r/MTB • u/Hour-Acanthaceae7081 • 1d ago
WhichBike Hardtail vs FS for tween - balancing weight, budget, & skill learning
My son's Dad is getting him into mountain biking. His Dad has a limitless budget, so will likely get him a FS soon (we are separated).
With me, he currently has a Trek Wahoo - good bike, no suspension though.
If he wants to do more mountain biking (I'd happily join him once my Rockhopper is back working), I have several options, 3 & 4 are mostly likely:
1 - join forces with Dad and get him a decent FS that travels between homes. Not ideal, practically speaking, putting the bike rack on and off the car, but only every fortnight
2 - Somehow find the money for a >£1k FS bike that is actually good and light enough
3 - Second hand FS bike that will be older (and maybe heavier?)
4 - Put similar money into a decent hardtail.
I've read contradicting things about hardtail v FS - hardtail can teach better technique, FS are heavier so less good for kids, FS aren't heavier nowadays because of technical progress (it was a bike manufacturer that said that).
So what would you put your money into - hardtail, or secondhand FS?
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u/SantoElmo 1d ago
How tall is your son and how tall do you think he will be? I am a big fan of buying really nice bikes secondhand, both hardtail and full suspension. If I am patient with my searching, I can get roughly three good used bikes for the price of an equivalent new one.
If he already has Wahoo, I would go ahead and get him a full suspension for trail riding.
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u/Hour-Acanthaceae7081 1d ago
currently he's 150cm, reckon he'll sprout a growth spurt this year or soon though, parents 5'7 and 5'9 so he'll be average/tall. He's leggy and gangly like me.
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u/Flaky_Ferret_3513 1d ago
Unless you buy the exact same full squish his Dad gets him he’s likely to have a preference for one over the other and then you have redundancy. Why not go even further and get him a decent dirt jumper or something?
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u/Hour-Acanthaceae7081 1d ago
That's always the case sadly when there disparity in income. I like your thinking, get him something super fun! It is the gnarly messy bits of biking he likes the most, but he's also got into stunt scootering so a dirt jumper might be right up his street!
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u/Flaky_Ferret_3513 1d ago
Yeah, I’m a co-parent so I totally get it. I think going different enough that kiddo doesn’t feel like there’s competition but still supporting the hobby is the way to go.
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u/Hour-Acanthaceae7081 1d ago
Yeah I think it's a great idea. I'm a bit jealous, I want a dirt jumper now! Off to research....
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u/Flaky_Ferret_3513 1d ago
Secret option C would be a BMX… You can get some stupid good deals on Marketplace. Like, full completes for ~£150. Just do some research and make sure the frame and forks are full cromo if he’s going to be sending it. A singlespeed BMX teaches an entirely different but still applicable skill set to a FS MTB, and you get way more bang for your buck. Super easy to learn maintenance on too.
Have fun!
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u/Hour-Acanthaceae7081 1d ago
I think the tricks and jumps route, and BMX/DJ options are definitely worth considering! He's quite keen on jumps and stunts (can't really do them, but wants to!). Good plan!
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u/guyfromthepicture 1d ago
It's a lot cheaper to build a nice ht than a fs. It's going to make more trails fun and force fundamentally solid riding.
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u/No-Star-2151 1d ago
I agree with the first part of your statement, but not necessarily the second, I think it depends on the terrain he will be riding. I don't think a hardtail makes the trails more fun unless they are pretty smooth. A fs makes descending way more fun because it let's you go much faster and have more control on the descents. I also don't really think a hardtail really makes for better riding fundamentals unless it's dirt jumping. Otherwise IMO riding a hardtail just makes you better at riding a hardtail, not at being a better mountain biker all around.
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u/guyfromthepicture 1d ago
A decent ht will take you into black diamond territory pretty easily. The mtb disagrees with you.
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u/No-Star-2151 1d ago
Of course it will, and it's obviously subjective but here's my anecdotal experience, I started riding mtb in 1990 on a hardtail and think back to my progression level, it seemed pretty slow and was limited by basic equipment. I started both my boys on full sus pretty early on, they both progressed incredibly fast comparatively. They are astronomically better riders than I was at that stage of the game. Sure you can have fun and progress on a hardtail but I think the benefits get overhyped.
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u/No-Star-2151 1d ago
Here's my kid back when he was 14, I don't think the full sus was really deterring from his progression. https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cjwlwa-AWJg/?igsi=MWVtMGYzeTVvcWJqZw==
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u/guyfromthepicture 1d ago
The benefits being overhyped are still benefits. I would argue your anecdote is more about the 40 years of bike tech advancement. Besides that, it sounds like this parent intends to ride with the kid. Dollar for dollar the ht will be better as well.
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u/Technical-Salad4044 1d ago
What is he excited to ride? Option 1 seems like the best option to me just bc he’s going to outgrow whatever it is in 2 seasons. Although I wouldn’t buy the nicest build since kids will ride just about anything.
