Why rigid?

[ootini]

OK this may seem like a very basic or fundamentally flawed question, but from what I gather, many people prefer rigid fork mountain bikes for bike packing. Can I ask why?
Is it a handling thing? Does it help with fitting bar harnesses? Is it the weight saving?

I'm quite new to mountain biking in general and definitely am grateful of the suspension on my hardtail, even on relatively smooth(ish) bridleways, I get the feeling my cross bike would be trying to smash my back teeth out. Do you guys simply go rigid, and subsequently ride slower? Am I missing the point altogether?

Ta

[whitestone]

I don't know about slower, I did the Kielder 101 on Saturday on my HT. A club mate (who is admittedly very fit and about 17 years younger) was 1hr15 faster on his rigid bike.

[Zippy]

I initially used rigid when at uni because:

1. cheaper than suspension and I didn't have loads of money
2. doesn't wear out like suspension.

Also had benefits of forcing you to use proper technique and picking lines properly rather than suspension doing the work for you.

Currently due to lack of time, the only working bikes I have are rigid, whilst the suspension ones are leaking oil and have had a rebuild kit sitting next to them for months....slowly crying whilst I do things like rebuilding car engine mounts etc in my spare time

That's for me anyway

[Ray Young]

At my age I'm more than happy with my rigid 29er as high speeds are no longer important to me. Less weight and less maintenance.

[Single Speed George]

my XC bike is ridgid 29er with carbon forks , and i use that on really rough stuff sometimes . the 29 wheels take allot of the harshness out of the ride, and the ridgid for is more efficient especially as im on a sngle speed for xc so any up hill efficiency is important. all so its just more fun , i have ridden down hill and freeride bikes for years and i still prefer doing singletrack and technical riding on my ridged bike as its just mre exiting and when you get it right its just exelent ! keeps me sharp and good at line choice for downhill on my big bike too ! and tbh there is nothing on any normal red- black trail i wont ride on my charge cooker full ridged ! much more fun than bouncing round on some enduro bike like you se so many people doing ( i often overtake them even on decents as it just roles better and handles sharper) the only thing its no good for is proper downhill ( though it has ben down some bike parks hahaha)

[HaYWiRe]

Someone on here a while ago pointed something out about riding rough trails..

When you hit a rut or rock with suspension you compress the fork, thus shortening it, this in turn steepens the head angle increasing the chances on going over the bars, a rigid fork will simply bounce and roll over. Ofcourse I can't speak personally here as I ride HT

I also suppose the lean towards fatter tyres in general means going rigid doesn't lose as much suspension, plus once you get passed the typical weight/reliability/cost its just fun, all the ones I've demo'd felt like big BMXs and very responsive and nippy, and more surprisingly was how nippy even plus sized tyres felt when rigid

[Bearbonesnorm]

I ride rigid simply because it enhances my sexual prowess and gives me a great excuse whenever I drop a bollock ... in exactly the same way singlespeeds and fat bikes do.

EDIT: George, I'm afraid style points have been deducted because you don't appear to be sticking your tongue out ... sorry but them's the rules

[Artie Fufkin]

I'm with Stu on that one.
If you do the trail centres much (which I don't, anymore) there's always lots of extra kudos in riding rigid. Especially when the guy with the five grand, nine inch travel full sus asks you why you don't have any suspension on that thing, and you tell him you don't need it!!

[adjustablewench]

+1 for what stu said . . . .well my prowess either increased or the extra attention came before I realised that without suspension you need a really good sports bra

[JohnClimber]

When bike packing you tend to spend a lot more time with your bike rather than a full susser at a train centre, because of this you tend to "live" with it and rest/stop more so I find there is more risk of scratching the stanchions with the stop starting, gate opening, Throwing bikes with kit over fences, wild camping and SPAR shop stopping.

But riding rigid is not as kind on older bones, hence why I'm now gone 29er+ and now using bikes with Lauf Forks to "absorb the ride"
And it stops me thinking about copying this next idea

without suspension you need a really good sports bra

[Single Speed George]

Ye its pretty much for the feelin you get when u over take a 4k endure bike , though they are probably allot more comfortable haha

[Bearbonesnorm]

well my prowess either increased or the extra attention came before I realised that without suspension you need a really good sports bra

I'll watch out for that ........ I usually look at yer bum

[adjustablewench]

[fatbikephil]

I got bored with full suspension - you just rode flat out over everything, the challenge being to do bigger and bigger drops which at my age was getting a bit iffy. On a rigid techy downhills take ages (hurrah) and going a lot slower reduces the chances of smashing yourself up. That said 3 months after going rigid I broke my collarbone sliding off on a flat fire road corner....

And its a great excuse for being crap - 'I would have rode that on a bouncer.' etc....

[Ray Young]

well my prowess either increased or the extra attention came before I realised that without suspension you need a really good sports bra

I'll watch out for that ........ I usually look at yer bum

Only cos she's faster than you and always in front .

[ootini]

Thanks for that folks. I'd always wondered.

[DrMekon]

Having gotten back from riding the Peak 200 route with a 4cm vertical score down the front of my 3 month old Manitou Magnum Pros, I'd go rigid for the reliability. Still, I finished feeling really fresh, with no aches, whereas my mate Tom was sore on his under-maintained Rebas (the seal came out early on).

What's stopping me is that nobody other than Lauf does carbon boost forks.

[benp1]

I'm only doing it cos everyone else is doing it

Of my 4 bikes
only 1 has suspension
3 are supposed to be used in some off road capacity
2 are (currently) running gears - probably soon to be 3 though...
2 - have proper knobblies

[jameso]

Since rigid is where it started, for me the question is why suspension? It's become a default for mtbs but that's no reason to accept it for all bikes that go off road. Just personal preferences really.
I prefer how rigid bikes handle generally. It has to be pretty rocky and fast for me to want sus, ie a chairlift holiday or lakes day ride unloaded. Picking my way down a techy descent on a rigid bike is as much fun as enduroing it on a susser.

[FLV]

i like both rigid and sus forks and full sus.

I enjoy riding rigid sometimes, the lower weight at the front, the fact that theres no dive, no change in set to throw a bar bag on. Sometimes thats the mood I'm in for months and its all I ride. Others, I like to stick sus forks and enjoy the comfort and slight changed riding style. I also enjoy riding a full sus bike. Again, Its not hugely faster but it is certainly different and I do enjoy swapping stuff about and fettling in the garage before heading out to ride something that feels even slightly different from the day before

[JohnClimber]

What's stopping me is that nobody other than Lauf does carbon boost forks.

Can you explain what you mean by "boost" forks.
Lauf only do Leaf (Lauf) spring forks.

[atk]

What's stopping me is that nobody other than Lauf does carbon boost forks.

Can you explain what you mean by "boost" forks.
Lauf only do Leaf (Lauf) spring forks.

Boost: https://www.sram.com/rockshox/technologies/boost
Lauf Boost: http://www.laufforks.com/lauf-trail-racer-boost/

[Bearbonesnorm]

Can you explain what you mean by "boost" forks.

110mm hub width John ... it's the latest thing don't you know.

[ScotRoutes]

Why do you need a Boost hub in rigid forks? Most are easily wide enough to run a B+ /29+ tyre and if you really need it you could go 135mm front (like a White Bros Snowpack)

[Zippy]

Why do you need a Boost hub in rigid forks?

Outside the marketing bumph of boost being better coz it's stiffer, more efficient and cooler etc. I would want all my forks to run to the same standards so I can swap around sets of wheels easily.