl]

Also I straight up find hardtail bikes far more beautiful to the eye. There are so many great hardtails under 2k (which is still a lot of money for most) but the versatility and ease of maintenance makes them just the bike for me. The Stoic 4 that was shown here is one prime example of very decent baseline part setup for an affordable price. Just over a month ago it was even on sale for 1399€ which is an absolute steal, so waiting for sales is sometimes even a good idea.

[Cassie_MTB]

I switched to a Nicolai All-Mountain Hardtail over a year ago. Best choice I've made in terms of mountainbiking. Extreme low maintenance, extremely high fun, even on not so gnarly trails. But capable of doing anything, my old Trek Full-Sus did, and more. It's amazing how the dudes in the Bikeparks look, when they realize I'm on a HT. With the benefits of a Pinion gearbox, the rear wheel is light and tracks the Trail really well. The only downside was the price, but it was worth it.