What was the last best rigid bicycle?

[Danone]

Are decent-spec rigid bicycles still being built amongst the top manufactures?

Or is this a pre-suspension 80s thing!?

I'm aware of rigid forks being bought seperate nowadays as opposed to front suspension for personal preference, depending on the type of riding they do e.g. road bicycles or trials riding but i'm thinking more towards cross country or even down hill before even bicycle suspension was invented.

How did these guys survive riding such trails :shock: shock: no pun intended.)

Any pictures would be appreciated.

 

[Tad]

How did these guys survive riding such trails

It's called skill.

Suspension = skills correction.

 

[velomaniac]

You can still get rigid bikes with the forks specced by the factory. Charge Dusters and Orange Gringos still have a rigid option for example.

Suspension allows you to take the hits so you can ride faster off road. You can ride most stuff slower on a rigid. I prefer rigid, it gives direct steering and encourages you to think where your pointing the bike. There is more to riding than just going fast

 

[Pfennig]

On One also do rigid forks supplied with bikes, as do a number of others. But they do tend to be less common than they used to be. Probably do to the extra skill you need to ride fast with them, and the fact you'll be unlikely to ever be as fast as someone with a decent cross country full susser with a degree of skill (i.e. not a numpty!)

 

[tintin40]

How did these guys survive riding such trails

It's called skill.

Suspension = skills correction.

Me a skill full rider More lucky

 

[tag33]

Kona do a rigid forked 29er called the unit, although its pretty hardcore being also a singlespeed too, would love to try one out to see what all the hype is about and if a rigid 29er rolls as well as a XC 26er with short travel fork.

 

[saltyman]

i dont ride fast.......therefore dont use suspension.

my last 2 brand new bikes were rigid..........although sand/snow bikes

 

[We_are_Stevo]

As the majority of bikes are aimed at leisure riders and are never going to be subjected to the same treatment meated out by the professionals during their developement (ditto Race Rep's in the m'cycling world - the bikes you see on the road with squared off ridiculously expensive tyres because the bike has never been leant over further than the couple of roundabouts during the daily commute!) then it has to be said that the people who buy these bikes simply cannot be bothered to learn the skills necessary to ride a rigid hardtail over the same terrain...

The manufacturers provide the rigid option for those who do have the necessary skill and inclination.

BITD my favourite terrain was very narrow single track through trees and forest, hence my bikes had bars so narrow they'd make a Bike Courier blink! I never had the slightest inclination to hurl myself down a dry ski-slope, over huge drop-offs or along the Giants Causeway!

Now though, just as every angler seems to want only to catch giant farmed carp (shooting fish in a barrel?), so most mountain bike riders seem only to want to go downhill fast with the least possible effort?

 

[Drencrom]

BITD my favourite terrain was very narrow single track through trees and forest, hence my bikes had bars so narrow they'd make a Bike Courier blink!

BITD I ran wider bars and learnt to steer around trees. I still ride the same trails on modern(ish) bikes, go me! It meant I could enjoy the bike and not feel cramped up as a bonus, so I never understood cutting them down for anything other than fashion.

 

[We_are_Stevo]

BITD my favourite terrain was very narrow single track through trees and forest, hence my bikes had bars so narrow they'd make a Bike Courier blink!

BITD I ran wider bars and learnt to steer around trees. I still ride the same trails on modern(ish) bikes, go me! It meant I could enjoy the bike and not feel cramped up as a bonus, so I never understood cutting them down for anything other than fashion.

That's just it, it was the fashion - just as it is now the fashion to ride the MTB equivalent of a Chelsea Tractor to the shops...