Hardtailling

As we hang on bravely to the good weather it’s a shame to waste it by not being on a bike. I headed out on Sunday into the tame wilds of Hertfordshire to get some wheel-time. In some ways you could call it a warm down from Saturday’s hockey match but I would perhaps call it a whole bit of exercise in its own right at over 30KM.

I elected to take out the hardtail for this ride, knowing there is nothing that technical out there and no real need for full suspension. It was the right choice and gave me a couple of hours of sprightly climbing, skittish descending and riding smart on stiff forks and with none of the mistake-mitigation of 5” of travel at both ends.

While I have been thoroughly enjoying the new bike, it was nice to leave it at home and pop out to ride a long-trusted companion, feeling light and skippy where other bikes will let you plough through at speed. I would go as far as to say that riding suspended all summer has improved my technique in places and I was trusting the wheels to track where I put them.

Everyone should ride hardtails to remember those skills and get a different perspective on rides. This made what can be a dull slog on a bigger bike a bit more of a challenge. Or maybe there’s something nice in throwing a leg over a bike you have ridden for years and thousands of miles and even appreciating all the more the technically advanced bike you have for those bigger days.

A