Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 43 total)
  • Rigid bikes – what is the best way to take the sting out of the ride..?
  • tmb467
    Free Member

    Carbon forks?

    Carbon bars?

    Thick grips?

    A Girvin flexstem?

    simondbarnes
    Full Member

    Bigger tyres with lower pressures makes way more difference than any of the above.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    Suspension forks?

    4″ tyres?

    oldnpastit
    Full Member

    Don’t grip the bars so tightly. And learn to enjoy being shaken around 🙂

    rob-jackson
    Free Member
    deadkenny
    Free Member

    If you want a smoother ride then surely rigid is the wrong choice 😀

    chronos
    Free Member

    Thudbuster works well for me. Adds a bit of weight, but the reward is a back not shattered to hell. Large volume front tyre and an easy grip, as stated above..

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    Tarmac, drop bars, 29 er wheels sorted

    jameso
    Full Member

    Bigger tyres with lower pressures makes way more difference than any of the above.

    Exactly. Foam/cork grips, ti seatpost also help but the tyres are much more important. 2.4s on 30mm+ rims ideally, but it’s still a rigid bike..

    mrmo
    Free Member

    back when all bikes were rigid, you just ran a bigger front tyre or MTFU.

    It is why Girvin flexstems( god they were crap!!) were invented and then suspension forks!

    tmb467
    Free Member

    4″ tyres would be good

    It’s an old frame that I’ve been given – currently a single-speed commuter with 1.5 tyres but I intend to take it off-road at some point. Semi-considering a 29″ wheel up front with a carbon fork (if I can get it in a 100mm fork) but all suggestions (except suspension) considered!

    tmb467
    Free Member

    Hehe – yeah, the flexstem and the suspension seat post were options before I got a cheap set of pace rc30 forks bitd

    And yeah – I did the rigid forks, big tyres thing when I first started biking. Trail centres nowadays aren’t any worse than what we used to ride but I’d quite like to use some more modern tech to have fun. Putting some magura hs33s on it and keeping it single speed but just wondering what the STW thoughts were on a commuter cum trail centre toy were

    rewski
    Free Member

    Padded gloves help, maybe try a powerball to increase grip, wrist and forearm strength. Pick better lines, read the trail better, you can’t just blast over roots and bumps and not feel it, laws of physics and all that.

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    Stand
    Up

    yunki
    Free Member

    big tyres are deffo the way forward.. but I also really noticed big improvements using a carbon front end..

    tmb467
    Free Member

    I intend to be standing up. The commute uphill will help with that

    Likewise with the ‘picking better lines’. This is an exercise in re-education. Pumping the trail, riding the bike instead of just sitting on it.

    2.4″ chunky monkeys are an option as well. Nice to hear a recommendation for a carbon front end too

    singlespeedstu
    Full Member

    Enabler fork, 80mm rim and 4″ tyre.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    Big tyre at low pressure- mine has a 2.5 Nevegal in it (which controversially measures 2.5 inches across) and it makes a massive difference. Oh and ride a little smoother- though that’s a bit harder so I just buy massive tyres 🙂

    c_klein87
    Full Member

    Ti Jones bars, big tyre at less than 20psi, winner

    futonrivercrossing
    Free Member

    3″ Knard at 13psi or a 4.8″ big fat Larry at 7.5psi

    jimthelad
    Free Member

    Definitely just MTFU

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    Wot bike u riding?

    Steel..
    Alloy..
    Carbon..

    tmb467
    Free Member

    1994 GT Tequesta 🙂

    Steel frame, hs33 rim brakes, single speed

    tmb467
    Free Member

    Manning up is also an option

    Just know what it used to be like 20 yrs ago and I was hoping it might have got easier!!

    composite
    Free Member

    Stand on the rough stuff.
    Large tyres.
    Soft grip.
    Better lines.

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    Not a lot more choice than has been given then, sorry.

    Anyway, we all have sore arses and numb fingers 😆

    takisawa2
    Full Member

    A Niner SIR.9 / MCR. 😉

    After a good few years of rigidity I favour the following, in order of importance…

    29″ wheels.
    2.4″ Racing Ralph. (2.35″ these days).
    Steel forks.
    Steel frame.
    LizardSkinz NorthShore grips (non lock-on).
    Non O/S carbon bars…(Easton low-rise)

    I say steel forks because (to me) they seem to absorb trail “buzz” better than carbon. Carbon comfier on bigger hits but I prefer steel. I use a Ti railed saddle also, & again (to me) it just feels better.

    anono
    Full Member

    Restrict your riding so you only venture out when its a mudfest – hey presto a lovely comfy magic carpet ride – certainly worked for me for the last 6 months……

    garage-dweller
    Full Member

    I had a blooming great 2.2 rubber queen up front on my rigid, running steel on one forks and noodly 25.4 bars (remember them).

    IanW
    Free Member

    Stand up, loose grip that’s gotta be a few inches of suspension?

    The forks on my bike properly lockout which is great but even on benign Suffolk XC I like some squish occasionally.

    mooman
    Free Member

    Bend arms and legs. Avoid holding bars to tight.
    You soon get used to absorbing the buzz.

    Bez
    Full Member

    Main thing is ride better: your arms and legs account for the vast majority of your suspension; learn to pump the arms and legs as much as you can, pull the front over bumps before it hits them, get out of the saddle as much as you can, ‘pack’ through lengthy rough sections, let the bike pick its own line, etc – concentrate on keeping your head and chest moving in a perfectly smooth path whilst the wheels track the ground without any sharp impacts.

    Next stop: bigger, softer tyres (though you’ll want fairly sturdy sidewalls – and ideally wide rims – to avoid it being too bouncy on bumps and wallowy in corners); you’ll get up to 2″ of travel there. After that, it’s small fry – if you haven’t pretty much sorted it with technique and tyres you’re not going to sort it.

    TiRed
    Full Member

    Ergon grips and a carbon seatpost

    suburbanreuben
    Free Member

    Bull’s Pizzle!

    Has everyone forgotten what properly hand built wheels can do for your ride?
    tuh! Kids today…

    beicmynydd
    Free Member

    Dual ply tyres with low pressure, or just throw away the frame and forks and go full suspension that’s what I did about 15 years ago !!!

    Cheezpleez
    Full Member

    1. Bend arms and legs and stay loose
    2. 29″ front wheel
    3. Big front tyre
    4. MTFU

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    Dropbars help

    6079smithw
    Free Member
    asterix
    Free Member

    suspension seatpost e.g. USE XCR

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    Stand up. Heavy feet, light hands. Big tubeless tyres (at corresponding pressures).

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 43 total)

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