Is it more fun to be Underbiked or Overbiked on blue MTB trails? 

The budget demands I under bike lol

Go underbiked to gain skills Go overbiked when you're already skilled and you want to SHRED

I am a classic "under biker" ...based purely on budget though 😎🇨🇦

the “when there’s no hiker” and “starting tomorrow” had me laughing so hard lol

You forgot to factor in UNDERRIDERED! I bought a really expensive bike and started crashing my way downhill one ride at a time. 😂

Ride whatcha got!!!

I am as biked as the budget allows! 😆

No video has better displayed the core of why I love hardtails.... UNDERBIKING MAKES RIDING MORE FUN! Most people think I'm crazy but less suspension = more skill needed = more feeling the trail = greater challenge. And the greater the challenge, the greater the fun. That's why we all love riding difficult trails with our friends we didn't realize we could do... because we all love a good challenge. Okay, rant over..... #Hardtails4life

Does the, “Its more fun to drive a slow car fast, than a fast car slow” mantra work here?

I did my time under biked on my cheap hard tail. Upgraded to a canyon strive and I’m never looking back! I ride a good mix of everything. I’ll deal with the tough climbs!

I find myself regretting my decision on 80% of the trail when I'm out on a long travel bike. Park and really challenging double blacks just aren't something I'm riding consistently enough. I'll rent a bike if its something my 4 to 5 inch travel bike can't handle.

I have a 10 year old 26" cross country hardtail which is nice and light and it makes trails so fun and challenging because it will do exactly what you think you're about to do and i just love how easy it is to climb back to the top

Measuring suspension in inches #murrica

Considering I mainly ride my hardcore hardtail, I'd say I'm over-under biked

Both: overbiked for my everyday trails, underbiked for my urban sends and bikepark visits @ 160/150 27,5. I gotta say, I like it better when I'm underbiked. Feels like you're outsmarting/outperforming the trail. You're actively engaging in 'solving' the problems the trail constantly tries to outdo you with. Being overbiked is much less engaging and interactive... Bit dumb feeling IMO. You're just rumbling through, not minding the trail. Underbiked: an awesome struggle Overbiked: careless inefficiency

I'm currently underbiked with my 26" hardtail on my local trails, but I'm happy cause I know it'll only make me a better rider. Looking forward to upgrading soonish and hopefully reaping the rewards of better technique.

Long travel bikes are so good these days - it’s hard to argue that being overbiked is even possible any more (short of a DH bike). My Ripmo climbs darn well and I’ve ridden it effectively on blue trails to DH parks and had a blast every where along the way.

I am an underbiker because of my budget and when you're underbiked, you can really see your progress as a rider.

26" wheels, 12 yrs old dirtjump frame, too old fork that only somehow still works on the springs inside (about 180mm of travel going top to bottom all the time), chain rocking on the frame, catching up to a guy on a new full suspension trail bike on a black downhill trail. The best fun you can have :D

I under and over bike on all my local (and non-local) trails weekly. Helps bring to light why I bought each bike. I agree with you, who is to say which bike you "should" ride on which trail... just go ride!

I like hardtail, but that's also because I ride a gt aggressor pro so that's a given. For me full suspension is like running in sand or snow, it just takes so much more energy uphill. Thanks for the video.

I would say overbike Just because all my friends have enduro bike and most of the trails where I live are fire road climbs and chunky descents

Started mtb last year, hooked! Gonna keep my hardtail for another year with some minor upgrades (dropper post, pedals, tubeless) then hopefully go full suspension next spring.

ive been overbiked (for 30% of the trails i ride) for about 3 years now and I finally decided to get a enduro hardtail recently..... i honestly was completely blown away on how well they climb and how many more skills you need to ride fast and smooth on even a regular blue trail.

I’ve been riding a fully riding single speed the past 3+ years and I love it, mostly for the way it has forced me to improve everything about the way I ride. That said I’ve recently begun experiencing a plateau in my riding and I think it’s time to think about a trail bike. Being under biked is fun and I think I’ve learned a lot from it, but I’m ready for a new challenge.

Geezus that Santa Cruz is gorgeous.

Just found the channel yesterday and I gotta say this is one of the best of its kind!

All Day - over I just moved from a short travel Santa Cruz 130/120 to a 160/150. The bike is heavier and not as lively as the shorter travel bike but I love the comfort overall being in my 60's I also moved from 2.25 tires to 2.4 on the longer travel bike. So that adds some weight too but still helps to grip the ground better.

