Did Wagon Wheels Save the Hardtail?
I’m sat at the trailhead, prepping before I drop in and getting the dog ready to chase me; he rides up. On his all-mountain machine suspended at both ends, he gives my bike a glance and I watch him size me up. My bike has wagon wheels, the frame is steel and only features front suspension. His calculations conclude I’m going to be slow and he doesn’t want be stuck behind me, so he dives right in.
I admit that I’m a little taken aback. He barely even acknowledged me and barged to the front of the line. A touch of red mist descends and I decide to give chase. I know the trail fairly well and it isn’t long before the hound and I catch him. Hearing the dirt being torn up by my tires and the buzz of my freehub, he knows I am behind him. I breathe down his neck for a couple of turns until he asks if I want to pass and he pulls off to the side to let me make my move. “Whoa man, I’m sorry” he shouts, “I totally didn’t expect you to be as fast down this trail.” Point made.
This Chromag Surface belongs to Scott Pilecki, local rider and hot tub jumper. Photo – Morgan Taylor
There is a degree of smugness that comes with riding a hardtail on the North Shore. I started riding here on the fabled Cove Stiffee with a Marzocchi Z1 up front, wheelie dropping all over the place. I did my time and earned the right to descend trails like these with my ankles intact on a modern full suspension bike. So why am I choosing to ride a hardtail?
Wheel size. Larger diameters ( 29ers in particular) have saved the hardtail. There, I said it. It feels good to get that off of my chest. The size debate seems to have calmed but it still simmers and I have been reluctant to wake the hornets. But the idea has been rattling around my head and it was stimulated further by the lengthy hardtail thread on the gear forum.
The first person I tested my thesis on was Vin Canfield. His response of “totally dude!” surprised me. Vin’s not very tall but even he has felt the good vibes of a well-designed rigid-rear 29er. Ian Ritz may be biased but he agreed with me as well. Chromag sells more niners than anything and while 27.5 has been coming on, Ian is a believer in the big wheel.
Ian Ritz riding big wheels during Chromag’s Exile on Steel St. this past summer. Photo – Jon Harris
I had a hardtail in my stable about 5 years ago and the bike rolled on 26” wheels with a 140mm travel fork. It was built for the local trails and although I enjoyed it, the performance drop from the duallie was too hard: hard on my body, hard to climb up knobbly sections of trail, hard to keep up with my buddy on his full squish machine. It just wasn’t as fun as my 5” travel full sus machine. Guilt eventually pushed me to sell it after leaving it idle in the garage for too long.
This past spring the tables turned when I added a Chromag Surface to my garage. Since then I’ve reached for it more than my Santa Cruz Tallboy LT. Do the larger wheels make it less fun? Not one bit. On certain trails that I ride a lot I don’t think that I am much faster on my Santa Cruz. I finish my rides whooped but with a massive grin on my face, feeling like I’ve cheated death.
Count the big wheels! Photo – Jon Harris
The larger wheels make a huge difference when only one end is sprung. The ability to stay up on top of bumps rather than hooking into them preserves your momentum. In addition, and this is distinct to hardtails, without all the suspension gubbins to worry about the wheelbase on a 29” hardtail can be designed to be close to that of a 26” wheeled frame. Without the wheelbase pushed out to such extremes the handling can still feel close to a two six: nimble and fun.
Some may scoff that wagon and less wagony wheels have made hardtails less hardcore due to that easier rolling factor. That may be true but making the hardtail relevant to a wider audience of hard charging riders can’t be a bad thing.
So to those of us that have seen the light, may we continue to be judged at the trailhead and then breathe down the necks of those who underestimate us.
Did our purest mountain bike need saving?
Comments
Cooper Quinn
8 years, 8 months ago
FYI Vin isn't, strictly speaking, a Canfield. He's a Quenneville by name, Canfield in spirit.
Lance and Chris, on the other hand, are Canfields by name.
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Naveed Nasir
8 years, 8 months ago
this is a brilliant article full of insightful details that riders totally resonate with - awesome!
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lumberjake
9 years, 2 months ago
You raise a really good point with regards to the 26 fans declaring that 29ers are too easy rolling. That was the point! Where are all the anti suspension folks declaring that they make riding easy for anyone ? That you no longer need talent?
I think all this anti this or that in MTBing is silly. The whole point in any innovation is too make things easier so you can do what you currently do better and try bigger things. There will always be a line beyond your skill level so whats the worry? Ride what is best for YOU. YOU as in what and where and how you ride. Maybe you cannot afford a stable of bikes and have chosen to have just one to do it all, like myself. My reality is I cannot afford a bunch of bikes, I live in the city but prefer MTBing to road yet have no car. That means I won't be strictly offroad but doing lots of groomed or paved bike trails /roads for transit and fun not to mention just to get to the trail head. So many newbs don't think about this when buying. They are in their dream of what they will do which may lead to being bummed out.
