Hello!
(my first post! please be gentle...)

I've developed a taste for simplicity lately but, for some reason, I'm still riding a rather complex MTB (Spz Epic w/brain). So I've been dreaming of a simple MTB: I want a hardtail frame, preferably chromoly and I want to go back to v-brakes (I like discs but they're too complex). Then a friend pointed me to Tom Ritchey's <https://www.ritcheylogic.com>. wow!!!

I loved it! I'll probably build my next MTB around a Ritchey frame!

But I was amazed to see that he makes rigid carbon MTB forks!!! In my quest for simplicity I never considered using a non-supension fork but I'm certainly eager to give it a try! That is, depending on your advice :-)

Is it reasonable to do MTB with a rigid fork?
Is there anyone here doing this?
Are the Ritchey forks in any way more suitable for MTB than other forks?

I'm no MTB expert but I do single-tracks with roots, rocks, erosion, mud and so on.

TIA for any advice!

A lot of people MTB with a rigid fork. Look at the Surly 1x1 and Troll threads on MTBR.

I met one of the Ritchey guys at the ProGRT in Port Angeles last year riding a Ritchey MTB with the rigid carbon fork. Of course the fork and the cockpit were all Syncros branded, since it all came from their Syncros side from before they sold Syncros to Scott. But ya, a Syncros/Ritchey carbon MTB forks should stand up to the rigors of MTBing just fine. They've had a top-notch team of product developers over the years and produce great stuff.

If you happen to find Sycros-branded stuff for a better price (dunno how that will be shaking out), you can be assured it's virtually the same gear sporting different branding:

https://www.syncros.com/syncros/globa...rigid-26-matt/


Huh?

Exact-a-mundo!
Hated dealing with v-brakes/cantis, disc are set & go....at least the BB7s are.


As for rigid bikes on fun singletrack......

...it takes a bit more work/concentration, but it's allgood.

A long thread on the Steve Potts 29er with rigid fork. It's what he calls the Type II or Cunningham fork.
https://www.stevepottsbicycles.com/type2.php

Potts build thread with in action pics
https://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/mo...ts-757641.html

I'm looking into a Potts or Ericksen 29er HT for next year myself. Being an older guy who doesn't like getting beat up on the rocky fireroads I ride mostly...I'll probably go with the standard shock.

...I must say I'm all for simplicity too... but....I ride similar terrain to yours on a FS Epic Marathon and I got to say "no way would I ride my trails on a fully rigid MTB. It would beat me to death or I'd probably kill myself on the rocks or roots. I might go to a hard tail (if I had to) but no way fully rigid. Kudos to you if you have that kind of riding talent or a body that can take the abuse.


Bill J.

I agree with V-brakes but not completely on the rigid forks. I wish I could link you to a cromoly frame I saw on eBay but can't remember which one it was. Anyway, here's the mountain frame category on eBay: https://www.ebay.ca/sch/Mountain-Bike..._ipg=200&rt=nc

Very curious with why you feel inspired to go for simple stuff. Is it because you find that your current bike has too many breakable parts / high maintenance parts? Do you want a beater-like bike?

I haven't bled my XTR discs for 2 seasons. My friend hasn't bled his Juicy Ultimate Carbon's in 2. Our bikes both feel fine and great. Forks tend to need some maintenance but I don't think that a quest to find a very simple bike will necessarily net you what you want. Going for V-brakes is less "simple" than you may think - a bent rim means you have to re-true your rim to prevent brake rub. I consider that maintenance (aka hassle) which I assume you are trying to get rid of when you are trying to go for a simple bike.

good,just fine. They've had a top-notch team of product developers over the years and produce great stuff.thanks

The only difficult thing about bleeding discs is reading the instructions & building the confidence to give it a try. The actual process is actually a lot easier than adjusting v-brakes/canti's.

As for forks, I think it has a lot more to do with riding style than whether one is 'better' than the other (putting aside the numerous points Doug & several others have made about the advantages of suspension). It comes down to 1) Freight Train vs Ninja, & 2) Abuse the Body vs Abuse the Bike.

