If you are buying a new mountain bike, you will inevitably face a big choice: full suspension or hard tail?

Both the front and rear shock absorbers of full suspension mountain bikes have shock absorbers, while hard-tail bicycles have only shock absorbers. The type of suspension of a mountain bike affects the control, traction, and comfort of the bike—not to mention the joy of riding.

So, which type of mountain bike is right for you? The answer depends largely on how much you are willing to spend and the terrain you like to ride, but there are other factors. The short answer is: If you are willing to spend a little more money and want to ride a technical route, choose a full-suspension bike. On the other hand, if you have a tight budget and/or plan to spend most of your time on smoother roads, choose a hard-tail bike.

A full-suspension bike is right for you if:

• You are willing to spend a little more: high-quality entry-level full-suspension mountain bikes start at about $1,500. If you are willing to spend that amount (or more) and the full suspension makes sense for the type of terrain you want to ride, then this might be a good choice.
• Your main technical route: If you think cycling in a rock garden, on tree roots and downhill is a fun ride, then a full suspension mountain bike is your ideal choice. This is a terrain type designed for full suspension bicycles; the combination of front and rear suspension creates a smoother ride and better traction and handling, which can be translated into more fun on rugged terrain.
• You want a more comfortable riding experience: Full suspension mountain bikes can absorb most of the discordant bumps, otherwise these bumps will be transmitted to your body (in some cases, you will get off the bike). This helps reduce fatigue, allowing you to ride faster, longer, and more comfortably.
• You need speed: The front and rear suspension do a very good job of absorbing bumps, so you can usually get higher speeds than the technical section with a hard tail.

A hardtail mountain bike is right for you if:

• Your budget is limited: You can almost always use your hardtail to buy more bikes at a great value, especially if your budget is set at $1,500 or less. This is because the design of the hard tail is simpler and the manufacturing cost is lower, which allows bicycle manufacturers to use higher-end components (such as derailleurs, gear levers, brakes, etc.) that are usually equipped with full suspension bicycles of the same price.
• You mainly ride on flat trails: If you spend most of your time on fairly flat trails, a hard-tail bike can provide you with a fast and fun ride, and its front suspension fork can absorb moderately The bumps.
• You like low maintenance: because there are fewer moving parts, hardtail bikes are simpler and cheaper to maintain than full suspension bikes. Of course, some basic maintenance is still required. Learn more in our bicycle maintenance basics article.
• You want a light bike: Hardtail bikes are usually lighter than full suspension bikes because they have a simpler design and fewer parts. If your ride requires a lot of climbing or long distances, then reducing weight may be a good thing. That being said, high-end full-suspension bikes can be very light, so if you are willing to spend money, the weight difference can be small.

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