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I read a lot about stuffness on frames and how it is pretty important. The stiffer, the better.
I've not been fortunate enough to try so many bikes in my time, so it is difficult for me to compare.
Why is stiffness so important? On a hard tail for instance, you'd think a certain amount of springiness/flex in the rear would be of benefit to stop you breaking your spine over the bumps.
Stiffness refers to the lateral movement in the frame rather than the vertical movement which adds to comfort.
It is generally a good thing because it allows you to corner more accuratly and confidently. It makes the bike feel more solid and confident and holds a line a bit better. There is no need to worry too much unless you actually ride towards the limit of the bike.
Stiffest ive tried has probly been a demo 9 but a turner 5 sport DW comes close. However i chose the ibis instead because although its slightly flexier it was much lighter. Its sometimes a trade off unless the designer gets it spot on
Horses for courses really.
If I was doing many miles on an XC bike, I would want it to flex slightly underneath me, to make it as comfy as reasonably possible. On a road bike, there was a noticable (but small) difference between an stiff alloy bike (Spesh Langster) compared to a steel roadie. Was quite surprising really.
OTOH, if I was thrashing the bike DH, the stiffness would be reassuring it wouldn't snap in two.
OK, so its lateral rather than vertical. Makes sense. You don't want your bike to 'bend' around corners like a bendy bus!
I'm certainly not a rider to take things to their limit, but I like to know what's what.
xiphon - MemberHorses for courses really.
If I was doing many miles on an XC bike, I would want it to flex slightly underneath me, to make it as comfy as reasonably possible.
On the other hand a really stiff bike is great for power transfer - great for climbing, sprinting, and it tracks better through stuff, so good for racing. Maybe not ideal for all day touring though.
xiphonOTOH, if I was thrashing the bike DH, the stiffness would be reassuring it wouldn't snap in two.
For me it's not so much the feeling of solidity, most dh bikes feel solid to an extent, rather how the bike corners, tracks through chunder, and performs under landing that's apparent.
I want my frame to be stiff. Any flex there is undamped springing. I'm happy to get all the flex I need from fat tyres and my saddle rails.