I'm looking at buying a new bike in the coming weeks for use on enduro bike events such as polaris and also shorter adventure races.

I'm having a massive dilema as to whether or not I should get a new hard-tail or go for a full sus?!

What are most guys using these days? Any views on what is best for this type of racing in terms of weight / climbing efficiency / comfort / speed etc etc!

Help! Please!

If you're over 30, get full suspension. By the
time you're 35, you'll thank me.

Nearly all top polaris competitors on full suspension. Marin mount vision and Whyte seem to be the bikes of choice.

I recently tried a mountvision - it was superb.

I ride a Pace (as do a few others) on Polaris. Some of the time you get a bit battered on the rough stuff, but for NYM it was great, but then I accept that for most of the time a full-sus would probably be OK too. However, my Pace weighs much less than any FS bike, so when I have to lugg it through bogs and over gates, I'm greatful - and it goes up hills like a rat up a drain-pipe, which is something a FS doesn't...

Any of the following seem to be in relative abundance on polaris these days:
Santa Cruz superlight, Marin VPP thingy (forgtten name), Spesh Enduro, Trek Fuel. You're biggest decision is whether to go for multi or single pivot (or VPP)... It depends on your budget too.

Budget is not too much of a problem, I race with my boss and have persuaded him to give me a big bonus so I can get a new bike (told him it would make me quicker?!).

At the moment I'm comparing the Intense Spider (not in the UK yet but based on the same design as the Santa Cruz Blur) and a lightspeed. The question is, if I can get a full sus bike such as the Spider to a similar weight as a hard tail by using Rock Shock Sids and XTR for example am I going to loose anything on climbs - through bobbing for example - or if the weight is OK will I be OK (or even gain through added traction?!?!)

So many questions but want to be sure given the amount of cash being spent!!!

Thanks for advise so far

mount vision it's the dogs bollox!!

You could probably get something like a Spesh Enduro S-works down to about 24.5/25lbs. Anything less than that would be a bit too skittish on the decents I would have thought. People get things like Scott G-strikes down to 21/22lbs, but at the expense of functionality.
I'd avoid SID's, they tend to flex too much. Fox or Pace are a better option.

I'd try and get a test tide on as many different types of Full suss as you can, to decide if single, multi or virtual pivots are what you prefer to ge riding on.

This old chestnut depends a lot on your riding style, motivation, and to a lesser extent physique. I have a Pace too, which is great cos it's so light, but I am not sure if a cheaper hardtail would be as good. It takes I think more strength to hold your arse off the saddle whilst pedaling up a rocky or rooty climb - a fs bike would allow you to sit down a spin away, and the saddle can support your weight instead of your legs. But then again, the fs bike is always going to be 2-3lbs heavier, and some climbs will be more difficult without the super agility of a fine hardtail.

If you have lots of cash to splash, and you want max comfort in long endurance event, then have a look at the Specialized Enduro M5 thingy, which looks good, or a Patriot - and spec them up lots. If I could afford two bikes, I'd get one of those two - but I love my nippy hardtail so much I don't know if I'd use it on Polaris! Best thing to do is swap bikes with mates for a ride - that's what helped IanB switched his fs Schwinn for a Pace!

I'd say the extra comfort of a full suspension bike is well worth carrying an extra few pounds of weight.The first three positions at the summer event all rode Whyte or Mount Visions - they obviously do go up climbs like a rat in a drainpipe. Mainly down to the rider, but these obviously think the full suspension is worth it.

Surely the solution is to get lockout front and rear suspension.

Full suss... no doubt... when some roady wangs past
you on his super lite hard tail on the up hills it pisses
you right off.. but hey, if you have time look back at his
face when you bladder past him on the down hills!

Suspension bikes, are you all puffs? Can we have a class for proper steel rigid bycycles. I have enough trouble keeping all the bearings on my Trek 950 up to scratch after about 10 years of Polaris use. The thought of all those extra pivots and bushes all needing attention over the lifetime of the bike(and it would need to be 10-15years to justify the price to me) gives me the willies. It's bad enough finding 7 speed blocks.

A soft tight southerner

If you're serious about doing adventure races then you're obviously not averse to a bit of running. If a climb is sufficiently technical to get a real advantage out of a full suss you'll be faster on foot with a hardtail over your shoulder. Your body will probably also appreciate the change of use.

A tight northerner

My one tip would be, but a full susser, and make sure it has a lock-out. Other than that buy something that's more XC than downhill, and get some good wheels (Mavic Crossmax etc)

Good luck.

Hmm... a good full suspension or a good hardtail?
If you are really, really fit it won't have any effect on your placing because it is so keenly fought at the front.

If you're really fat, it won't make any difference, because you'll be somewhere at the back.

Which, by interpolation means it probably doesn't matter at all...

Any ideas how to carry a marin mount vision, or is it as suggested in summer polaris just throw it,it'll bounce??

most entrants will be participants not competitors, so go for comfort and function, not just with the bike but with the rest of the gear. ride any marin full suspension. and have plenty of grub, a nice warm bag, and a change of clothing for the overnite. some whippets mite laff at the size of your bag but you'll b laffin on the sunday morning as the cold wretched broken sleep deprived super lites suffer the hell on earth that is sunday. we carry the extra gear, sleep soundly and always make up ground on the sunday, but then again we usually only finish about half way down the list, so what makes me an expert? in case anyone is still awake, mine is an east peak with mazzochi mx comp forx