Leaderboard: Trail hardtails 2021 - carefree fun machines
Why a hardtail for the trail?
Trails are now the territory of full-suspension mountain bikes. Even in the marathon and cross-country segment, where hardtails once dominated, fullys can be found almost without exception. But: Mountain bikes with a rigid rear are far from obsolete, because they also have tangible advantages. The less complex frames are usually not only lighter and cheaper than their full-suspension counterparts, they also require significantly less maintenance. By doing without a damper and no joints, bearings and the like in the rear triangle, there is nothing that can wear out, squeak or break. This is one of the reasons why frequent drivers keep their fullies in the garage over the winter – in favor of the hardtail.
Ordinary hardtails are usually inspired by the well-known XC and marathon bikes and bring a corresponding orientation with them - little spring travel, geometry designed more for propulsion and attachments optimized for weight rather than suitability for trails. Even if such bikes are still very successful and cut an excellent figure in everyday life, they are only of limited use as a real "replacement" for the fully. The situation is different with trail hardtails: Both in terms of geometry and equipment, these often correspond to what you would expect from a fully with 140 mm spring travel or more - except for the rigid rear.
Of course, depending on the trail, you have to slow down your downhill speed a bit on the hardtail. But modern geometries, comfortable frames, good tires and powerful suspension forks allow a lot of trail fun - without a rear suspension. This limitation can also be an advantage: You can rediscover trails that you know inside out in a fully. A hardtail forces you to choose a more precise line and presents you with completely new challenges.
The better all-rounders?
We would even go one step further and ask whether a trail hardtail might not be the better all-rounder - compared to most other MTB hardtails that you will find on the market. Because hand on heart, anyone who buys a hardtail for sporty use is usually looking for a cheap, carefree bike that you can have fun on the trail with, but also take a tour under the studded tires. A trail hardtail offers an exciting compromise here: Thanks to the modern geometries and the choice of components, the handling on the trail is much smoother and the bikes are much more forgiving of riding errors. This is particularly interesting for those who are new to MTB but simply cannot or do not want to afford a fully (yet?).
The compromises that you have to make for more trail suitability are kept within narrow limits. The Trail HTs are usually a few euros more expensive, yes. Also a few grams heavier – true. For us, however, this is - depending on the area of application - absolutely negligible and is in proportion to the great advantages.
Trail hardtail is not trail hardtail
The category of trail hardtails is as diverse as it is: the concepts behind it range from the classy enduro bike without suspension to the XC bike with a little more suspension travel and a retractable seat post. Here it is important to think carefully about the intended area of application before making a purchase and to make a decision accordingly. Of course there are also all-rounders who are in the middle of the extreme poles. Due to this wide range, we have also decided, contrary to our regular procedure, not to use percentage ratings in this list of the best and instead to classify the bikes according to their areas of use.
