Hardtail (HT): This type of frame does not have a suspension in the rear. The rear triangle of the bike is fixed to the entire frame. NICA requires that at the MINIMUM, the student athlete MUST have a front fork that is a suspension fork. Students CANNOT ride a bike in practice or races that has a solid (non suspended) fork. This is for safety reasons. A suspension fork moves up and down and absorbs shock. When the front wheel hits a rock, root, or rut, the fork moves, absorbs shock, thus helps the rider maintain traction. A rigid fork does not move and will cause the wheel and front to bounce up. HT bikes are often less expensive than bikes with full suspensions. While the rear of the HT bike can bounce around more, given the NICA courses are not very technical, an HT frame bike is a good option. These bikes are generally lighter than a full suspension bike too.

Full Suspension (FS): As mentioned above, the FS frame bike has both a front suspension fork, and a rear triangle that is connected to a single shock. The rear triangle is allowed to freely move as the terrain changes and when the rider causes the bike to compress. Most front and rear shocks have lock outs and are also adjustable for rider weight and terrain. Because a FS bike has more parts, it can be more expensive, require more care and maintenance, and can be a little more costly to repair and maintain. Moreover, a FS bike is generally heavier than a HT. 

Hardtail (HT): This type of frame does not have a suspension in the rear. The rear triangle of the bike is fixed to the entire frame. NICA requires that at the MINIMUM, the student athlete MUST have a front fork that is a suspension fork. Students CANNOT ride a bike in practice or races that has a solid (non suspended) fork. This is for safety reasons. A suspension fork moves up and down and absorbs shock. When the front wheel hits a rock, root, or rut, the fork moves, absorbs shock, thus helps the rider maintain traction. A rigid fork does not move and will cause the wheel and front to bounce up. HT bikes are often less expensive than bikes with full suspensions. While the rear of the HT bike can bounce around more, given the NICA courses are not very technical, an HT frame bike is a good option. These bikes are generally lighter than a full suspension bike too.

Full Suspension (FS): As mentioned above, the FS frame bike has both a front suspension fork, and a rear triangle that is connected to a single shock. The rear triangle is allowed to freely move as the terrain changes and when the rider causes the bike to compress. Most front and rear shocks have lock outs and are also adjustable for rider weight and terrain. Because a FS bike has more parts, it can be more expensive, require more care and maintenance, and can be a little more costly to repair and maintain. Moreover, a FS bike is generally heavier than a HT.