Budget Full Sus Vs Expensive Hardtail!

[@bikeradar]

Which bike would you rather ride?

[@ChuckHarris-go5nz]

Full sus

[@K1989L]

Hardtail. We got none of the tracks you do out there.

[@daviddorson5111]

Of the two you selected, the Stanton would be my preference but I went the other way and kept my own hardtail relatively budget (Slackline 853 frame, X fusion McQueen fork and some XC carbon elite wheels and Specialized tyres with Grid casing) and bought a newer carbon full suspension trail bike with MX wheels. Wouldn't have worked for this comparison though..

[@MidlifeMTBdude]

I sold my full sus for a Stanton Sherpa Ti and don’t regret my choice. Not an £8000 build though!

[@LawrenceMacMacster]

Mine? I'd take the expensive hardtail and trade it for my current bike, pocket the change 😂

[@iandunn3479]

Having a back wheel skipping around, losing, then regaining traction feels so good to me. It's one of the reasons I love a hardtail. I realise that it's slower, more sketchy, and less efficient, but I'm on a bike for what I appreciate as dimwitted fun!

[@bikeradar]

Sounds like you're having a great time on your hardtail! They're a great challenge and offer a unique ride! Thanks for sharing your comment 🙌 ~ Will

[@slick6227]

I bought a road bike and I returned it for a mtb, it did dropped my times by 10-15 minutes on most rides, but I'm so happy, and that's what's up, you ride for the fun of it, otherwise something fun turns boring in a instant

[@AwesomeRedKite]

for 8,000 pounds that cable rattle is insane

[@kingflynxi9420]

If you're spending £8000 on a bike you should know how to sort out a bit of cable rattle mate

[@АнтонАлексеенко_044]

@@kingflynxi9420 Are you expected to fix your engine straightaway when you buy a new BMW?What did the engineers charge you the extra for then?

[@kingflynxi9420]

No, but luckily, this is just a bike and not a brand new BMW. If you're buying an expensive MTB, you better know how to diagnose a problem and maintain it. If its a bigger problem like loose spokes, then you can get on whoever PDI'd the bike, but cable rattle is not a big issue at all.

[@bob69365]

@@AwesomeRedKite it’s the dropper cable routed through the downtube, same on my Switch9er but is a 5 min fix. All other cables are external which is a bonus as far as I’m concerned!

[@bikeradar]

Hey, I didn't notice any cable rattle on the frame, but unfortunately our test bike didn't have any chainstay protection on the day so it was a bit noisy on the descents! An easy and cheap fix to make the bike buttery smooth and quiet for the future! ~ Will

[@jamesdpayton83]

I absolutely love my Zaskar FS sport. I put a Fox dropper and a new pnw bar and stem on her. She's a beast!

[@komoonkh]

That GT has some things really wrong. The weight and the name hit me the most. GT Zaskar was a premium xc race bike. And they make it a super budget full sus? Cmon GT!

[@defyinggravity8559]

After releasing a cross-country bike, they also released a Zaskar hardtail version trail bike 140MM in the front .

[@dvs620]

It's a Sport. The Comp is a better by. The tires are the same, but you get a Shimano Cues drivetrain, which I've heard good things about for a budget drivetrain and a dropper. It's definitely an entry level trail full sus. Definitely look at the Sensor if you want to get serious with your bike. The Zaskar hardtails are trail oriented with decent specs in the Elite side.

[@MidlifeMTBdude]

Have a Stanton Sherpa Ti and sold my full sus lappiere for it. For natural UK trails a hardtail is a lot more engaging and encourages those skills of body position, line choice and allows the adrenaline to get going! Found the full sus dulled that experience and de-skilled a bit over the years I had it.

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for sharing your real world feedback! Your experience is exactly what this video is about. Glad you're enjoying the Stanton, they're gorgeous bikes! ~ Will

[@LawrenceMacMacster]

Sounds like a DH race from 1982... Modern Clunkers

[@billberger]

any one else see that massive fish eye in the weld at 1:30 ?

[@JennySoffe]

Anyone else getting “sooo pitted” vibes at 10:50 🏄‍♂️ 😂

[@bikeradar]

Haha what a fantastic meme that is too! Thanks for commenting. ~ Will

[@owenmore5675]

I'd normally say full squish, but that Stanton😍

[@bikeradar]

It's one gorgeous bike. I love the ti frame and that fork is just sublime. Thanks for commenting! ~ Will

[@owenmore5675]

I love the Stanton ti frames, them and kingdom bikes just look amazing..

[@SupercarAlex150]

this is the wildest comparison

[@bikeradar]

We polled our KZbin audience and this is the wild 1v1 they asked for! It was really interested to do a comparison between two such different bikes... ~ Will

[@bob69365]

Love my custom 853 Switch9er. Prefer it to my current and all previous full sus bikes!

[@bikeradar]

Wow high praise, thanks for letting us know your experience of the bike and hardtail life! ~ Will

[@guillaumebarrette9040]

Pour some resin on that moustache to make some handlebars asap, now THAT is content

[@daviddorson5111]

I've got an 853 tube Slackline and its actually quite a comfortable bike.

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for commenting! Reynolds tubing is a bit magic! Glad you're enjoying your Stanton. ~ Will

[@SeikoMiura]

Ah what happened to GT Zaskar? From dedicated full-suspension XC bike of GT to budget GT Sensor.

