Hardtail vs Full suspension?

[Zoyd_Wheeler]

hi all, good to join the forum!

So here comes what is most likely quite a common question.... For background - I currently have a very basic Carrera Vengeance E (which I bought second-hand as a commuter /road bike a couple of years ago) and I've recently got the off-road bug, taking the bike into the woods and down the parkland walks around north London, near where I live.

For this reason, I now want to invest in a 'proper' eMTB. So far, I've tried out a few, and my thinking is that a decent hardtail might be best suited for my needs - which are 80% roads/commuting and 20% light off-road weekend fun. So far, I've tried out a few really decent hardtail eMTV models from Moustache and Specialized, and I'm hoping to test out a Cube over the weekend. My budget is £3000 to £4000 and I'll be buying the bike new from a retailer via a cycle scheme at work (the Green Commute Initiative).

The only full suspension bike I've tested out so far was an Orbea Rise - and tbh I really didn't like the feel of it , plus it seemed to also feel slightly underpowered on the road, when compared with the hardtails I've tested, mentioned above.

What would you recommend doing? My current thinking is that I maybe need to test out a bunch more bikes before I make up my mind. It's a lot of money for (me) to spend, so I need to make sure I'm going to get a bike that meets my needs and will give me maximum enjoyment.

Thanks in advance for any tips, thoughts or advice anybody can offer!

 

[Guy Tristan]

hi all, good to join the forum!

So here comes what is most likely quite a common question.... For background - I currently have a very basic Carrera Vengeance E (which I bought second-hand as a commuter /road bike a couple of years ago) and I've recently got the off-road bug, taking the bike into the woods and down the parkland walks around north London, near where I live.

For this reason, I now want to invest in a 'proper' eMTB. So far, I've tried out a few, and my thinking is that a decent hardtail might be best suited for my needs - which are 80% roads/commuting and 20% light off-road weekend fun. So far, I've tried out a few really decent hardtail eMTV models from Moustache and Specialized, and I'm hoping to test out a Cube over the weekend. My budget is £3000 to £4000 and I'll be buying the bike new from a retailer via a cycle scheme at work (the Green Commute Initiative).

The only full suspension bike I've tested out so far was an Orbea Rise - and tbh I really didn't like the feel of it , plus it seemed to also feel slightly underpowered on the road, when compared with the hardtails I've tested, mentioned above.

What would you recommend doing? My current thinking is that I maybe need to test out a bunch more bikes before I make up my mind. It's a lot of money for (me) to spend, so I need to make sure I'm going to get a bike that meets my needs and will give me maximum enjoyment.

Thanks in advance for any tips, thoughts or advice anybody can offer!

Hey hope this helps, Try the cube range,the Cube reaction pfm has a bosch performance line motor and 625 watt battery. and front rockshok suspension great ebike bike for beginner's, or try the Cube stereo 140 r with full sus, 625 battery and 85nm of torque. both are mind blowing for the money £2900 and £4400, the pfm will do everything a million times better than a carrera. and the 140r will make you feel like a pro

 

[Zoyd_Wheeler]

Hey hope this helps, Try the cube range,the Cube reaction pfm has a bosch performance line motor and 625 watt battery. and front rockshok suspension great ebike bike for beginner's, or try the Cube stereo 140 r with full sus, 625 battery and 85nm of torque. both are mind blowing for the money £2900 and £4400, the pfm will do everything a million times better than a carrera. and the 140r will make you feel like a pro

Superb! Thanks for the tips Guy - will definitely try out both

 

[CannonFodder]

Just swapped from a Carrera Vulcan-E to a Cannondale Moterra 3

My use sounds like it will be very similar to yours.

I didn't try any other bikes, the Moterra wasn't new but I liked the feel of it so just went for it, to be fair it's way in advance of both the Carrera and me!

I only done 120 miles on the Carrera so I'm not a big user.

Will be interesting to see where you land with this, good luck.

 

[ilostmypassword]

I was a hardtail fanatic (and fully rigid for a time) for decades and then after trying a dually I could believe just how much fun they were. Not the light weight ones- one with some good travel and geo. Honestly you can ride stuff at speed that you could only dream of on a hardtail. Now they have a battery it's even more fun!

Aside from terrible quality control - I'm loving my Trance. Highly reccomended.