I've bought myself a cheap rigid genesis i0 SS rigid bike which should come tues. I was looking for tips and techniques. I've never rode rigid as I came to cycling late in life!

Expect your wrists, ankles and back to hurt for a while. You'll get through it…

It's funny, I never used to remember rigid hurting so much, but I guess years of suspension changes your riding style and speed. There is pleasure in fully rigid. Somewhere.

expect your steering to feel incredibly direct and sharp 🙂

I actually ride more difficult stuff on my rigid SS than on the full-sus. Loving it.

Ride off the back more is how I managed it. And jump over stuff more.

Point the elbows out and bend your knees.

lycra/horse hair weave shorts and a hip flask

Big tyre, low pressure. Try to ride 'light' – out of saddle, relaxed.
Not that it will help with the i0 but I find carbon fork, ti bars and a 29er wheel make a big difference. 😀 I've ridden purely rigid for over a year now and, although I admittedly don't ride somewhere really rocky, I have not found it to be a problem.

Clink-Have I bought a dud then?

Have I bought a dud then

I've never ridden one but the all the reviews I've seen rave about the i0 You'll be fine; but if not carbon forks and big, wide bars with some give are worth trying.

iOs are wicked – I did put a fox float on mine eventually though – riotous little bike!

Can't wait!

You're going to stand up A LOT more. You're going to use your upper body A LOT more. You're going to be A LOT more smug and irritating.

My buddy told me recently that when we started riding together, the guys thought I was mad/weird on my SS. Then he got one after a loan of (one of) mine. Then another of us got one. Then another.

We all went to SSUK this year and had a great time.

Cheers, al.

your going to have to get on it and pedal it and probably steer it a bit too

I picked up an IO off a chap from STW forums just before xmas, had 2 proper rides on it and loving it (it has fox floats up front). Rode whites at afan and surprised myself that I felt quite happy to blast down the black section (first time on the bike, and first time SS) overtook some fullsussers on the way round as well.

Only downside so far is I'm having trouble manualing it, but I reckon that's just practise.