Overbiked, I need one for the bike park (even though my local trails don’t warrant one) and I can’t afford to have 2 bikes or rent every time.

Im in 4th category: UnderUnderbiked with my 400$ hardtail

I find that riding a big bike on blue trails, even descending is more work. But I also find it's more capable of doing big gaps I find on the trails and the rear end doesn't flex as much when I shralp. But I find that being under biked improves your skill significantly.

I had a scary experience riding with some people with full suspension high end bikes, while I was riding a *steel 90s MTB* 😂 Was amazing to know that you can keep up and even exceed. But traction (700-32c Gravel tyre) and brakes where for sure a big difference on the path and braking points. Not being Able to follow the same path, made me be more free and thoughtful through the ride

I love the direct feel and feedback of an hardtail....and you train your mind and riding skills more. After that it feels spongy and a little bit to easy riding a fully suspended. It can depend on the flat hills in Sweden, but for big and steep slopes in Åre or the alps i woud prefer a fully lockable trail/enduro. But for my needs i would take a aggressive 27,5" hardtail, like the cube reaction tm or so. And by the way a really underpowered bike can be fun as a challenge too!

Hardtail with 26" tires and a 1x9 is what I'm on.

Moved from a dual suspension XC to a hardtail and I did really enjoy it, then bought a light old trail bike but 27.5 and 150mm travel, and if you're not racing, damm this light trail bike is amazing (giant trance) and I even used it on bike parks and it handles everything pretty nice, mayne not double blacks but anything else no problems. Now I have to test my new bike 29 and 160mm, canyon spectral....I think I'm not going to miss anything, XC bikes are for racing if you have the fitness to do XC trails on a trail bike I would go for a trail bike.

Great video! Interesting that you took the approach of riding both on the same trail. I think a "Part 2" of this video could be to ride the enduro bike on a green trail and ride the hardtail on a black trail and see what your thoughts are there as well. When you have a 1 "do it all" bike, you will be riding both under and over it's ability and I found that green trails on an enduro bike aren't that much less fun but black trails on a hardtail is absolutely miserable. That said, I think 90% should and do overbike.

I started out with a hardtail, even used it at a DH park a couple of times and survived. I added an enduro over the winter and won't go back. You can lock out the fork and shock about 90% so it's really not that bad on the climbs.

I have ridden a 100mm hardtail for three years now and Cinderella was definitely chattery for me as well. My friends rode trail and enduro bikes so I always killed it on the climbs compared to them. The only thing was i took the bike places it shouldn't have gone compared to my friends and ended up crashing more often trying to push the limits of the bike. Overall it was fun, but its definitely time for an upgrade.

I am so glad you finally mentioned what the most dont get. Being overbiked gives yourself the confidence to go further and further and you are never in a Position like oh shit will my bike break or not

100% over bike, more of a workout on the climbs, and way more fun on the descents.

Last week, I rode the same trails 4 times; twice on my hardtail, then twice on my trail bike. The hardtail helped me when I got back on the fs. I rode it faster, braked later, picked better lines. It was the fastest and smoothest I’ve ever ridden some of those trails. It was a really fun thing to do.

Don't go under or over. Just get a trail bike! Nice vid.

Scott Spark FTW. Can’t go wrong. Perfect bike

I have a Kona Process. It feels amazing on the climbs but still is stable on the DH. It's not as forgiving as something like the Megatower, but that's what makes it fun.

unfortunately, I only have 1 bike, which means that sometimes I'm an over biker, sometimes I'm an under biker. It's kinda like what Seth's Bike Hacks said about single speeds; "and you don't need to worry about if you're in the right gear, because you're never in the right gear". (paraphrasing).

I ride a 160mm travel full suspension on XC trails. It’s about 30 lbs but I love it. In Florida the trails are rooty so it absorbs it and I can pedal continuously without any pedal strikes.

I used to ride that trail as the last part of my commute from walnut creek. On a cyclocross bike. My favorite trail of all time on any bike!

I’m an older-biker. I’m still in a 2001 Giant that won’t die, so I have a hard time getting rid of it or upgrading.

Up-vote for using the phrase "Body English" properly.

I’m a Over-Under Biker. I bought a “entry” leve Marin Bobcat 3, and so far added enough parts to my body posture and ride style. Tires, they’re the BIG difference maker on any bike. From the weight, to the grip, tires and different brands play a big factor in bicycles in general.

