7 Hardtail Hacks | Set-Up Tips & Upgrades For Your MTB

7 Hardtail Hacks | Set-Up Tips & Upgrades For Your MTB

Hardtails are mega versatile bikes, great for anything from a day at the bike park hitting big jumps to bike packing through the backcountry. Blake and Neil are in Dyfi Bikepark and breaking down some of their top hardtail hacks for riding demanding terrain without rear suspension!

Timestamps πŸ‘‡
00:00 – Intro
00:45 – Clips or Flats?
01:49 – Set up matters!
02:16 – Tyre Inserts
03:33 – Preventing Chain Slap
04:12 – Tyre Choice is important!
05:14 – Wheel Choice
06:10 – Frame Bags

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What are your top hardtail hacks which have made your life on the bike that much better? Share them with us in the comments below πŸ‘‡

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50 Comments

  1. Mark Davis on November 23, 2022 at 5:33 am

    Neil anytime you bring hardtail it has to be the voodoo



  2. Spinninlilly on November 23, 2022 at 5:34 am

    going to get me another hardtail!



  3. Maurizio Garofalo on November 23, 2022 at 5:36 am

    Where can i get the ergon saddle with these big ERGON Letters?



  4. Steven Reyes on November 23, 2022 at 5:37 am

    The best thing, aside from the 1000 watt motor, has to be the PNW suspension / dropper post. And it does not pogo. The rebound is unnoticeable…



  5. Ashleigh Andersen on November 23, 2022 at 5:38 am

    I run clipless on my road bike but flats on my hardtail.



  6. Richard Burns on November 23, 2022 at 5:39 am

    Always flats off-road, I don’t want clipping in! Id be straight over, straight over! Best flats? For me, DMR Brendog signature, I’ve got them on the Scott and Yeti.



  7. Miyamoto San on November 23, 2022 at 5:43 am

    Did you ever have problems with the Spank Rims bending or braking?



  8. Home Land Freedom on November 23, 2022 at 5:43 am

    Favorite hardtail hack… Steel



  9. MR.Sinister 1 on November 23, 2022 at 5:47 am

    These r not really hacks ther jus common sense ideas



  10. MANTERA on November 23, 2022 at 5:48 am

    blake’s please try mullet for hardtail and give a comment about it



  11. OG_ Queenie on November 23, 2022 at 5:49 am

    Since when are clip pedals clipless??



  12. Keith on November 23, 2022 at 5:51 am

    Flat pedals since its what I’m used to and did a lot of BMX in my younger years



  13. Tiago on November 23, 2022 at 5:51 am

    Thumbs up for Neil’s Advent X! Just noticed now.



  14. aceminer26 on November 23, 2022 at 5:54 am

    No bottles were harmed in the making of this video 0:26



  15. Coady MacMillan on November 23, 2022 at 5:56 am

    None of these hacks are hardtail specific needed



  16. dman5000 on November 23, 2022 at 5:57 am

    Neil hardtail redemption video after thrashing them a few weeks ago as being no good!



  17. christopher wefing on November 23, 2022 at 5:57 am

    So a dropper seat post is taken for granted and therefore not one of the best ways to upgrade your hardtail.



  18. Chris Gardner on November 23, 2022 at 5:57 am

    Clipless…pass…overrated.



  19. johnnyd5005 on November 23, 2022 at 5:58 am

    I really feel like clipless pedals would improve my ride, because the rooty bouncy crap just bumps me off the flats so much on tough climbs. 2.8 tires for the win though, the extra squish really helps.



  20. Kevin W on November 23, 2022 at 5:58 am

    Agree with you on clips – be one with the hardtail!!



  21. Robert Trebor on November 23, 2022 at 6:01 am

    bottle @0:25 i will remember you :<



  22. Rene Navarro on November 23, 2022 at 6:01 am

    Best thing I’ve done with my scout is convert it to single speed. It’s so light and zippy. Love it



  23. Marcel Claus on November 23, 2022 at 6:02 am

    Did Neil pick up his bottle, I hope. And did he get a better cage and or bottle?



