Hardtails on Hard Trails: Captain Ahab in Moab, UT - Hardtail Party

[@hardtailparty]

Have you ridden this trail? If so, which section is your favorite?

[@punkskalar]

This trail was phenomenal on my Kona Honzo ST Hardtail this week. Brutal the entire time, and rewarding at the same time. Faster was better, manual as much as possible and stay in the air whenever possible. Ran a 140mm fork, on 27.5x2.8 Tires. Loved every minute of it.

[@andrewreza4681]

This is some quality riding, and with some confident experienced riders

[@slofax1251]

Awesome! Super fun to ride with you guys! Let's do it again soon.

[@hardtailparty]

Agreed, let’s do it again sometime.

[@bass-player.22]

you always prove there is nothing a full squish can do that a hardtail can't I love the hardtail life keep it up

[@hardtailparty]

Thanks. So many people are over-biked on trails, and they're missing out on the simplicity and feel of a hardtail. That being said, there a few trails and features I still won't hit on my hardtail that I will hit on a full suspension. But for 99% of the trails out there, a hardtail is plenty, especially if it has today's modern geo.

[@brettungvari]

16:20 don't be those guys my goodness dudes have some awareness

[@baddriversofcolga]

I don't know why, but I enjoy your riding videos more than just about anyone else's.

[@hardtailparty]

Wow, what a compliment. Thank you so much. I love riding, and we have a good time with friends.

[@douglawrence4066]

Haha I totally am the same way..... it is his nice demeanor and a sunny South West Sky!

[@hardtailparty]

You guys are so nice. If you're ever in Arizona, hit me up so we can go riding together.

[@ryan11211scully]

I rode this on my Specialized Fuse 29er last fall. I exploded my freewheel at the top and had to coast the entire way down. It was still a blast. 😂

[@abel2cycle989]

Also I hope the little mans okay💪 when my 6 year goes down on a trail my heart stops. 😬 good job lil' man👍

[@danwebber9494]

Finally got back down here, rode it on my Cotic BFE max. So much fun!

[@hardtailparty]

this trail would be a blast on a BFeMAX!

[@8milestogo]

You are amazing riders ... all of you! The stuff you ride ... it`s just next level! I ride lots of MTB on my XC hardtail, but mainly fire roads haha! Cheers!

[@siddhartaclark7040]

Holy Cow! You guys are amazing riders! Half way through & I'm in AAAAWWWWW....!!!

[@hardtailparty]

I dunno about being amazing riders, but we like to have fun. This is such a great trail for what we like to do.

[@jtkyber]

I rode this trail and Amasa back on my middle child over the summer! Probably the best trails I've ridden!

[@hardtailparty]

Rock on! It's such a good hardtail on such a good trail.

[@hardtailparty]

If you liked Ahab, we have about 5 trails equally as good here in Sedona. Hit me up if you're ever in town.

[@jtkyber]

@@hardtailparty I definitely will! That might be a while though since I live in Georgia

[@jtkyber]

@@hardtailparty I'm actually coming out that way (Colorado) tomorrow. For snowboarding though, not mountain biking

[@skyerains2754]

I guess I’m gonna have to get on a plane to ride some of these places, great looking ride and video.

[@graysonrides6746]

That trust rides so good on the rocks.

[@hardtailparty]

I got to ride Harry's norco for a bit and I agree! I'd love to try one on the hardtail.

[@corbanscottwhite]

So much fun! And Laura and the kids loved the edit! 😃

[@hardtailparty]

Such a fun day. I'm always blown away at how Maxton keeps on improving every time we ride together.

[@chameleonpogono]

Nice job on that RSD!👍 Trail looks so fun.

[@lostman65]

love this trail... it always my first ride when i get to moab. i actually like the climb

[@hardtailparty]

Me too, it's a fantastic climb! Have you ever ridden Sedona? If you love Ahab, you'll love trails like broken arrow, high on the hog, hiline, slim shady, and others. If you ever make it out here, drop me a line so we can ride together.

[@lostman65]

hardtail party i have been to sedona. i’m there now! i am onespeedleo on instagram.

[@hardtailparty]

D'oh! See you later today then.

[@sparks701]

You guys are killin’ it. Gotta work on my stamina to hit some of that stuff. Good job!

[@JimmyRadloff]

I love watching you ride the gnar! Great video!

[@hardtailparty]

We're riding sedona this saturday if you want to join

[@JimmyRadloff]

@@hardtailparty man I saw that and wish I could but, we have some family in town this weekend and are already committed to some plans.

[@smithfamily710]

John's bike looks mint. Great work to build your own bike 🤘

[@hardtailparty]

He did an awesome job. He's a great rider and an amazing human to boot. You'll be seeing more of him and his bike in my next video.

[@PennyPinchingCyclist]

As always, awesome riding!

[@L4J20]

When that guy was riding through all the chunk while seated!?....I was like - that could be dangerous!

[@hardtailparty]

Yeah, there were lots of people there that had zero business being on it. I'm not sure who recommended it to them. Maybe they watched a few KZbin videos and said "that doesn't look so bad." Then they got there in person and realized just how big the "gopro effect" really is. :)

[@abel2cycle989]

Man you guys killed it🤙🔥

[@8664antonio]

nice group ride! .."hardtail bomber".

