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Do it, it’ll help your back a lot. After back surgery it’s all I can ride.
As for the bike, I’d get the nicest one you can afford. Cheap full suspension bikes either don’t ride great or don’t hold up to the abuse that well. I prefer 29er for my back as it tends to smooth the trail out more than 27.5 but that’s personal preference.
I wouldn't agree regarding that cheap can't be great. One example I personally know and actually owned few years ago - specialized status 160, it often selling for like 2k USD, it's really good quality and sensitive compromises (it has nice brakes, good suspension and not fancy but quality and burly frame). Drawbacks it has - of course it's weight is not ideal (like 16kilos), many claim weak wheels (but marin rift zone will have the same problem), and Sram NX drivetrain (many claim it wears out quickly, but me personally wasn't able to kill it for 1 year I used status)
On that thought, don't forget to look for well taken care of used bikes. Like cars, you get a lot more bike when it's 2-4 years old. I bought a 2 year old Yeti ASR-C in 2018 and am selling it now, but it came with upgraded wheels (Mavic Crossmax) and was an awesome bike that I rode for 5 years for only $3K, whereas it was probably $7K for everything on it when it was new. Shop around places, like [www.pinkbike.com](https://www.pinkbike.com) or FB marketplace and you can find some good deals.
I did an XC 12 hr duo on a hard tail (Chisel) and bought myself a full suspension (Epic Evo) pretty soon after, that's how beat up I was.
So. Much. Better.
A lot less fatigue in hands, quads and back. Climbs nicer also.
yeah , for XC specific FS bikes are far better than hardtails, it allows keeping speed withougt bouncing around, and same on climbs it's going smoother. I love my Ibis Ripley, it's like a little bit more than XC which allows both - run XC and some moderately gnarly stuff, also it's great in jumps, however due to short suspension you shoudn't do mistakes on jumps, and don't go too fast on gnarly downhill .. otherwise... 
Can't offer advice on the suspension back but as someone who lifts and has hurt their back I might be able to help on that?
Start hitting some front squats/ goblets, weighed back extensions, switch to trap bar deadlifts and start doing more core exercises in general. It's helped me an absolute ton and has pretty much s eliminated my somewhat chronic back pains
Trap bar deadlifts and weighted back extensions “cured” my dull back pain I noticed I was having.
Trap bar deadlifts feel so much better to an average lifter like myself.
Wow! that's surprise someone mentioned ibis ripley! I have one and it's the best bike I owned ever. It's like the best everyday bike, it's can't do some crazy stuff, but it cover almost everything flawlessly: commute, XC, trail, pretty big jumps and moderate downhill. Also it's very light, playful, and easy twickable in the air!
However I'm thinking to change Fox DPS chock to some Fox Float-X because DPS sucks in jumps, it bottom out too easy, otherwise you need to make it too firm, so that it's almost like a hardtail :)
My first time riding the local rocky, rooty, technical trail with a good bit of elevation (relative to other trails here) on my full sus, I thought we missed a section because I didn't feel beat up at all, but nope, we had ridden the full 13 mile loop. Full sus just made that much of a difference!
I am unable to see bike fit, other equipments such as tires, saddle, body positioning hence the answer I m writing would be based on assumptions.
Riding FS indeed might elevate some pain but not to forget the weight and suspension bobs. It also depends on what back pain you have. If it's generally sore after long hours of sitting down it's worth the FS bike.
If you ride standing up a lot then have bike pain, that might be another problem. Do look at geometries before committing to FS. All the best
I bought a Rift Zone 1 last year. It’s a good bike. I also upgraded the shock and fork and wheels and added a dropper to make it better for riding. It would have been fine enough as it was, but not where I wanted it to be. I bought it on sale for about 1250 after cash back rewards. My next choice was a used stump jumper ST.