I am so thankful for the 29er because I had left riding in 2000 and while I always liked riding a new bike seemed not worth it, certainly not the sweet FS I eyed. Then came the 29er and there was initial negativity but of course the design got perfected in time for a small shot of cash came my way and it was an easy choice as I had tried a friend GF 29er and loved the "inside" feel as well as the ride over it feel. I remember offroading locally (Vancouver Isle) a long time ago and thinking of how tired I got constantly hooking up with obstacles and not clearing stuff. This as much more an issue than how fast I went around a corner. So I bought my 29er hardtail and I have been happy since.
Riding my 29er is as fast as my rigid 26er that while older is a sweet Tange Prestige Ultimate frame with sweet retroish parts mounted with 1.1″ slicks! Seriously! I find that I am not having to constantly put out the energy I had with the smaller wheels.
I'm not saying the 29er is the best or you need one but I am saying that if you are in the market and want something lighter, with better components compared to a dually ,check out one and seriously look at where you will ride not just where you dream of riding.
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lumberjake
9 years, 5 months ago
I totally agree. Again though, I grew up mountain biking in the 90s when front suspension was still being worked out let alone FS. Back then, of course, there was only mountain bikes with or without suspension and no matter what kind of riding you did, you did it on the same bike as a guy who DH. Things were still being figured out as weight weenieism was really big and yet riding was getting more tech. Smaller companies made good stuff that was both relatively light and lasted like Syncros and Race Face. What I am getting at is I still have that one bike mentality. For me a FS was too much money and maybe too heavy to ride up where I rode down, which is another big deal, I think a MTB should ride everywhere. Then I left MTBing and got back into it just over a year back. I heard about the 29er thing and was skeptical until I rode my friends Paragon. The immediate sense of being able to ride over anything impressed me. I got one myself and am still impressed with what I can now ride over. Frankly, I really see little negatives. The whole weight thing or slower acceleration isn't that noticeable because wheels have lightened dramatically over the years. the ability to maintain speed is awesome when I am on softer ground covering distances on a simple path. For how I ride, which is this gets me to the trail, I then ride the trail, and ride home from the trail, its vastly superior to my old 26er. The way mine is set up it is still quite light and is quite tossable which many say 29ers aren't.
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Unkas
9 years, 6 months ago
Thanks for the cool article - I've been intrigued by the prospect of big wheels on aggressive hardtails and now I think I just have to test one. I spent the summer in Whistler and through a string of coincidences and the universe's sense of irony I ended up bringing my hardtail with me instead of the fullsus. I have to admit I was worried at first but it proved to be a blast. And the bike is a very average 26-wheeled frame - albeit with aggressive angles, saved somewhat by the coil 36 up front. Although I was beat up more than I would be on a susser. I had so much fun on a HT I would surely pick it again. Now it seems that getting one with bigger wheels may even change the game for the better a bit.
Reply
guest
9 years, 6 months ago
Thanks for the cool article - I've been intrigued by the prospect of big wheels on aggressive hardtails and now I think I just have to test one. I spent the summer in B.C and through a string of coincidences and the universe's sense of irony I ended up bringing my hardtail with me instead of the fullsus. I have to admit I was worried at first but it proved to be a blast. And the bike is a very average 26-wheeled frame - albeit with aggressive angles, saved somewhat by the coil 36 up front. Although I was beat up more than I would be on a susser. I had so much fun on a HT I would surely pick it again. Now it seems that getting one with bigger wheels may even change the game for the better a bit.
Reply
guest
9 years, 6 months ago
Thanks for the cool article - I've been intrigued by the prospect of big wheels on an aggressive hardtails and now I think I just have to test one. I spent the summer in B.C and through a string of coincidences and the universe's sense of irony I ended up bringing my hardtail with me instead of the fullsus. I have to admit I was worried at first but it proved to be a blast. And the bike is a very average 26-wheeled frame - albeit with aggressive angles, saved somewhat by the coil 36 up front. Although I was beat up more than I would be on a susser. I had so much fun on a HT I would surely pick it again. Now it seems that getting one with bigger wheels may even change the game for the better a bit.
Reply
guest
9 years, 6 months ago
Thanks for the cool article - I've been intrigued by the prospect of big wheels on an aggressive
hardtails and now I think I just have to test one. I spent the summer in Whistler and
through a string of coincidences and the universe's sense of irony I ended up
bringing my hardtail with me instead of the fullsus. I have to admit I was
worried at first but it proved to be a blast. And the bike is a very average
26-wheeled frame - albeit with aggressive angles, saved somewhat by the coil 36
up front. Although I was beat up more than I would be on a susser
I had so much fun on a HT I would surely pick it again. Now it seems that getting one with bigger wheels may even change the game for the better a bit.
Reply
Mcstabby Stabstab
9 years, 6 months ago
I love hardtails but really i do not think it is a bike for all situations, as an example, i once tried going
to mont st-anne doing downhill with a hardtail, but their tracks were really rough and rocky, the result: when i woke up the next morning my ankles had swollen so big there was no difference of size with the rest of my leg! (plus i coulndt walk)
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Ryan
9 years, 6 months ago
I broke my leg two years ago and have been using my Holeshot as a faster method to recover my trail legs. With the upgrade of a newer fox 36 float the bike has become perfect. 26″ wheels and shore riding. I have definitely relearned to float. This year I have seen more hard tails on the trails then any of my previous 13. Glad to see the simple machine make a come back into cooldum.
