Rigid rides best !

[velomaniac]

Despite the move to full suspension in the modern bike world I'd just like to say Rigid Rocks !!!!

Built up my old Frankenbike out of the parts bins and hit the local trails, big grins all over my face. I just love that sketchy just short of stacking it feeling you get as you pile along loose or muddy single track. The lack of cushioning just adds to the excitement as your tyres leave contact briefly with the surface thus negating your brakes or steering or traction, wow scary excitement and at lower speeds than a full bouncer can easily cope with :shock:

I'm not a technically gifted or wonderfully poised rider and never will be but wrestling my primitive steed over this land of Britain just makes me so happy.

I will not own a full bouncer I now realise , only a short travel hardtail is aceptable instead of full rigid for me even at Glentress. Madness I know but we're not all locked up yet

Cheers everybody !

 

[kaiser]

What is it then or is it a surprise?

 

[orange71]

great sentiments!

 

[velomaniac]

Its a parts bin special although frame and fork are not special, frame no name high ten oversized tubes so heavey and forks are brazed high ten of German Extraction.

Early 90's component spec, from allover the place, cheap crap to mid range quality.

Not a bike to drool over but tough as old boots and handles well.

In short a pub bike , or a park at the station commuter, no loss if stolen !

As near to my old Townsend as makes no difference, I love it,

I know I'm weird :roll:

Heading for Glentress to test it out in morning, Green/Blue/Red combi run i think, nothing to strenuous.

Oh and kaiser I've dug out the XT Thumbies, put them in my camelback so should not forget them, if you want them it'll be £5 which is what I paid or swap for an old 1" steerered 700c hybrid fork (needs clearance for a 45mm wide knobbly, trying to find one but no luck so far, i don't know but you might have something like that in your pile of bits, Trying to avoid buying a new one !

Cheers

Cheers

 

[hairstream]

Good thoughts. I just finished putting together my new Ellsworth Epiphany, with high-end Fox fork... It freaks me out with the tail end getting all squishy going around corners. Suppose I'll adapt. To be honest, the Fox fork makes a pretty big difference vs. my Manitou 1 and 4, though. The Risse on the tail end of my ARC AS is hardly noticeable, while the Fox on the Ellsworth is completely plush. But, I still like the hard tail... better feel for the road (trail)? :?

 

[jonnyboy666]

having recently got my explosif back i've found myself plucking that one out of the garage for a ride rather than anythingelse, i had been riding the st4 mostly throughout the summer(? :x ) and really got used to that but as the weather got worse i decided to use the rigid bikes more as it won't knacker the suspension units and they are easier to clean and will cost less to run, as a by product i have noticed that riding rigid is really nice, and because you get bounced about a bit more when going downhill i find i don't need to go as fast to get a bit of a rush, the modern stuff allows me to go faster in some cases but there is a more detatched feeling from the trail.

so for me for a while i'll stick to my rigid bikes! problem is that still leaves 5 to choose from! :roll:

 

[JustKev]

This time last year the only bike Iw as riding was my Roberts DOGS BOLX (despite having a garage full of bikes) - it was a high end build, that won BOTM, but the 'feel' of riding it was exactly as Velomaniac describes. In the end I HAD to sell it - one way or another I was going to kill it and that would have been a waste of a beautiful machine.

 

[jonnyboy666]

kev, are you saying you liked it so you sold it? :shock:

 

[Pickle]

My first time riding rigid in about 15 years was at the Peaks meet this year :shock: In fact, in was the first time I had ridden the Tempest since building it!

I enjoyed it, but can realte to Velo's comments of that 'nearly out of control' feeling And, it does give you a real workout

I like the bike, but dont ride it all the time, only every now and then when I feel the need to go back to my roots.

 

[greenfinger]

i've always prefered the feeling of a rigid bike! bitd alot of mates were upgrading to front sus but i just couldn't bring myself to give up rigid. there's alot to be said for simplicity