misc. ramblings

i've been using far too much brain power lately on different types of mountain bikes.

visit any riding area or watch any off-road race, and you'll see plenty of people on single speeds. no, no, i'm not interested in those...God made gears and who am i to deny them usage?? i'm more interested in what those single gears are attached to; hardtails.

i'm personally convinced that hardtails are not as fast as full suspension bikes, pretty much in any situation. but, watching these guys blaze around on hardtails (sometimes rigid forks, too!) makes me wonder if i just haven't been over-complicating my racing with full suspension.

i tried the balls-light scott scale carbon hardtail, and i have to say i really liked it. i didn't go running back to the full suspension (i walked slowly), but here i am again, riding a sprung bike.

i think that i have excluded an important part of riding any bike...riding style. everyone either adapts their riding style to a particular bike or they change bikes to match their riding style. over the past 3 or 4 seasons, i have been making bikes fit my style, which may not be the fastest way around the trail.

i'm not giving up suspension forks. and when my parts stock dictates it, i can't see why anyone would run v-brakes over discs. and, as i said before, don't talk to me about getting rid of gears (i raced bmx bikes for 12-13 years, i've explored the one-geared lifestyle). but this full suspension thing? someone tell travis brown that hardtails are slow, and if he agrees, i'll remain fully suspended. if not? i'll leave my options open.