These Bikes Changed My Life! | Why The Hardtail Is STILL The Only Bike You Need

Welcome back, you beautiful people. The Hardtail. Reliable, simple, and more capable than you think. Whether you're a beginner and new to mountain biking or an experienced rider with a full suspension rig in their garage, or you just want to spice up that commute of yours, today I'm going to tell you why the Hardtail is still the only bike you need. I'm a big fan of the Hardtail. I started racing BMX at the age of four and moved straight on a Hardtail. I've raced enduro, downhill, four-cross, you name it, I've done it on a Hardtail. The Hardtail holds a special place in my heart. It was the first proper mountain bike I ever had, and I learned all the core skills that you need to learn to ride a trail, and I still use them today. Even now, after riding some of the world's biggest events, I still grab my Hardtail to have a good trip. Myth-busting. I hear a lot of criticism on the trail in the comments section down below, and in general conversations. I'm going to break them down for you. First off, they're for beginners. They're outdated. You can't ride hard trails on them, and they're uncomfortable. The Hardtail is just for beginners. I'm going to bust this myth right out of the water. Yes, I did say right at the beginning of the video that it was the first mountain bike I got, and it was the perfect platform to learn my mountain biking core skills on, but it doesn't have to say it's just for beginners. I've had the privilege of riding this bike all over the world. I've taken my Hardtail to places like the Mega Avalanche, and even some Enduro World Series stage races. For example, I've raced the EDR up in Scotland on my Hardtail. Trust me, it can handle way more than you expect. It was no easy ride, don't get me wrong, but it was super exciting, and I bloody loved it. This myth cracks me up. You can't ride hard trails. Hang on. You can't ride hard trails on a Hardtail. Hang on, hang on. Let me tell you one thing. Some of the best riders in the whole entire world learn their skills on a Hardtail. When it comes to riding gnarly terrain like this one right here with no rear suspension, it forces you to be precise with your line choice, be better bike control as well, and it makes you way more acute at reading the terrain in front of you. They're out of date. Stop it. Out of date. No chance. The modern Hardtail nowadays is more capable than ever. Brands are now designing them with progressive geometry, better compliance, and better looking with innovative frame materials. Bikes like my Orbea Laufey right here are what we like to call an aggressive Hardtail, with slack head angle proving they're evolving like everything else in the mountain biking world. I quite happily say that my Hardtail is way out to date compared to some other bikes out there. Myth number four, they are way uncomfortable. I'm not going to lie, they are a little bit. If you're going to be riding rock gardens the whole time, then yes, you're going to feel a little bit more, but there are ways to make your Hardtail a little bit more comfortable. For example, well, I've made my Hardtail way more comfortable than stock form. The first thing I'm going to point out is a wider tire. Now, I've gone for a Mazda. It's a 2.6, so it's the widest tire I could get for this bike to fit in here perfectly. Then inside there, I put an airliner, and an airliner is an insert. What that means is I can run lower tire pressures and gives me a little bit more compliance when it comes to the rough riding. By lowering the tire pressure, you're actually adding a little bit more travel, a little bit more suspension, which is key. The next one is wheel size. Now, I always opt for a 29-inch wheel when it comes to a Hardtail, because you can roll over certain things instead of getting hooked up and feeling a bit more jarry with a smaller wheel. The next one is the cockpit. I've gone for, again, a little bit more compliant, an aluminum bar where you can flex a little bit and take out a lot of the chatter that I get from the trail, the feedback as such. The next biggest one that I highly recommend is trying, if you don't run them already, is clipless pedals. By being clipped into your bike, that means you can ride your Hardtail a lot lighter when it comes to riding through some rough stuff. What I mean by riding lighter, if you were to run flats, you're going to be fighting to keep your feet in contact with the pedal. That means you're pushing, you're driving your weight, your body weight down on the pedals just to keep your feet from bouncing off. Whereas, if you're clipped in, you can let the bike bounce underneath you, and you don't have to worry about your feet bouncing off because they're clipped into the bike. It's way easier to move the bike around. You can manipulate the bike a lot more, being a lot more comfortable on the bike when it comes to riding the rough stuff. Now, today, I'm riding my Orbea Laufee, but take a look at the Orbea Alma, for example. It's designed with a carbon frame that integrates flex into the seat stays to absorb trail chatter. This means to get the efficiency and lightweight benefits of a Hardtail, but with the added compliance that makes longer rides and rough terrain far more comfortable than you would expect. I think that's really interesting. By running a full carbon frame, but adding in that flex just to add a little bit more compliance to a super lightweight bike, I think it's a win-win situation for a Hardtail. If you're looking for one bike that does all, then look no further than the Hardtail because the Hardtail is super versatile. You can rip down some single track, race it in any cycling discipline, jump it, and even use it to commute to work on the weekdays. If you're anything like me and you love bikepacking, the Hardtail is the perfect machine for that adventure. It's a win-win situation when it comes to a Hardtail, one bike that does everything. Like I've said, I've been pretty lucky to take my Hardtail with me all over the world from racing some downhill tracks, big, long adventure trips. Hell, I've even done the Lord of the Squirrels in Whistler, BC. That is one of the most incredible trips I've done on a Hardtail. After all of that, it's still alive and kicking. To say it's versatile is a bit of an understatement. This bike will be by my side till the day I die. I absolutely love Hardtails. Now, why would you consider a Hardtail? Well, I'll tell you for why. I'm going to make this super simple and short. I'm going to kick it off with three different reasons. Number one is simplicity, simplicity in its finest form. What's that old age saying? We all love the simple things in life, and that is what the Hardtail is all about. Number two is skill building. You build all your fundamental skills on a Hardtail before sending it on the trails, which is perfect. Number three, now this was my favorite one. It's fun. It's all about having fun on the Hardtail, and it brings a smile to everyone's face when they ride one. Whether the Hardtail is your only bike or it's the perfect addition to your collection, the Hardtail will never let you down. What do you think? Have I convinced you that the Hardtail is the only bike you need? Let us know in the comments below. If not, hopefully you enjoyed this video. If you love biking, give us a thumbs up like, and we'll see you next time. See you.