Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 43 total)
  • Fully Rigid – fnar fnar!
  • merlinshearer
    Free Member

    Ok so I think the forks on my winter single speed are goosed – what are the pro’s and con’s of running fully rigid forks like these On One Forks?

    neilsonwheels
    Free Member

    I used one of those last year on my 456 and it cornered like a house fly however after a week around the welsh trail centres with my mates I needed new wrists. I was destroyed. Around the local stuff and Cannock chase it was great.

    MrSparkle
    Full Member

    Pro’s –
    Winterproof.
    You probably ain’t going to break ’em.
    Cheap.

    Cons –
    They will give you a right battering until you get used to them.
    S’about it.

    In conclusion – do it.

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    Pay a wee bit more and get the carbon fork. Well worth it.

    cookeaa
    Full Member

    Got p2s on my winter ss. they’ll always be harsher than bounce but for churning out winter xc miles without any maintenance worries and minimal cost they are the best tool for the job…

    will
    Free Member

    What Mr Sparke and epicyclo said really.

    alexpalacefan
    Full Member

    Look at the Exotic forks from Carbon Cycles, running one on my SS, love it.

    APF

    P20
    Full Member

    As per Alex’s post, i’d go for the Exotics.

    globalti
    Free Member

    Yep, I’ve got a set of those Exotic carbon forks on my Global and I don’t miss the Rebas at all, in fact I’m going to Ebay them. The bike is lighter, faster, handles better and saves you a hell of a lot of energy on a big mountain day. On a recent trip over High Street I still had fuel in the tank at the end while the poor guys on heavy FS bikes were absolutely shelled.

    You only notice the lack of suspension on big hits like steps and kerbs. We all started on full rigid back in the 80s and it did us no harm.

    tom13
    Free Member

    Fully rigid is brilliant. It seems to make the bike so much more responsive abd you always know where the front wheel is. It does take a bit of getting used to. I had sore wrists the first couple of rides and what seemed like a bit of tennis elbow but you do get used it. It will also improve your riding skills so much as you won’t be relying on anything other than your body to do the work. I would play around with front tyres and find one you like and that you can run a bit softer. My preference would be to go steel. I have run steel and carbon and just prefer the way steel feels.

    jambon
    Free Member

    The on-ones are REALLY harsh.

    Years ago I rode my Surly 1×1 (subsequently stolen) for a few winters rigid and loved it – mainly in the Surry Hills. The surly forks are really curved and have loads of ‘give’ which the on-one’s don’t.

    Tried the surly with some Fox 32 TALAS but went straight back to rigid forks as the 32s were rubbish in comparison!

    Put some fat tyres on and enjoy the skills you’ll have to hone.

    verticalclimber
    Free Member

    have the PRO carbon ones really good and light, run higher volume front tyre for extra comfort all good

    jameso
    Full Member

    Rigid winter ss bikes are great. The ground’s softer now and that helps although wet roots need more care.

    Pros – simple / no maintenance, better climbing on a ss, lighter.
    Cons – less room for error, will be more tiring and slower on rocky / really lumpy terrain.

    I agree with tom13, some steel forks are more fore-aft flexible than most carbon forks so may feel more forgiving. There’s something reassuring about steel forks too although I know that’s irrational.

    Try some bars with 30 degrees or more of sweep if the rigid forks give you a beating, it’s a lot easier to control a rigid front with a bar this shape for some good ergonomic reason that I don’t quite get. Also get your weight as far back as feels naturally OK – you don’t need that long-fork-needs-weight-forward positon for climbing now and the further back you are the less shock you get, gets the weight off your hands and makes the front easier to lift too.

    merlinshearer
    Free Member

    Cheers guys – currently running the SS with a short 50mm stem that has a 60 degree angle so my weight is fairly back anyway – I’m 6’4″ and its only a 20″ frame and it fits just right with a semi riser bar.

    Concerned about tyre choice as this time of year run Panaracer trialraker 1.95″ due to the XC gloop I ride through – saving the 2.25/2.35 Maxxis’ for trail centre weekends on the geared hardtail – should I just go for a bigger trailraker? ooooo no was that the start of a tyre thread?!?!?!

    adeward
    Free Member

    I am currently running singular swift forks with 50 mm stem and ragley carnigie bars , this works much better for me than the pace carbon forks I used to run on my td-1
    Have a set oj j bars to try but brake hoses currently too short

    PJay
    Free Member

    Orange F8s are nice if you’re sticking to steel.

    drinkmoreport
    Free Member

    i’ve a 2.2 Rubber Queen up front and its the nuts :mrgreen:

    adeward
    Free Member

    Should have added I run 2.4 mountain kings of the 29er flavour ,

    jameso
    Full Member

    2.2 Rubber Queen ust were great on my 26″ rigid. Coped with winter slop better than I expected, a good all round tyre.

    clunker
    Full Member

    I have ridden mainly rigid in my 22 years of riding mountain bikes, in that time I have had many quality steel forks like IF, Vicious and Dekerf but my cheapish Singular forks have given the best ride.

