Mountain Biking - Rigid Fork riding techniques

For all of you folks going old school with full rigid, what was your most obvious learning point the first time you went out? I finally got my surly 1x1 fork and I now have a mountainbike that feels like it weighs 20 lbs but I am a little curious about the no front suspension experience. Lots of thick roots and such where I ride most often and know some of you folks have some good stories that I might be able to learn from.

You would have to use a lot more body english and perfect timing is going to be key. The bike isn't going to work for you, its all you baby (I forget what movie that is hmmm). Prepare to use your arms a lot more in good techy stuff.

You would have to use a lot more body english and perfect timing is going to be key. The bike isn't going to work for you, its all you baby (I forget what movie that is hmmm). Prepare to use your arms a lot more in good techy stuff.

To handle the rigid front end, you will have to use you arm a whole lot more, you are going to be surprised to find out how much work a front shock is doing for you. It will be a great workout for you upper body!

Sounds like I am going to get a beating. Cool.
Do you guys use a larger front tire? I was considering picking something up in the 2.5 range to help absorb some of the impacts. I am still a little worried about log obsticles and such more than a foot high and the impact on the way down.

For all of you folks going old school with full rigid, what was your most obvious learning point the first time you went out?

For me it was learning to 'let go' of the handlebars a bit. Keeping a loose grip on the bars (while still maintaining control) let a lot of the vibration dissipate before it rattled your bones. Also on techy stuff I tend to work the bike more, like the others have said. A lot of weighting/unweighting to smooth out impacts and a lot more 'mini hops' to clear roots and rocks that you might have let a front suspension fork absorb. You will learn to pick great lines too. Well, great if you have no suspension.

Stick a nice big tire up front also and run it soft. with that 1x1 you should be able to fit a big one. It will provide a little cushion if run at a lower that normal pressure.

Have a Blast man!

Sounds like I am going to get a beating. Cool.
Do you guys use a larger front tire? I was considering picking something up in the 2.5 range to help absorb some of the impacts. I am still a little worried about log obsticles and such more than a foot high and the impact on the way down.

You might get a little more of a beating but that will largely depend on how effectively you use the parts of your body in place of the fork and shock. When I first started riding mtb over 20 yrs ago full-rigid was all there was (well, we did have rather forgiving cro-mo frames) and suspension wasn't even being experimented with yet (the first attempts came soon, though). I rode everything I ride today (I don't do big jumps).

There is no doubt suspension makes it much easier to go over the rough stuff. I'm not sure that's always a good thing, though; but to each their own. I rode all those years on that full-rigid and now ride a hardtail. My friend rides a FS having moved there quickly from a HT. I am absoultely positive I am a much better rider because I learned all of the little body pushes and weight shifting nuances that were necessary to ride a full rigid well. All my friend really has to do is sit and let the bike absorb the dips, roots and rocks. A side benefit of having to use your whole body is you'll get a better workout of your muscles, too.

One reason I still ride a HT (and my full rigid, occassionally) is because I like the whole finesse side of the sport; every ride is almost a micro-session of trials riding. I ride a FS when I want to just settle in and enjoy the ride.

I've rambled. Short answer: Work on your balance; work on using your body as suspension; work on those little nudges, unweightings, and pushes to get you over the roots that you are used to rolling over with suspension. Try to let the bumps flow through your body rather than into it. And, yes; on my full-rigid I run a larger tire in front (not everyone does but I definately prefer it).

Have fun! :beer:

Thanks guys, it really helps form the right state of mind for me.