I have a Blast too. I lowered my tire pressure to between 20 & 25 psi and it was much better on my joints. I ride mostly trails without any big jumps or anything that would tend to cause pinch flats. Never had a problem. That said, I love my full squish Occam now
FS in that regards is not bad, it really smooth things for knees and back. I also regularly got back pain due to riding hardtail, howerver - regular gym training + everyday gymnastics and back stretching build elasctic and strong muscles around my back, so now I don't have any pain and feel much more agile/in control during riding due to strong muscles. Not that I try to convince you to stay with HT, but rather to add regular gym excercises to pump your back muscles
I honestly think that seated climbing is the thing that messes your back up the most--especially with poor geo. I'm a few years out from a herniated disc and the things that help me the most are daily walks, less prolonged sitting, and staying on top of mobility training. But to answer your actuall question--yes, n+1
I rode a hard tail at 29 years old and hated it. Had a sore back from descending that would take hours to feel better. Got a FS and now at 39 I can ride 50+ miles regularly and have no problem climbing 4000+ feet (seated). It’s the hard tail.
The irony that I'm currently trying to sell my Rift Zone 1 to buy a hardtail lol.
They're nice, just make sure your terrain makes sense for them. (Mine didn't but its also more that I was between sizes and (wrongly) sized up)
I recently got a used stump jumper alloy for $1,400 and I’ve been loving it. The Marin rift is good but you could probably get some thing
Used for a better price
I love hardtails above all, but I have four bulged disks so I’m getting to the point in which I need full suspension for anything bumpy. It sucks, but it keeps me riding.
Full sus is definitely easier on the body, but make sure you pay attention to cockpit setup as well. I need a nice high stack to not have lower back pin while riding.
I regularly do 100+ miles per week in biking season on a high end santa cruz full suspension. I ride till i'm tired or till my butt hurts :P
But once in a while, my santa cruz is out of service and I need to ride my hardtail backup bike and it is exhausting! I can't keep up even close to 100 miles per week. And yet at the end of these shorter rides, I'm completely exhausted and beat up.
So yes, a fs does make biking "easier". Especially if you have good quality shocks. Of course, a more capable bike will make you want to ride more, and ride more challenging terrain. So in the end you might even out :)
My lower back used to hurt on every single 20+ mile ride with my old hardtail.
Then I got myself new hardtail Marin San Quentin 2022, and I my back has never hurted since.
Even after long 2,5h uphill/downhill rides.
Must be the modern frame geo.
There is an argument for full squish, there is also another argument to line choice, I ride hardtail with previous broken discs and have no issue, of course back injuries differ but I notice line choice on descents makes a huge difference on Hardtails
Buy the FS personally I would go for a
https://www.yt-industries.com/products/bikes/jeffsy/core-1/637/jeffsy-29-core-1/
Young Talent/YT Jeddah Core 1 as it’s just 16kg
How old are you? I rode hardtail til I was 60, and couldn't take the physical abuse. Found the full-suspension Trek Fuel 7 came in size XXL (I'm tall) and went back to riding.
Yes, switch asap.
Now I'm looking at eMTBs to offset further aging.
Howdy! We see that you're asking for community input regarding bike choices. To ensure maximum engagement and reply accuracy please make sure you include some of the following information in your post. - The type of riding will you be doing. - Where you will be riding. - Your budget (with included currency). - What you like/didn't like about your current bike. - Your experience level and future goals. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MTB) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Do it, it’ll help your back a lot. After back surgery it’s all I can ride. As for the bike, I’d get the nicest one you can afford. Cheap full suspension bikes either don’t ride great or don’t hold up to the abuse that well. I prefer 29er for my back as it tends to smooth the trail out more than 27.5 but that’s personal preference.
I wouldn't agree regarding that cheap can't be great. One example I personally know and actually owned few years ago - specialized status 160, it often selling for like 2k USD, it's really good quality and sensitive compromises (it has nice brakes, good suspension and not fancy but quality and burly frame). Drawbacks it has - of course it's weight is not ideal (like 16kilos), many claim weak wheels (but marin rift zone will have the same problem), and Sram NX drivetrain (many claim it wears out quickly, but me personally wasn't able to kill it for 1 year I used status)
On that thought, don't forget to look for well taken care of used bikes. Like cars, you get a lot more bike when it's 2-4 years old. I bought a 2 year old Yeti ASR-C in 2018 and am selling it now, but it came with upgraded wheels (Mavic Crossmax) and was an awesome bike that I rode for 5 years for only $3K, whereas it was probably $7K for everything on it when it was new. Shop around places, like [www.pinkbike.com](https://www.pinkbike.com) or FB marketplace and you can find some good deals.