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Mammal
9 years, 6 months ago
That "relearned" part is key for me. After racing DH for a number of years, and trail riding only on full suspension bikes, I truly had to reteach myself how to ride. Now, whether on HT or FS, I find myself more aware on the trail and more in-tune to riding techniques then I ever was before. After 15 years of mtb'ing my HT has been a great teaching aid for me.
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Jonathan Harris
9 years, 6 months ago
Morgan and I have often made the comment that to ride our FS bikes faster, we need to spend some time on our hardtails. You learn to ride your fork more, be more aggressive on the front of the bike, pick your lines more carefully and be smooth.
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Mammal
9 years, 6 months ago
Exactly! Riding the fork more/aggressive front end. That's been a huge revelation in my riding since going back to a HT. It was inwardly embarrassing when I figured out what I was doing wrong for so many years.
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Craig Hunt
9 years, 6 months ago
I wonder how much of this also comes down to frame material? Your old Cove Stiffee (aluminum) vs. Cromag Surface (CroMo). I'm still riding an old 26″ HT, but it is Ti. (Cove Hummer)
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Jonathan Harris
9 years, 6 months ago
My Cove was my original 'shore bike when I moved to Vancouver in '01, but the hardtail I refer to was also steel and built somewhat similarly to my Surface. It was different steel though, so yes maybe there is something in that.
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robert collup
9 years, 6 months ago
I agree its the rider, o.s. steel is real , ride rigid.monocog
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slyfink
9 years, 6 months ago
what about that same 29r hardtail frame with 650b semi-fatty tires (like the ones WTB presented at IB this year)… would that be as much fun? Just pondering the notion of a mud season bike that could also pull double duty as a snow bike in the winter…
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Jonathan Harris
9 years, 6 months ago
We've been pondering that too… 😉
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SColeman
9 years, 6 months ago
Someone's already done this with a Nimble 9. Check out the Canfield forum on MTBR.
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Craig Hunt
9 years, 6 months ago
Depending on your weight and what kind of snow you are talking about, anything under about 3.5″ wide doesn't offer enough flotation. My wife and I rented fat bikes last winter and I found that the 3.8″ tire wasn't enough for me, although it was for my wife. YMMV Check out point #2:
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t.odd
9 years, 6 months ago
27b hardtail this spring was the best bike gear related decision I've made in a long time.
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boomforeal
9 years, 6 months ago
great article jon; i couldn't agree more. i rode a chromag exclusively for my first 5 years on the shore and eventually gave it up. bought a surface this past summer and it packs all the fun of the samurai into an updated and more capable package. loving the ride, and the new lease on life it has given my career as a smug retro-grouch
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Shirtan Pantz
9 years, 6 months ago
Correction: Hipsters saved the hardtail …
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Mammal
9 years, 6 months ago
People have always enjoyed hardtails. As for me, it brings me back to a time where I was still cutting my teeth in mountain biking and the unmitigated adventure that it brought. I don't get the "hipster" connection.
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Jonathan Harris
9 years, 6 months ago
That's kind of it for me, takes me back to the days of riding horrendous rock gardens in North Wales on my Kona Lava Dome. Plus I just like the clean look of a good hardtail.
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Maxime Blahr St-denis
9 years, 6 months ago
hipsters ride fixies. Stop trying to make yourself appear like a smartass
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FiremanJo510
9 years, 6 months ago
Totally agree with your article! Haven't considered a HT for many years and I've been looking at 29er HT's to add to my stable!
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Mammal
9 years, 6 months ago
I ride my Chromag 26″ on the shore all the time, probably more than my suspension bike. No complaints from me, and absolutely nothing needs "saving" with respect to my bike. I think people may just be getting a bit soft…;)
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Zach
9 years, 6 months ago
Great article, I couldn't agree more. I have Chromag Surface and there are few things in life more pleasing then riding an extremely difficult section of trail on it. Could I have been faster and more comfortable on my FS, probably, but there's no way I'd be having more fun and it wouldn't have been as rewarding.
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Jerry Hazard
9 years, 6 months ago
Its the rider….
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boomforeal
9 years, 6 months ago
it's "it's", not its
and it's both
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Jerry Hazard
9 years, 6 months ago
whatever, this is the interwebs, not a term paper. doubt the omission of a precious apostrophe made my reply indecipherable…
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Rob E
9 years, 6 months ago
Start it about a minute in.
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Matt
9 years, 6 months ago
I ride my TransAM 29er more than my full suspension rig. Its' just fun, simple and efficient.
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Just J
9 years, 6 months ago
Yup absolutely! I run a Trek Stache (and more recently a Trek Farley too) alongside my SB95c and I have just as much fun on my hard tails as I do the Yeti. Yes the Yeti is the fast bike, but in terms of all out fun, it's just too close to call.
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rob
9 years, 6 months ago
Spot on, has a Yelli Screamy for over 2 years and still loving it.
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