[gemini2k]

I raced a fully rigid "on-one" xc bike in a little midwest mtx race. It was funny, it pedaled pretty nice obviously but bounched around like a mofo obviously. But I was thinking if I had a smaller frame size, and dh tires it might be run to do some big freeride and slow DH-ing on a rigid next season. Anyone tried this ever?

 

[bikenweed]

Gary Fisher tried it once. It subsequently made all singletrack illegal in Marin.



Please, think of the singletrack.

 

[skinny mike]

you must not like your wrists very much.

 

[PatBranch]

I want to do this. Something somewhat burly that I could use for street, DJ, DH.

 

[SXtrailrider]

I think it is a stupid idea. not to be rude but the point of suspension is that it makes bike rides funner and smoother especially for DH. I talked to an old professional that use to race on a rigid and all he had to say about it was that it was painful and he would never go back to anything without at least a front fork.

 

[Rik]

Unless you ride at walking pace, you'll be dangerously out of control. Either way, it's not worth it, even for novelty value. I've done a fair bit of xc/trail riding on a rigid SS, and as soon as it hit the rough stuff controlling the bike became near impossible. Give it a go once to find out for yourself, but for your own safetey don't plan on doing it regularly!

 

[PatBranch]

Well, at least for street, it would be fun.

 

[Bicyclist]

Patrick, have you ever riddden a rigid bike? i own one and I can say it's not fun. The difference between .5" of suspension and rigid is huge. Your body aches on a rigid bike after about an hour. Hou can't control your bike. You go significantly slower. It's really not fun.

 

[Eggzoi]

If you're interested I say go for it. I used to downhill on a BMX, sure it wasn't very fast and pretty bumpy but good fun. Although the tracks we rode on back then weren't as hardcore as some of the stuff I hit on the Sunday as long as it's not too steep (as in, as long as you don't have a section where you can't completely control your speed) it's fine.
Not to mention it teaches you being smooth all over, although I lost that long ago.

 

[xy9ine]

rigid dh is a rad idea. removes the suspension technology factor. a true test of skill. racing for manly men. rar.

 

[Ian F]

There is a shot of a prototype "rental" DH bike in an old magazine from the mid-late 90's. I believe it was tested at Mammoth (or some other CA mtn). The bike was basically a fully rigid frame that used huge ATV tires for suspension. It had no drivetrain - just MX pegs for your feet. You just coasted down the mtn.

Never read anything about it afterwards.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

There is a shot of a prototype "rental" DH bike in an old magazine from the mid-late 90's. I believe it was tested at Mammoth (or some other CA mtn). The bike was basically a fully rigid frame that used huge ATV tires for suspension. It had no drivetrain - just MX pegs for your feet. You just coasted down the mtn.

Never read anything about it afterwards.

it was a hannibrink (spelling) i got to ride one of those on some sand dunes in north carolina, fun as hell...

I remember seeing pictures of aaron chase and a bunch of dudes running a mtn in europe on those a few years back...

 

[binary visions]

There are a few places a rigid bike belongs.

On the road.

In the skatepark.

On the dirt jumps.

Under a trials rider.

That's it. Rigid bikes do not belong in the woods. It's fine it you want to try it because you have one, or if you want to do it for a novelty. But it's really not that much fun, and I'd suggest that spending money on it is boardering on lunacy

I know some people ride rigid bikes and they might jump in saying how much fun it is etc., but I think these people are either in love with the novelty of it or are extremely masochistic.

 

[Cant Climb]

anoyone who started riding in the early 90's was basically on a rigid bike......my frist time on a lift assited mountain was on a HT race bike with a 60 mm air fork and i had a blast, that was in 96. Doing that now i probably wouldnt have any fun and i'm not sure thats a good thing or not....

 

[rigidhack]

There are a few places a rigid bike belongs.

On the road.

In the skatepark.

On the dirt jumps.

Under a trials rider.

That's it. Rigid bikes do not belong in the woods. It's fine it you want to try it because you have one, or if you want to do it for a novelty. But it's really not that much fun, and I'd suggest that spending money on it is boardering on lunacy

I know some people ride rigid bikes and they might jump in saying how much fun it is etc., but I think these people are either in love with the novelty of it or are extremely masochistic.

Maybe I am masochistic. I have ridden a rigid bike for over 18 years in all kinds of conditions. They are great in the woods - if you know how to ride one. I just bought my first FS bike, and I have no idea how to ride it yet - so many more lines are possible with 6"-7" of travel underneath you.

If you enjoy speed, rigids are NOT great for DH, since the little bumps at speed render vision impossible. If you enjoy super technical riding, and don't mind going a LOT slower, they are a blast. Something like an Evil Imp with a rigid fork designed to keep the geometry intact would be fun every now and then - just swap out for a suspended fork when the novelty wears off. Any DH course will WORK you though.

If you are trail riding, rigid is incredibly fun, but not incredibly easy or fast.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

Rigid sucks, there is no point to do it at a lift assisted spot.

 

[binary visions]

Maybe I am masochistic. I have ridden a rigid bike for over 18 years in all kinds of conditions.

Sorry, I forgot to add another smilie to the end of my last paragraph. You ARE masochistic, but are certainly entitled to your opinion

I was just stating how I feel about them and YMMV.

 

[rigidhack]

Rigid sucks

False.

there is no point to do it at a lift assisted spot.

True.

