[Closed] Rigid riding on bumpy trails

Can't say I have noticed much difference between steel and carbon forks on MTB (other than a pretty good weight saving)

If the terrain is really rough and more than you want to put up with then there is not much you can do about it other than fit a suspension fork. You already have a 2.4 tyre which makes more of a difference that fork or bar material.

I have ridden solely rigid bikes for 10+ years but I live somewhere that only has brief sections of rougher terrain so easy to put up with. If I was riding for hours over very rough ground I may not be such a fan of rigid bikes.

I have Kenesis Maxlight forks and they are pretty compliant, perfect for XC stuff. Ran them with a 2.1" tyre yesterday, 40psi, bridleways and bogs, no bother. At trail centres a fatter tyre helps over the fast bumpy stuff.

On yesterdays ride to High Cup Nick, it was the perfect bike for the job. Definitely wouldn't have wanted full suss.

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A significant proportion of "rattle" garnered from rigid mtb comes from riding the bike with the same technique to that of one with suspension - get over the back wheel and loosen up - don't ride the bumps avoid them - it's fun ..

I'm calling out m360.That was'nt yesterday,that was 15 years ago (they stopped making coloured 2.1's and bar ends in 2001).Just missing a pair of Ron Hills and a local motion frame bag 😉

I'm calling out m360.That was'nt yesterday,that was 15 years ago (they stopped making coloured 2.1's and bar ends in 2001).Just missing a pair of Ron Hills

You are right about the tyres, I stocked up on them at the time 🙂 Unfortunatelyy this may have been their last outing as the sidewalls are cracked and tread pretty worn now 😥

You can, however, still buy Cane Creek bar ends, and my Ronhills were deliberately left at home - it's August, not December 8)

kerley - Member

Can't say I have noticed much difference between steel and carbon forks on MTB (other than a pretty good weight saving)

It's more that forks are different, rather than carbon does this, steel does that. I've had 3 sets, my exotics were pretty damn flexy, if you watched them in hard braking it was like drawing a bow 😆 My hylixes were far stiffer. Both carbon but the difference was really very noticable. And my on ones now are somewhere in the middle.

Of the 3 I liked the Exotics the most but they all did the job

Wide rims,big tyres,tubeless at low (NOT 40psi!) pressures,a man size chip on your shoulder and a healthy dose of stupidity all helps.

Has anyone heard of someone breaking Exotics or these other carbon/alu bonded rigids? If it really is like drawing a bow then that's worrying 🙂

Fork snap has to be one of the scariest failures on a ride.

I am currently using exotics and they feel pretty solid. The only forks which I have had that were worringly flexy and heading for a breakage were Pace RC30 that literally flexed back and forward by a good cm or so under heavy breaking.
My exotics don't budge.

Even with the flex of the Pace I noticed no difference in comfort.

I've been putting the exotic carbon through their paces for around four years now..
Very strong and supple..

For steel I really like singular..

I used a trials fork for a while and it was horrendously stiff and horrible

Flex doesn't equal weakness, it's certainly not worrying! Supple might be the better word. I used those forks a lot, I don't think innerleithen's uplift has seen many carbon xc forks 🙂 Then sold them to scotroutes who may still be using them. If I didn't already have the On Ones I'd buy another set tomorrow.

Though it does give my flashbacks to 90s rockshox with as much sideways travel as vertical

Fork snap has to be one of the scariest failures on a ride.

Ask Tipinman about his dental bill (RC31 induced)

Remember, the forks were "supple" and not weak in any way.

He was using the Paces not the Exotics, which is what myself and Yunki are talking about when we referred to suppleness. I have no idea what you're on about tbh.

Was Tipinman the chap who got told it was his fault for not servicing them? Good old Pace.

TBF they were corroded about 1/4 way through the steerer 😯
There was a blood on the trail for ages 😕 Messy bugger.

He was using the Paces not the Exotics, which is what myself and Yunki are talking about when we referred to suppleness. I have no idea what you're on about tbh.

I said that Pace forks are worryingly flexy and you said that it is suppleness rather than flex and nothing to worry about. Not sure how you now think you were replying to a comment on Exotics but never mind.

I have found all forks I have tried to be much of a muchness after going through a big front tyre anyway. On a road bike with a high pressure 23c I could feel the difference between an alloy fork and a carbon fork but not on an MTB. The weight makes more of a difference as a really heavy steel fork makes the front end of the bike feel quite different from a very light carbon fork (un-weghting especially)

kerley - Member

Not sure how you now think you were replying to a comment on Exotics but never mind.

Because I was 😕 This.

thepleasantpheasant - Member

Has anyone heard of someone breaking Exotics or these other carbon/alu bonded rigids? If it really is like drawing a bow then that's worrying