All my bikes are rigid.

In terms of the important ones, an El Mar with an exotic fork and 2.2″ tyres, Ti Stooge with 3″ and an Enve, Rocky Mountain with an eBay fork and 4.8″ tyres. I don’t miss suspension, I just ride differently. I also don’t miss wheel traps and going over the bars, something that rarely happens with big tyres and a high front end…

If I didn’t try to keep up with nutters who chuck themselves down technical descents I’d happily pootle about on a rigid bike all the time

“If I didn’t try to keep up with nutters who chuck themselves down technical descents I’d happily pootle about on a rigid bike all the time”

The same for me – you need similar bikes (or extreme fitness/skillzz) to ride with pals. I wouldn’t own a fast road bike if I was quicker on my tourer

“If I didn’t try to keep up with nutters who chuck themselves down technical descents I’d happily pootle about on a rigid bike all the time”

The same for me – you need similar bikes (or extreme fitness/skillzz) to ride with pals. I wouldn’t own a fast road bike if I was quicker on my tourer

I had a Jones Spaceframe bike, and unfortunately couldn’t get on with the rigid nature of the bike.

I was however impressed with it, but too much for me at 60 odd years old.

Have recently bought a fat bike (ok its an ebike) , but has 4″ tyres and trying out the Lauf Carbonara fork, which I suppose is a halfway house in terms of rigid or no faff suspension.

Seems to work better for me.

Thanks all. I think it will be a project on a 1999 Fisher Paragon frame I have giving me 3 bikes Road mtb and a rigid 26

Ran full rigid singular swift up until this year, put suspension forks on to try and see if it would help my wrist.
So far I keep forgetting to turn the suspension lock out off….
Looking at going 29+ in the future and go back to ridged, might even try singlespeed again..

Cheers, Steve

OP – most of the positive comments are from a 29er perspective, something to bear in mind.

I’ve had a Stooge as my only bike for nearly a year now. It’s bloody brilliant! No regrets at all.

On reflection a couple things have got better since the 1990s

1. We have discovered lower tyre pressures
2. Riding positions out less weight on the wrists
3. Wheels have got bigger
4. But probably most importantly brakes have got better. I think the real killer was hanging onto rubbish brakes so having massively tight for-arms over the bumps

I’ve been riding a rigid bike for the last 9 or 10 years. I’ve had other hardtails and the occasional full sus but keep coming back to the rigid. While suspension helps with high speed technical descending i love the accuracy and weight of rigid fork. I now have two rigid bikes. I’m also in the ‘older rider’ category and have previously broken my wrists and ride without pain.

Its not for everyone, but I love them

With my suspension forks going belly up a couple of weeks ago (my fault – not serviced regularly enough) and some carbon forks going for a good price I made the switch last weekend. Did one 64Km ride last weekend then the Yorkshire Dales 300 this weekend. Some plus points and some minus points.

On the plus side they aren’t as harsh as you might think – OK, large volume 29er tyres at lowish pressure help take the sting out of things but it’s not as bad as you might think. I got on fine with them on moderately rocky/stoney descents.

On the minus side they aren’t good on big rocky step descents, especially if you don’t have a dropper seatpost (or aren’t able to lower your post). I struggled mostly on technical climbs which might be as much my lack of technique as anything – get the line wrong and you’d be pushed to one side. I’ve got slightly numb little fingers this morning but after 300Km that might be expected.

+1 to what @ampthill says.

I don’t think I’d have it permanently set up rigid but it’s a different option. Oh, and I’m also well on the wrong side of 50.

Depends what you’re riding. Trail riding I use my HT, uplift days and bigger stuff on full suss, bridleway bimbling CX or rigid mtb.

If I could only have one it’d be the full suss, big stuff is what I enjoy most, if you enjoy/only have access to lighter riding then yes rigid mtb will be more fun and probably faster.

Unless you’re Aaron Gwin, then yeah just get a rigid and go get som KOMs up bikepark wales

Hmm there’s rigid and there’s rigid

Matey on a rigid thin bike gets to the end of the descents with blurred vision and pink blotches from the vibration

Yours truly has already been waiting for some time had a drink, checked the bike, chatted to passers by, answered questions about why the tyres are so fat etc

I have a fully rigid Surly Krampus which I love to bits; would I have it as my only bike though …not a chance.

About 18 months ago I swapped a Five for a Salsa El Mariachi. And it’s bumpy as hell. I live in South Wales where it’s rocky and rooty, and I had become used to pinning it down these trails. On the rigid bike I have no choice but to slow down a lot. Some descents take easily twice as long, and some really leave my arms and hands sore at the end. I’ve sped up once I’ve got my technique (re)-dialled in, but it’s still nothing like as much fun on descents. You can’t hoon about, round here at least.

Having said that – I’ve chosen it for 90% of my rides in that time. I’ve discovered that I love riding it because it’s such a stiff platform on which to pedal, and because I’ve been doing lots of mixed on/off-road rides which suits the geography here. I never liked riding the 5 on road so I didn’t explore the trails that needed road to reach.

However I personally would not have one for my only bike, but that’s because I like going fast on rough stuff and at trail centres. Depends entirely on where you live and how you like to ride.

Most fully rigid bikes can take a sus fork though so buy the bike, and put money aside for a spare fork. Win/win.

Most fully rigid bikes can take a sus fork though so buy the bike, and put money aside for a spare fork. Win/win.

Thats my plan for the next bike, 29+ full rigid with a 29×2.1 in a sus fork for when I want a change.

Cheers, Steve

Does it count if it’s got 5″ tyres running at single-digit pressures?

I’ve been amazed at how capable my rigid fatbike is as a general trail bike. That was never the plan. It was was supposed to be a bit of fun for when the trails were a mess or covered in snow. But I prevaricated so long that summer had arrived by the time I’d built it and I couldn’t resist testing it on the trails. It’s certainly made me realise that there are both pros and cons to suspension.

Blasting down bumpy trails at warp speed is a right laugh and for that you can’t beat some nice well-damped suspension. But for anything slow (i.e. the vast majority of any of my rides) there is a lot to be said for the extra efficiency and a bike that doesn’t keep changing geometry on you.

Only bike? Probably not, but it wouldn’t be all bad.

Does it count if it’s got 5″ tyres running at single-digit pressures?

No, cos if he was considering a fatbike he’d have said fatbike. He’s considering a normal rigid mtb.

Ah well ignore me then 🙂

To be honest, I don’t know how much of the way my bike feels is down to the tyres and how much due to the fact it is rigid. I’ve read a few fatbike reviews where they remind readers that a rigid fatbike is still a rigid bike with all the pros and cons, so I thought it might be relevant. But you are right, stonking great tyres must change the equation a fair bit.