Suspension?

So been up to the lakes and Yorkshire dales before and over new year with family so assorted bikes dragged with us. I rode my Ritchey P 29 with 120 mm travel and 2.3 tyres then borrowed a full suss specialised enduro 29. The bike I have ridden most recently is a stooge half fat rigid.

So riding a front suspension or the full suss I struggled with the actual travel, suspension set up correctly but it felt wrong, the dip of travel seemed inappropriately awkward and imprecise, it felt as if I could not gauge or feel the terrain. The tyre offered no advantages even though they were lighter, thinner and in theory less rolling restiance. It felt that I had less control and general instability. I failed to climb things that my daughter on the stooge wandered merrily up. The only time I felt as if I was enjoying the ride was when I forgot to unlock the suspension fork and it was rigid.

Now I was an avowed full suspension rider what has happened to me that I am extolling the virtues of fat tyres, rigid forks and no rear suspension?

Is there any going back?

Well I’ve got a Czar and a Flux, and recently a Stache 5 for winter duties.

I find the Stache 5 – crashy and bashy, and awful in the slidey wet stuff. Not that impressed with it to be honest. It was *cheap* and looks nice, and has a certain amount of rail-ability in the dry. That’s all I can say about it. Oh and it’s a workout to ride quick.

I’m thinking of going 2.4 tyres on it with better rims. Dunno. The Carbon fork may as well be aluminium in terms of give.

I wouldn’t for a minute say it was as much fun or efficient over the rough stuff as either of my two Turners. Suspension can be more fickle, but once your dialled it’s a dream to ride.

However it’s clear some bikes suit some folk more than others.

This is definitely something I experience as well.

Although I have a feeling that even when i’m riding well im not exactly using the suspension correctly as often I dont seem to notice if its locked out or not.

I find it worse with Hardtails.
Going from a rigid to a Full suss is nt quite as bad it forces me to change my riding style I sit back more and rarely stand up.

With a hardtail I want to stand up and really push the bike but because Im not used to the suspension I just tend to wallow in it.

Agree with the above

Suspension is nice over rocks and stuff but the rest of the time the precise steering and unchanging geometry is a great help. Steering especially.

HT not too bad although the forks feel like noodles and make the front end feel heavy. FS feels as though the frame’s made of rubber

Never ridden suspension but rigid bikes just keep getting better and better.
Back to skinny tyres and clearance for mud though!

I have a full fatbike and a full suss, they ride completely differently and the fatbike frankly sucks at the jobs the full suss is best at. I love them both for their different and interesting capability.

I feel like if you were finding no advantage to a narrower tyre you’re maybe just riding the stuff where a fat tyre is good? Especially on a big mad bastard like an enduro 29 which is basically one rung down from a downhill bike.

I mostly ride a rigid 29er and it is an ace bike.

However, for me it absolutely blows goats for rocky technical stuff. I do ride it on very rocky terrain from time to time (it’s been all over Scotland, Lakes, Peaks etc)but above a certain speed me and the bike just become a rattly mess and it usually ends up in with both of us in a ditch. There is something to be said for the static geometry for picking your way up techy climbs and rock gardens but it just sucks once you get going. Full sus all the way for big rocky days out.

Now I was an avowed full suspension rider what has happened to me that I am extolling the virtues of fat tyres, rigid forks and no rear suspension?

Suspension can be a bugger to set up, so perhaps it’s just those particular bikes?

My Patriot was always divey to some extent or another, I just got on with it – but until I started dropping the seat (and eventually acquired a dropper) it was always tricky braking into corners. Now it’s a blast.

Bike setup is hugely complex, and can take years of ownership and fettling to get right. Always irritates me when the serial bike swappers of the forum keep saying their bike is ‘not quite right’. It would be, if you took the time and effort to set it up right. The bike you eventually find just right is probably the one that coincidentally comes with the right setup for you.

I bought one of Charlie the Bikemonger’s ex demo Pine Mountain 27.5 steel rigid with 3″ tyres.
despite having a 5 with 2.4 hans dampfs, I’ve mostly just ridden this, as “for what I do” in the peaks it’s been great..the traction is amazing, and it’s not that draggy on the road.

Yes it is a big rattly down the bigger rocky stuff, but overall in the winter slop its been fab.

Now thinking about a plus bike with some suspension and a dropper post…

You see thing is I am 50 years old hugely dodgy neck and back from silliness in my youth so moved to full suspension after a demo on a Santa Cruz tamzon bought the heckler, been on turners- owned a few but the original RFX was one of my favorites bikes and currently own a Yeti sb 95
Totally agree with

Bike setup is hugely complex, and can take years of ownership and fettling to get right. Always irritates me when the serial bike swappers of the forum keep saying their bike is ‘not quite right’.

But I had a Ritchey P 29 before and used the same forks for a while on other bikes so got it reasonably set up for me so some consistency.

Rigid and rocky stuff yes the pace drops but I have managed to get down stuff on the rigid – no grace or skill occasionally pinged off it some wall, bank, moor bog but it was significantly more challenging and enjoyable…….. That may not be the right word, so engaging.

Been riding stuff where a fat bike should suck bridleways on moorlands saturated into bog fest with interconnected road riding, so not ideal when we go to a trail centre the stooge is a monster.

No doubt over the course of my riding I m slower but not as much as I would have thought especially on climbs yes it has limitations but what bike does not?

It has suprised that a rigid bike has been such a blast to ride, and one I look forward to riding.