SEAN’S SONDER SIGNAL ST GX
MONTH 10: With the back end bouncing around, do you really need a powerful rear brake on a hardtail?
£2,899 • 29in • alpkit.com
■
Not long after I’d written last month’s update on the Sonder, where I drilled down on the SRAM G2 brake spec, I got into a conversation with bike test editor Alan Muldoon regarding the difference in riding styles between a hardtail and a fullsuspension bike.
The Signal’s small 160mm rear rotor – and the fact that it was up to the job at hand even with my 90kg weight onboard – had ignited the chat, Alan questioning whether I’d be happy with the same-spec rear brake on a full-suspension bike.
My mind wandered back a few years to the mid-travel suspension bikes I’d ridden, before throwing myself completely into the world of hardtails… and thinking about it now, I can’t remember being under-braked on any of them, regardless of the terrain. Those bikes would’ve all been running at least a 180mm rear rotor, maybe larger, and the thought of anything smaller would’ve made me wince.
Which makes total sense. Watch a typical hardtail rider in action on anything other than a freshly laid trail centre track, and compare, not just their riding style, but their speed. Throw in some roots, rock, turns and braking bumps and on a hardtail your mind is working overtime – attempting to process what’s coming at you so fast that you are barely keeping up. The result? Well, it’s tough (for me anyway) to carry the same speed as on a full-suspension trail bike, even an entrylevel model, and hold a chosen line down the trail, without the additional grip of rear suspension.
On a hardtail, things can rapidly turn chaotic, with the rear wheel bouncing around underneath you and off the ground as often as not. So when it comes to slowing a hardtail down, the rear brake has a lot less to do, And when the wheel is on the ground… well, the front brake has probably done more than its fair share of the work already.
Which reminds me of a quote I heard a while back. “If you want to go slower, ride a hardtail.”
And while it made me chuckle, at the same time I nod knowingly, as it’s plain to see. But hey, hardtails may not be as quick, or as efficient at covering rough terrain as full-suspension bikes, but they’re still damn good fun and great value for money.
WHY IT’S HERE It blends classic steel tubing with modern geometry