What’s hot in the world of rigid steel bikes these days?

I’ve a hankering for a new bike, steel, just because I like it, rigid, for less faff, 29/B+, to use for mixed local rides and bikepacking. I’d like something versatile, probably with lots of mounts and bosses.

So what’s about these days? STW used to be awash with this type of thing, but Singular seem to be having a hiatus, on one have got some new stuff but I’m screwed if I can actually tell what any of it is, and getting hold of salsa/surly stuff seems hard work and expensive!

Stooge look fun!

Stooge.

On one big dog/bootzipper?

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Genesis Tarn.

Genesis – Longitude, Brother Cycles – Big Bro, Surly – Krampus.

Stooge Speedball – massive, silly, capable, grin inducing thing.

This

https://nordestcycles.com/en/product/sardinha-kit

Stooge, new Kona Unit/Unit x looks good.

There’s meant to be a new Singular Swift in the offing although it was first touted as arriving in the Spring, then the Summer and I’m not aware of a current ETA (does anyone know any different?); there should be a touring fork option too.

I rather like the look of the Brother Cycles Big Bro[/url].

Have a look here – https://bikepacking.com/index/rigid-steel-off-road-touring-bikes/

Longitude

Yeah info on new Swift would be good.

2020 Mountain

True to STW, recomend what you ride!! I am on a Beyond+ but I do have suspension. I have run it rigid and it was great fun but the front always felt a bit low

+1 Longitude, is exactly that and not a bank-breaker. But if you want 29+ plus you’ll need to bag a Mk1. There’s a couple of medium MK1s on FB marketplace at the minute. One built, one F&F

Why I like it (growing to love it)

Lovely frameset
You can run it single-speed or geared (horizontal dropouts)
Bags of room, loong top ags of standover.
All of the fixing points (except seat-stay bridge, you’d need to drill the plate for rear guard fixing, or rig something between the top rack mounts
Understated appearance
Stable/balanced even when loaded with cargo

Running mine 2×10 which works well for rough touring, limited to about 2.4 rear tyre with front derailleur. Go 1X (or SS) for 29 +
Currently running either One One/PX ‘Geoff’ bars (mucking about,touring/bikepacking/groceries etc) or straights with Ergon bar-ends for gravelly stuff/fitness. It’s a good climber too.

Fire-road mode:

*edit ‘loong top-tube, bags of standover’

OP. Check out this thread:

Rigid won’t die? Show us yours!

Bootzipper looks the best value new option. No info on B+ compatibility though?

Have spotted a Marin Pine Mountain second hand in my size though…

Stooge mark 4.

Flipping brilliant.

Here’s mine.

Love the look of the stooge fork above but surely with all that rake it can’t have much trail ?Do they get round that with a slack headtube angle ?
I presume the fork is very comfy ? Sorry if I’m going off topic here!

Slackish head angle and large fork offset means the trail figure is probably on the short side for a modern bike. But it’s rigid so that trail does not change with suspension compression. It’s very nimble feeling bike at low speeds, but at high speeds and rough terrain feels really stable. It’s some kind of dark magic and it’s infectious. I love it. I leant it to a friend who’s only 5ft 8 and a bit anti 29er and he was smitten.

I think the big curve gives a nice forgiving fork but I’m sure a 3″ front tyre helps enormously.

Ribble Adventure 725

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-adventure-725/

I have a test Stooge landing on Monday!

Hannah.

I see from an article that you were smitten with the Stooge. You really won’t be disappointed. It will ask the question of whether you really need suspension, it defies logic and sets the bar even higher in what a rigid bike is capable of.

New 2020 Kona Unit X is where I’ll be looking soon hopefully.

Re the Swift was speaking with Sam last month and the planned release has been put aside because of tooling costs.

This

https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/touring-bikes/surly-bridge-club-long-term-review/

Re the Swift was speaking with Sam last month and the planned release has been put aside because of tooling costs.

Fair enough – wish he would post something so we knew.

Re the Swift was speaking with Sam last month and the planned release has been put aside because of tooling costs.

Does that mean that they’re not happening or have just been postponed? Have the other steel models gone the same way?

Fair enough – wish he would post something so we knew.

The website could do with a bit of an update (especially the large frontpage link to the Shop which gives “Error 404 Not Found”). It would be great to know future plans.

Have spotted a Marin Pine Mountain second hand in my size though…

Large and Medium at CRC too with a good discount if you want something new.

Stooge

Stooge. Its a kind of magic!

Stooge. I had a MK1 which was ace, only got rid to get a mk4 which I’ve just finished building tonight.

You have just exactly described a Jones Plus. I would look there before a Stooge.

Design and build it yourself

https://thebicycleacademy.org/pages/education-1

then get it painted an colour you like.

Bibi Bikes Bunker looks quite interesting.

It will ask the question of whether you really need suspension, it defies logic and sets the bar even higher in what a rigid bike is capable of.

I’d say the same about the Jones, if you’re committed to a rigid bike it’s been the/a benchmark for a long time. Not cheap but very well made and the fork / front wheel combo is something else. Worth a test ride for perspective at least.

There’s quite a few rigid steel bikes been through my garage in the never ending search for biking heaven, there’s three I’ve kept hold of that will be with me until I die. They are:

A Niner Sir 9. Bought as a secondhand frameset from Ebay, it’s running singlespeed. I can’t pin down what I like about it other than it’s really nice to ride. I’ve owned the usual suspects, Charge, Cotic, Genesis etc, none are a patch on the Niner.

Jones. I bought this specifically for the Divide but it’s so good at just about everything I’ll never get rid of it. If I only had one bike this would be it. It’s the original 29er before the LWB/SWB stuff came out. The do occasionally come onto the secondhand market, it’s always worth asking on the Facebook group. The new SWB fit’s the OP’s brief perfectly, it’ll take B+/29er wheels and has bosses galore.

Lastly I’ve got a Jones Spaceframe. It’s as capable as the diamond and rides exactly the same, mine as a 3.0 front tyre, just because. It gets a lot of comments when it’s parked up, wifey seems to have first dibs on it as her bikepacking ride. The frame bag is smaller but we never carry that much stuff anyway.

Stooge, so versatile. I has a Mk1 and now a Mk4, love them 😊

Stooge

Own a mk 1 ( which will be sale soon) as a half day

The a ti fat with a truss fork, just brilliant.

Love the Unit when I get chance to ride it.

I’ve owned a Stooge mk1, liked it but reach was a bit short and rear Tyre clearance was lacking, now have a Singular Rooster which is a great long distance bike, I really rate the big 29+ tyres for covering ground, and I’ve just got a mk 4 Stooge (B+ wheels for now), it’s brilliant, playful, fast, comfortable. I’d say you can’t go wrong with the Stooge.