Hard tails

Hard tails might be fun to build and cool to look at but, an hour on one WILL get your mind right.I hope i dont step on any toes but, i rode an hour on my friends xs650 hardtail chopper and i must say it was a miserable ride.I think i'll stick to my chrome shocks for now.

 

ahhhhhh and im teetering on the fence here......i keep hearing horror stories like yours. did it have a suspension seat, and what was the seat for padding?

 

The xs650 i rode had a 9"x12" Bates style solo seat with 3" springs and 2 inch padding.Very cool bike to look at but,i think thats why they call them bar hoppers.We went on the interstate and i was bouncing all over the seat.Short hops is what i would ever do on it again.

 

hmmm. i guess my dreams of making mine a rigid are gone then!

 

I have zero complaints.

 

haha!!! now this is where i feel like i need to just try it out and see for myself!

 

It depends on whether you plan to seriously ride your bike any sort of distances or just go stylin' on the boulevard... I couldn't image a 126 mile daily commute on a hardtail with a tractor seat...

 

No problems here either. I did probably a 250 mile weekend on a hardtail with a piece of foam to sit on and that was a bit rough. Added a solo seat with springs and its night and day.

Drive down the road and look at your blacktop. Arizona has horrible roads. Sunbaked all summer and huge cracks from the freeze/thaw all winter.

 

i think before i weld up the back end i will do those cheater struts and see how the ride is.

 

The ride depends on your age, your back and weight. I'm old , fat and have a bad back so I need shocks and a fat seat. Put on struts, take off the seat, sit on a pillow and ride 200 miles on a bad road. If you can walk OK then put on a hard tail.

 

i had a SOMEWHAT rational train of reasoning for this:
my vehicles have been-
-fullsize bronco that went smashing through the woods on a regular basis (very rough)
-jeep wrangler, very bouncy, also went wheelin' a lot
-currently: '97 F-350 diesel, standard cab, 4x4. this has the most harsh on road ride out of all of them (when its empty)
-and my wifes lowered mustang, drives like its on rails, but you feel the leaves on the road.

also i race MX, although my quad has upwards of a foot of travel in the rear, the bumps are to scale as well.

my thinking was that i am no stranger to the bumps, and a rigid with a springy seat will feel right at home.

 

if you get chopper shox for underneath your seat you wont feel a thing. Another thing i was thinking about doing was mounting a full size shock underneath my seat because i am such a tubby.

 

i have seen on this site, as well as heard of it on the "street" that if you find the right bicycle shock it works perfectly.

 

I rode from Albuquerque,NM to Cottonwood AZ last year for the Smokeout and I was just fine...guess you just have to eat at the buffet more,lol.

I think it keeps you on your toes more anyway. You feel the road and it brings a new level of awareness and .... its fun to ride like Fred Flinstone.

 

i was considering that. But most people that ride bicycles are physically fit so i figured if it could hold up the corner of a car or truck it might hold me up

 

Mine is rated up to 750 lbs.

 

everybody's tolerance is different. Someone who drives a Rolls every day and then hops in a Celica would probably feel miserable. I drive an '97 F-150 with 210,000 miles on it and the shocks are shot. I have no problems riding a rigid.

 

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Thats the politacaly correct way to put..... "Either your a Prince or a Princess"

 

i have air shocks on mine......i released all the air in the back...i love it 8)

 

I tried the hard tail idea for awhile and also found it annoying after long rides (300-400 miles) I tried the spring seat also and it too was a butt breaker after long rides.
I go long distances and don't do much "bar hopping" persay, so I need the comfort. I decided to just shorten my shocks an inch and that worked alot better for me.
It all depends on how old you are and how well your back is. I'm going on 54 so my bones are starting to creek a bit!!!!

 

what did you use?

 

shock intended for mountain bike use. $.99 on ebay.