I spent a maiden few hours aboard my Stooge yesterday.
It’s my first 29er and I haven’t ridden rigid for ages, plus I’m riding it singlespeed – so I will try to keep my ride notes separate from these factors.
I’ve come from 5 years on a 120mm-forked Cotic Soul.
Initial trail notes:
– Easily the most comfortable rigid I’ve ridden;
– I really like the ride position and what I’d describe as predictable handling;
– Far more capable than I remember the Soul being, when rigid;
– Glides over obstancles and through ruts with near abandon – the change from a suspension-forked 26er was less traumatic than expected;
– I got just a hint of how this is a very involving chassis though twisting singletrack;
– It’s not as agile as a 26er…but sensitive to fine inputs;
– It is not as much of an all-rounder as some bikes, although that’s not what I expected or wanted.
To be a little clearer on the final point: I was looking for a bike to cover the 95% of riding I do, which is at a trail centre just minutes from my front door. I don’t ride endless days in the Alps, at far-flung trail centres on black runs, nor crossing maps.
I’m realistic about the fact that having young children has limited what I remember as endless sun-kissed weekends of riding and then cleaning MTBs. I now snatch little slices of time – an hour here and there…working from home, summer evenings – for a quick ride.
I ride frequently, but the benefits of a full suspension dream machine are nowadays lost on me (although I could afford one); the cost per ride could be frightening, for a bike totally capable of the 5% of my riding…yet overkill for the 95%. All I really need is a nice, simple MTB.
The Stooge appears to fit this brief incredibly well. 🙂
Posted 9 years ago