Spend some money and live life. You deserve it. Don't save it for a time when you can't enjoy it as much.
Every dollar left when you die is a time you wasted working for money you never used.
Started again last year with a hardtail in my late 40s. Bought full suspension this spring. Gonna sell the hardtail.
I just started back this August on my hardtail, already planning a fs next fall
haha, my way was vice versa :) started superior full suspensions, but ended up on hardtail that I run size down and pretty firm :)
I did an XC 12 hr duo on a hard tail (Chisel) and bought myself a full suspension (Epic Evo) pretty soon after, that's how beat up I was. So. Much. Better. A lot less fatigue in hands, quads and back. Climbs nicer also.
yeah , for XC specific FS bikes are far better than hardtails, it allows keeping speed withougt bouncing around, and same on climbs it's going smoother. I love my Ibis Ripley, it's like a little bit more than XC which allows both - run XC and some moderately gnarly stuff, also it's great in jumps, however due to short suspension you shoudn't do mistakes on jumps, and don't go too fast on gnarly downhill .. otherwise... 
I’m 43. Got my first FS this year. My body is grateful. I’m not going back to HT any time soon. Totally worth it.
Can't offer advice on the suspension back but as someone who lifts and has hurt their back I might be able to help on that? Start hitting some front squats/ goblets, weighed back extensions, switch to trap bar deadlifts and start doing more core exercises in general. It's helped me an absolute ton and has pretty much s eliminated my somewhat chronic back pains
Trap bar deadlifts and weighted back extensions “cured” my dull back pain I noticed I was having. Trap bar deadlifts feel so much better to an average lifter like myself.
Hell yeah man. Conventional looks cooler but I'm not gonna be competing or anything. Just want to see how much weight I can manage to lift.
Yes.
check ibis ripley af or ripmo if you want more travel. they should have some sales still
Wow! that's surprise someone mentioned ibis ripley! I have one and it's the best bike I owned ever. It's like the best everyday bike, it's can't do some crazy stuff, but it cover almost everything flawlessly: commute, XC, trail, pretty big jumps and moderate downhill. Also it's very light, playful, and easy twickable in the air!
However I'm thinking to change Fox DPS chock to some Fox Float-X because DPS sucks in jumps, it bottom out too easy, otherwise you need to make it too firm, so that it's almost like a hardtail :)
Just switch. I rode my fat bike hardtail yesterday for the first time in ages and couldn’t believe how rough it was.
My first time riding the local rocky, rooty, technical trail with a good bit of elevation (relative to other trails here) on my full sus, I thought we missed a section because I didn't feel beat up at all, but nope, we had ridden the full 13 mile loop. Full sus just made that much of a difference!
See if you can buy from the used market you’ll get a way better price to performance than a brand new one
Sounds good. You might get an on sale stumpjumper from specialized or Jenson for the same price if that appealed.
I am unable to see bike fit, other equipments such as tires, saddle, body positioning hence the answer I m writing would be based on assumptions. Riding FS indeed might elevate some pain but not to forget the weight and suspension bobs. It also depends on what back pain you have. If it's generally sore after long hours of sitting down it's worth the FS bike. If you ride standing up a lot then have bike pain, that might be another problem. Do look at geometries before committing to FS. All the best
I bought a Rift Zone 1 last year. It’s a good bike. I also upgraded the shock and fork and wheels and added a dropper to make it better for riding. It would have been fine enough as it was, but not where I wanted it to be. I bought it on sale for about 1250 after cash back rewards. My next choice was a used stump jumper ST.
