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So I'm looking for some advice on an upcoming bike purchase as I have been getting conflicting advice. I want to get a mountain bike, which I would use mainly for trails like those at Hilton Falls, or similar relatively mild offroad terrain, not doing serious downhill or anything like that. Sometimes I'll use it on rocky dirt paths, sometimes I might be on paved city trails; so it must be versatile. I'm new to doing this more seriously, but I biked somewhat a few years back on a cheap full suspension bike from crappy tire.

So basically I find myself trying to decide whether a full suspension or hardtail bike is the right choice. I liked the added cushioning of the full suspension bike in rougher terrain, but my friends say that on longer rides especially with uphill climbs that a full suspension bike will be more tiring to use, not to mention more expensive for similar quality and that for non-hardcore terrain a hardtail is the better choice.

So, what does the HV cycling community think?

Hi Btimmis

I have a Norco MB / hard tail and love It ( www.norco.com ). I am not a fan of full suspension and as CJ wrote will be prone to more maintenance – wear and brake. Spokes and slopes here in town has a good selection of bikes and advise, so too at Mountain Equipment co-op in Burlington. Not sure if you had a chance this past weekend to go to the Spring Bicycle show at the Ex, lots of deals and advise was to be had there.

Opie

I've had friends who bought a F/S bike and then had to buy a second hardtail. They said while it's great for the "crazy" terrain or down hilling at the ski resorts during the summer, it's very tiring to ride for more casual rides.

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I have a hard-tail Norco mountain-bike (currently fitted with slicks for road riding but switching back this year). I found it was more than sufficient for standard trail riding and fit my price-point. A second for Spokes 'N Slopes as the place to go to get your best advice for a MB. They don't carry Norco anymore because they're going more C-Tire line but have a great line from Opus, Devinci and Genesis (Opus and Devinci are Canadian, Genesis is UK).

Start with a hard tail. It will be better on the paved paths and will work quite well for most dirt trails. If you find you're doing more dirt trails and wanting a full suspension try finding someone you can borrow or rent one from to make sure it really is what you want/need.

Hey! Great choice on biking disciplines!! Screw you, Lance Armstrong. We’re taking it back to the trails!

Now, on to your dilemma and the insane amount of choice you now have to choose from. We’ll start by getting you into the right stratosphere of bike. A minimum standard if you will. We’ll start by only looking at bikes with hydraulic disc brakes. No more mechanical brakes and pads for you – even if they are mechanical disc brakes. No hydraulic disc brakes, no buy. If you want to ride the very rocky, technical trails at Hilton Falls, or the less rocky but still technical trails on the other side at Kelso, you need to have big boy stopping power. If you come home with a separated shoulder or a broken arm, Mrs. Timmis will put the kibosh on your new hobby in a big hurry. Stopping and control is paramount now.

So this minimum standard now places us in the $1000 to $1500 +/- price range. (You did not say what you wanted to spend?)

So now the question of a hard tail or full suspension bike? This more or less comes down to choice and budget. Well, really just budget. For riding in Milton, a hard tail is really all you need – especially as a weekend warrior. Once we get into spending a grand+ on a bike, we’re getting some good components that make the bike a very nice and easy ride. These aren’t Canadian Tire bikes anymore. Your front suspension will likely have at least 140mm of travel which can absorb a lot of terrain and your derailleurs will shift gears smoothly and quickly on the fly. A hard tail can handle a Saturday morning at Kelso quite easily.

But damn, don't those full suspension bikes look sweet? 

Full suspension bikes have come a long way in terms of energy transfer. You can control the amount of travel on the frame, or even lock it out for better energy transfer on rides you know will have lots of hills. But of course, they move into the next price level and now you’re looking $1500+ all the way up to $5000 and beyond. But let’s face it. That’s just overkill. But damn – they are sweet.

Lastly… There is currently what you might call a paradigm shift going on in the mountain biking world, where manufacturers and pros are moving from the traditional 26 inch wheels (26ers) to 29 inch wheels (29ers). The bigger wheels allow the tires to hit larger terrain at a wider angle at faster speeds without sending you over the handlebars. This is a good thing. All companies are now making a full range of 29ers, but they are generally speaking, an additional $200 to $300 more than their 26er counterpart.

Brands to consider in your search? Giant, Norco, Specialized, Jamis. There are literally tons to choose from . Have a great time shopping!!

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Hardtail for sure. F/S is overkill for most stuff in Ontario (this is coming from a guy who had 3 fully rigid mountain bikes). You will get much better bang for your buck and better components for your budget versus going with a full suspension. Low end full suspension bikes will suck on climbs. Higher end F/S bikes are better at this, but IMO overkill and not what you need.

I am big fan of 29" wheels, I've sold all my 26" bikes and don't miss them for a second. But it depends on your riding style and height. If you're a pretty short guy, a 26" might work better, but I find a 29er feels way more proportional to average-tall height people. For the record, I am about 5' 10" and I ride an 18" or 19" frame depending on manufacturer.