[@EricF1984]

Captain Ahab is rad. I love watching other people's videos and seeing the lines that I missed and then realizing that others missed some of the lines that I did. For example, did any of you guys notice the gnar shelf 14:20? I see a lot of people miss that one :p. I had to send it when I went. If you are interested you can check my Captain Ahab on a hardtail video. Cheers buddy. Keep the videos coming.

[@hardtailparty]

Yes, I've rolled up to that one many times, but the landing is super janky and I'm not comfortable hitting it on a hardtail. I'm not much of a hucker, especially on a hardtail. Nice job hitting it.

[@EricF1984]

hardtail party thanks man. I definitely had to look at it. The run up is jank and so is the landing but was surprisingly smooth. There were some spots in this video I wish I had hit. I don’t remember that wallride drop you did.

[@hardtailparty]

@@EricF1984 Watch the pivot mach 5.5 video vital put out. They hit some insane lines there.

[@EricF1984]

@@hardtailparty That dude was flying through there. So good.

[@Mr.P.Griffith]

That Dusty Betty is showing up friggin everywhere! Good on her. Wait, are you two together?

[@hardtailparty]

Dusty Betty is my wife of 15 years.

[@cameronlesley2428]

I bet all those guys you passed where like wtf! I’m Getting passed by a guy on a hardtail?.

[@hardtailparty]

I'd like to think so. :)

[@ErikWayne87]

Question... Im new to the MTB scene. I currently ride a 2019 Talon2. If I wanted to stick w/ the hardtail but upgrade bikes, what would you suggest?

[@hardtailparty]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4Otgnmbr82egbc

[@VisitorE.T.]

wheel size ??

[@mountainlessmtb9940]

🤘

[@mountainlessmtb9940]

I ran out things to say the other day😂

[@user-lc2mu9jk2b]

Looks crazy but you all made it out nicely and sounds you’ve had fun. Are you all on flats or clipped in? Just wondering on such technical obstacles

[@hardtailparty]

All but one of us was on flat pedals.

[@_CrankZilla]

"Dropping!" - Urban Dropper reference? 😎

[@hardtailparty]

What's urban dropper?

[@_CrankZilla]

@@hardtailparty it's an MTB KZbin channel, he's I believe Russian and lives in Jersey and says "Dropping" in about the same style and tone that you said it but then again so does Sam Pilgrim. Regardless, awesome video like always.

[@hardtailparty]

@@_CrankZilla Me and my friends have always said it to warn others that we're about to come down, whether we're riding MTBs, snowboarding, or doing anything else stupid that involves gravity. :)

[@SteveJanney]

what HUB does your Middle Child have and how many points of engagement? I asked RSD this question and they did not know, they said contact Sun Ringle. Not a confidence builder to say the least.

[@hardtailparty]

I built my middle child up as a frame, so I'm not running the stock hub. I mention my hubs at the beginning of the video: I run onyx hubs on all my wheels. Since they use a sprag clutch, instead of gears and teeth, it has instant engagement. There are no "points" of engagement with this model. I find the hubs on almost any stock bike have low points of engagement. Most people don't think it's worth an extra $400-600 for high engagement hubs on a factory bike. Even looking at Sun Ringle's website, I can't see any mention of the hub, or points of engagement.

[@SteveJanney]

@@hardtailparty thank you for your reply and the information. I have been looking at upgrading my hub on a 2017 Stache 5 29r plus. It's almost impossible to find a good hub for it. I've been looking at DTS 350 with the 54 point replacement gears. I'll check out Onyx and see if they offer anything. Love the hardtail.

[@hardtailparty]

The onyx is my favorite hub on the planet. It's heavy and expensive, but 100% silent, almost zero drag, and instant engagement. If onyx didn't exist, I'd run an i9 torch. I half-ratchet a lot, so quick engagement is worth the cost to me. I've had DT350 that came on a bike I owned. I upgraded the ratchet to the 54t star. The 54t star is weaker than stock. It worked for me, but the onyx is night and day. If you're paying for a wheel to get rebuilt anyway, might as well go with a great rear hub. I'd skip the onyx front hub through, as they aren't $150 better than a cheap sram hub.

[@SteveJanney]

@@hardtailparty thanks for your response I don't know you other than through youtube however I really value your opinion.

[@hardtailparty]

@@SteveJanney Thanks Steve, i appreciate it. What part of the country do you live in? If you're not doing tons of half-ratcheting, you may not need a hub as beefy as the onyx, but if you've got technical climbs, it makes a huge difference. I'm not affiliated with Onyx, but they're one of my favorite components I've ever used. I'm currently running the new onyx vesper hubs, and I've had an issue with the sprag clutch slipping. I just got it repaired under warranty so I'm testing the new fix. So far so good, but I've only got one ride on it. I've run the original onyx hubs for years with zero problems. See if you can find a friend who has one to try out. You'll either love it or hate it. Me and my buddies now only run Onyx.

[@juliusulit1141]

I did that on hardtail with 100mm, never again

[@hardtailparty]

Oh man, I feel for you. I don't think my wrists would function afterwards with 100mm travel.

[@kenkim8017]

@@hardtailparty So you wouldn't recommend this trail for a guy on a hardtail 29er w/ 90mm (2010 Specialized Stumpjumper)?

[@wasabisdaddy]

You won't have a hard time on a hardtail

[@mtbrider8872]

First