Rigid riding on bumpy trails

I recently built up some decent rigid frames for my brother and best friend so we can go riding together and revive our childhood days of messing around in the woods. Due to budget constraints, I specced them with steel forks and 2.4″ tyres.

Now going on a few test rides I found that on the super bumpy downhill segments, I can feel the forks flexing and generally feeling rattled like hell. Eyeballs shaking in the skull? That part’s fine but after a couple of hours I found that the headset would come loose.

I get a hunch that it’s from being rattled loose, but surely a fully rigid bike should be able to maintain a tightened headset even on the bumpiest of trails?

The headsets are Hope 1-1/8″ units with starnuts. Would a Hope Hed Doctor or perhaps even a headlock cure this problem? Any suggestions or solutions would be most appreciated!

Thanks
🙂

Any suggestions or solutions would be most appreciated!

Rigid bikes are just a bit shit?

HTH

I’ve never had this problem and I ride rigid bikes a lot, and have done so for 20+ years. Are the headset cups fully seated in the frame, as if they’re not maybe they’re moving enough to give loose headset symptoms?
It shouldn’t make any difference whether you use a star nut or a Hed Doctor or anything else, as that’s only there to allow you to preload the bearings. Once the stem’s tightened you could remove the top cap and it wouldn’t make any difference.

Any suggestions or solutions would be most appreciated!

Rigid bikes are just a bit shit?

Rule 5

rule #5 is about fitness of you, not the bike 😆

rigid bikes are for riding to the pub 😀

It took me a while to get use to riding rigid again. Try to let your arms and legs stay loose on the bike letting it bounce under you rather than bouncing with you. Took me a while but really improved my riding when I jumped back on the full sus.

If the stem is done up tight enough the headset shouldn’t work loose .

As for making it more comfortable you need to unweight the front , add some more spacers/riser bars , try some some bars with more back sweep . Salsa bend2 or on one OG’s something like that . Fit some ESI grips and ease up on your grip allow the bike to move around beneath you.

My rigid is 29+ so has a bit more cush going on and it’s def the opposite of shit on everything from pub rides to stiniog.

I have found recently I tend to get more arm pump on long descents on suss bike than I do on the rigid ….. It’s a different type of riding style.

It could be the stem, not all stems are created equal as far as their ability to clamp the steerer. When I built my rigid I had a similar problem caused by a lightweight stem that was cured with swapping for one a bit sturdier from the parts bin.

rigid bikes are for riding to the pub winning mountain mayhem on

Fixed that for you.

What forks are you using, there should be some twang in the forks, I’ve got a Pace RC129 complete with the rigid forks and they can flutter, you look at them and would think they would be the most rigid things in the world.

The stem is slipping, it’s the only way the headset can come loose.

the cups/bearings are not compacting (unless you can see physical damage to them)
the headtube isn’t getting shorter
the only way it can come loose is if the stem moves up the steerer.

what stem is it?

Ridging a rigid, you will definitely learn how to pick a good line in a hurry! Its surprising how much suspension smooths out the trail…

Rigid bikes are just a bit shit?

Even if the bike wasn’t rigid the headset in question would still come loose, it would probably just take a bit longer to become noticeable.

Also you’re wrong, rigid bikes are ace, nyer. 😛

Rigid bikes are ace.
Shit riders are shit.

Check that your Aheadset has the correct internal spacers. My Argon18 didn’t come with them and had constant problems until I realised what was wrong.

If your stem is coming loose, make sure you tighten the stem bolts alternately, half a turn or so at a time, otherwise you’re just tightening against the other bolt, rather than against the steerer tube so you’ll never get it properly tight..

Riding rigid is for grown-ups.. It’s like cooking a really good meal from scratch rather than chucking a ready meal in the microwave

Stem might just need to be done up a bit tighter. Also, how hard are you running that 2.4″ front tyre?

Big tyres, lower pressure for a bit of cush’ helps reduce the eye joggling and maybe save the headset some stress…

How many times has this happened? It may be the crown race settling onto the steerer tube. Also, night tyres (if possible) will smooth out the ride

I regularly forget to unlock my suspension after a climb. So my FS becomes a closet rigid!!

Riding rigid is for grown-ups idiots.. It’s like cooking a really good meal from scratch without any ingredients or a cooker or any utensils rather than chucking a ready meal in the microwave going to the pub for a curry

😆

OK perhaps rigid is more like downing a bottle of buckfast with a gram of speed dropped into it, then going out for the night in your hometown… rather than the FS option of going to a wine and cheese evening and rounding off the night with your slippers on in front of the fire listening to radio 4

Headset coming loose is definitely not because you are riding rigid. It will be stem issue most likely.
I have ridden only rigid bikes for the last 10 years and have never once had a headset issue.

Using a 2.4 on front was a good move and with a bit of un-weighting of front wheel a bit more when riding over the worst parts does it for me.