Take a look at what Kona is offering for their hardtails, the Kahuna 29er is spec'd decently for the price and a good entry level hardtail that wouldn't hold you back. Personally I've never been a fan of Norco/Opus/Specialized, but for an entry level bike they all probably offer decent bang for the buck. Jamis has some decent models and even has some nice steel hardtail frames (which a lot of manufacturers unfortunately aren't making anymore).

When you say Hilton Falls, are you talking about the singletrack in there, or the wide trails around the falls and such? If you just want to ride bike paths, relatively smooth dirt trails, and paved paths, I wouldn't even look at a mountain bike, instead I'd look into a Cyclocross bike.

Hard tail... Every time you push down a little energy is absorbed by the rear shocks...

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What's your budget?

If you are not planning on spending a couple grand on a bike then go for a hardtail. The last thing you want to get is an entry level full suspension which will cost as much as a very good hardtail but ride worse.

Thanks for the great feedback everyone, seems pretty clear the hardtail is the right choice, at least at this stage. I didn't mention budget because I don't want that to be the sole determining factor, but I can see hardtails are much more affordable, and can get a pretty decent one without breaking the budget, whereas a decent full suspension bike would be stretching things. I was looking a bit at bikes from Kona, they seem to have some good bikes in a reasonable price range.



I would probably just be starting with the wider trails, but I don't want to have to buy a new bike a year later when I am ready to move up to more difficult and technical terrain. To be honest I'm not entirely sure how hard the hardest terrain at HF is, most of the stuff I have seen didn't look overly challenging.
As for your comments about tire size, maybe that is a good follow-up question then, I'm only 5'8", so do you guys think I would still get a benefit from a 29er, or should I just stick to 26"?

I disagree Cactus. I learned at Hilton Falls. It has the full range of trails from the double-wide limestone screening paths to intro single-track dirt to highly technical single track (bent rim). A great range of challenges from rocky terrain, dirt track with log obstacles and more. My favourite place to MB. Invest in heavy duty bug spray for the summer though. The MB group I used to bike with would switch to Kelso for summer rides because it's less buggy but Hilton is my favourite. Planning on taking my little guy there this year on the limestone paths as a start once he's comfortable on his soon to be obtained 24" "real" bike.

If you want to gauge the terrain, there are loads of youtube videos out there of it.

Kelso, on top of the escarpment, is very rideable. Even the blue trails are manageable for just about any able bodied adult.

You and your new hardtail will do great there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1wq1mYTU2M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOsM4VmBBnE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7LYQK5-oU0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyuJVL_L2qw

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I hear it's going to be fairly warm tomorrow. Maybe we should all hit Kelso?

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I didn't learn on the double-wide limestone screening paths. I took a course that was done on the grassy area next to the parking lot where the instructor set up obstacles and we learned the basics of how to get over them and manouvering. Then we went out onto trail sections that were dirt path were single track with various types of log obstacles and a bit twisty to put that into "real life" context.

The group I'd bike with after that were a wide range of levels and we did everything from speed runs on the double wide path then off onto single track sections and the rocks. Yeah, lots of feet going down on the rocks and a good number of us pushed the bikes part way up some of the steep areas or we'd try them again but it was fun and I learned a LOT doing rocks. It was great for building confidence too. I can't do it alone. I have to ride in a group otherwise I haven't a clue where I am either at Kelos or Hilton. Ultimately the choice of where to go depends on what kind of riding you're looking for.

You're so funny Cactus Jack. Let me know when you want to be schooled by me and my one gear bike!

If you plan on moving to more difficult trails, definitely get a hardtail. Kelso and Hilton Falls are both great places to learn. There is a real mix. Where Hilton Falls can get very rocky when you venture out into the single track, and beyond the Hilton Falls boundary into the Agreement Forest, Kelso from a fitness perspective can be more challenging because of the elevation climbing up the escarpment. Up top, Kelso is pretty flat, but there are lots of trails that have difficult lines, and easier lines. As you get better and more confident you can move to the more advanced lines (they are well indicated on the trail).

As for 26 vs 29, you really need to ride one. Most bike shops should be able to set you up with a test ride. I have a Niner Sir9 with a 6 gear setup you are welcome to try, with 29" wheels. Its hard to explain the difference, and each bike is different. With 29ers especially, the bottom bracket height and center of balance is really important. I've ridden some 29ers that feel like you are perched up on 2 big wheels, where as some feel much better like you are nestled in between them. Its hard to describe until you ride one.

One thing I recommend right off the bat, get a set of clipless shoes and clipless pedals. Don't mess around with running sneakers and flat pedals and then "graduating" up to clipless shoes (unless you aren't comfortable on 2 wheels to begin with). You will build far more confidence learning to stay with the bike and follow through and you will very quickly build up the muscle memory to unclip and clip in without thinking about it. The shoe/pedal interface makes a big difference!

Nothing wrong with starting out on crushed rock trails and going from there. Depending on your fitness, you can build a lot of strength and climbing technique just climbing the fireroad at Kelso that goes from the bottom of the ski hill until the top. It's not technical at all, but will build fitness and teach you to climb on loose rock surfaces.

And don't forget, lots more great trails a little further west off the 401 at Puslynch Tract! Fantastic trails!

WOWMTB: I wish he kept running the 24 hour race and WinterWOW at Mansfield and. I miss doing those races.