Can Hardtails handle a Double Black?

[@DaleStone]

"You alright Steve?" needs to be put onto some merch. Respect the full commitment!

[@HardtailLife]

I’ll be first in line to get it 😂

[@urielgonzalez9916]

🎉 i want one shirt 😂

[@JustJake77]

Anyone who has watched some of Steve's videos. You will know he's still a beginner rider. His progression since his first videos is impressive. He's quite a joy to watch as a older and experienced rider. Dude took his spills like a champ and stayed positive. This was great video and would love to see more of this type of content.

[@HardtailLife]

Wow that was so kind - thank you! I’m just here to have a good time 😜

[@JustJake77]

@@HardtailLife keep at it dude! You got fans cheering for ya!

[@alexandernickos2213]

Definitely better than beginner

[@oliverchalkley1187]

Just did a double black on a hard tail = definitely not a beginner

[@Onlydansmtb]

I see a hardtail video, I watch. it's a simple life.

[@frits8986]

Simple is good

[@JustJake77]

You, me, same.

[@HardtailLife]

Amazing philosophy 🙌

[@JedEdelstein]

Big props to Steve, he gets back on the horse every time without doubt!

[@peterk7662]

That heavy backpack will kill confidence faster than just about anything on the trail.

[@therealridedmc]

This. That backpack definitely ups the difficulty.

[@stevenkilleen8149]

Or is it padding

[@insertgenericnamehere7774]

@@stevenkilleen8149 Pudding?

[@EM-nl6sg]

Needs a hip strap to make it less sketch. Not no sketch but less sketch

[@Vazquez12able]

I hated riding with backpacks until I got a USWE one, they are amazing for riding.

[@medco5104]

I like that you also show the MTB struggle in your videos. Not just a perfect lap on record time. Not everyone is a pro. Good stuff.

[@hegartyj1]

Respect Steve. That first jump/drop would have definitely have affected me in exactly the same way it did you. In fact, there is absolutely no way I would have had the guys to try that!

[@HardtailLife]

Hopefully I’ll up my skills and confidence and try again another day!

[@eXaviar]

Crashes, where after you can stand up, analyse and keep riding, are the best. They drag you back on the ground and when showing them in a video, like you did, makes it's was more relatable, real and enjoyable

[@colinnewman1227]

As a dedicated hardtail rider I'm LOVING the HT content!

[@urbanredneck3068]

I really appreciate that you show the "fails" too. It's helpful to be reminded that even the best riders fall

[@HardtailLife]

I've never seen Nic hit a tree until that day. 😜

[@lotus_six]

It's so cool to see Steve's progression! He's got a lot of potential I hope he keeps riding bc he gets right back up and tries it again which is great!

[@JoJo-yr6io]

The amount of times Steve crashes with no fear tells you he is going to be a bad ass rider in time.

[@lostman65]

steve is awesome. he knew what he did wrong, and was able to articulate it and keep going.

[@nicks2716]

Great video and great progression Steve (both in this video and overall the past year or two)! This sort of content is much appreciated by a below average rider like myself. And I definitely learned something with your description of “scooping the pedals” to help in bunny hopping. I’m going to try and session that technique next time I’m out.

[@scrivster]

I came across this video by chance, but it was really fun to watch a "human" or "average" mtber try (and struggle) with trails. The thing about video is that it doesn't do the obstacles justice, so everything there must be much scarier than it looks. Thanks for the video and cheers to Steve. \m/

[@fivetool]

What a great video concept. I really enjoyed it.

[@KA-rk9to]

I have watched a lot of your videos. This is one of my faves. love the volnerablity

[@distancespl]

This is fun. I ride hard tail and love watching how you guys break these moves down. Thanks.

[@HardtailLife]

It’s such an amazing experience getting the breakdown with Nic 🥰

[@ianjones2511]

What's in Steve's rucksack? Shall child, parachute?

[@cra_55]

DJ equipment, presumably

[@HardtailLife]

I need to fill it marshmallows: cushion my landing, and then give me a pick-me-up after a crash. 🤣

[@BasicBodThor]

Like this kind of a breakdown video. Thanks Nick!

