A mountain bike is a perfect bike for navigating off-road terrain. If you plan on off-roading and hitting the trails with a bike, a mountain bike is pretty much your only option these days. They have many features that make them ideal for handling rough terrains – such as durable frames, suspension, shifting gears, tires that grip, effective brakes, and more.
This guide is all about one of the most popular types of mountain bikes – the hardtail bike. Hardtail refers to the fact that there is no rear suspension in these bikes. Hardtail is such a popular category, that even within this category there are so many types of the bike which are suitable for so many different types of riding.
We will start our guide by explaining the basics of the hardtail bike – including suspension, and what defines the category of a hardtail. We will then jump into all the relevant factors that you will need to make your decision as to which bike is best for you.
Suspension
Suspension is the key element that helps to define different categories of a mountain bike.
Suspension on a bike is designed to absorb the impact from rough and uneven terrain, and give a smooth experience to the rider. The suspension system will act as springs, which are built into the frame of the bike in order to absorb impact from various obstacles. Suspension systems will compress to brace impact and bounce back into place to return the bike to a normal position. This is generally done using air pressure, or an actual coil of spring.
As bike technology develops, so does suspension. There many different suspension technologies available, as well as different materials and technologies from which suspension systems are made. Typically, the more you spend on a mountain bike, the more premium and durable suspension you can expect to receive, although this is not a concrete rule.
As for how suspension relates to this article – suspension is actually the differentiating factor that makes a mountain bike a hardtail bike.
Hardtail Bike Basics
A hardtail bike is one of the most popular categories of a mountain bike. The name “hardtail” refers to the fact that the tail of the bike is without suspension, and thus a rigid bike.
Although it lacks rear suspension, a hardtail will typically have front suspension. Front suspension is meant to brace any impact on the front tire of the bike. The suspension is included on either side of the fork, which is the part of the bike frame that supports the front wheel. A spring is included on either side of the fork, which compresses to brace impact and springs back into place.
Of course, the suspension is just one part of a hardtail MTB, so you can imagine that even within the hardtail category, there is quite the extensive list of options available for different types of riders, and at different price ranges. But before we get into that, you need to decide if a hardtail is a proper choice for you:
