|   hartail or F/S for a race bike | captainxray
Jan 13, 2004 10:16 AM | | I am planning to buy a new bike to be used almost exclussively for XC racing and I am having trouble with the decision. I have narrowed it down to a Giant XTC hardtail and the NRS f/s rig. I would be getting the top of the line in either.
The question is which will be faster? The hardtail has the edge now for two reasons. One, I can probably get the frame and build it myself (down to around the 20# mark or just under) for about a grand less than the stock NRS air with no upgrades. Second my SS rig that I rode almost all the time is a HT. That is what I am used to.
So what do you think? |
| Depends on the racecourse | pimpbot
Jan 13, 2004 6:36 PM | | If the course is short-ish and smooth, then hardtail would be faster.
If the course is long and harsh, then the FS would be faster. Rough racecourses will take less effort to keep moving over, saving you from fatugue and help keep you fresh for the final sprint. You can stay seated a larger percentage of the time, saving your legs. FS also climbs better in steep technical bits where the rear wheel tends to slip up over loose stuff.
I should qualify this with the fact that I have yet to do a race, Sea Otter will be my first, unless a smaller local race comes up before then. I do own a hardtail and a fully bike, tho. I can ride much farther on my fully and 'feel' it less afterwards.
OTOH, FWIU, NRSs tend to ride more harshly than fully active suspension bikes, so the difference may be smaller. |
| SS. -nm- | SDizzle
Jan 13, 2004 8:16 PM | | |
| |
