@bishopsmike
With proper trail skills you learn things like line choice, braking points, sight lines, etc. More suspension and better brakes allows people to get away with more mistakes and go faster, which may be fine for an experienced rider but not so much for a new rider. That new rider will probably rely on the better bike tech to make up for a lack of skill which will result in more wear and tear on the trail surface and potentially more injuries when crashing into hard obstacles like trees and rocks. A hardtail almost forces you to keep the speed in check a bit more. That's part of why the comparison to skiing doesn't really work - it's a very different environment.
March 5, 2022, 4:48 p.m. - Mark
@bishopsmike With proper trail skills you learn things like line choice, braking points, sight lines, etc. More suspension and better brakes allows people to get away with more mistakes and go faster, which may be fine for an experienced rider but not so much for a new rider. That new rider will probably rely on the better bike tech to make up for a lack of skill which will result in more wear and tear on the trail surface and potentially more injuries when crashing into hard obstacles like trees and rocks. A hardtail almost forces you to keep the speed in check a bit more. That's part of why the comparison to skiing doesn't really work - it's a very different environment.