Riding rigid will teach you technique.You will have to ride the bike, and not just hit things and let the bike and speed do the work. Get the technique and those uphill climbs are a doddle after losing two or three lbs at the front end. Lifting that front wheel over a gnarly root is a lot easier, and on the flat, that bike that feels like 20lbs will ride like a 20lb bike. Only problem you may find is downhill, where if you are tight, your shoulders and forearms will die on you. Someone has mentionedit, but don't get a death grip on the bars, but do keep the forearms tight to counter any big lumps that may try and throw you off line. I only succumbed to Suspension forks two years ago, but I only have 80mm forks set as hard as possible. just enough to take the sting out of the trail.

big(ger) front tire, lower pressure. get the stem/bars up as high as they were before, so that you are in the same position if possible. i found a wider handlebar, and a slightly shorter stem made a difference for me as well. improved my steering, and kept my weight back more for those steep techy down spots, without sacrificing much climbing. (it's on a singlespeed, so most of my climbing is done standing anyhow) nice cushy/comfy grips are a good thing as well. (the stem i have on now is aobut 2cm shorter than the one in the pic. i much prefer the shorter, as the toptube on this frame is much longer than on my hardtail bike; i'm now roughtly in the same seat-pedal-bar position on both bikes.)

I just raced my first race this weekend and I am amazed at how good the single speed guys and gals are. It makes me really want to get a single speed. A single speed sitting still looks so rad. Lets see all your single speed bikes. Ride on.

Sounds like I am going to get a beating. Cool.
Do you guys use a larger front tire? I was considering picking something up in the 2.5 range to help absorb some of the impacts. I am still a little worried about log obsticles and such more than a foot high and the impact on the way down.
You can go up to 2.7 :D

If you use rim brakes, you may be restricted in the size of the tire you use. Rigid is the shizznitty, but take a little extra care on technical downhills, mostly of the small, 1' drop, step down variety, as this was the most unnerving thing about my first rigid rides. Your arms are going to ache the first few times, but it's all good. I went from a 6 pound Judy to a 2 pound Surly 1x1, and that made it very easy to pick the front end up and over rocks and logs. Enjoy!

Lots of thick roots and such where I ride most often and know some of you folks have some good stories that I might be able to learn from.

Watch your approach angle with those roots. Especially when the roots are wet.

Watch your approach angle with those roots. Especially when the roots are wet.

Also watch linear ruts going in the direction of your travel. A suspended fork will climb out of them but a rigid fork will get trapped in them. You have to steer into the side of the rut to get out and that usually put me on the ground in a hurry

For me it was learning to 'let go' of the handlebars a bit.


Its all about the .38 Special

Hold on Loosely,
But don't let go;
If you cling too tightly -
You're Gonna Lose Control!

<guitar riffs>

There is nothing like bombing a rough downhill, eyeballs rattling in your head so you can barely see, arms tingling from the jackhammering bike beneath you. You want adrenaline on a mountain bike ride, without having to drop off cliffs, try keeping up with the full suspension guys on tough downhills.

There is nothing like bombing a rough downhill, eyeballs rattling in your head so you can barely see, arms tingling from the jackhammering bike beneath you. You want adrenaline on a mountain bike ride, without having to drop off cliffs, try keeping up with the full suspension guys on tough downhills.

When you get fast enough on a rigid on the downhills, look at the lines the full suspension guys take. They may have speed, but it is the bike doing the work. An accomplished Rigid rider will learn to use the bike to the best of his/her abilities. They will not be far behind the full suspension bikes either.

Nothing beats dusting a FS guy on a rigid. It is rare, but can be done. Our forefathers learned to bomb fireroads on rigid cruisers, I feel that every mountian biker should ride a rigid at least once, even if to just appriciate the benefit of technology.

Well, I learned to MTB on a fully rigid and can remember being one of the first people at college with a large tube aluminum bike with, suspension!!?? Insane!!. Student loans = Rock shox 21r he he!! Anyways, I remember have to always ride "light" on the rough stuff. What that means is that your hovering slightly off your seat and your grip on the bar is very light with your arms very light. So you are pretty much gonna need to be on your pedals more and learn to see fast. Not as simple as just picking lines to take, but you also need to get your sight and reaction down to where you don't need to think about adjusting. It also helps to ride at night with nothing but moonlight and single tracks wet and full of wet roots by the Mississippi!!