    Pieface
    Full Member

    I put on one forks on my winter bike. Your wrists will take a battering but all of your local trails take on a whole new aspect both rigid and none rigid.

    OCB
    Free Member

    I’ve been running a set of 29er P2’s on my old Kona for years now, and it’s great.

    ‘Tis a bit apples n’ oranges I grant you, but I much prefer the ‘feel’ of them over the carbon forks on my road bike.

    I’d agree about the Singular forks too …

    takisawa2
    Full Member

    The Exotic carbon ones give a much better ride than the On-One carbon rigids. The Exotic alloy ones are nice also. I’m just about to put some Singular rigids on my Inbred.

    singlespeedstu
    Full Member

    just stick a Kashima sticker on them and go to a trail center and watch nobbers **** over them. 😉

    DIS
    Full Member

    I have used Rigid on my SS before and it was fine, but i just find my local trails way more fun with suspension.

    Give rigid a go, if you like great, if not can sell and i suspect you will not lose to many pennies.

    Punk_Drummer
    Free Member

    Everything has been said above harsh on wrists etc

    What I’ve found Is that I am always on the look ou for the smoothest lines and have come up with some pretty inventive ones on my local trails which when I’m out on full bounce makes for faster rides

    Northwind
    Full Member

    I’ve got a set of the Exotic ones, they’re fab- light enough, stiff enough, but not too stiff…

    Just scrapped my Official Rigid Nichemobile but they’ll still get stuck into the 456 from time to time, rigid riding is brilliant. Especially if you’re riding the same place a lot, since it can really be like riding a totally different trail.

    dot
    Free Member

    A 2.4 Racing Ralph at 25psi has made riding rigid a whole lot nicer (using exotic forks)

    specialknees
    Free Member

    I love rigids,
    Only time I really notice them is when Im not fully concertrating on the trail and hit a hole or something.
    You know how it is messing with your light or something not watching the trail, all of a sudden nearly thown over the bars. Stuff a suspension fork would have just soaked-up.

    Too close to the rider in front is the other time I sometimes get caught out.

    But overall, the weight saving and increased level of being ‘at one with your bike’. I love them.
    Had them all, currenty coverting the DT Swiss ones.

    kimbers
    Full Member

    I USE MY RIGID KONA FOR COMMUTING

    CARBON BARS TAKE A BIT OF THE STING OFF THE WRISTS

    sorry for caps lock, cant be arsed to retype it tho

    Evesie
    Free Member

    I’ll second what jambon says & put it in BOLD
    Steel On-One forks are REALLY HARSH! Then you get what you pay for I suppose. Disc mount alignment was also really bad. Had to machine a lot off to get the caliper in-line

    avdave2
    Full Member

    I have rigid forks on my winter bike. As well as the comfort difference you may also notice a reduction in front wheel traction given the same tyre choice as you have been running with suspension.

    robbieh
    Free Member

    Can you fit 15mm axles on these Exotic carbon forks please anyone, been offered some wheels to build up a 29er

    chers, Rob.

    Hooter
    Free Member

    Has anyone tried the Mosso aluminium rigid forks which come up on ebay for c. £40? Wondering how harsh they would be…

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    I put some of the exotic cc alu ones on my wifes bike and they seem fine – not too harsh but not twangy either.

    RestlessNative
    Free Member

    I’ve got some of those on one steel forks I run sometimes, they are a bit harsh but ok. Disc mount wasn’t too great on mine either had to get my brother to machine it a bit to get it inline, wasn’t an issue till I changed from avids to maguras. I like the handling of the bike with them on.

    Tyre wise I run a single ply 2.4 Maxxis Ardent which is the biggest tyre I can find without going crazy heavy (it’s about 825g) @ 22psi ish.

    timc
    Free Member

    Got Carbon Exotics on my Cotic Soul, would recommend them for sure, bargain @ £85 as well

    marvincooper
    Full Member

    I’m thinking of maybe getting some carbon Exotics too. How are they for taking some clumsy riding? I’m not going to be doing jumps but will do the odd 2ft drop off and am not the best at landing well…

    jonba
    Free Member

    I have on-one 29er forks on my 456 and they’re great. Not sure I’d want them on a long rocky ride but for my local riding they have been fun. (Wierdly?) I find really steep slow technical stuff much easier but faster stuff much harder.

    If you can get some cheap then go for it. If it’s your only bike I think you’ll be wanting suspension back soon so might not be a bargain.

    Riding style has had to adapt a bit but I can still keep up with everyone else. I tend to jump, hop and lift the front wheel to keep speed. Arms etc. have all been fine. A few long flight of stairs I thought I was going to shake a tooth out.

    Andy-R
    Full Member

    singlespeedstu – Member
    just stick a Kashima sticker on them and go to a trail center and watch nobbers **** over them.

    😀 😀

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