The one thing I'd do is skip the tubeless/liner option, and go straight to Tannus Tyre Armour. It lets you run a lighter casing, and still at tube, but the liner wraps the tube. So with the lighter tyre, it's not that big a weight penalty. (especially if you consider cushcore + sealant weight) Tannus is amazing, and makes changing a tyre a breeze compared to all the horrible sealant goo. That stuff is grim. I've not had a flat in over a year on my beginning HT... and I've been slamming the hell out of the rear wheel becuase I'm a bit of a crap rider still. (getting better.... honest)
That being said, entry level hardtails are significantly more affordable than "entry level" dual sus bikes. You can buy a LOT of bike in HT compared to even a cheap FS bike.
I feel like they've made this video like 3 times now But the defo forgot new grips, most hardtails come with hard hella uncomfortable grips and its a hella cheap but useful upgrade
@@o1o1oo1o yeah I watch a lot of his videos he’s great, but mainly does bike reviews rather than gmbn style of vids with upgrades how to ride maintenance tips hacks etc
Not a cheap upgrade, but a mid range fork( or high end if you want) is a great upgrade since there is no suspension in the rear. A rockshox 35 gold is my personal favourite for mid range forks.
A Marzocchi Bomber z2 is also an awesome upgrade. I threw one on my Trek Roscoe and it took the bike to a another level. (but i keep denting my back rim lol)
I'm 53, been riding MTB since '87 and my one and only ride is a hardtail. It's a Chameleon and I do have both plus and 29 wheelsets so it's like having 2 bikes, but I'll leave all the FS bikes for the rest of you.
@@Ag3nt0fCha0s Honestly, I think people who would want to ride full rigid are crazy. I think for a mtb having that front suspension is crucial. Full rigid would be too jarring on your body. Especially the wrists. I've owned my hardtail for 20 years and when the front suspension was going out i noticed my wrists were hurting more from it. When I finally put a new fork on there it was so much better on my wrists. I honestly don't know how anyone can ride full rigid on mtb trails. As a kid (in the 80's) I would ride BMX bikes that had no suspension and it was fine, but I also didn't constantly ride over rocks and tree roots like I do with a mtb. Just my thoughts. I would probably go full suspension for that smoother ride but hardtails weigh less, require less maintenance, and cheaper to buy.
Just bought my first bike in well over a decade. A bare basic HT by Scott, the Aspect. Stretched my budget to land a better helmet and flat pinned pedals. Next I'll likely look at tire configs and rotors, shoes, followed by a dropper. But it all depends on the terrain I'll be exploring the most. I need to better understand the basics of gear ratios and shift mechanics to know what to do there. But I don't mind the "rabbit hole" nature of learning. It's part of the fun. Thanks for the solid tips, it's been exciting to get back in it!
And some of us still love and prefer hardtails over full sus even after decades of riding. Not everyone appreciates the completely muted feel of full sus, also some people enjoy picking the perfect line which is so much more satisfying on a hardtail, I prefer how much power you can get to the back wheel on a hardtail too.
We need more Hardtail content for all the warriors out there! Dropper post and tubeless tires were definitely the best upgrades on my Commencal Meta HT AM! Love it
Flats are the only way to go! I've never had a problem bailing and when you need to kick out your foot to save you in a corner , the foot is automatically there.
Old video I know but I have a confession. I've spent more on upgrades than I paid for the bike 😑🤕 Hydo brakes, handlebars, grips, saddle, pedals, rotors, turned it to a 1x so new chain wheel, chain guide and cranks, rattle can paint job, headset, chain. Still want to upgrade forks, get a dropper and go tubeless. But those are the most expensive things to do so I'm struggling getting any of those. It's the best shit bike in my town and id fight anyone who disagrees 😁 And I plan on turning it electric at some point in the future. 🤯
Just bought the GIANT Fathom and i was told it was a game changer. Yet to take delivery of the bike and genuinely curious to why its such a plus. we'll see I guess
How ya doing rich? Been waiting for a video like this because I’ve been riding my hardtail for a couple years now and I’ve wanted to add some things! This video is really helping!
Done everything bar the dropper post and inserts on my hardtail. I recently purchased a 3k full suss Giant Trance which is amazing- but want to use that in better weather . So, these winter months I use my hardtail for fitness.