Insane!!. Student loans = Rock shox 21r he he!!
Now that's pain

One word----bunnyhop.

cool thread - I am about to hit the trails for the first time in over a decade - i still have my 1993 rigid bike (24 pounder , butted fork and stays, with Shimano XT & DX - a big deal back then :D ) and use it as a commuter now but curious to see how my old relic (that goes for my body too!) will hold up off road after all these years.

It is really funny - like many others here, I rode a rigid bike off road cause that's all there was back then. Prior to that I rode a hybrid, though I should mention I've NEVER done any super crazy DH or highly technical riding.

Bike Magazine has a big write up about rigid bikes and riders in the new issue.

cool thread - It is really funny - like many others here, I rode a rigid bike off road cause that's all there was back then. Prior to that I rode a hybrid, though I should mention I've NEVER done any super crazy DH or highly technical riding.

BS (before suspension) I did a ride here in Colorado that's called Saxon Mountain. The ride is a back way to Georgetown from Idaho Springs that involves a whole day of climbing to the top of Saxon Mountain and then a fast very rocky 4 wheel drive road descent into Georgetown. The road switches back and forth and loses around 2500 feet in a couple of miles.

I was riding with a local legend, Gordon Valentine, who, at 60+ years could kick the butt of just about anybody out there. (He's over 80 now and kicking road biker butt all up and down the Front Range!) Of course we were all riding rigid bikes. The ride down from Saxon Mountain really worked you over. It involved lots of braking and the roughness of the road just beat you to pieces, especially your arms and shoulders.

When we got to the bottom, Gordon turned to me and said, in his always calm manner, "That hurt a little. My doctor told me last week after I broke my collarbone, that I wasn't supposed to ride for 6 weeks but I just had to do this ride."

Made me forget about my sore arms.

I've never done a trail on a bike with a suspension fork. Your post, cyccommute, reminds me of what mtbing to me is all about. The challenges. The pain. I'll probably buy a FS bike soon. Kind of wondering if riding the trails will feel a bit hollow once I'm on it.

BTW, Mr Valentine surely is a legend. I'll have to make my 63 year old father whos considering taking up bikeing but is a bit scared of how his body will cope, read that.

Ouch!:eek:

I was only a wee lad of 29, 30 or so last time I hit the trails....at 41 I am a bit scared to go offroad as I bruise a bit easier these days....but if a 60 something can ride rigid with broken collarbone I guess I should give it a shot

Ouch!:eek:

I was only a wee lad of 29, 30 or so last time I hit the trails....at 41 I am a bit scared to go offroad as I bruise a bit easier these days....but if a 60 something can ride rigid with broken collarbone I guess I should give it a shot

I ride with a whole bunch of geezers who can wipe the floor with me! One of them, at 82, rides like a teenager... jumping off curbs, riding wheelies, falling down trails, everything! Plus the ladies just love him! And the guys love him, too! Plus he plays a mean piano.

Thanks for this thread. I'm sure I forgot how to ride a rigid fork mountain bike.

I remember my 1st mtn bike was a Specialized Stump Jumper. It was rigid with Suntour Superbe Pro. It had more road geometry than mountain geometry.

Then I graduated to a "real" mountain bike. I bought a Salsa ...also rigid.

The next year was the debut of the first Rock Shock. I "endured" the Salsa and lusted for another bike for three years.

Then sold the Salsa ...wished I kept it though. I bought a Fat Chance Yo Eddy. What a ride. It was stolen. That was a sad day. Chris Chance really knows how to build a solid single track ride.

I upgraded to a Santa Cruz SL. I loved it and hated it. It went boing too much.

Now I'm on a Titus RacerX 100. It reminds me of the Yo Eddy for its tracking. It's a solid performer. Horst Link and "smart" shocks have really made the FS XC racer a different beast. It rips up Colorado and Utah terrain.

My Karate Monkey has finally shipped. I'm going to ride the Monkey with the rigid fork and SS gearing. I can't wait.

I guess that's one thing in my favor - never rode a suspended bike, so I kinda don't know what I'm missing (at least I don't know how it feels).

