I'll have to check those places out some time when I'm back east. Hopkinton State Park and Callahan were my home trails.
As someone who pretty quickly graduated to and rode full suspension bikes when I was starting out, a K2 Attack and then graduating to a Specialized FSR, it's interesting to consider that maybe I enjoy hardtails so much now precisely because I had the experience and developed the skill. Maybe it's also that a modern hardtail is still a huge step up in grip and confidence from mid/late 2000s era full suspension XC bikes, due to brakes, tires and geo. But I've recently loved razzing an old rim brake hardtail too, a bike I hated 15 years ago. That has to be a change in skills and perspective.
I talk up the hardtail for sure. I also don't try to dissuade my friends who buy carbon full sussers as first bikes. But I think my honest advise on what to do would depend a lot on the person's attitude. Are they looking for fast and fun quickly? Or are they going to be committed in the face of difficulty or even want to be pushed to learn skills in that way? Interest and aptitude (and income) to do maintainance would come into it, but I think the perspective the person has is critical. And honestly fast and fun quickly is probably the majority of people, and there's nothing wrong with that.
March 5, 2022, 8:42 a.m. - eriksg
I'll have to check those places out some time when I'm back east. Hopkinton State Park and Callahan were my home trails. As someone who pretty quickly graduated to and rode full suspension bikes when I was starting out, a K2 Attack and then graduating to a Specialized FSR, it's interesting to consider that maybe I enjoy hardtails so much now precisely because I had the experience and developed the skill. Maybe it's also that a modern hardtail is still a huge step up in grip and confidence from mid/late 2000s era full suspension XC bikes, due to brakes, tires and geo. But I've recently loved razzing an old rim brake hardtail too, a bike I hated 15 years ago. That has to be a change in skills and perspective. I talk up the hardtail for sure. I also don't try to dissuade my friends who buy carbon full sussers as first bikes. But I think my honest advise on what to do would depend a lot on the person's attitude. Are they looking for fast and fun quickly? Or are they going to be committed in the face of difficulty or even want to be pushed to learn skills in that way? Interest and aptitude (and income) to do maintainance would come into it, but I think the perspective the person has is critical. And honestly fast and fun quickly is probably the majority of people, and there's nothing wrong with that.