Super - I am one of the few that had actually gone from fully (back) to hardtail. Love that GMBN presents more XC and hardtail "stuff" - keep up the good job
Just completed a full self-build on my dream hardtail. Cotic BFE Max Steel hardtail in Sexy bright blue. Silver Pike 150mm Ultimate forks,. XX1 Rainbow cassette and chain with full XO1 drivetrain and gorgeous carbon 170mm cranks driving a sram oval chainring. Deity carbon 800mm bars, Rockshox 175mm dropper, Hunt Trail wide wheels with Vittoria inserts. Big Betty 2.6 rear and Magic Mary 2.6 front. Deity Tmac pedals, stem, clamp and Knuckleduster grips. Silver DMR Defy 35mm Stem. Rainbow hardware Code R Rsc brakes with 180/200mm rotors bringing her to a full stop 💪. Proud as punch of it. Puts some expensive suspension bikes to shame. Climbs like a dream and descends like a bullet. Hardtails rule 💪👍👌
I am using my hardtail mostly for bike packing so I upgraded the disk rotor in the rear (originally 160mm) to 180mm. I have done that on my commuting bike already and to me it seems it does not change the breaking power (more than blocking is not possible) but the feeling is way better. Additionally it helps slightly with cooling especially with the extra load, I had one time when the feeling from sheer joy switched to outright panic immediately after I felt that the breaks were losing power going downhill with quite some speed.
I'm surprised upgrades to shifters and derailleurs aren't mentioned. When I was a newbie to mtb in 2000 I bought a somewhat beginner level bike (2000 Gary Fisher Paragon $1,100). I had issues with the shifters and derailleurs. Sometimes the chain would fall off when shifting into the highest gear on the front chain ring. Plus the rear derailleur was a bit off and didn't shift smoothly. I even took it back to the dealer to have them adjust it. I was thinking I messed it up, but after they adjusted it I still had the same issues. I ended up buying a better quality bike (2001 Klein Attitude Race $2,000) with Shimano XT and XTR components. WOW, what a difference in performance. I quickly fell in love with my bike. It performed so well. No issues with shifting. My Klein still runs great today. I consider it the best purchase I ever made.
I have a 27.5 xc bike I'm currently upgrading the fork to 29er fork with headset (straight HT And tapered fork) I don't if it's a bad idea since im changing the geometry of the bike
I'd definitely add decent shock absorbing grips, like ESI or the like. And if the budget allows, damper tuning. With just the front suspension it becomes more important.
Hard tail doesn't translate into begginer bike. Same for flat pedals. Fill a tire with sticky latex and have to deal with an extra boring flat tire and even have to carry a bloody inner tube... What a mess, I quit (before I get in, still using my hard tail with flat pedals and inner tubes). By the way, will love to see a review of the thin inner tubes from Schwalbe.
Hi, I'm buying a MTB (Olympia Iron 2021), but I'm thinking about a few upgrades. I'm unsure if I should upgrade the groupset from deore to xt, or if I should upgrade the fork, from rock shox SID SL to a Fox 32 float. What would you guys advice?
My Roscoe 7 already has a dropper, but it is tubeless, and I changed the grips and pedals. I have a lot of experience on clipless pedals on road bikes, but I don't feel confident enough on my MTB to switch yet. Next upgrade might be tires if the rear hub, bottom bracket and rear mech don't break. I'm thinking about going from 2.8" to 2.6", would that be a good idea or will it make the ride worse?
I have a titanium light speed obed I have had since 1995. 26 in wheels. I put a dropper post on it, a high rise bar, 2.3 tire in the front and went tubeless. I also upgraded from the regular Shimano Spd to the Shimano saint which gives me a bit of a platform and less of a whiffy feeling if I miss getting back in the clips. Disc brakes are out of the question because I could only put them on the front and not the back. I've had the fork serviced so it's almost brand new.
@Anton Chigurh that actually makes no sense. It still leaves me with a rim break behind. And it is not 85% of your braking. You use both brakes. Then you have the expense of doing all of that, a shifter, and a wheel. I'd rather save my money for a modern mountain bike
@Anton Chigurh Let me break it down. I have 26" wheels. Finding a set up? Really? I have a triple chain ring. Finding shifters? Really? Even my mechanic isn't going for this. Trust me when I say I do know what I am doing. Having a front disc and a rear rim brake is a recipe for disaster. There is no way a disc brake is going on the back as there is no place to put it and I will stop you right there at the suggestion I have something "welded" to a titanium frame. At that point the expense exceeds everything. There are numerous reasons for a new ride -- modern geometry, way more travel, etc. so I can scream down technical descents. Bigger wheels, more bang for my energy . buck when I turn over the cranks. The old one gets to be a spare. Always have a spare. At 70 I am a way more aggressive rider than I was ten years ago. As in -- way more.