Got tired of my local trails being buffed out. I like getting my teeth rattled and love a good rock garden. Went with a smaller bike , specialized epic evo. Makes the little bumps seems big. Love it.

I am happy when im out in the woods, regardless of bike and as long as shifting is good im fine. Still there must be a difference otherwise nobody would spend five grand on a megatower like bike. Nice video though

Well I got third in a cross country race with a 180, 170 Commencal

I had a full coil evil wreckoning and a hardtail for climbing/quick lap days. Tried a Pivot Mach6 and sold both bikes, the M6 climbed nearly as good as the hardtail and descended nearly as good as my wrecker. Now I have an 11-6 and a vorsprung tuned 36 and can say this is the best all around one bike quiver killer

Underbiker. Fs xc with an offset shock pin and 10mm longer fork to compensate. Love it!

2:39 'Starting Tomorrow'🤣

thats why i cant say bye to carbon hardtails, makes climbs almost fun to do, and descents sketchy af.

Been a underbiker for my life, This video actually confirms how i like to use my bike, Thats usually uphill that i enjoy, Even then i use a Tiagra / ZEE 10spd gear combo because i still think having a race gearset on a hardtail gives a unique experience

A great look into the second bike buying decision making process with this video. I own the 23lb HT and a 32lb Marin RZ3, both 29ers. I have ridden everything but extreme DH on the hardtail and absolutely loved almost every minute of it. The only thing I will say about it is you have to be prepared for the one obstacle on the trail you cannot avoid. It is always the one that gets you or at least stops you in your tracks! I rode the RZ3 in Pisgah for a week straight and never wanted for the HT except on those days with 7-10 miles of climbing. But I never minded the climbing after the descent started. I never feel over-biked on either of my bikes, usually more under-biked on both. I used to feel over-biked on the old Cannondale Jekyll though. Being over-biked really sucks on the really steep technical climbing sections.

Considering my only bike was a DH for the last 14 years until a month ago I finally got an enduro, I'd say overbiked.

Over biked to re-balance my lack off skills. #stafetynet 🤕

Lol I’m overbiked but my suspension isn’t set up properly so it feels like an under bike 😂 great video!

I'd say that there's an appropriate amount of bike. I prefer hardtails to full suspension on my cross-country rides as it makes the trail more challenging and the descents more playful. I ride a pretty aggressive hardtail with 6" of travel in the front, plenty of brakes, and a slack headtube. This makes the chunky stuff less nerve wracking, but still makes me earn it skill wise. A full suspension bike makes for faster descents, but in my opinion, at the cost of fun. Plus the climb soon after is way less punishing on a hardtail. Balance is key. I find people focus too much on having a high spec and tech bike, when in reality if you try a bunch of frames and ride the one you enjoy you walk away happier. Nothing is more rewarding than passing someone on the trail with full carbon/ travel bike, on your relatively budget machine. The best bike is what gets you out there.

I watched this wishing I had a full sus Santa Cruz

Who else converted their Xc Hardtail to a slack trail machine!!!??

I live here in Southern Californian and most people ride 150mm+ and I've always wondered why. I agree that more suspension is safer, and definitely necessary in really steep chunk if you want to go fast. But I'm not sure it's needed. My brother blasts past 90% of the big suspension dudes (down and uphill) on a hardtail and he's almost 50. Me, not so much, but I have matched some of my FS PRs on my new HT and I'm 48. I call it HI DEF MTB. That said, I'm just stoked I can get better on any bike that doesn't have a motor. Cheers!

I like that you made this about which bike was the most fun to ride. Not which one gave you the fastest lap times, although that would be interesting to know too. For most of us it's about the enjoyment you get out of your ride. I find that in the 27.5 vs 29 debate, the fun-factor is often overshadowed by which one is fastest when people make comparison videos.

I prefer my hard tail just because it feels more manly

Liked the video but the “starting tomorrow “ got you a new subscriber. Want a comedic timing, was not expecting that cut.

My favorite part was starting the diet tomorrow. 😂 To answer your question I’m definitely and under biker lately. It’s just been breathing new light on trails I ride a lot.

I like the jack of all master of none mid travel 29ers. The newer ones are pretty capable in both directions, enough to hold it's own in 100% of the trails for 99% of the riders out there.

I ride a YT Capra 27.5 and I love it on anything from gnarly enduro to sprinty jump trails to skate parks and pump tracks. I definitely pay with a strong kadence on the steep uphills though.