[@TheBikeRoom]

Love both but If you can, have a lockout on the air can, increases climbing efficiency. Good to see you hammering down the off-piste trails at Cwmcarn as they are a proper test.

[@bikeradar]

Great point on the lock-out! Pedal thresholds in rear shocks are super effective these days and usually don't add too much to the cost of the shock! Glad you enjoyed the video. ~ Will

[@ChuckHarris-go5nz]

Looks like great fun either way

[@bikeradar]

We had an absolute blast! Thanks for commenting. ~ Will

[@przemeksuch4861]

Need to switch to FullSus ... my Hardtail is killing my left knee

[@josephkibbler4653]

Where was this filmed? Looks rad

[@sundayblack]

HT without a shadow of a doubt. No dropper, BMX seat, single speed. Built simular to my current Cotic. Only issue with my cotic its a size too big for me so feels like a battle ship.

[@bikeradar]

Wow that sounds like a seriously focussed machine! No gears and no dropper - that's hardcore!!! ~ Will

[@AlfredoFrancisco-dm4pk]

Very good giometry hardtail and good parts, makes best bike to ride everywhere,,

[@danielreynolds5012]

The footage from the Stanton sounds very rattly like something banging off the frame?? Is that just the video or a loose bit of cable routing?

[@s14tat]

Probably the cables banging against the head tube.

[@bikeradar]

Hi Daniel, unfortunately our test bike didn't have any chainstay protection on the day so it was a bit noisy on the descents! An easy and cheap fix to make the bike buttery smooth and quiet for the future! ~ Will

[@matthewshultz8762]

All depends on where you ride, but in general I'm choosing the full suspension. The only reason to go hardtail is to save $ for beginners or if you're riding mainly on gravel trails, fire roads, or other mostly smooth surfaces. Even with a shock lockout the full suspension will have much worse pedal efficiency from the rear end.

[@coralsaddiction4598]

Well said

[@s14tat]

You lost me when you described "hardtail terrain" those are gravel terrain that you listed. it's easier to list what is not ideal hardtail terrain. Basically unrelenting rocks and roots. The hardtail is fine if there are only short 10-20 second long sections of rocks and roots. The hardtail can literally ride anything besides red bull hard line. That terrain that they rode in this is perfectly fine on a hardtail.

[@darkm4g1c]

Or if you want the limited maintenance of a hardtail. There are brands out there building full sus bikes with longevity in mind, but they tend to be bricks.

[@sespela]

I just sold my Nukeproof full sus because I prefer my Cotic Bfemax. I ride black and red trail with my hardtail no bother. It’s just a different challenge. And it’s more fun because you have to engage more imho

[@gravelDave]

I have a XC hardtail and a XC full sus and can tell you the hardtail gets far more use. Just because the full sus is more comfortable and faster over an entire course doesnt make it more fun. The other thing is cost. If i used the full sus as much as my hardtail it would cost me at least another 2-300 pounds a year in extra maintainance.

[@johnlesoudeur3653]

Full suspension with full, pedal, and lockout control.

[@thevapingpolisher9717]

I pick my ns eccentric over my down country full sus bike every time

[@andy_mgb]

Same mate, I'll pic my ns over a budget fs

[@FrankCastle82]

Do you have any plans on testing the new 2025 Voodoo canzo FS? It looks amazing has good specs and for £1,800.00.

[@bikeradar]

We'll definitely look to get one in for testing!

[@andyarchitect]

Its a shame that the GT has a coil fork even on the spec level above. If it had a suntour air fork it would be a great buy. But i guess you get what you pay for.

[@NewPolishScientist]

Is that 120mm mustache?

[@323johnnybravo]

Looks more like 160 to me lol

[@bikeradar]

😂 I've not measured it but it definitely has a lot of travel! ~ Will

[@endruboy111]

That GT seems very under speced for the money. You can get a Focus Jam 6.9 for less with full Shimano XT and Fox suspension front and back, with adjustable geo via flip chip...

[@IphoneGamer33]

I use a full suspension bike with 120 mm travel in the front rear and the back rear

[@bikeradar]

Sounds like a good compromise. Thanks for commenting! ~ Will

[@tonyparkin3379]

My Ribble ti was only £2300 .Shame they stopped making mtbs

[@Guido1970]

‘Dork disk’ ;)

[@bikeradar]

Haha yeah I couldn't believe it when it jammed in the cassette - I was not expecting that!!! ~ Will

[@bemHutchinson]

as a racer hard all the way

[@bertkreft9689]

i would ride the light e-mtb with 17 kg and 8000,- £

[@bikeradar]

Now that is an interesting take! Perhaps an ideas for a future video? ~ Will

[@diaboluspepito5103]

Full sauce

[@burningatthetrailhead]

I would rather buy the budget full sus and upgrade it slowly

[@bikeradar]

That sounds like a solid option! Make sure you prioritise good geometry, build quality, and suspension kinematics and you're laughing! ~ Will

[@scherzo0o]

Sorry, but if budget is not a problem, I'd go with a carbon-fiber hardtail. Carbon frames are designed to take vibrations and some even provide some flexibility.

[@Danielooooooooooooo]

Oi❤

[@anthony-xk8wc]

🇫🇴🔥🔥🔥🇫🇴

[@davehause8571]

Who gives a shit?

[@leanasf821]

A lot of people apparently

[@AwesomeRedKite]

apparently you gave enough for this pointless response.....if you don't care then don't comment

[@LucyBooth-n2q]

Cool