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Relax and explore the forest, enjoy single trails or flood your body with adrenalin. The mountain bike is extremely versatile. But this also makes it difficult to choose the right bike. It feels like bike manufacturers have the right mountain bike for every type of root. Before buying a mountain bike, however, beginners must first decide between Hardtail or Fully decide. This question stands between every beginner and their first dream bike. There is no better or worse. Rather, the decision depends on your own budget and the intended use of the bike.
The hardtail mountain bike
At the Hardtail one speaks of mountain bikes that only with a suspension fork with 100 to 120 millimetres, the rear suspension is unsprung. This makes this type of mountain bike affordable and reduces maintenance costs. Hardtails are also light and efficient. MTB hardtails - the original form of the mountain bike - are therefore perfectly suited as sports equipment. With easy-rolling tyres, even long tours become a pleasure.
A large selection of hardtails can be found, for example, at Bicycle XXL or Liquid Life
Advantages of MTB hardtails
- favourable
- Low maintenance
- lighter than a full-suspension model of the same price
- suitable for everyday use
Disadvantages of MTB hardtails
- Offers little comfort
- Limited off-road capability
The fully mountain bike
Fully - i.e. full suspension - means that a damper also absorbs shocks on the rear wheel intercepts. So much for the rough technical difference. Fullys are therefore particularly suitable for comfort-conscious beginners or bikers who mainly ride on more demanding terrain. This is because the suspension rear triangle generates more traction uphill and ensures a high level of safety downhill. In return, you usually have to accept a higher weight, less agile uphill handling and a higher purchase price. In addition, the numerous rear suspension bearings and the additional shock increase the amount of maintenance required. But not all fully bikes are the same.
Overview of mountain bike full-suspension categories
- Race/marathon fully: 100-110 millimetres front and rear suspension travel
- Trail bike: 120-130 millimetres front and rear suspension travel
- All Mountain: 140-150 millimetres front and rear suspension travel
- Enduro: 160-180 millimetres front and rear suspension travel
A large selection of fully mountain bikes is available at Bicycle XXL or LiquidLife
Advantages of MTB fullys
- comfortable
- Fully suitable for off-road use
- More safety and driving pleasure
- Lots of traction
Disadvantages of MTB full-suspension bikes
- High price
- Greater maintenance effort
- very heavy low-cost models
- on gravel and asphalt
Race and marathon fullys are light and the low suspension travel increases comfort compared to a hardtail. This makes them ideal for sporty tours in low mountain ranges or marathon races. Trail bikes and all-mountain bikes have more suspension travel and are the perfect base for mountain bikers on single trail tours and Alpine crossings. Enduro mountain bikes offer the greatest suspension travel. However, this also increases the weight. Uphill, this means heavy legs. Downhill, however, enduro bikes put a big grin on your face on technical descents - provided you have the necessary riding technique. They crave speed and rough terrain. Once the first step towards your dream bike has been taken, the next decision follows: Because fullys and hardtails can also be assigned to different categories depending on their suspension travel and range of use. In the next >> article on the bike categories << we will clarify which one suits you best
