You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Show/talk to me about fully rigid MTBs. Think I want to take the step and get one but not sure.
They roool
Voodoo D Jab:
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
Kona 69er Experiment:
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
Currently being rebuilt - Clark Kent:
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
I like them as its how I started off riding BITD.
Big volume tubless run at low pressures tyres help immenseley.As do 29" wheels.Good line choice is a necissity not an option.It takes a while to re-learn the technique of riding rigid..after 5 years of it riding with suspension feels SO wrong!There is some terrain that while rideable is just plain hard work.
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
slicked up for commuting, with single ring 40t in middle ring position. i'm pretty sure you wouldn't fit a 42 in there. thudbuster for my back. i might put sb8's on so i can hit the bridleways on the way home.
they do indeed rock. 24 hours of racing, no problem.
comfier with a big tubeless tyre up front though...
[img] 
[/img]
Me too, want a super light rigid for XC and commute, here's my post:
[url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/thoughts-on-rigid-carbon-forks ]http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/thoughts-on-rigid-carbon-forks[/url]
Tried it, hated it, never ever again! Could be okay around north/south downs, but everywhere I ride was just too rocky and I guess I'm just not skilled/hardcore enough.
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
This is quite fun to ride. Can get a bit hard going with the on-one cro-mo forks, but it climbs really well.
I've upgraded the brakes to M595s with 203/180mm discs, but the rest is as shown.
Plus I can JUST about squeeze my Float RLC's on there too. Considering doing some of the SDW with them on it and some light / fast tyres on it.
[img] 
[/img]
Works significantly better on a 29er.
Failing that, IMO (from experimenting different set-ups), order of importance:
Big tyres.
Steel frame.
Carbon forks.
Wide carbon bars.
Thick grips. (Eg:LizardSkins NorthShore).
Non-O/S dia stem & bars.
If running a 26" frame, try a 29er fork. For me, it did improve things till the 29er came along. I felt I had a lot of weight on my hands, even with a high rise stem. Running it as 69er didnt make much difference tbh.
Thats said, I'm not daft enough to think that a rigid fork will work everywhere, so sourcing a sus fork for the odd day out in Wales etc.
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
I miss it 😥
I love my niner, 853 frame, niner carbon fork, 2.4" racing ralph, did clic 12hr on it 2 weeks ago, now doing erlestoke 12 on it this weekend. all about tyre pressures...
They are nice to ride on smooth stuff but horrible on bumpy stuff IMO 😀
Horses for courses? At one time we all rode rigid. For the majority of my riding my SS rigid (Pace RC30) Voodoo Wanga is fine. Am thinking of a return to gears and maybe a sus fork for occaisional fitting. Eventually I hope to have a geared HT alongside my SS rigid Wanga.
just too rocky and I guess I'm just not skilled/hardcore enough
You're not doing yourself any favours posting that next to a picture of llandegla of all places 😉 . You'll be ok soon as they're 'tarmac'ing' the section you can see as we speak!!
Probably a bit of a dumb question but...
...how easy is it to swap forks over, I'd like to alternate on a regular basis.
Bear in mind I've shyed away from most bike maintenance over the past 30 years due to incompetence - just being honest.
Used for dog walking and general exploring. S'alright.
Like riding a bike, innit.
[img] 
[/img]
[img] http://www.flickr.com/photos/62270590@N04/5663847653/ [/img]
The carbon forks have a bit of give, but a fat tyre is cheaper and better.
Hmm flickr no linky. You'll just have to imagine it 🙂
rewski - Member
Probably a bit of a dumb question but......how easy is it to swap forks over, I'd like to alternate on a regular basis.
To some extent it will depend on your headset (particularly the crown race) but usually it's very easy - takes about 5 mins for me. If you're going to do it, try to get a headset with a split crownrace as they're easy to take off the fork. Otherwise, get a second crownrace for the other fork or finally, you can actually cut a slot in most crown races without affecting the way they work.
