Rigid mountain bikes

[Chris71]

Out of interest, does anyone here regularly ride a rigid-frame MTB?

I normally ride quite a long travel full susser (I'd probably describe it as all-mountain if I was down with the kids...) but that's in for a some work currently. Nonetheless I was determined to explore the trails in my new area at the weekend so I took my commuting bike out. It's a Kona Dew running some fairly mountain bikey kit, but completely rigid and even fitted with semi-slick tyres.

I thought it'd be a bit of a comedy affair, but at least I could say I'd done it. Instead it was pretty good ride. I had a bit of trouble getting traction up the steeper hills and I slowed down for the roots and crests I'd otherwise have got airborne for out of mechanical sympathy, but otherwise it really wasn't that much of a handicap. And the lack of suspension did wonders for my climbing ability on the longer hills.

A few years ago I used to ride XC with a group from work. One of the guys there was about twice as old as the rest of us, but would merrily disappear into the distance on his rigid frame bike. To be fair he was a competitive XC rider so he was stupidly fit, but I'm now thinking the bike maybe played its part too.

[gazza285]

I ride and race a rigid Kinesis Maxlight, big fat tyres help, but it can get a little tough on the wrists and thumbs on rocky descents.

[Pesders]

I have been riding an ageing rigid Marin Palisades Trail for the last 20 years and love it. However, as I get older I find that the ability to cover rough terrain quickly is literally a pain and is therefore slower than I could have otherwise go. I have therefore just got my first suspension but went hardtail as a nice compromise between rigid and full sus. I love it. The ability to hit roots or hard ridges on the trail without the whole thing jolting through your body is lovely. I will still use the rigid bike from time to time because it is a giggle, but the hardtail is so much usable.

[uncinqsix]

I have a rather "mountain-bikey" rigid hybrid, and was kind of pondering buying a second set of wheels and knobbly tyres and trying it out on some trails. From what you're saying, it might not be such a silly idea after all

It's got disk brakes and heaps of frame clearance for wider tyres, so it's probably ideal for that kind of treatment.

[Chris71]

uncinqsix said:

I have a rather "mountain-bikey" rigid hybrid, and was kind of pondering buying a second set of wheels and knobbly tyres and trying it out on some trails. From what you're saying, it might not be such a silly idea after all

It's got disk brakes and heaps of frame clearance for wider tyres, so it's probably ideal for that kind of treatment.

Depends on your local trails, I guess. These were fairly mild XC single track, but the rate at which I covered ground on what I regard as my road bike demonstrated just how little of my full susser's potential I normally use. Certainly on trails like that.

My Kona could probably do with a more relaxed head angle, but otherwise all it really needs is some bigger tyres. Doubtful I'll ever use it for commuting again now I'm out in the sticks, so might look into some forks with a bit more clearance.

[itsnotarace]

I ran my old Orange P7 with some Pace RC31's for a few years which was lightweight and really chuckable but you do need to pick your line much more carefully so it will make you a better rider. I'm not as young as I used to be now so have gone back to front suspension which is much kinder on my wrists and forearms so less fatigue

[ewenm]

I still ride my Fat Chance Yo Eddy with Pace RC30s - it's a lovely ride but you do need to be precise and good at choosing lines. I don't have a bike with suspension so have nothing really to compare it to.

[rockandrollmark]

Amongst others in the stable I've got a rigid Kona circa 1996. It's a hoot to ride and goes up hill like a stabbed rat. As others have said you have to be a LOT more careful about picking lines and it'll never be as fast at covering ground as a good 100mm XC/ 130mm AM bike.

Here's a link to Steve Peat riding DH in 1993 on a rigid Kona, proving t can be done and you can be bloody quick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X2i9S4r_yQ#

[GaryGlitter]

rockandrollmark said:

Here's a link to Steve Peat riding DH in 1993 on a rigid Kona, proving t can be done and you can be bloody quick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X2i9S4r_yQ#

Be careful, I posted recently about Peaty riding rigid bikes in the 90s and all the feedback was that the trails are a lot harder these days so full sus was essential.