 

[gemini2k]

well I definetley wanna try it on the local freeride trails, I went there with one of my friends with his bmx bike and he was ripping up some of the stunts better than I've seen anyone (think 360 up like a 6 foot step up to an 18 inch wide platform). so that gave me the idea. I figure if I go all steel, and running really high volume tires and low psi freeriding stuff might be possible, but yeah on second thought, DH stuff is probably a bad idea

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

i dont run a rigid dh bike but i am currently running a full suspension vpp road bike, thing climbs like a mountain goat...

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

False.



True.

that's why i put the statements together ...

Yeah rigid has it's place but a dh corse is not one...

 

[drt_jumper]

Have fun with your upcoming knee and wrist sugery's. You will need them after running a rigid in the environment you are discussing....however if you ride it only every now and then on some dh style trails, it will make you smoother and help you pick lines better, that way when you are on a FS you can fly that much faster.

 

[mandown]

i had a rigid rig for a while. it was a norco 5hun (alum DJ frame). i put a Funn rigid fork on it and ran it as a single speed. i put a 24X2.6 gazza on the back and a 26X3.0 gazza on the front. i LOVED that set up. my buds were amazed at how fast i was on it on the trails. it taught me to trust the power of the rolling wheel, and you would be shocked at what it could roll over. i also had to learn better lines and how to ride with a lighter touch.

i don't think i would ever take it to a lift-assisted area like whistler. i certainly would not DH race it. but for trail riding, it was a blast, regardless of what Binary thinks about riding rigid in the woods.

if you are gonna try it, i would say start slow and be careful. also, wear pads and go clipless. clipless should let you "float" a bit more.

 

[CQB]

I just got a FOX TALAS RLC for my hardtail (which was rigid) & the rigid fork sucked bigtime lately.. Arms going numb & can't see the trail from massive pounding over simple terrain....Your riding partner taking a nap waiting for you on the decents,etc..

But i did ride fully rigid SS alot when i cared about DH riding to learn how to pound through stuff without suspension ...Then hop on a 7" bike & you will go faster no doubt about that .....!

Hey-what's fun for 1 person isn't for another !

 

[Ciaran]

I haven't ridden a fully rigid bike since the mid 90's.

 

[MikeD]

It might be fun if that's your bent, but I guarantee it'll be a novelty that you won't do for long.

MD

 

[dump]

Maybe I am masochistic. I have ridden a rigid bike for over 18 years in all kinds of conditions. They are great in the woods - if you know how to ride one. I just bought my first FS bike, and I have no idea how to ride it yet - so many more lines are possible with 6"-7" of travel underneath you.

If you enjoy speed, rigids are NOT great for DH, since the little bumps at speed render vision impossible. If you enjoy super technical riding, and don't mind going a LOT slower, they are a blast. Something like an Evil Imp with a rigid fork designed to keep the geometry intact would be fun every now and then - just swap out for a suspended fork when the novelty wears off. Any DH course will WORK you though.

If you are trail riding, rigid is incredibly fun, but not incredibly easy or fast.

my friend has one of those... it hurts

 

[Ian F]

anyone who started riding in the early 90's was basically on a rigid bike......my first time on a lift assited mountain was on a HT race bike with a 60 mm air fork and i had a blast, that was in 96. Doing that now i probably wouldnt have any fun and i'm not sure thats a good thing or not....

True... my first DH races were on a '92 Cannondale Delta V with a 50mm travel air fork. I remember totally blowing a corner at Doe Mtn (later became Bear Creek) in '93 and clipping the hay bales lining the turn - tacoing my front wheel. Hardly anyone had FS back then... and even forks weren't on everyone's bikes... Ahh, the memories...

 

[Nick]

MisterClean would SMOKE you on his rigid bike.

 

[PatBranch]

I started mtbing on a ridgid (about 1996); a red steel Gary Fisher Tyro with 24" wheels. When I lived in LA (started when I was 6). I rode up the fireroads by our house in La Canada most everyday after school and on weekends. I rode to the top, then pinned it down the fireroads (they weren't always smooth; sometimes they had ruts from water erosion). I was going pretty fast.

Other times, I would ride the trails down. Some were single track, but one was a layer of rock going down a ridge. The erosion from rain took the dirt away, so it was all rock. I couldn't go really fast down it, but it was still a lot of fun.

I also rode some trails on Mt. Wilson and down in the park/dry lake/river area by JPL in LA Canada with my dad.


Recently, I was dirt jumping a Raleigh M50 and had fun.

 

[gemini2k]

Have fun with your upcoming knee and wrist sugery's. You will need them after running a rigid in the environment you are discussing....however if you ride it only every now and then on some dh style trails, it will make you smoother and help you pick lines better, that way when you are on a FS you can fly that much faster.

I've got a chase an IT-1 built up and a gemini frame lying around, so a rigid bike would get a whole lot of riding, just enough to remind me how easy my suspension makes it i figure Maybe try some big drops just to shove it in peoples faces

 

[sriracha]

back in '94 i was racing my friends down porcupine rim. i was on a full rigid kona kileaua. my two buddy's were riding the rockshox mag21, one on an explosive, the other on a yeti. i distinctly recall stating that i would never ride a suspension fork...boy did i put my foot in my mouth with that one.

 

[kahner89]

ya i've seen a guy race with a fully rigid bike before, funny he didnt finish last. it goes ot show money cant help you with everything. i think that he had a DH bike but on a bet he went on the rigid. it had huge DH tires on it which helped some,, so if that helps ya