I'm a student with a very limited budget, so I bought an enduro bike for 12.000 NOK (or 1.250 USD). It's on the lower end of full suspension bikes. I have tried back and forth with settings on the bike and in the start it was for sure underbiking hard, but after fiddling with suspension settings and air pressure I've found a perfect mix. So now I would say it's middlebiking! I learned a lot from this and looking forward to be able to afford a more expensive bike! Thanks for the great video, interesting topic for sure :)

Currently trying to choose between a Kona Process 134 and a 153. Have demoed both, hard choice!! Helpful video, thanks!!

Excellent comparison approach - I"m a trail bike guy myself for versatility, but feel underbiked on bike parks on mountain runs. Wish I had an enduro for that different feel. Would give me more stability.

I'm atm, & not by choice, an underbiker.. I'm on a fully rigid chromoly 29er (about a size too small unfortunately)...BUT, on my local blue & black trails, still having a blast looking for new and other lines. Not 1 to complain (at least not too much), I'm just super stoked to be ripping techy singletrack now on my new 2.35 High Roller 2 Maxxis tires. Thats after a 10yr mtb break, basically my Redline monocog is like a big BMX bike to me. Still able to clear some gnarly sections other local guys are struggling with on their 6in travel dual sus bikes. It's amazing what a rigid 29er can do, but just does everything kinda differently lol... Totally saving up for an aggressive, modern geometry hardtail ASAP tho!!!!

I've ridden a gravel bike on MTB trails, and a light full suspension bike, and had fun doing both, but Going down hills fast what I find fun, so being over-biked will almost always be more fun.

I'm a slight under-biker - with my trail bike - my experience compensates, and I can lock out my rear shock for the climbs, tremendous difference. Though I still love my hardtail, the hard ride does leave me wanting for a smoother ride.

I was watching some early and mid 90's UCI MTB downhill world championship videos and I was actually surprised to see that they were running hardtails! And bikes actually held up through the entire ordeals!

I think the tyres are what makes the biggest difference. My full suspension came with fast rolling trail tyres and it felt so easy to peddle compared to my old one. As soon as I swapped to DHR II tyres, it was just the same as before and you can clearly feel the drag.

I’m calling 150k subs by the end of the year. Your videos are top notch.

I ride an old Jamis exile; everything on this bike has been replaced except for the transmission, yes it's still a 3X9. Even after investing probably 3 times the bikes original cost in like 2008, I still love this underbiked steel workhorse. I have different wheel and tire setups depending on where I'm riding, from asphalt with roadie friends to hardpack trails with hybrid friends to trail riding in the woods with teens. Hi, my name is Ike, and I'm an underbiked (but I still have fun).

I have hard tail, 100mm travel dual suspension bike and enduro bike. It's fun to ride all bikes on the blue trails but when the trails are black or double black, it's the enduro every time. As others have said on here, you must periodically ride a hard tail to make you appreciate the long travel bike. Great video though, I'm not sure I've seen this subject covered before.

Every time I jump on the hardtail from my enduro rig, I'm hooting and hollering a lot more due to feeling on the limit of my skill set but yes the attrition to the body overtime is where the cushy ride is a nice option. Slack headed hardtails are very capable though. Nice vid man.

Fun topic! Overbike! It allows you ride faster and not worry about the rear chatter.

I'm an underbiker on purpose. Just recently bought the Dartmoor Primal with Suntour Aion forks (150mm) travel. It's a Trail/Enduro Hardtail, and boat loads of fun!

Been underbiked for years and years, have a full squish trail/enduro on the way and couldn't be more psyched.

I bought a used XC bike when I first started MTB'ing. I gravitated towards certain trails where as my friends would want to ride other trails. As a beginner I didn't understand why this was the case. I didn't get why they didn't like the trails that I liked. Now I get it. The trails I like match the technology of the bike I have. I don't know if I will upgrade my bike because I also like DH and I have another bike for those trails. They are two different bikes, for two different types of terrain, resulting in two different ride experiences. Great video, makes you think.

Unless I really, really like the linkage, I prefer to be underbiked. I test rode a $10k Nomad v3, (discovered that I'm not a VPP fan,) and couldn't wait to get back to my $800 hand-me-down full rigid. On the other hand, I test rode a Salsa Redpoint, (turns out I am a fan of Split Pivot,) and forgot to bring my bike rack to the demo. Since I couldn't drive to the local MTB fun spot, I went on an agressive gravel route with the Cutthroat and Warbird riders. At 150mm, I was way overbiked, and slow on climb. But because I enjoy climbing on that linkage, it was better than my trail bike. Additionally, I'd rather have an agressive hardtail with good wheel/fork/tire combo than a sub 120mm full sus.