[Chris71]

rockandrollmark said:

Here's a link to Steve Peat riding DH in 1993 on a rigid Kona, proving t can be done and you can be bloody quick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X2i9S4r_yQ#

Just does not compute. The speed those guys are carrying with squeaking cycle brakes and equipment that wouldn't be fit for an entry level hard tail these days...

[ewenm]

GaryGlitter said:

rockandrollmark said:

Here's a link to Steve Peat riding DH in 1993 on a rigid Kona, proving t can be done and you can be bloody quick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X2i9S4r_yQ#

Be careful, I posted recently about Peaty riding rigid bikes in the 90s and all the feedback was that the trails are a lot harder these days so full sus was essential.

Wasn't it more that Peat was bloody quick on a rigid and he's even quicker now on FS? If today's FS had been available in 1993 I'm pretty sure they'd all have been riding it.

[missing the VR6]

My not so local bike shop but the one I choose to use have Transition Klunkers in which I was getting quite excited about on the web last night. Really fancy trying one out, they're pretty cheap too.

[neenaw]

I've got a rigid, singlespeed El Mariachi that I regularly ride.
It was built up as a winter bike that wouldn't require much maintenance due to the lack of gears and suspension but it turns out that I like it almost as much as my FS bike.

[scubadude]

Chris71 said:

The speed those guys are carrying with squeaking cycle brakes and equipment that wouldn't be fit for an entry level hard tail these days...

My MTB is old hardtail with V-Brakes, the local MTB club boys give me a hard time for not having discs but I don't find they slow me down.... erm, if you know what I mean :-)


As the recent trend of videos showing Road Bikes doing BMX/MTB trial style riding proves- its not the Bike, its the Rider.

[noone986s]

Loving these, I have 2 rigid bikes myself.

How are you tensioning the chain on the El Mariachi? I cant see from the pic

[neenaw]

noone986s said:

Loving these, I have 2 rigid bikes myself.

How are you tensioning the chain on the El Mariachi? I cant see from the pic

I'm not quite sure how I've managed to repost the same thing three times 45 minutes apart

The chain's tensioned using alternator dropouts. The wheel is fixed into the dropout, in my case with a standard QR skewer, and the dropout pivots to tension the chain. They don't slip and are really easy to use to tension the chain.

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://salsa...

You can get different dropouts for QR, 142mm bolt thru, with or without gear hanger and various other versions.

[noone986s]

Thanks, I got 3 replies too

[paulrockliffe]

I have an On-One Whippet with some X-lite carbon 29er forks. Rigid and singlespeed, weighs nothing, nothing to go wrong and flies up and down hill. I love it.

You can usually dial the trail buzz out by dropping tyre pressures a little bit, then just smash through stuff and hope for the best. It does fatigue you quickly on long rocky descents, but on anything smoother it feels great.

[Chris71]

scubadude said:

Chris71 said:

The speed those guys are carrying with squeaking cycle brakes and equipment that wouldn't be fit for an entry level hard tail these days...

My MTB is old hardtail with V-Brakes, the local MTB club boys give me a hard time for not having discs but I don't find they slow me down.... erm, if you know what I mean :-)

As the recent trend of videos showing Road Bikes doing BMX/MTB trial style riding proves- its not the Bike, its the Rider.

It's partly a confidence thing, I think. You just have that extra margin for error with suspension. You can push quite hard and know there's still a bit of stability in hand if one of the wheels clips a root or something. Likewise with more powerful brakes - if you've misread the trail a little bit you can slow down more easily. You have to be very committed otherwise.

I can easily see how a quick rider on a rigid bike would leave the average MTBer behind (and quite possibly have more fun in the process). But I'm sure someone like that would be quicker still with big brakes and 130 mm of suspension travel...

[Jimbo.]

29" rigid (f'nar!) with nice fat (well, 2.5" +...no Surly's here!) tyres will probably be my next MTB. Big volume tyres given you a good what, 1.5" to 2" travel that's always working to maintain traction (the primary purpose of suspension!), with none of the maintenance or weight of suspension.

Niner Air RDO? Yummy!