Hardtail Mountain Bikes

OK, so you've thought getting a new hardtail mountain bike.

And you have zero idea where to start looking.

This helpful (hopefully) guide will tell you where to start.

The hardtail types.

Looking for a new hardtail mountain bike is kinda like saying, "I'm going to look for a new SUV".

See the issue?

There's a lotta different types and we can get washed down the rabbit hole very quickly.

Never, ever to emerge to enjoy riding said hardtail.

So we're gonna keep things simple and move fast.

There are 2 different types of hardtails:

Recreational.

Buy a recreational hardtail mountain bike if you're going to be riding on rail trails and pavement - with mates, family or solo fitness rides.

Anything with 7 gears isn't suitable for off-road but is perfectly fine for paths and rail trails.

Same goes for 8-speed mountain bikes.

9-speed hardtails can do a little off-road.

If you do take it off-road, it'll be easy trails; smooth, no big obstacles or impacts and slightly exposed rocks/tree roots.

10, 11 and 12-speed hardtails have more robust components.

Parts that can handle impacts from off-road riding better.

So the amount of gears are important.

More gears = better quality parts.

Performance.

Performance hardtail mountain bikes will almost always be 10, 11 or 12-speed.

And if you reckon you're gonna be riding mountain bike trails or you're a bit hard on your bikes, then you need to go performance.

These mountain bikes will be in excess of 1,000 bucks.

But something amazing happens when you move into the $1,500-$2,000 price range.

We make more money.

Jus' kiddin.

You get a hardtail that is very, very good on mountain bike trails.

Delivering calm handling and control in a very unstable environment.

Take the Haro Double Peak Comp or the Giant Fathom.

Both of these machines use modern dual-suspension geometry in a hardtail package.

Lemme unpack that.

The geometry of a bike determines how well the bike handles.

Think lengths and angles. 

Math stuff.

Mountain biking is dynamic.It's unstable. And it's fast paced.

The bike needs to counter that with stability.

This equals control. And a lot of it.

More than a recreational hardtail mountain can ever hope to deliver.