Process:
- undo brake caliper from fork (assuming you're using disc brakes)
- undo stem and take off
- take fork out (should just slide out)
- swap crown race over (as necessary)
- put other fork into frame
- reattach stem
- reattach brake caliper
For me, rigid = good for winter but I much prefer the bike with suspension forks as soon as things dry out.
Switching forks is helped considerably if you have a crown race for each fork or a split crown race that pops on and off easily such as hope.
Edit: Doh Clobber beaten to it by Clubber...
clubber - splendid, very helpful thank you.
You're not doing yourself any favours posting that next to a picture of llandegla of all places . You'll be ok soon as they're 'tarmac'ing' the section you can see as we speak!!
Was at Llandegla because it's the smoothest place to ride up these ways, tried other places but there was no pleasure to be had. I sold it a week after the photo was taken...
Rigid is an ace way of making those "easy" trails that you've effectively ironed smooth with a suspension into something fun again. I have had both and, if it was either/or, I'd want suspension. I LOVED my rigid tho'
Rigid is an ace way of making those "easy" trails that you've effectively ironed smooth with a suspension into something fun again
That's what CX bikes are for 🙂 Can of worms opened!
Got a carbon fork last year for another bike, ended up swapping it with the Reba-Races on my HT for a few winter rides
[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4457003890_6a93e304cb_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5177/5569176852_7df5485a3b_z.jp g" target="_blank">
Really enjoyed the more considered approach needed, instead of just battering through everything. Also surprised me how much I rely on pre-loading the sus-fork before manualling. Have stayed off the proper rough stuff with it but do most of the usual bits round the Pentlands, just a little slower.
And Rewski, if I can swap forks over without immediate fatal fail, anyone can!
no, CX bikes are for when the rigid has made things too easy. It's a natural [s]progression[/s] regression until eventually you're trying to ride down Nevis Range on a tandem
Rigid is an ace way of making those "easy" trails that you've effectively ironed smooth with a suspension into something fun again
Zactly. In a similar way that night riding makes the same old loops different/interesting, rigid freshens things up. And it's great for winter too.
+1 for stuffing the biggest front tyre you can fit on and runnign the lowest pressure you can get away with.
I've had 2, an io and a love/hate both singlespeeds. I've used them all around the lakes, peaks and dales and I'm not a brilliant rider by any means so they're not just for easy terrain. They're actually a lot easier to ride off road than most people seem to think.
Buy a cheapish one 2nd hand to see if you like it, you'd prob not lose much, if anything; if you sold it on.
no, CX bikes are for when the rigid has made things too easy. It's a natural progression regression until eventually you're trying to ride down Nevis Range on a tandem
😆 so,so very true.
A good point well made 🙂
People are mentioning big volume tubeless tyres, what sort of size? 2.3 and up maybe?
A couple of years ago I had a spare fork with crown race, bar, stem, grips & front brake attached. A split clamp rear brake made swapping a doddle. I picked up a front wheel eventually & used to leave the stem clamped to the forks. The kids used to push it around the garden pretending.
Big volume tyres you say?
3.8 should see you right. 😆
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5165/5254677062_d820926c74_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/5254677062/ ]2010_1211kosride0006[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stu-b/ ]singlespeedstu[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5282/5196170422_0fe03daa99_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/5196170422/ ]gurnytittylip[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stu-b/ ]singlespeedstu[/url], on Flickr
I started out on rigid and i've never been totally convinced by adding tech to my bike - seems that you add ability, add expense, add maintenance needs, add down-time - but don't always add fun.
I'm happy on 2.2 / 2.4 rubber queens up front, on a rigid cr-mo fork and a ti frame. 26". I like it enough to have stuck with it for 80% of my MTB riding and spent more on a new rigid bike fairly recently than any other bike i'v eever owned - because when there's nothing to service or get outdated, it's better long term VFM.
Rigid makes normal XC fun again. It made me stop looking for tech to ride my susser on - i had micro-tech on my doorstep if i rode rigid on rooty but basically mellow xc trails. fun, involving and challenging where before it was 'i miss the alps' all the time.
