What to buy? Hardtail or full sus?

I'm having a tough time deciding which bike to buy, a hardtail Trek or a full sus Haro . Both of these bikes are in my price range. I couldn't find anything on the Haro @ mtbreview.com. If I get the Trek, I'll get it with the Disc brake upgrade.

I'm looking for a good XC bike- not planning on hucking anything. But I also intend to be riding some very rough, and steep, trails. The 31 pounds on the Haro is a bit of a turnoff, but I might want full suspension. Both have LX drivetrains and a similar price. There were no reviews on the Haro @ MTBreview. Am I better off just getting the Trek hardtail and adding a suspension seatpost?

Definite no on the suspension seatpost, utterly useless.
As for FS vs HT - cheap FS are just that, cheap. You can get a pretty decent HT with good components for what you'd pay for a crappy FS and if you decide to go soft in the future, pick a good FS frame and swap the components from the HT.
Good full-suspension frames have linkages and geometry that make them work well for trail riding, cheap FS frames don't. To decide for yourself, head to the LBS and take a decent X-C FS bike (Santa Cruz Superlight eg) for a ride. Then grab a cheap FS bike and do the same, the difference should be immediately noticeable.
With a hardtail you'd need to pay a little attention to frame geometry, but for the most part you can concentrate on components. Look for a decent package with the the frame upgrade in mind for the future.

SOLUTION:

Buy my 2002 Fuel 100. Full XT/XTR.

$700

[edit]
Size L (19")

Available in 4 weeks (new bike shows up then). Happy to give the details if interested. Have not really tried to sell since still waiting on new bike but it's a great bike with just the usual wear and tear.

It depends on what you want to use the bike for.

A cheap F/S bike is cheap, but will be fun and comfortable on most days and longer rides. It will not last very long if you are dropping stuff and ripping technical rocky/rooty trails. Cheap f/s frames do not last long when abused.

If you want to be more competitive then the nicer hardtail would work out better. The frame will last longer, but they are stiff and can be uncomfortable on long epic rides, although many people still like them.

If it is your first bike, I would get the F/S and keep in mind it will need to be replaced soon and is not hardly worth upgrading.

Ask yourself these questions:
1. How much am I willing to spend? If you want to stay on the sheaper side of things (less that 1200 or so) I'd go with a hardtail. WAY more bang for your buck.
2. Where do I plan to do MOST of my riding? If on non-technical trails, then the hardtail is a good call. If high speed fireroad bombing or rocky, techy stuff, then a FS rig is a better bet.
3. Do I ever plan to race? If yes, then a high end hardtail will run you about as much as a very average (and heavier) FS bike.

I don't know much about teh Haro. I've never seen one in person, much less had any saddle time on one (maybe that says something about them, I don't know). Just looking at the link you provided, I'd say stay away. The big diffrerence between single pivot and 4-bar suspension systems is that inexpensive 4-bar bike still hande ok. Inexpensive single pivot bikes don't (at least that's been my experience). They bob badly and the rear suspension locks out when braking. Good single-pivot is a totally different story (a la SC Heckler or Bullit), but that's not in your price range.

Trek makes good bikes. The Trek you are looking at is an OK deal. The hubs are sub-par (only the rear is Deore level). That means the front is most likely not sealed - first time you go through a stream you'll get water in it and over time it WILL rust out on you. Deore is really the bottom rung of TRUE offroad quality components. The only other mentionable on that bike is the LX level rear derailleur.

Why not check out the Giant Ranier?
-Better brakes (Avid mechanical disc).
-Better componentry (all Deore and LX)
-Same price range (in fact you might find a 2003 model still in a Local bike shop for mid $500's).

p-tex's Fuel 100 sounds like a KILLER deal. If it fits you, it's a really good full suspension bike for that price range.

Quote:

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Originally posted by AK G-Dog
It depends on what you want to use the bike for.

A cheap F/S bike is cheap, but will be fun and comfortable on most days and longer rides. It will not last very long if you are dropping stuff and ripping technical rocky/rooty trails. Cheap f/s frames do not last long when abused.

If you want to be more competitive then the nicer hardtail would work out better. The frame will last longer, but they are stiff and can be uncomfortable on long epic rides, although many people still like them.

If it is your first bike, I would get the F/S and keep in mind it will need to be replaced soon and is not hardly worth upgrading.

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All true. In my opinion, suspension isn't really worth it unless you're hucking stuff. For xc keep it simple, go hardtail with higher end components. If you do go the seat-post schock route, stick with parallelogram style (ala Cane Creek). Straight coil sprung seat-post shocks are worthless, too much stiction. A good seat-post shcock will take some of the sting out of a long bumpy ride, but won't to aid descents or drops.

Quote:

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Originally posted by p-tex
SOLUTION:

Buy my 2002 Fuel 100. Full XT/XTR.

$700

[edit]
Size L (19")

Available in 4 weeks (new bike shows up then). Happy to give the details if interested. Have not really tried to sell since still waiting on new bike but it's a great bike with just the usual wear and tear.

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this is the best answer if it will fit you

Quote:

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Originally posted by p-tex
SOLUTION:

Buy my 2002 Fuel 100. Full XT/XTR.

$700

[edit]
Size L (19")

Available in 4 weeks (new bike shows up then). Happy to give the details if interested. Have not really tried to sell since still waiting on new bike but it's a great bike with just the usual wear and tear.

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By full XT/XTR to you mean just drive train or drivetrain, wheels, brakes and shifters?

Full XTR is almost worth $700 look into that plake

I just went through trying all the bikes I could, and for a general use XC/Trail bike, this tended to be the breakdown.
Super-Quick, twitchy XC Racer:
FSR
Giant NRS-1
Trek Fuel (got a very blah feeling from this bike though, nothing stood out about it, very hardtail-ish though)
More relaxed head angle, still quick-steering, but not "over the stem":
Marin something-ridge (had like 3 head settings and 3 suspension height settings, came very close to buying this)
Fisher Sugar 4+ (what I ended up getting)
Giant VT3
Slow steering, stable rigs:
Santa Cruz Superlight
Haro

It really depends on your riding style. Hardtails are nice, but I decided to make the jump to FS so I can do a lot more with my bike. Many of these have lockouts on the rear shock as well, with the Specialized Epic having an "auto-lockout" type device, so you don't have to necessarily lose some of the performance of a hardtail.

Hardtails are great for building skills, like learning how to take an imapact with your body, but FS is so much more comfortable on the trail. I love not geting pounded when i go out and ride on the trails. So in short...start on a hradtail, and unless you are a luddite or a hardocre luddite racer go to a FS rig