I’ve just swapped my suspension forks (Reba Race – so a decent light pair) for some rigid carbon ones and the only difference I notice is how much more enjoyable my riding is. I can feel the trail that much better, well chosen lines are so much more rewarding and I can climb like a Billy goat on whizz. I can't explain it very well but the ride is just so much more rewarding…
Suspension – what does it do other than insulate us from the very terrain that we seek out to ride on? If I wanted to go faster and smoother, I’d be riding on the road.
My advice - throw away those suspension forks, rub some Deep Heat into your knees and head for the hills!
“Mountain Biking” – it should be more about the mountain than the bike ❗ ❗ ❗
My Kona Coiler makes me smile as much as my rigid single speed makes me smile.
I wouldnt be out with suspension. or disc brakes. or modern geometry
Yes. I can go faster with it. Speed is good.
🙂
the only difference I notice is how much more enjoyable my riding is.
It sounds like you ride like a weak little baby-man. 😉
Those who got into MTB'ing in the old days will most probably appreciate that is has its uses but is not "needed" If you can ride a rigid/HT properly you dont need it.
Those who have not probably have very little experience of riding without suspension so would have problems without it.
If you want to just sit and pedal though everything with getting up off your arse then you probably do need it. IMO
Yawn!
(I actually own a rigid ss bike btw)
"Yes. I can go faster with it"
True, unless you learn how to use your knees and elbows to act as suspention then you can keep up with the full sussers then leave them on the hills...... 😉
I can feel the trail that much better
If you rode around here where the trails have 6" deep hoof prints* that have set like concrete in the dry weather you wouldn't be saying that. Bouncy forks rule.
* the horsey people keep the bridleways open & well used so I ain't complaining mind
Those who got into MTB'ing in the old days will most probably appreciate that is has its uses but is not "needed" If you can ride a rigid/HT properly you dont need it
As sombody who's been riding since 1990, I can assure you you can stick your rigid forks, your rim brakes, your long stems, your thin tyres, your flat bars and your thumbshifters right up your ****!!!
I'm not going back to that stoneage junk again!
🙂
I know what your saying, I love my new hydro disks and Reba's.
But I dont NEED them to ride well or enjoy the ride. They make the ride a little easier thats all.
Carbon forks are suprisingly good at damping but surely don't hit the downs at anything like the speed and confidence you would with a good sus fork. Goodbye eyeballs!
Do we need mountain bikes?
to go and ride around in a loop, that inevitably brings us back to the same place for no real gain?
i want some of those superstar 100mm adjusted carbon rigids to try out on my XtC, just because it looks like it might be fun.
dont do them anymore sadly 🙁
Im 34 and got my 1st proper mtb at 14 ish so 20 years ago.... I have fond memories of biking 5 times a week and a few epic 4 day long rides, I ode it everywhere, would I want my Muddy fox courier comp or cannondale M500 back.......................... NO, would I want a robin reliant to replace my MPV.......... No, sorry times moved on, dont get me wrong I miss the old bikes for their simplicity, little maintenace needed, just get on and ride it, now its all about fettling and adjusting things as soon as a bit of mud hits... a small trade off imho
Of course you don't NEED suspension forks, even (and I'd take this as an assumption, rather than pedantically pointing out that one doesn't need to go mountain biking) if you're going to go and ride a bike off road for fun!
It depends what you're riding - for a fast, flowy, smooth singletrack it can be nicer on a rigid, but being battered to pieces when the going gets rough isn't that enjoyable (at least on longer rides), and having some suspension does definately open up more riding to you - not that it's impossible to ride everything I've ever ridden on a rigid, it's just I'm sure I would've falen off more!
If you're finding it more fun on a rigid, sell the sus. forks and save the time/money of servicing them. 🙂
I'll be keeping mine on at least one bike.
But the question is, Do we NEED it, not want it.
You dont need your MPV to drive around, a reliant would do the job.
No real gain?????
fitness, views, riding mates... FFS!!!
Olly - Memberi want some of those superstar 100mm adjusted carbon rigids to try out on my XtC, just because it looks like it might be fun.
dont do them anymore sadly
Can't you get them badged as "Exotic"?
http://www.carboncycles.cc/?s=0&t=2
Ok... you can easily answer this... NO
We used to ride rigid bikes anywhere, I used to race in the early 90's on one so its possible as there was nothing else, I remember when getting a tioga t bone stem was the biggest upgrade you could make! 🙂 need.... not at all, I still remember doing the 3 peakswith my mates on old rigid bikes.. best riding I ever did
Ah and remember the original clunkers.... down the side of a mountain flat out one brake,
Want, yes
If you want to just sit and pedal though everything with getting up off your arse then you probably do need it. IMO
That is a typical misconception of suspension bikes. I you ride a full suss like that, you won't get very far. Riding a full suss properly isnt much different to riding a hardtail, or at least shouldn't be.
Obviously, we don't NEED it, but then again we don't need to sleep on matresses, we don't need shoes, we don't need ovens, we don't need computers either.
cheers druidh!
i may well be 85 quid lighter some time soon..... 🙁
Sorry 😳
😉
i got a flat tyre the other day and i didnt die.
do we NEED tyres? without them maintenance would be easier, I'd not have to carry spare tubes and I'd be a much better rider because I'd learn to control a sliding wheel.
Sus forks for me stop my arms and hands getting sore and tired.
I run 2 bikes, for years 1 was a full sus, the other fully rigid, I had never actually ridden a hardtail until this year when I swapped out the RC31's for some sus forks, 2 rides and I sold the RC's, no you dont need suspension, but its nice.
I wouldn't wanna ride W2 or skyline with rigid forks. Round here on my local trails it's alright though.
Kev
Suspension is only required if your style of riding and the trails you ride require it.
I mean you no matter how good you are your not about to race a world cup at fort william on a fully rigid are you.
OP rides GAY TRAILS.
Blah blah, I thought we hadn't had this thread for a week or so.
People rode rigid mountain bikes
Suspension came along meaning people could ride faster longer
We could ride rigid again/ continue to ride rigid as it has its charms
Suspension also has its charms.
thread closed.
i have suspension now because my back had had enough of the battering.
[i]But the question is, Do we NEED it, not want it.[/i]
personally, I refuse to recognise "need" as a useful measure of anything I do for fun. Mountain biking is my hobby, I don't earn a living from it, it's what I do for enjoyment, so if I'm enjoying full suss, then that's the bike I'll have, currently I'm enjoying the hard tail long travel thing, so that's what i ride, I expect it'll change again. When my outlook changes I'll change it based on "want" not "need". So if no travel is doing it for you right now, then good for you.
Bikes are fun,rigid,h/tails & f/sussers all fun.End off
I don't need suspension but then I don't need a rigid bike either,or any bike for that matter.I could just run around the trails,don't think that would be as much fun though......
The only things we need are food, water, shelter, and a li'l bit of lovin' 
Everything else is "want"