Being under biked but with a bike with the right geometry is super fun

On my trails, my 180mm YT Capra felt incredibly sluggish and was almost boring unless I was going crazy fast or chose to ride harder riskier trails. I pulled the fox 36 off that Capra, reduced it to 140mm and put it on a santa cruz 5010 with an ext storia coil and I feel that like that's the perfect bike for 95% of trails. It encourages me to pop off of stuff, rail corners, and still plenty of bike to fall back on. The suspension itself feels firmer, giving the bike a sharper personality but when you're really pushing that gives a different type of confidence. The long-travel bike gave confidence for charging the middle of the trail and trusting the capability to soak it all up, but it felt vague and unpredictable if you try to ride more actively not to mention exhausting. For me, I choose the 5010 all the way. The group you ride with is a good point too but so is how much time you have to ride. The 5010 I can do 35-50 miles a week which is way more laps, on the enduro bike I was more 25-35 miles at the same level of effort.

Good stuff, man. I like when the bike disappears or acts like a hot knife through butter.

Got this video in my recommendations, so glad I did. Great production quality and very informative. New sub :)

I'm an over biker, but love the fun and challenge of my under bike as well...

Under-bike that has been over-built lol. Started with a Scott Scale XC bike and now have a Scott What-da-Scale XXXC. Had this idea because where I live no matter what mountain you decide to climb you are going up hill for at least 6 miles straight...no descends...so wanted something light and with a semi conservative geo. Then I spent the next couple of months building it to handle the downhill rewards of the big ass climbs here. Bigger knobbier tires and bigger better rims/hubs, shorter stem, wider bars, allllll the brakes (203/180 paired with 4 piston magura up front and 2 piston mag out back). Last week we did record time to the top of bays mountain which was no easy feat, and then because of sever weather had to make our way down as fast as possible so decided to take bikes down the hiking trails to save time.....best downhill of my life !!! This thing does drops like a boss, is light enough to jump about any gap, and handled the stairs....welllll bumpy but it handled them lol.

I rode an aggressive hard tail which fits most of both worlds. Climbs well and also feels great on the descents. And in my area and the people I ride with anything trail is gonna be a good choice.

I was thinking about this video this morning when I was riding my Megatower on some blue trails. A lot of my gear choice is constrained by the fact that I’m a big, heavy rider, so I’m pretty much limited to DH and enduro equipment. But I have two strategies for keeping it fresh on a big bike. First, I ride it wide open and go for the craziest lines available. On Cinderella, for example, the fast line through the big rock garden is far left. But you don’t need to take that line. You can shout “LEROY JENKINS” and send it right down the middle and it’s a totally different experience. Most blue trails have a lot of dumb line options, and I know that plowing through dumb lines has been a solid way for me to work on my handling skills and confidence, if not my line selection or Strava times. Second, you can lock out your rear shock and crank up the LSC on your fork all the way up and then you’ve basically got a giant XC bike. Riding blue and green trails with your suspension locked out means you’re back to focusing on smooth lines and good times. Plus, if they’re mostly blue trails with a couple of gnarly sections, you can open up your suspension for those instead of sketchily picking your way through.

With mountain biking channels increasing daily on RU-vid I find myself being very picky about what channels I go back to. Yours is definitely one of them, I enjoy every video you post! For me, having the option of both a hardtail and dual sus helps, but both bikes are heavy and built for descents. The hardtail also has plus tyres, and a downhill front plus tyre which is REALLY heavy. But here we all suffer no matter what bike you are on due to very high humidity, the sweating gets real.

I live in Florida and I own two bikes. Neither a trail bike in the traditional sense. One is a Kona Big Honzo ST, set up SS. The other a Transition Sentinel. I normally bring both bikes to the trail and grab the one that I think would be the most fun. Sometimes both bikes see action on the same day, but either way, it keeps it interesting always being under or over biked.

Underbiker I ride fatbikes 24/7. My Wednesday has gears my Pugsley is set up as a single speed. I ride with my buddies on their Carbon or aluminum full squish and keep up. For me it’s about challenging myself and always working hard trying to get better with skills and shape. Riding the SS Fattie with guys on carbon bikes is very tough but very rewarding for me. I’m working hard, keeping up and am sometimes faster. Having said that my trail system caters toward more XC style riding. My bikes are set up perfect that I can ride them all year long, snow is not a problem!!! :)