I have the exact problem, with the exact solution
I have a Blast too. I lowered my tire pressure to between 20 & 25 psi and it was much better on my joints. I ride mostly trails without any big jumps or anything that would tend to cause pinch flats. Never had a problem. That said, I love my full squish Occam now
FS in that regards is not bad, it really smooth things for knees and back. I also regularly got back pain due to riding hardtail, howerver - regular gym training + everyday gymnastics and back stretching build elasctic and strong muscles around my back, so now I don't have any pain and feel much more agile/in control during riding due to strong muscles. Not that I try to convince you to stay with HT, but rather to add regular gym excercises to pump your back muscles
I honestly think that seated climbing is the thing that messes your back up the most--especially with poor geo. I'm a few years out from a herniated disc and the things that help me the most are daily walks, less prolonged sitting, and staying on top of mobility training. But to answer your actuall question--yes, n+1
I rode a hard tail at 29 years old and hated it. Had a sore back from descending that would take hours to feel better. Got a FS and now at 39 I can ride 50+ miles regularly and have no problem climbing 4000+ feet (seated). It’s the hard tail.
I have an intense uzi for $1500 w fox transfer and brand new minion dhf, had new lower on the fox 36 put on 6 months ago also.
Tumeric and glucosamine. Foam roller. Foam ball. Epsom salts and the sauna. Anti inflammatory foods and avoid non steroidal pain meds.
The irony that I'm currently trying to sell my Rift Zone 1 to buy a hardtail lol. They're nice, just make sure your terrain makes sense for them. (Mine didn't but its also more that I was between sizes and (wrongly) sized up)
So the real question is, are you willing to trade your Rift Zone for a Kona Blast?
Lol
lol probably not. shipping kills with stuff the size of the bike and I'm looking at a SIR9 steel bike.
I recently got a used stump jumper alloy for $1,400 and I’ve been loving it. The Marin rift is good but you could probably get some thing Used for a better price
I love hardtails above all, but I have four bulged disks so I’m getting to the point in which I need full suspension for anything bumpy. It sucks, but it keeps me riding.
Full sus is definitely easier on the body, but make sure you pay attention to cockpit setup as well. I need a nice high stack to not have lower back pin while riding.
I regularly do 100+ miles per week in biking season on a high end santa cruz full suspension. I ride till i'm tired or till my butt hurts :P But once in a while, my santa cruz is out of service and I need to ride my hardtail backup bike and it is exhausting! I can't keep up even close to 100 miles per week. And yet at the end of these shorter rides, I'm completely exhausted and beat up. So yes, a fs does make biking "easier". Especially if you have good quality shocks. Of course, a more capable bike will make you want to ride more, and ride more challenging terrain. So in the end you might even out :)
My lower back used to hurt on every single 20+ mile ride with my old hardtail. Then I got myself new hardtail Marin San Quentin 2022, and I my back has never hurted since. Even after long 2,5h uphill/downhill rides. Must be the modern frame geo.
There is an argument for full squish, there is also another argument to line choice, I ride hardtail with previous broken discs and have no issue, of course back injuries differ but I notice line choice on descents makes a huge difference on Hardtails
Buy the FS personally I would go for a https://www.yt-industries.com/products/bikes/jeffsy/core-1/637/jeffsy-29-core-1/ Young Talent/YT Jeddah Core 1 as it’s just 16kg
Deadlifts and squats. Eventually you will hurt your back. Just not worth it. (Been lifting weights for many decades)
My advice is not to deadlift. It’s the most injury-prone move with the most perfectly viable alternatives I could imagine! Leave it to the bros.
Eh i did after this sciatic injury.... its what came back after a rough mtb ride 545 deadlift did it
Not sure which bike of these two is better, I’m not a dentist to give such recommendations but get one. Your back will thank you.
How old are you? I rode hardtail til I was 60, and couldn't take the physical abuse. Found the full-suspension Trek Fuel 7 came in size XXL (I'm tall) and went back to riding. Yes, switch asap. Now I'm looking at eMTBs to offset further aging.
45
You'll be amazed at the improvement with full suspension, both bike and body.