I’ve just put some rigid forks on my 29er for the winter, which is a drastic change from the alpine 160 I usually ride. I’ve only ridden local woods so far, but I’m keen to do bigger rides. Obviously the limiting factor is the rider, but I’m wondering how rough do people ride them and stil enjoy it? Do you ride with other rigid riders or with full suss and hardtail riders too?

I ride anywhere I would ride the hardtail (and full susser, although I’d probably not take it to a downhill track), it’s just harder work.

Still can’t get over the complete lack of front grip though.

Pretty much anywhere I’d ride my other bikes tbh. Not full on downhill but everything else. I’m reasonably sure i could get it down fort william but you’ll have to forgive me if I never put that to the test 😉

I think a big part of it is enjoying the drawbacks- at Glentress frinstance the braking bumps are a source of total hilarity for me, but for someone else they could just be miserable.

Well my rigid is a fixed CX bike and I still give it a good thrashing on most offroads….love it! Though I keep away from anythign too technical mainly cos of the fixed.

Everywhere I usually ride, southern part of Dartmoor. It is harder but on a longer loop of mixed trails I think it’s far faster. Usually I ride alone but last Thursdays night ride was with others on HT and one FS, I wasn’t holding anyone up.

I’m running a 2.4″ tubed Ardent on the front which helps a lot with grip. Will be tubeless later this week with a Purgatory on the front and Ground Control on the back which should help a bit more.

I have a rigid and will ride it most places. I do draw the line at anything with steps though, and I will tend to be slower on descents (especially rough ones).

I have a rigid 29er that I have used for about 4 years, I don’t do jumps on it & am wrists feel it a bit but other than that love it for general off road pootling

I have only ridden mine twice in delamere and it is interesting to say the least.
The a-c is actually shorter than the suspension forks it used to run and the bike does feel better as it is what it was designed for back in`96!
It handles great and some pesky people were in the way, it doesnt really slow you down but when it gets bumpy, by christ does it batter you about!

Going to take it to llandegla as it is relatively local as i dont get out as much as i used to because of work.

SS it is too, good fun and not as hard as i thought it would be!

For most things, but tends to be shorter rides, and less long and steep stuff as also SS.

I do draw the line at really rocky bits, just too much like hard work.

APF

Round delamere for me 🙂

anywhere.

love rigid. corners sooooo well 😀

Everywhere, which really means just local in the east midlands. I’ve no thoughts about putting the sus forks back on any time soon.

Still can’t get over the complete lack of front grip though.

That’s the thing I really notice on my commute now I’ve converted my winter bike to rigid. Even with my Rebas locked that little bit of movement left improved the grip considerably. I find it fine for all my riding the only limiting thing is how long I can ride for before things start to hurt. The wrists and hands are generally ok but it’s the pain in my ribs I get occasionally that can make riding unbearable.

just locally mainly, occasionally the skate park/BMX track

Cannock Chase Monkey Trail on a rigid ss 26er. Ace fun !

I’ve had my rigid SS round Glentress red, Innerleithen and part way round the black at GT, as well as doing a few loops in the Pentlands etc. It’s also had a trip to Lee Quarry in the past, which was fine apart from grinding up the hill with one gear. To be honest, it is not as much fun as the full sus, but it is handy for when the other bike is in need of repair, or I want to save on the cleaning and maintenance.

Riding rigid at trail centres is fine, as we generally stop for a chat after most sections, which gives my hands a chance to recover from the death grip.

It works particularly well on trail centres, which tend to be a bit smoother and the climbs are more manageable on the SS than more natural trails.

Everywhere.

Don’t like paying the squishy tax.

I ride my rigid 29er al the time , I go out in a group around the chilterns , normally around the front of the group on the ups and downs, ,
I did change mu pace carbon rigid forks for a set of singular steel ones as I found the carbon were too stiff and transmited all the bumps to the bars now I can ride all morning without any wrist arm problems
Other parts are 50 mm stem and ragley carnegey bars conti mountain king 2.4 tyres

I have no problem with front grip ever

In a very unscientific test the other day I was riding along a track alongside a trek fs bike and comparing the up and down movement of the handlebars we were surprised that the rigid one was less

Even with my Rebas locked that little bit of movement left improved the grip considerably

I used to run some Marzocchi Z1’s (old 3 part lowers, but not the original braces oens) with the MCR lockdown on for the BMX track, they made life considerably easier than the DMR trailblades they were replace with (which cracked pretty quickly).

I rode carbon rigid down snowdon llanberis a year ago – mostly fun and cetainly more of an achievement than full sus

Looks like anything goes then, but I think I better get some more practice in before going out with my usual group on their carbon remedy’s.Painful mistakes are far more likely when chasing friends on suss bikes.

All my riding is done rigid as that all I have one is ss and one is fixed that’s the more limiting factor 😉

Carbon forks, bars and foa grips really help.
The limiting factor on my rigid bike is the fact that it is SS rather than rigid and there are some hills it just won’t go up. Great laugh at Canncok, somewhat less good trying to get up Jacobs ladder…

My 456 is poorly at the moment so I’ve been riding my rigid ss on local rides, 15-25 miles. Have only avoided a few very technical sections but otherwise game on.