[@Boboo5]

Appreciate the good audio and 3rd person shots. Very well done video

[@PmatWolf]

Steve so well done mate Kudos for keeping on going bro awesome stuff

[@darrinkulyk9560]

Excellent Video 😎 Did that Last Weekend 😎

[@ddangerousddave]

Rad brah

[@Drebikes]

Steve is a trooper. Kept at it!

[@julianw5692]

With the crash at 6:20 ish, it looks as if the fork is way too soft. On a hardtail the fork dives lots under braking as the back is not moving so it puts your weight forward. Maybe Steve should try some volume spacers and a bit more air pressure. I say this as an experienced ex hardtail rider. Also if the fork has low speed compression maybe turn it more towards closed. There's also such a thing as too much front braking power, ik from experience it's so easy to grap to much brake as you start to go forward. Sorry if that all sounds patronizing I don't mean it too I just know these have been problems I've had and if would have saved me some grief to have someone mention them 😅

[@HardtailLife]

Thanks for the tip! I’m quite new to fork setup, so I will keep this in mind when trying to dial it in. Don’t shoot me, but I set everything to the middle and use the median PSI for my weight and just went with it 😬

[@TheFatSteez]

Good way to set it up as a starting point. I got told to try everything completely one way, then everything completely the other way so you get a feel for what each compression does. Then do the same with rebound. Eventually you find what you like. On my hardtail I use more spacers than on my FS which seems good. It’s also means I never really get into that last 20-30mm of travel which is good so it doesn’t feel like the front dives. Means it’s still soft enough at the top of the travel as well vs a high spring rate and not many spacers like my fs

[@chadclark2070]

More low speed compression would help, if his sag is set right...

[@SergejGrabun]

I love to see raw footage of people trying and failing, and trying again! There is just too much of Good riding around. Not everyone is a pro and Steve deserves kudos. gg man. Couple of OTBs were avoidable, but in a moment of panic I understand how it happens (been there :D)

[@Dustin-sk9yc]

Great job Steve 🎉should be proud

[@maximumacannona]

If nothing else, this video demonstrated the importance of proper safety gear.

[@vapo27]

You go Steve my bro!! I don't know if I'm way off base here, but it looks like Steve could use a size smaller frame. Love the commitment. 👊👍

[@bullyborg]

Dude is a certified trail basher! Love riding with dudes that consistently smash themselves on everything but stay in good spirits no matter how gnarly!

[@HardtailLife]

Just having a good time 😜

[@davei.8453]

WE should ride together lol

[@ArmaniFlyHigh]

is it going to help without the big backpack for the first time?

[@HardtailLife]

I've been getting that feedback a lot - I will definitely try it next time

[@jonnya1333]

That's awesome. Refreshing to see Steve's resilience! Is it me or are Steve's brake levers placed too inward on his bars? When his hand is on the grip there's a good inch gap between his hand and the end of the bar. Guess it could be his preference?

[@pizzapie4me]

His setup looks fine to me. I like my levers real far inboard and low. Long fingers and love one finger braking.

[@DailyNeighborhoodRide]

This one was super fun to watch. Few scary moments. Lol… Ride on 🤘

[@simonjohnson7025]

I only ride a hard tail…unless I go to the bike park or shuttle dh laps. I grew up bmx racing and have noticed that most MTB’ers that started with bmx/DJ take better lines and fall less. To start off with full sus creates a lot of bad habits along with using the suspension to compensate for inability.

[@HardtailLife]

Can confirm that I don’t have BMX/DJ background 😂

[@UWPurpleAndGold]

0:12 Everyone: Yeah, pretty different 🤔 Berm Peak subs: …but kind of the same!!!

[@stevenkilleen8149]

Learning how too fall is definitely important

[@HardtailLife]

I “practice” that a lot 😂

[@icantgivecredit871]

Built in 1992? Now I'm curious what the trail looked like back then. That's before V-brakes - and existing suspension forks were comparatively rudimentary.

[@patrickjaquemet9732]

If you need someone on the camera im in a cast for the next week and a half anyways 😅 love the video digesting trail features one by one, keep it up!

[@karachter]

this is coming from a point of nativity having never ridden a full sus properly on a trail, but I love my hardtail and it's gonna take a lot for me to stop riding it, each type has advantages but I just love how responsive hardtails are, and I can feel what I'm riding on to adjust how I ride

[@trailjockeytj6160]

It seems that second feature that you rode while Steve rode the ride around, is totally rollable unless maybe you had a 12 inch wheel which I don’t think they make those anymore.

