Hardtail Bikes

"Hardtail" means a bicycle with front suspension only.  Mountain bikes started out fully rigid, and when suspension forks came into the picture, the ride immediately got much smoother and nicer, and mountain biking saw a huge surge in popularity.  Hardtail bikes are lightweight, fast and efficient, and far less maintenance than full-suspension bikes.  Racers who aren't doing extremely technical, rocky races typically prefer hardtails.  Since hardtails offer great value for the price - often half the price of a full-suspension bike with the same components - they are a great choice for budget-conscious and value-conscious riders.  Anyone who prefers climbing to descending (a rider who is conservative on the downhills) may prefer a hardtail.

Although hardtails have the reputation for having a rough ride when compared with full-suspension, it's not a difference that should put people off.  Yes, they are "bouncier" and not as comfortable, but they are much faster.  Riding hardtails is a great way to improve bike-handling skills.  It takes much more skill to ride a technical descent on a hardtail than on a full-suspension bike!  The full-suspension rider can go faster downhill because of the rear suspension - the hardtail rider has to be more careful picking a good line through the rocks.  However, on a rolling, uphill or moderately technical course, hardtails are much faster. 

Riding a hardtail bike with 29" wheels is one way to smooth out the ride, since the bigger wheels roll smoother over obstacles than 26" wheels.  29ers are becoming more and more popular among hardtail riders - in fact, the smoothness of a 29er is remarkably close to that of a full-suspension 26"-wheeled bike!