Mountain Bike Hardtails – The Classic among MTB's

A suspension fork at the front, no suspension at the rear – why has the hardtail not yet died out, even though everyone in the scene is talking about full-suspension bikes and electric bikes? Because it's simply an unbeatable concept. With just a suspension fork, no suspension at the rear, no unnecessary technical frippery on the bike – it has several advantages. A mountain bike hardtail is light, requires less maintenance than fullys or e-mountainbikes and is comparatively inexpensive. This makes a hardtail the first choice for anyone who doesn't want to spend too much on an MTB, but also for bike purists who are looking for a direct, light-footed mountain bike that offers the most unfiltered riding experience possible.

Current MTB hardtails are anything but old-fashioned: 27.5 or 29 inch wheels, now standard on almost all mountain bikes, have long since won their triumphal march that began in the 2010s. The current frames are fully designed for the larger wheels with modern geometries. There is also a full range of frame materials for hardtails. Aluminum hardtails and carbon hardtails dominate the range, but there are also steel hardtails and titanium hardtails. The current MTB 29 inch hardtails leave nothing to be desired.

Mountain bike hardtails are available today in a wide variety of versions. But before we go into the variety of models, let's take a look at the history books. There is a very specific reason why there is such a wide variety of hardtail models: in a way, the hardtail is considered the forefather of today's mountain bike models. While the first mountain bikes still had to make do without suspension, suspension forks became established from the end of the 1980s. The RockShox One, for example, first introduced in 1988, was the first suspension fork with 50 millimetres of travel. From then on, the mountain bike boom really took off – and the success story of the hardtail was unstoppable.

Even though a hardtail requires comparatively little technology, this bike category has also differentiated over the years. Today, there are hardtails for different areas of use. The differences between the hardtails lie in the riding position on the bike, the riding characteristics and the components. There are a wide variety of approaches, especially when it comes to the suspension fork, brakes and shifting, but above all the wheels. Depending on the setup, the bikes roll on 29-inch wheels or 27.5-inch wheels or both (for mullet setups with 29-inch wheels at the front and 27.5-inch wheels at the rear). We have listed the most important MTB hardtails and their various properties below.

Cross-country hardtails, also known as race hardtails, are the complete opposite. The focus here is on the lowest possible weight and extremely sporty, direct riding characteristics. To keep the weight low, many race hardtails come with carbon frames and high-quality, lightweight components. The suspension forks have 80 to 100 millimetres of travel. This is why cross-country hardtails are never very cheap.

Trail hardtails are also interesting for demanding, technically experienced bikers. However, the focus here is primarily on having as much fun as possible on challenging terrain. That's why trail hardtails have suspension forks with around 120 millimetres of travel, mostly stable wheels with generous tires and solid, powerful brakes. Trail hardtails are available with aluminum and carbon frames.

Closely related to the trail hardtail is the touring hardtail. It is the all-rounder among hardtails, offering a comfortable to relaxed riding position, balanced steering characteristics and suspension forks with around 100 millimetres of travel. This balanced, versatile character makes this bike a good choice if you want to get into off-road riding. Another plus point: almost all affordable hardtails are touring hardtails.

If you are looking for an attractive combination of climbing characteristics and downhill skills, then an all-mountain hard tail is the right choice for you. These bikes have a greater travel of 120 to 150 millimetres, but they are also real rockets uphill. All-mountain hardtails are therefore a very good choice if you want to be as versatile as possible on your tours – and are looking for an absolute kick both uphill and downhill.

Dirt hardtails are more exotic for bike parks, tricks and jumps. They have special features such as sturdy aluminum frames and solid components from the freeride sector. Other names for this type of MTB are dirt jumpers or dirt jumper hardtails.

• XC hardtail: Extremely sporty, lightweight bikes for racers, where every last gram of weight is saved
• Trail hardtail: Solid bikes with quite a lot of travel and wide tires for technically experienced riders on demanding terrain.
• All-mountain hardtail: special feature, perfect for tours with lots of vertical meters, where downhill fun is also
• Dirt and street hardtail: Specialists with extremely stable frames and components for the bike park.

As described above, the different hardtail categories have different equipment features. Which category you choose depends primarily on your personal preferences. Nevertheless, there are a few general things you should look out for when buying a hardtail.

Aluminum or carbon, that's the big question when you want to buy a new bike. Your wallet will give you the answer: aluminum is the cheaper frame material, hardtails with carbon frames are more expensive. Simply because carbon as a material and the processing is more expensive. You can see the difference between an aluminum and carbon frame above all on the scales: carbon is lighter than aluminum, which is why the top hardtails always come with carbon frames. In terms of frame stability, there is basically no difference between carbon and aluminum.

However, special feature bike enthusiasts also prefer steel or titanium for hardtails. Frame materials are special alloys that were common in the days before aluminum and carbon. Both are said to have a particularly smooth ride. In terms of weight, titanium can certainly keep up with aluminum, while steel is significantly heavier. In terms of price, steel is already available at the level of a good aluminum hardtail, while titanium hardtails are in the upper third of the price scale.

No matter what kind of hardtail you are riding, the frame must fit you. To do this, you need to know your height and the length of your legs and arms. Then you can calculate the right frame size for each bike. At BIKE24 we offer a size calculator to help you calculate the perfect frame size. The size calculator even takes into account whether you want to sit sporty, neutral or comfortable on the bike.

Disc brakes are now absolutely standard on mountain bikes – and the same applies to hardtails. This is because disc brakes offer consistently high and reliable braking performance in all conditions, whether dry or wet. In addition, disc brakes are low-maintenance and uncomplicated. If you are serious about off-road riding, the disc brake is the brake of choice.

In principle, you have the choice between two shifting systems for MTB hardtails: Shimano and Sram. Depending on the groupset, you can choose between one, two or (very rarely) three chainrings on the crank. Depending on the groupset, eleven or twelve sprockets are usually installed at the rear. The shifting technology is exciting: as with electric road bikes, there are both mechanical and electric systems on mountain bikes. In the former, classic shift cables are used to change gears. With the latter, shifting is wireless thanks to electrical impulses.

Every hardtail has a suspension fork. The maximum travel, i.e. how many centimetres the fork compresses, depends on the area of use – as described above in the hardtail categories. Almost all current suspension forks are air suspension forks: air in a chamber acts as a spring. This system is lightweight and you can easily adjust the suspension to your weight via the air pressure. Steel suspension forks can be found on very inexpensive hardtails. Here, a steel spring works instead of air, so steel spring forks are heavier and the spring cannot be adjusted to the rider's weight in as many ways as an air suspension system.

• Hardtails are mountain bikes that have a suspension fork but a rigid rear triangle
• Hardtails are available in a wide variety of versions. Touring hardtails, cross-country hardtails, trail hardtails and dirt and street hardtails are common.
• Before you buy a hardtail, you should know what you want to do with it. As an all-rounder and for everyday use, you need a touring hardtail, while fast bikers choose a cross-country hardtail. If you are looking for maximum fun on challenging trails, you will be happy with a trail.
• Other important criteria when buying are the frame material, frame size, brakes, suspension fork and other componentry.
• Always make sure you choose the right frame size. This is the be-all and end-all if you want to enjoy your new hardtail for a long time
• Frame material and equipment are primarily a question of your requirements and the price. The more expensive a hardtail is, the lighter it is, and the higher quality and therefore more durable and technically sophisticated parts are installed.