[@HardtailLife]

I'll stick to the ride around 🙃

[@dylanramsey5991]

I’ve done 2 blacks I think on my hard tail and every one was like you need a full suspension for that and it wasn’t to bad

[@lagwall]

It always seems like those wood features would be slick and slimy. Do you guys ever just slide off those?

[@Thematty635]

Are those rocks concreted into place? Looks like it here and there. What an interesting way to preserve the trail I guess.

[@tylerhollyfield]

I know this wasn’t meant to be a comedy video but it had me laughing 😂 I also don’t think the hard tail had anything to do with steve crashing.

[@davidboyes6399]

You alright Steve

[@adamnigh1550]

Is that Steve Aoki?

[@jeremyprovonsil7886]

A big factor to consider here is that hardtails get shorter over rolls/compressions/drops where full suspension bikes get slightly longer. This ups the OTB factor in a big way. Even slight over-braking will launch you into orbit much faster than a FS where you often get some reprieve. This makes it a bit more challenging for newer riders, especially on tech sections. Just my measly two cents…

[@LastAphelion]

Waiting for someone to make the high pivot fork hardtail that lengthens the wheel base under compression 😅

[@almabatekert_villanykorte3387]

​@@LastAphelion So a linkage fork? It's been done,altough they went out of business...I've only ever seen one on a hardtail tho

[@hardtailrider7172]

Great video. Hardtales are pretty easy to ride. but when you’re going on a double black diamond trail, you better know how to ride that Hardtail can I tell you double black diamonds are my favorite😉

[@SteveLoweMedia]

20 years ago we all rode hard tails on Ladies. That's all we had!

[@GUTOMOFFICIAL]

new to this channel. Also in Vancouver!

[@randomgoodnessca]

Great video, good to see some failures in your videos… you are real!

[@HardtailLife]

It’s real alright 😜

[@mgeezy1641]

Man Steve is such a good sport I would have gone home already

[@HardtailLife]

😂

[@moxicana8412]

Is he carrying actual books in that backpack?

[@tyroneprice5459]

Man slams more then Johnny Sins

[@VanCan]

Check out the prime day sales! www.insta360.com/big-deal-days?from=store&INRG1IG

[@mblades14]

Thank you so much for this! I considered it when they had 30% off the NX builds, but this was what I needed to pull the trigger! I’ve ordered a red GX build - so stoked for a superboost hard tail as a solo from home / winter / back-up / make trails spicy bike (my big bike’s a Spartan).

[@hashtagnoname1580]

I Think bis big Backpack is the real issue!

[@HardtailLife]

It's probably not helping my lack of skill, that's for sure! 😅

[@FourClover713]

Not being scared having solid balance and being in shape can get you through any trail regardless of the bike your riding

[@johnnydoe66]

Love hardtails on "hard" trails. My friend asked me if I regretted buying a hardtail instead of a full suss like what he rides. My answer was a big No! I really think Steve should have taken off the huge backpack when attempting some of the harder features. The extra weight would tend to mess up his center of gravity/balance, plus he ability to move more freely in the shoulders

[@HardtailLife]

I should really do that 😅

[@travisjones4992]

I feel like a size smaller frame might help that guy a lot. Man's a passenger on that bike

[@htnrumpkicker7868]

i dont think thats the problem

[@HardtailLife]

It’s the rider. The rider is the problem 😅🙋‍♂️

[@cdluk1]

you alright steve?

[@HardtailLife]

Yeah. Just give me a moment 😂

[@peterhaworth6859]

Fair play Steve..balls of steel dude👌🏻(And I wish I bounced as well as you😂)

[@HardtailLife]

I just didn't want Nic to think I'm a wuss 😂

[@grahambliss]

I think Steve's fork either needs more air or compression adjustment. Notice it bottom out and then throws Steve onto his face...

[@HardtailLife]

I could try some more air. I have it at the middle recommended setting at the moment.

[@alanjimenez1449]

Hard tails are awesome but on super technical rocky downhill not so much.