  24. Juan Jo Ugalde on November 23, 2022 at 6:02 am

    You guys are the beeeest πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰



  25. barry walsh on November 23, 2022 at 6:03 am

    dropper post also game changer on hardtail rigs.. flat pedals, riser bars & short stems all required



  26. GusGZ on November 23, 2022 at 6:03 am

    Bottle dropped in 0:26



  27. david gilkeson on November 23, 2022 at 6:05 am

    I kept thinking, almost everything you are doing is adding weight and the beauty of the hardtail is in getting lighter. Not that all riding styles are the same (I do cross country and epic events on technical terrain with a good bit of climbing). I think your recommendations work for a specific case but not all cases. My suggested upgrades lighter wheels and drop the dropper post. I personally think most riders never need a dropper but it is a cool thing these days. I recently also dropped the heavy cassette, derailleur, cables and shifters to go Single Speed and have been having the best time simply riding! Oh, and have been riding clipped in since 1998 so flats are not for me (but that is a really personal thing).



  28. numl0k on November 23, 2022 at 6:07 am

    "Concentrate on the rear, because that’s where it gets a lot more of a pounding"



  29. Artemis XO on November 23, 2022 at 6:08 am

    clipless feels so much more steady when it gets rough for me, no more bouncing off the pedals



  30. corn on November 23, 2022 at 6:08 am

    What are those mudguards???



  31. Gabe C on November 23, 2022 at 6:09 am

    πŸ‘ #HardtailLife



  32. Mrmelon64 on November 23, 2022 at 6:09 am

    Flat pedals for me all the way. I mainly ride jumps and smoother trails. Even on the rough stuff flats give me all the security i need



  33. Ding Field on November 23, 2022 at 6:11 am

    I love you guys but these are Products or Upgrades, not "Hacks"!



  34. Lemon Tree on November 23, 2022 at 6:11 am

    I like to move my feet a lot on the pedal. Good shoes will stick in any direction, but clipless only offers one position, too limiting.



  35. Tiger850Rider on November 23, 2022 at 6:14 am

    Great vid, love my Scout 290. What tyre insert do you recommend?



  36. Anthony Gordon on November 23, 2022 at 6:14 am

    Nice hacks… we need a vid with Blake’s yellow scout specs. Love that bike



  37. Dong Escaner on November 23, 2022 at 6:18 am

    At 0:26, is that Neil’s water bottle?



  38. Billy Bass on November 23, 2022 at 6:19 am

    Why have I never even heard of tyre inserts? Best one for me.



  39. tornagawn on November 23, 2022 at 6:20 am

    Riding clipped in since the advent of Onza pedals…. Perfect pedalling position always, plus the release flick is hardwired into my neural network if I bail.



  40. Michael E on November 23, 2022 at 6:22 am

    Love the hardtail content…. keep it coming.



  41. Luke Shaw on November 23, 2022 at 6:22 am

    Is there a hack for not losing your water bottle in a berm Neil lol



  42. Marcin Terlecki on November 23, 2022 at 6:23 am

    Carbon wheels on hardtail it’s the best choice but I believe the advert is more important πŸ€£πŸ‘ŒπŸ»



  43. stu on November 23, 2022 at 6:23 am

    Love hardtails I have 2 a Kona lava dome and a honzo al



  44. Richard Jensen on November 23, 2022 at 6:24 am

    Clips are a must? C’mon Blake you ride flats too. I guess I’ll have to delete all those rides I got in the top 10 since flat pedals don’t count.



  45. top banana on November 23, 2022 at 6:25 am

    Not hacks more like upgrades.



  46. BoBo The rice farmer on November 23, 2022 at 6:26 am

    Love em



  47. Michael Schomaker on November 23, 2022 at 6:27 am

    Was that a phone πŸ“±??



  48. Gerben Bol on November 23, 2022 at 6:29 am

    I guess the definition of hacks and tips are turned around here. Not sure what the hacks here are.



  49. Thilina Kumara on November 23, 2022 at 6:30 am

    Beautifull bike ilove this bike nukeproof the best…πŸ₯°πŸ˜˜



  50. Rafael Garcia on November 23, 2022 at 6:31 am

    Nukeproof Is mint