I think it is pretty much whatever you get used to and just prefer the feeling of rigid for the direct control it gives. I have also spent the last 4 or 5 years on CX and track bikes off road so going to an MTB with 2.4 tyres still feels nice and soft.

yunki – Member
Riding rigid is for grown-ups.. It’s like cooking a really good meal from scratch rather than chucking a ready meal in the microwave

Thats a nice analogy!

I find that post build my headsets requires a little tightening for a couple of rides. It could just be everything “settling”.

The main thing apart from tightening up your stem is just to ride a bit softer and looser… I sometimes ride with my weight a little further back too on constantly rough stuff, usually you want to keep the front wheel weighted up but this can be the opposite. (for occasional rough stuff you really want to unweight for the rough section- for longer bits that doesn’t work)

Tyres run at low pressures helps- but has obvious downsides.

Rigid bikes are shit. But shit bikes can be great

Rigid bikes are shit. But shit bikes can be great

Beautifully put! I’m endlessly tempted by a Transition Klunker…

🙂

I do like those Klunkers

I wish I hadn’t seen that Klunker. Now I want one.

Might also want to check that you’ve enough spacers under the stem cap/stem, so that there’s at least 5mm of recess.

Woah thanks for all the input guys. Just got back from a night at a friend’s, so to answer-

The stem in question is an On-One 35mm El Guapo. The forks are 440mm Onzas. After another check, it seems the starnut is slipping upwards slightly every time the headset gets preloaded.

Rigid is unfashionable yes, but you feel more of a connection with the earth. This is my brother’s bike after all so if he falls in love with riding then I’ll get him a suspension fork one day 🙂

returning to riding rigid was a bit of a shock to my system 4 years ago. even though it was only moving from a hard tail, i got beat up bad. twisted my back and ached all over. the main problem was lack of fitness though (and harbouring a secret distrust of tyres below 30 psi)

sure, a rigid bike won’t be as fast over everything as anything suspended. but wide rims and tyres, plus and fat options as well as fitness and experience get there in the end. and there way less to fiddle with and maintain.

certainly not for everyone but everything i need to do the stuff i love doing.

john_l it’s meant to be 5mm max from the top of the steerer to the top of the stem. Sometimes less depending on the fork, stem and clamp being used.

Essentially as long as the stem top cap isn’t hitting the steerer when tensioned you’re fine. A spacer above the stem isn’t going to do any harm though, and then you can have as big a gap as you like to the steerer tube.

I would guess the issue is the headset either not quite being seated on the head tube or fork crown, have had this in the past before I got a crown race fitting tool (and recently when a bike shop to which I won’t be returning fitted a crown race to a steerer too large for my tool…)

Love my Fortitude. Although riding down Sticks Pass convinced me that the best possible upgrade is the brakes.

Being shaken to bits is one thing, but you need to be able to slow yourself down.

(that said, I can’t wait to to take the Five down the same route)

john_l it’s meant to be 5mm max from the top of the steerer to the top of the stem. Sometimes less depending on the fork, stem and clamp being used.

That’s what I said 🙂

A good rider can ride anything . My mates father who is the best part of 70 rides a Raleigh Special equipment full rigid carbon fibre steed . He just can’t be touched . An old guy shouldn’t be that fit . He looks old past it , you get him on a bike and your usually second at best . My point is if your good you can ride anything .

1.Steed
2.I bet I can touch him…..and he’d like it too.
2.1 ,
3.You’re
3.1 ,
4.You’re (again)

Rigid is fun and an easy clean after night riding. Say loose holding the bars and good brakes. Slow for descents on drops and rocks and lighter to carry if you have to get off.

lighter to carry if you have to get off.

on the odd occasion I end up carrying my rigid MTB, I’d happily swap places with any of my hardtail or FS carrying colleagues. Thing weighs a bastarding tonne!

OK perhaps rigid is more like downing a bottle of buckfast with a gram of speed dropped into it, then going out for the night in your hometown… rather than the FS option of going to a wine and cheese evening and rounding off the night with your slippers on in front of the fire listening to radio 4

Brilliant analogy! 😀

I love a rigid bike. Not only is it good fun in its own right, takes me back to how I originally rode a mountain bike for the majority of the period between ’87 and ’96. Still rejoice in my ability to pick a good line uphill on the flat and pointing down.

Spent as year riding my duster rigid and bloody loved it… not as my only bike mind. Its got suspension forks now as the full susser is in pieces. I realy quite fancy something like a Solaris with rigids and 650b+.

on the odd occasion I end up carrying my rigid MTB, I’d happily swap places with any of my hardtail or FS carrying colleagues. Thing weighs a bastarding tonne!

You are doing it wrong – my rigid MTB weighs 8kg

Since we’re waving appendages 😀 ….. my rigid is 7.5kg. Not quite a pub bike though 😀

OP, I may have missed it earlier (and kittens may die) but what wheel size are you using? 26 required a lot more MTFU to enjoy it and I was definitely feeling everything being rattled around in my head! Rigid 29er is a world of difference and actually very pleasant even with skinny XC tyres, thin foam grips and other usually inadvisable stuff 😀

The headset is another problem all together as you’ve probably gathered