Suspension or ridged forks

[MM-on-POINT]

I'm thinking of swapping out my sus forks for a ridged pair either dt Swiss carbs or on one carbs but first some opinions...
Iv got rs pikes 90-140 uturn coils already and they are great for me but I want lighter for bikepacking.
Who uses what if not both types and how do they find ridige ones on all mountain days :D

[didnothingfatal]

Rigid forks, you get used to them quickly and I rode for years without knowing anything better. I've used carbon and steel, to be honest my Salsa Cromoto is the nicer than than my old carbon one.

[Anthony]

I think it depends on if it's your only bike.

My 26" Lynskey has to do everything and rigid forks just don't cut it for me. I've ridden a rigid SS as an only bike on and off for years, but for a one-bike-for-all I just can't get the most out of it when run rigid. Big days out in the peaks just become painful and I find it limits my progress too much.

It's a shame because I love the purity of rigids and if I had a dedicated bikepacking bike then it would be a rigid 29er for sure.

[didnothingfatal]

With a spare crown race and less than 30 minutes I can swap my forks over though between rigid and suspension though.
The biggest negative I've experienced with using the suspension unit was the fact I had to pump them up much harder and being a short travel race unit, they handle like crap.
With a steel fork designed for the bike I have great geometry and nice ride.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I use rigids forks on 5 different bikes. Some are carbon and some steel, I find carbon is a little more forgiving in general although the Salsa steel forks I've got do have a nice level of flex.

You will have to alter your style a little but to be honest it's more about altering your mindset than your actual riding. I'm just about to turn a 6th bike to rigid as I prefer the weight reduction to the 80mm of suspension travel.

[bod]

Yeah, what they said. When you swap from rigid to sus the front end feels very vague and doesn't give you much confidence. Then after you get used to them you swap back to rigid and all the bumps go right in to your wrists and arms until you get used to scanning the ground more so you can react to what you're riding over by bending your arms and using your whole body to soak up the terrain. Riding rigid certainly makes you a smoother rider for when you do use suspension.
I wouldn't want to ride rigid all day or over stuff that's particularly rocky though, I'm no masochist.
Also agree with swapping forks, takes me 45 minutes to change from fully rigid, pannier racked, slick tyred, mudguarded work mode to hardtail, knobbly race machine. I've seen a "tool" made in the US that's a tapered rod which is slightly smaller (I imagine) than your steerer tube; you take the top cap off your stem, slide the rod down which pushes the forks out keeping all your spacers, stem etc. in place and preventing your cables getting kinked. Bloody good idea and most likely easy to make if you're luckier than me and know someone with a lathe.
Matt