Try it - it's not for everyone on every trail, but if you start to like it you'll be glad you gave it a go.
fun, involving and challenging where before it was 'i miss the alps' all the time
perfect somethingion
Here's mine, it's a 'do it all' (at least for the type of riding I do) on/off road and commuter bike for having fun on. I love it. It's an 853 Pipedream Sirius with Orange F8 rigid forks.
[img] 
[/img]
I'm riding S/S rigid 29er now and really enjoying it. This is great for solo or riding with other S/S riders, but I find that when I'm playing out with my mates, the gears have to come out!
Great feeling bike though!
[img] 
[/img]
It's certainly a skill honer!
[url= 
]Pure and simple[/url]
My commuter cum lightweight xc fitness compensator comes in many flavours. Regularly ride in the Yorkshire Dales with the carbon rigids and it's good fun. Swapping forks is easy if you have a split crown race. In it's lightest guise it weighs under 20lbs.[IMG] 
[/IMG]
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
reckon mine's the ugliest:
(not quite rigid either)
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5285/5227231106_11639d60bb_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/23823661@N05/5227231106/ ]P1020155[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/23823661@N05/ ]scaredypants[/url], on Flickr
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
@rewski
Go for it, I was after exactly the same thing. I ride 13 miles each way to work on the canal (in the nice months) and wanted to build a lightweight mtb type bike so I could also use it as a mtb bike in the weekend/evening and in complete contrast to my big bouncy bike. I just started with a light frame, with a split crown race on the headset, so forks are easy to swap. As it happens, I've actually been regularly out mtbing in the Yorks Dales with the carbon rigids and really enjoying it. You don't have to spend a fortune, everything on my sub 20lb bike is 2nd hand or last years heavily discounted, the only bits that are new are the handlebars, saddle and cassette/chain/rings. All the drivetrain is xt or slx, rings are cheapo deore. The important bits are frame, wheels, forks, tyres, brakes and finishing kit, you just need to wait for the appropriate bits to come up in classifieds or ebay. I bought some new Salsa cromo rigid forks for fitting trad mudguards in the rain/gloop.
been thinking of doing this on the sanderson....
found a 2nd Surley 29er steel fork in munich. would it be worthwhile buyijng it, but using my existing 26" wheel in it? obviously using a disc brake.
anyone else tried this?
[img] 
?t=1306445935[/img]
I think 29er rigid forks will be OK on 26er frames which are designed for 120mm sus forks. 445mm crown to axle are for 100mm. Are 29ers 265mm crown to axle?
Thanks lads. You have given me some food for thought with this. I have an extra set of Fox TALAS in the shed that I'd pop on every now and again too. Never even entered my head that I could swap the forks from rigid to sus. Now I just need to decide on the frame.
been thinking of doing this on the sanderson....found a 2nd Surley 29er steel fork in munich. would it be worthwhile buyijng it, but using my existing 26" wheel in it? obviously using a disc brake.
anyone else tried this?
This is my Inbred with a carbon On-One 29er fork. It rode better IMO. (470mm A to C).
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5259/5414890791_00dbbac615_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/takisawa2/5414890791/ ]IMAG0223[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/takisawa2/ ]pten2106[/url], on Flickr
I ride a Gunnar 29erSS. It's 19lbs still fitted with the orig steel forks, Easton carbon bars (quite wide) a 2.3 tubeless up front and a 2.1 tubed out back. I'd planned to fit some carbon forks when I bought the bike last year but TBH it doesn't need them, the steel ones are tapered and soak up buzz well.
I ride the South Downs and Forest singletrack and love the direct feel, light weight and pureness of it. I also ride roadie so needed something in an MTB with similar feel, which it has.
Perfect combi my two bike "shed"
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5094/5438941284_e8c9001077_z.jp g" target="_blank">
winter bike / city bomber with tyre change
Nothing else comes close for me. Love it!