That's so cool about the octegenerian pianist ladies man! :D Gives us all something to shoot for (hell, he's doin' better at 82 that I am at 41!!! :eek: )

Do you SS and rigid guys have problems with breaking stuff? I have full suspension bike and all I do is work on them it seems. It may just be a stage in my bikes life to replace parts but I am sick of it. I need a SS.

Do you SS and rigid guys have problems with breaking stuff?
no


I need a SS.
yes

There is nothing to break.

Also watch linear ruts going in the direction of your travel. A suspended fork will climb out of them but a rigid fork will get trapped in them. You have to steer into the side of the rut to get out and that usually put me on the ground in a hurry

I find that lifting the front wheel (if there's some grade on the rut wall) or sidehopping works well for ruts.

Should I just go and find a complete bike and turn it into a SS or go by a new pre-built one? Lets see peoples bikes. I like vintage SS bikes.

Should I just go and find a complete bike and turn it into a SS or go by a new pre-built one? Lets see peoples bikes. I like vintage SS bikes.
Err this should be it's own topic

I have a rigid bike too. I learned technique from a book called Mountian Biking Skills, or some such. I gave it to my daughter and she learned her technique from it as well. A great read. Keep a loose grip, pick your line carefully, use speed to roll over stuff you can't finesse, hop, wheelie, and body english - have a blast! When you fall, keep your hands on the hand grips - let the bike take the impact.

I haven't ridden a full rigid mtb in 11 years, but I still remember getting my vision shaken completely out on fast rough downhills. And there's the hand fatigue to contend with also.

But that was in the day of steeper geometry, flat bars, and skinny low volume tires.
Maybe technology has helped, but no matter how precise and intricate line you pick, however zenlike your mental preparation, realize you WILL get pounded over roots.

And if you enjoy it, even better.

Err this should be it's own topic

It is, in the SS/FG forum

It is, in the SS/FG forum
<looks around> Looks like the MTB forum to me. Oh <smacks head> You meant he should ask his question there. How silly of me

I find that lifting the front wheel (if there's some grade on the rut wall) or sidehopping works well for ruts.

Your exactly right, that is why a rigid bike makes a better rider. There are people that can't lift their front wheel off the ground. Learn to ride a bike already.

I find that lifting the front wheel (if there's some grade on the rut wall) or sidehopping works well for ruts.

Yep. It works quite well unless you happen to be at the end of a long ride, tired and forget about it. It's been over 15 years since I rode a rigid bike off-road and I just remember ruts as being the worst part of the ride. Don't have that problem with front suspension which is one of the reasons I've never gone back.

Yep. It works quite well unless you happen to be at the end of a long ride, tired and forget about it. It's been over 15 years since I rode a rigid bike off-road and I just remember ruts as being the worst part of the ride. Don't have that problem with front suspension which is one of the reasons I've never gone back.

I ride both and still pop my front wheel up on my hardtail to get out of ruts. I guess I need to be a little more dependent on my front suspension.

Finally, between the weather, work, parts and family I have finally made it onto the trail. 6 miles, stopped several times to clear large deadfall from the recent storms and not too much mud, (Ohio mud is not regular, it is slick and sticky, no fun. If that seems like a contradiction, imagine mud that sticks to you and your gear but also makes the trail slick as ice in many places). I have to say it was a pretty good ride. I did not feel uncomfortable or out of control. Climbing was a joke, it makes it so much easier. Obstacles were no more difficult and I made it up this steep off camber 12-15ft climb that seems to give everyone fits and which I have never been able to do before. I will most assuredly be out on my rigid again.

Ahh, the good old days. It's no surprise you struggled. Another advantage of suspension bikes is their superior traction. The fork modulates the load on the front tire, which, on a rigid, peaks faster and is more likely to wash out.

And I will put the red clay of the NC Piedmont up against any mud in terms of slickness, thank you very much.

I am about to get a Monocog. Check this out for details and leave some advice for me please.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=139537