[@urg0nnah8me]

Saw the title of your video and thought "that's the wrong question." Steve answered the correct question which is; Are you a good enough rider to handle a hardtail down a double black. You should try to avoid painting hardtails as a beginner bike or a bike for less experienced riders. A hardtail requires much more input than your lazy full suspension bikes and it will, 100%, keep you engaged in your ride. Hardtails are for everyone.

[@luffyluck]

Fun video! You can definitely do whatever you want on a hardtail but there is way less margin for error. I usually use mine when my full suspension trail bike is out of order and whenever I do use it, I end up with a sore bum and some of the hits are really hard on the ankles. I've found that a lot of people who refuse to use full-suspension bikes just want to brag about using a hardtail. Hardtails definitely have their place in MTB though.

[@frednannt8953]

As you grow older hard tails will kill your back if you want to put yourself threw the challenge good for you. 😊

[@davei.8453]

Nahh... poor form will kill your back. That rear shock isn't going to save your back man

[@ashleytombs]

I think Steve needs to change his channel name to it’s a challenging life specially on These beautiful HT’s lol have to give you credit riding this on an Enduro bike would be hard enough never mind HT’s so fair playboys

[@HardtailLife]

That’s all implied in the channel name 😜

[@psyde]

both riding 29?

[@MilkDot]

Riding with such a huge backpack is a horrible idea. Throws off the body weight and balance on the bike.

[@HardtailLife]

I will try removing the backpack for tougher features next time.

[@sysadventures9560]

The backpack was a hint. 😅

[@OwenRiddell3]

I have done a double black diamond on a fully ridged

[@davei.8453]

Sick trail but not sure if it registers as a double black for me, maybe it's the GoPro effect, everything looks flatter on camera.....

[@letsgoletsgoletsgoletsgoletsgo]

steve's first bail was cuz he at the last minute postured up tryna back off , that sling shot him otb

[@james-hb5tu]

Steve is not ready for this trail

[@chingerzz123123123]

Steve is a bit of a liability!

[@thomaswebb9410]

Just a bit of advice Steve, looks like your putting too much weight through your arms which is making you stiffen up over rough sections. Try putting your weight through your feet more and being very slightly more rearward, That should help you stay more dynamic on the bike and and absorb features with your body. Keep up the good work!

[@Newbieriderr]

6:24 you can see steve was braking too much in the front. release itttt and let it rollll.

[@HardtailLife]

I hear you. I wish my brain reacts that way instead of panic braking 🤦‍♂

[@Newbieriderr]

@@HardtailLife yeah, its way safer to spam your brakes on the back and just maneuver your front wheel, unless you are on a steep and or sharp turns. Anyways Nic is a good technical rider based on his contents, its a good thing to have someone you can ask techniques from. Ride safe sir!

[@JB-1138]

Sam Pilgrim did it on a Walmart klunker. 👍🏼

[@FreerideQuebec]

fuuuuuuuck

[@bigcwastaken2112]

The issue with a hardtail is staying on the bike I’m the tech stuff, especially if your a beginner beginner with stock crappy pedals and Jordan’s

[@stoneenforcer]

I’ve seen riders shred double blacks on gravel bikes. Obviously a slower pace.

[@JoaoFerreia-tw9qc]

goofy ah

[@frits8986]

It didn’t wash out, you yanked the front brake pretty hard -> OTB

[@HardtailLife]

So handy to have footage to review and learn from 🤓

[@my2017raptorhardtail]

Hardtail can handle anything...depends on the rider. You clearly can handle it, but he needs practice.

[@kyleslater5245]

Lol that no there…

[@ZychuZychu]

Why is Steve holding he's handlebars like this? If they are too wide for him - cut it! It's so easy to catch them on a tree if he rides like this :/ Also, I think he's mostly riding with his legs straight, thats why he goes over the bars so much. Thats painful to watch :D

[@matttttttttttttttttttttttttttt]

Maybe we should be calling full suss bikes "easy tails"

[@martinjokerhood2268]

oh god the more I watch the More I feel mtb is not his thing 😅 I'd fly through all that on my nukeproof scout

[@martinjokerhood2268]

never watched this guy befor but just by the 1st few mins of his riding I'd defo say he shouldn't be on a mtb there...

[@Doty6String]

Green bike shouldn’t be on this terrain. He’s too new, makes me terrified to watch.

[@MTBdude]

Get that guy a bigger backpack😬