Evening all,

Anyone running rigids these days on an xc hardtail?

Considering replacing 100mm sids (recently bent the lowers in a crash) with a carbon rigid.

Any recommendations? Good tyre clearance a must and 650b/26 compatible would be ideal.

Disc only too.

Thanks for opinions in advance.

Yep, no problem for mince xc in the Yorkshire Dales, you can still let go on the straightforward downs, but within reason of course. My summery of them is they will be fun for someone into it just for fitness or the overall ride, but if you’re just out for the descents then it’s going to be disappointing. Otherwise, they are maybe a bit in the fatbike / singlespeed arena, where you’d like to add an extra dimension to your ride out. Any long descent with any sort of technical bits can be pretty tough on hands/wrists/arms. It’s basically like old sckool MTB, but with a bit of give.
I’m a bit behind the curve still on 26″, so won’t bother recommending anything, but 26″ carbon ridged with carbon ridged forks.

I don’t have one currently but I love a rigid bike (or even just rigid forks to swap in and out, to add choice). Makes the same trails ride very differently. I can totally recommend Exotic’s carbons- they’re not the lightest but they’re very good quality and very durable. Not the stiffest by any means but that’s not much of a drawback in a rigid, it helps take some of the sting out. If I was building a rigid tomorrow I’d buy another set.

I think Scotroutes still has my old set but I had them in my Soul and occasionally my Ragley and they didn’t mind getting used hard- ews race stages, an innerleithen uplift day… And maybe more appropriately a couple of glentress sevens. And tons of Just Normal Riding. Tyre is important, I had a 2.5 singleply nevegal which took some of the sting out- and rigids have less grip in general.

I had hylixes which were lighter and stiffer but tbh they were so light I struggled to really trust them, and they were generally less pleasant to ride than the exotics.

Oh and as per Northwind, I went thru a super lightweight exercise and it got to a point where it felt horrid. Not a trust thing, but was so light that I felt that it was getting pinged off the smallest rocks on descent, so much that it was unstable, I changed back to slightly heavier wheels/tyres. Don’t know how cx bikers manage, I guess you get used to it.

I ride a set on On One monocoque carbon forks on my 29er. They’ve taken a battering and are still going strong.

On One are selling some for £89

Link

Got a carbon exotic on a 456 and it’s a bloody hoot to ride xc stuff with, probably not the ideal frame, but fun never the less… I fitted a 29er fork with an axle to crown measurement that gives a sag corrected equivalent of 26″ at 130mm… so it’d work with any (non fat) front wheel in there… even a 29er+ (tempted to try!)

Currently got Niner rigids on a Whippet while I procrastinate about getting my lefty fixed.

Rode the Cannock monkeydog at the weekend – t’was a bit hellish :/ Bumpy stuff is awful as you *cannot* brake, regular size holes are fine, but potholes (especially in berms) are nasty.

Front brake is extra sharp now too. Is brilliant on smooth stuff; corners like a bastard* 😀

*Fruitflies like a banana

I went super light XC as above a while ago, it climbs like a dream but can be a handful downhill and is noticeably slower than those with front/full suspension.

I have recently gone from 2.1 tyres (26″) to 2.35 and that has improved matters. I am sure 29″ would improve the ride.

I used to ride rigid steel years ago and I think the heavier frames probably made them a bit more planted.

B.A.Nana – Member
Don’t know how cx bikers manage, I guess you get used to it.

I think you tend to ride rougher stuff on a rigid mtb than you would on a cx bike. I did Cwmcarn yesterday on my rigid mtb, but would not consider doing it on my cx bike.

Mine are going back on today.

I have second set of on one jobs you can have for a good price to try it out?

Thanks for the input gents. My xc bike doesn’t get used on trail centres or peak district rides as I have a 160mm trail bike I use for all that. It’s more gravel and local woods. Nothing too gnaarrr.

I’m guessing the Chinese ebay ones are a no no?

Theo on one link for £89 doesn’t work. Had a look and they’re £144 that I can see?

My hylix steerer broke

Didn’t like the way tubular carbons were fore and after stiff but tracked like a bendy banana (mines were pace)

Got project 2 triple butted steel forks on now.

Exotic carbons are the ones to go for imo. Comfy and can take biggish hits too if you misjudge something.

Ideal for mucky winter rides, local woods etc.

As Rob above, I have the Excotic carbon forks and have no complaints. They have taken an absolute hammering (now about 4 years old).

The exotic website is a bit glitch. Any recommendations of where to buy them from?

Seems OK for me

http://www.carboncycles.cc/?p=197

got some of the on one mkm thingies on my tinbred … great for the
Bristol trails 🙂

The exotic seem to do 2 styles. 1 which looks similar to the old pace rc31 and a much more moulded one.

What’s the difference etc? Doesn’t seem to be prices on the website either?

Only ridden the one with the alu crown and steerer – both 26 and 29. Seems pretty good to me. For comparison I also used to have the on one monocoque, but preferred the exotic.

I use a sort of halfway house rigid on my fat bike.

Lauf fork, carbon, light and a little bit of suspension with no maintenance required.

Ticks all the boxes for me.

Mine were also the exotic tubular (branded Nukeproof) and as the guys above, took a hammering on fast Dales descents. Was quite alarming to look down at them sometimes.

My XC race bike (SS scandal) always had rebas (100mm) on them.
I picked up some one one carbon rigids and thought I’d give them a try.
Initially it was pretty harsh (well, duh) but then I swapped the front tyre out for a bigger vol one, ran at lower pressures.
It’s great!!

Especially when racing the single speed, the bike is lighter and more responsive, and the climbing is rapid!

So, I was initially sceptical, but now I think it’s cool…

DrP