Why do people still ride hardtail bikes and not full suspension? What makes a bicycle go faster?

Suspension parts distract or take away from the riders efforts. In other words...it soaks up energy both from the road & the rider. Also, a good - I mean really good full suspension bike starts at $1,000 or more. Those cheap ones in discount stores literally fall apart. One of them fell apart while a neighbor of mine was ON IT! What other things effect the speed of a bike? Weight, width of the tires, tread pattern of the tires, air pressure in the tires, aerodynamics, the riders ability, gear ratio, etc.

Hard tails are cheaper and some people don't need the full suspension. Hard tails can go faster than full suspension because the suspension below the seat (mid?) slows you down.

There are some advantages to both. Hardtails are usually much lighter and don't require as much maintenance as a full suspension bike. Full suspension is not needed really for any thing except if you are trail riding they are nice because it will give you more cushion. If you are just riding on the street alot the full suspension will be slower and require more energy to pedal on entry level models. Other things that can effect speed are 1) Brakes -Make sure they are not rubbing at all 2) Rims- Make sure they are nice and true (not bent) 3) The type of tire you have on the bike. If you are riding on the street a lot it would be a good idea to get a tire met for the street and not a knobby tire met for the trail. This makes a HUGE difference! This will allow you to put more air in the tire and give you less rolling resistance so you go faster. Good luck and happy riding!

Hard tail bikes are liter and more efficient. Shocks on a bike actually absorb energy and slow you down. A good hard tail bike with forks that can be locked out is the best. The cheap full suspension bikes found at department stores are really bad about soaking up any pedaling energy you provide. I have see big husky guys on a full suspension mongoose bikes from Walmart struggle to keep up with their skinny girl friend riding a shop quality hard tail. On a good bike you can coast while other people have to pedal to keep up.

There are hardtails for the mountain bike traditionalist---so full suspension bikes may just be an option for them. Hardtails with light material ( scandium,titanium or carbon) are simply BEST for cross country riding ( with front suspension of 100mm and up )---Full suspension bikes are ideal for really nasty trails,DH ( especially those bikes with bigger travel ) fire roads, etc. that DEMAND full suspension. What makes a bike go faster are excellent gears ( from Shimano/SRAM ) and a featherweight frame and ---of course---a well fit herculaean rider with Olympian endurance!

hardtails are lighter, cheaper, and easier to maintain since there are fewer moving parts. The full suspension is worthless on el cheapo walmart bikes because the spring in the suspension has no dampening factor. So you waste energy bouncing up and down instead of moving forward. Bikes go faster when there is less resistance from the road, the wind, and the drivetrain. They also go faster if you pedal harder (duh.)

Hardtail bikes are far cheaper then full suspension. They are also lighter. And some people like to ride hardtails because it makes it more challenging. When you peddle on a full suspension the rear shock kind of slows you down. Where a hardtails energy goes straight to the ground.

FS comes with a whole 'nuther set of problems/items to maintain. Not to mention that they add weight to the bike that most riders do not need.