Hardtail ss 29er with rigid fork is lined up as my next project -tell me about the frame/fork options readily available.

Ta

Forks: On One Carbon is the default choice it seems, but I’d like to try these from Niner Bikes Carbon Forks
Looking sweet!

Frames: Loads now, I’m an On-one fanboi. But you got Singular, Niner, Turner, Haro and Lynskey. More that I’ve forgotten too.

Get an On-One Scandal or a Singular Swift and you can’t go wrong. The On-One carbon fork rigid is also good but you won’t need it if you buy the Singular because its steel fork is too good to replace. The Scandal can build into a really light bike, the Singular being steel is a bit heavier but there is a difference in ride.

Don’t waste money on a suspension fork until you have ridden rigid for a while – you don’t need it.

Bought a Gary Fisher Rig second hand from a guy out of the singletrack classifieds, built it up with hope brakes and Rebas after trying it rigid.

Got to be one of the best bikes I have ever ridden, never believed all the hype about 29ers till the first ride!

rode my mates surly karate monkey rigid the other day, it was great, that simple really, i also now want one, so that sums it up for me

Love mine (On-one ti & carbon forks). It flies – up, down and along.

i had a scandal 29er, lovely frame; confortable and fun to ride – but i did’nt get on with them big wheels!

I ride a Vassago Jabberwocky, it’s just perfect for me 🙂

I’ve got a salsa Dos Niner, rolls over stuff beautifully and enough travel at the back to take the worst of the sting out of the back end.

Feels fantastic. Nimble it isn’t, but the only way I can describe the way it rides is that it just flows. Makes a lot of sense to me, but I’m 6’5″ 27lbs without trying, i’d say 24lbs is easily possible without much compromise.

Salsa Selma. 29er, very light and very compliant. Great bike.

SS really suits 29″ wheels, the way the bike rolls over stuff really helps with an SS. As for rigid – why oh why… I just don’t get the attraction.

That’s an 18″ (M) by the way, I’m 6’1″ with long legs and little arms.

GB

I’ve ridden rigid 29er for the last 5/6 months. On a 29er the big wheels really do smooth things out. Its only now the trails are drier that I feel the need for sus – but even then I’m sure I could cope without.

I’ve just got back from the Peaks where I’ve been out for 5-6 hours on my new (to me) Surly Karate Monkey. I’m really liking the way that my 29er rides as opposed to my 26ers. It’s a bit more stable, has more traction, and is a bit more comfortable and the only price to be paid is a tiny bit of nimbleness and acceleration. I can’t see that it would be of much benefit to shorter folk (I’m 6ft) but I did see a lady riding what looked to be a 15in Gary Fisher at the Dyfi Enduro to good effect

I did mange to fall in a stream (a pedal problem) and pinch punctured twice (a bigger rear tyre and more pressure would fix that) but apart from that, the bike was lovely.

Before I got my “proper” 29er, I built my 100mm corrected 26er into a “69er” by fitting a 29er front wheel with, in my case a set of Salsa Cro-moto forks (£60ish from Wiggle) and was really surprised how good the bike rode. The only down-side is that you then have to wait for someone to sell a 29er frame and rear wheel only, but I seemed to manage.

Ron Jeremy/Norton, don’t look here It’s the same lovely chap that supplied my ‘Monkey, but this one is Black.

At Afan…

Just works for me…

Off to Lee Quarry tomorrow morning to try it out there, then on for a week in the Dales…

i have a ventana el capitan full sus 29r
i have a haro mary 1×9 with salsa seel forks
i have a haro mary ss too
i like 29rs.

Ive just bought a Unit 29 frame which im going to be building up over the next few weeks. Dedacciai tubing, lovely colour and not that much more than an inbred if you know where to look!

Geometry, from memory is better on On-ones than the Kona though. Admittedly it looks nicer though 🙂
Having said that I’ve never ridden the Kona. On-one isn’t bling but it gets the job done.

my kona unit 2-9 is sweet!

didnt like it at first but just beginning to realise how good it really is…

I also love purple!

I am 5 10 with a 31 inch leg and the 16′ frame is a little small for me.

As andyl46 says I too have a dosniner, first bike in 20 years that feels right.

I think generally the 29er is a much better option for the larger rider. I think I am on the borderline on this at 5 10 and any shorter I think 29ers are not suitable.

what a load of tosh – you taller people can’t hog all the fun for yourselves y’know. 5’6″ and loving my Monkey – big wheels don’t roll any worse with smaller people on them!

Singular Swift was awesome. If you can justify a SS (which i couldnt, too much road work to do before the trails, hence sold mine) they’re ace, rigid 29’er smooths the trail as good or not better as a 4″ forked 26’er, amazing traction too.

interested in the swift but wondering if it would be any better than my kona unit?

aw – just do it. They’re not my cup of tea, but you really can’t go wrong with a Swift; 29ers are the mainstay of the business. Good angles, nice tubing (unlike other U-Tai companies)

This should butter your muffin…

Would definitely be better looking, beautiful bike (no disrespect intended), however, whether it would ride any better, or even be worth bothering if you already have a unit.

nice 😀

That does butter my muffin!

Just lovely!

however I have four bikes already and just requested £1000 worth of Halfords vouchers on C2W scheme so another on the way…

Have to get rid of some first!

That was mine.

Personally think they look better fully rigid, but thats nice flamejob.

do they do a full build or is it buy the frame and build it up yourself?

Either option, not sure on prices now, but a year-ish ago mine was about £1100 as pictured. Check out the website. Sam is great to deal with too.