[img] 
[/img]
Rigids nice for winter sluch and buff smooth summer singletrack. Rocks are ok in moderation but not towards the end of a long ride, annihilates your upper body 🙁
[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3412/3409285644_3915af37e1.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/donkidave/3409285644/ ]Clifton 2[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/donkidave/ ]D0NK[/url], on Flickr
Oops! How silly of me to google fully rigid at work.
Raced fully rigid last season and found it really good fun. Less to service made racing much much cheaper - I did swap to sus forks half way through and then went back as I prefered the lightness/directness of rigids.
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
Those riding rigid bikes clearly do soft rides on soft terrain.
Al you can manage rocky stuff ok it just takes a lot out of your arms wrists and shoulders. If you are doing a short ride it's not really a problem you just go a bit slower down rocky stuff. On long rides you do suffer, once tired your arms can't take it, shocks seem to jolt up your arms it gets uncomfy, you get distracted and if you aren't careful you crash. How far you can manage a rocky ride comfortably is down to your fitness and more practice helps I guess but you [b]can[/b] ride rough stuff rigid, after all we used to, we had no choice.
....wistfully daydreams...ice cream run, mid 90s, rigid kona, vbrakes, xc race geometry, 135mm stem, 22" bars, scary as hell but doable.
My rigid cost far too much with pimp bits , but the boone ti ring is gorgeous 😉 currently for sale , whole bike not just the ring lol
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
I live in Herfordshire, do most of my riding in Hertfordshire, and for Hertfordshire, rigid is just about all you need - if you just want to ride XC. Besides I kept breaking myself on my Soul. If I lived in a rocky locale I wouldn't ride rigid.
where before it was 'i miss the alps' all the time.
Exactly the reason I'm about to give it a try for the first time in 16 years!
Cheers again for the forks jameso, my 2.4 rubber queen turned up this morning too, so should be good to go soon!
[img] 
[/img]
I've had this for over 5 years and it needs minimum maintenance. It is used as a commuter with a spare set of slick tyred wheels.
I like having a bike that can go anywhere with little chance of problems. It is harder work on the arms when going down long rocky lakeland descents but it is mentally more challenging and enjoyable.
I have only used suspension briefly on my own bikes around 1997, they were horrible Quasar double crowned things and thankfully put me off.
Those riding rigid bikes clearly do soft rides on soft terrain.
I use mine for more fitness type rides where I want to cover miles rather than playing. I wouldn't take it to the Lakes, but do ride in the Yorks Dales regularly. Like said above, it can be punishing on the arms and hands, but also more requirement to pick the right lines, so interesting. Occasionally it does ruin a long techy descent, I've sometimes wished I had the big bouncy bike.
I mostly ride farm tracks / bridleways, so suspension is overkill.
I've not ridden anything with suspension for the last 12 months, and I don't miss it at all.
'92 Fire Mountain, still 26" wheels F and R, but fitted with a 29er version of the PII fork (465mm A-C) - and whilst that might sound like a rubbish idea, it actually works really well:
[img] 
[/img]
I regard this as a mountain bike, but I'd be the first to accept that not everyone will: It's my Singular Gryphon (I also think of me Peregrine in the same way, but I won't post that one as well 😉 ):
[img] 
[/img]
cynic-al - Member
Those riding rigid bikes clearly do soft rides on soft terrain.
There is no other tye of riding on merseyside tbh, only road...
[img] 
[/img]
great fun and built it for roughly £400. Bargain!
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5069/5564602045_cebbc56e4b_b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastkid71/5564602045/ ]024[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/coastkid71/ ]coastkid71[/url], on Flickr
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5148/5582762728_35f5b32431_b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/53860438@N06/5582762728/ ]IMG_0366[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/53860438@N06/ ]Northwindlowlander[/url], on Flickr
My Carrera, up the top of innerleithen, just before a run down the red/black/downhill... Nice to get back to rigid, to me it's just a machine for making things harder, which is nice to have. You hear people talking pish like "Glentress is so smooth", well, take a rigid XC bike there and you'll learn better.
I'd never have one as my only bike but they're great fun. I do insist on a big front tyre though!