@@foxykc you didn't explain all of that, so how would he know? Looking at your first comment, it makes it seem like you just didn't like the idea of mixed brakes. Looking at the most recent comment, you explained the practicality of it (rather aggressively) and now it is pretty clear that no, its doesn't make sense. However, he couldn't have known that.
@@bananasstuff3344 mansplaining. He's mansplaining. He's leaping to conclusions. He's making an assumption that I don't know what I'm doing. I have occasionally had to repeat myself three times when talking in person to a man before he hears what I have to say. . I already stated in my first comment that putting brakes on the back was out of the question. The idea of having a more powerful break, a disc brake, on the front and a v brake in the back makes no sense. There is no mountain biker I have ever talked to who thought that even remotely made sense. Including my mechanic, the guy I paid to do this. Your man made the assumption that I don't know what I'm doing. That's even Ruder than what you are accusing me of doing
Dropper increases weight+1,5kg, foam inside tyre increases weight( rotating wheight!!!) +300g, wider/d.h. Tyres =+1,5kg MF ROTATING WEIGHT. Yo guys are you crazy ? I,m PEDDALING mafa bike, there is no engine, do not push to make monster truck and finally buy an ebike fo de price of 10-15 mafa tonns € you R forgetting what is the bicycle is
1:36 “It’s just a faff (sp?)” Love it. I’m gonna appropriate that particular phrase, although it will take a while for my fellow Yanks to get what I mean....Another of my faves is “crack on”.
I purchases a bergamont roxter 3.0 "marathon" in either 2018/2019, I paid £380 for it and its been a brilliant bike, first upgrades were grips stem and bars, I stopped using when I went off of mtb riding and just near the end of 2021/start of 2022 started riding again, I've since then got new stronger wheels with sealed bearings, chunky tyres (magic Mary front and nobby nic rear), better suspension (only suntour raidon air forks nothing flash) and fully serviced it fresh replacement parts nukeproof neutron pedals, I did however change the stem back to original because the frame is a large and felt way too short with the 30mm stem and it's fun but I'm setting money aside to get a 1x10 setup but bills get in the way
Inserts for dayyyzzzzzz!! Made a big difference in the feel of my bike. Going wider on the tires helps a lot too. If you have 2.4 or large with inserts it will feel awesome.
The bike is solid and my Ebike conversion went great. ru-vid.comUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L Very smooth ride at 30mph with no problems (135 miles ridden so far). The picture is a bit deceiving - there is WAY less space in the center of the frame than it shows. The suspension connection takes up the entire thing. So I needed to attach my battery on the bottom of the frame and my controller on the top. Instructions for assembly were lacking but honestly it wasn't too hard to figure out even though I have very little bike knowledge. Watched some youtube videos on adjusting the disk brakes but that was it. Still, I am loving it and very happy with the purchase.
Peopk go on like MTB is really fun but it's not I get bored quick on trails there's always people in my and at its muddy and cold and people laugh at you if you have a Carrera bike. The bikes are way overpriced for a few poles on wheels and gears. Look it's crazy how people spend £1000 to £14k on bikes and 2 years down the line there outdated and worn out. The suspension forks don't work good for more than 12 months.
Any suggestions on how to avoid getting a flat rear tire? I have been riding my Specialized Rockhopper fairly hard, jumping and stuff on some downhill trails near me, its a hard clay type of trail at a bike park, and I now have a flat on my rear tire from having a bit too much fun with it. I havent done anything in the way of upgrading my bike so it has tubed tires.
Thanks for the vid! My first upgrade was a set of flat pedal(inexpensive...). At last I've done the dropper post(huge upgrade!) Don't forget that a good pair of grip handle is a good upgrade to do so.
A really good alternative to tubeless is the Schwalbe Aerothan tube. Tried tubeless in the summer and it was a desaster. For example the setup lost air pressure over time so I had to pump my tyres up over and over again. For someone who likes to keep everything low maintanance the new Schwalbe tube may be a better upgrade 👍
On a Hardtail your legs are the suspension and for the suspension to work at its best your feet need to be attached to the bike. And their are a lot of decent well priced SPD compatible shoes now and it's cheaper than trying to find the right flat pedal and shoe.