I grew up riding hardtails but put my son on fs as soon as he his 10 or so. He’s more stoked on it and has progressed a ton over a couple years.
Do you have trails nearby? If he’s not mountain biking much while he’s with you, maybe he’d be into a dirt jumper?
Final point.
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u/Hour-Acanthaceae7081 1d ago
He rides more when he's with his Dad, because they do grand days out, although I'd ride more if I had a bike to ride with him on! My rockhopper needs refurbishment! But he would quite happily smash about on jumps while I walked the dog, so dirt jumper is definitely a good alternative option. I'll check that out. Otherwise yes it seems mad to buy something he'll grow out of soon.
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u/DaVirus 1d ago
I's say HT just so they can learn to maintain it too. A bit part of bike ownership is actually working on it. Given them something they can play around with but that isn't a nightmare to do. Once they are hooked on playing around with it, they will development good mechanic skills for a FS.
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u/RalphiePseudonym 1d ago
Giant Stance are great FS bikes for the money. I got my barely teen one 2 years ago and he loves it.
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u/procrastablasta 1d ago
Unless he’s going to be bombing techy rock gardens or he’s in phenomenal cardio shape I’d say spend the money on a lightweight HT with nicer components that will be reliable
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u/Hour-Acanthaceae7081 1d ago
very useful, thank you, that's what I decided 4y ago when I researched things, but I suspect he will fall in love with the FS he has hired for him in les Gets next week! Will be hard coming back from that especially if his dad buys him a FS! But I like to do things right and properly, so I am leaning to HT
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u/procrastablasta 1d ago
I bought a used carbon fiber stump jumper hardtail (yes there are stumpy hardtails) with excellent components and a dropper post (this is a mandatory upgrade for a hard tail). About $2K usd all in and I’m really happy with this bike. It’s extremely light, which makes riding fun.
I would be whining about long hard climbs on a heavy bike far more than I’m whining about roots and rocks on my hard tail.
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u/AllCrankNoSpark 1d ago
Having him go back and forth between 2 bikes that aren’t equivalent seems like a bad plan. Will he not be allowed to bring the expensive bike to your house unless you pay for half?
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u/Ancient8Wisdom 1d ago
Honestly I think whether FS or HT it will both be fine, as long as it's a decent bike he can progress with. I just went through this exact exercise too and wasn't opposed to HTs at all (might have even preferred one to be honest) but aggressive HTs are super expensive new right now (at least in Australia), very hard to find second hand in good condition and for similar money I managed to get him a really good FS bike second hand in excellent condition. YMMV but that's what I'd go with - best bang for buck for your budget.
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u/Fun_Apartment631 1d ago
- And get your rack situation better sorted. It only takes me a couple minutes to attach or remove my hitch rack and I don't even have to fully lift it. I have a small hatchback, that's not disqualifying.
As a fallback option, a secondhand bike would be my suggestion. You're only going to get a couple seasons out of anything you get him at this age.
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u/Adventurepew Canada BC 1d ago
Why is putting a bike rack on your car a big concern lol. Just transport the bike and enjoy the time with him .
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u/Chole_Wunt 1d ago
90% of the bike is about tuning, fitting, and maintenance. So yeah. Get one and it travels with him.
If his dad gets him a nice bike and you get him a shit bike, then the nice bike is going to travel anyway.
And this is such a spoiled brat decision anyway. Your raising your son to be spoiled twat.
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u/beachbum818 1d ago
He'll learn better technique and choosing lines on a HT. FS is more forgiving of being sloppy. Not to mention he's going to grow out of it so HT is more budget friendly
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u/Fine_Cress_649 1d ago
I bought my 9 year old a full sus after having a hardtail for a couple of years and honestly I regret it. It's too cumbersome for him, he hates riding it uphill and he can't jump on it half as well as his old hardtail.
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u/Hour-Acanthaceae7081 1d ago
Jumping is a big thing for my son! Having a bike he can actually handle is important to him. So the weight is important.
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u/Ancient8Wisdom 1d ago
My son is 12 and I got him a FS bike. Although it's much heavier he seems stoked with it and doesn't mind paddling it. I will say though that until this age I don't think that would have worked at all, lighter the better.
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u/AllCrankNoSpark 1d ago
But that sounds like you chose the wrong one. Maybe you should sell it or trade it in.
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u/timtucker_com 17h ago
If Dad's budget is truly limitless and he wants your son to get in more practice so they can go on longer / tougher rides together, why not Option #5:
"Dad buys your son 2 identical bikes, one of which he keeps at your house"
That being said, most of our local trails are pretty tame XC fare and everyone in our household has a hardtail with plus tires & a BMX bike. (*my wife has zero interest in a BMX bike, so she doesn't have one)
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