Just keep in mind that most carbon rigid forks are disc brake only.

If you want simple, it doesn't get much simpler than a rigid single speed.

I ride rigid all the time. Tried a cheap Manitou suspension fork briefly 2003-2004 but was just like meh. Maybe someday I can afford a fancy suspension fork but 'til then I'll stick with rigid.

I took Dad's old MB-3 (lugged frame with Ritchey tubing) out for a ride over the holidays. It was too rad for words! Broke a toe clip at some point which made it slightly less rad after that


Bridgestone MB-3 by Lester.L., on Flickr


Bridgestone MB-3 by Lester.L., on Flickr

OP here!

lesson learned: don't ever post your 1st message to a forum before your hollidays: the forum could be full of helpful knowledgeable posters and you could come back and find more useable info than you can chew! :-)

thanks everybody!

indeed! I'm definitely not alone in this!

I read that for a steel fork should have curved blades in order to deal whith the terrain abnormalities; this makes a lot o sense to me; amazingly most touring or racing steel forks are curved while most of the MTB steel forks are straight! (see Surly's for instance); I wonder how a fork like https://surlybikes.com/parts/long_haul_trucker_fork would perform. hmm... I think I'm gonna try this myself :-)

on the "curved forks" subject: is it possible to install a Jeff Jones Truss Fork in a non-Jones frame? his site mentions something about the need for a special headset but I could not understand...

perhaps it was just bad luck... actually yesterday my mechanic called to say my BR-M785 (XT 2012) was getting contaminated so often due to a leak in the caliper :-( I used to have a Juicy 3 and had a lot of similar problems but I did expect more from the BR-M785...

to me the only problem with v-brakes is mud!

I dont get it...
I'm 55yo and the real reason why I want a rigid fork is to use it as an excuse for my poor performance! :-)

Curved forks outside of a road bike or touring bike just looks strange. Am definitely a fan of straight legged forks.

I'm definitely not talented, trust me! as I said in the original post: "I'm certainly eager to give it a try! That is, depending on your advice" and I must say I've almost given up this idea... OTOH I'm probably get me a hard-tail soon.

I'm not trying to acheive something. I guess it is more a psychological driven attitude...

I would not be "going to", I'd be "staying" with v-brakes; I have 5 bikes and only the Spz Epic has discs; I do like v-brakes in most situations; mud & bent rims are a real problem!

I also like discs in steep downhills with gravel where you need very subtle in the strengh you apply; but I gues this is due to the fact that it is hydraulic.

I also have this hankering for simplicity. I wanted to build me a 29er with a shimano zee single ring crank and only a front brake because in flat Belgium I don't need the rear one, ever. But the price of building a bike with only half the components was higher than buying a me a nice complete bike with higher spec components all-round... I never use the rear brake and I am always on the middle chainring, but there's something nice about the symmetry of the cockpit now and if an acquaintance invites me for a bike trip in hillier terrain at least I don't have to chicken out.

So yes simplicity is nice, I understand you. But get a nice bike and enjoy the ride, you'll get over it even if it's more complex than you need.

I have a fixed gear road bike in the garage that is very simple. I never ride it. But I like to have it, you know?

I know every 559 wheel mtb thats a rigid has a curvered fork
Its the much needed castor, suspension forks maybe straight but the wheel sits in front of the fork to have that caster. Some do have a completly straight fork but a head tube more angled to makr up for it.

Umm, not every 559 wheel mtb that is a rigid has a curved fork. I happen to run 26, rigid and the fork is not curved.

What's 599? 26"? This isn't 26", but I've seen plenty of 26" forks that look like this (I'm pretty sure this company makes this same fork in 24" and 26". The ones that don't come as part of a complete probably come with disc mounts and not BMX axles though). Head tube angle is super steep.

I have three curved and one straight blade ATM. The straight bladed one has a canted steerer tube for rake. You can also get rake on straightblade forks by putting the dropouts out front of the blades, BMX style. or some funky crown action.

So, here's the question. The picture I just posted uses dropouts in front of the blades. And most suspension forks seem to use a combination of the dropouts in front of the blades and the crown doing the forward thing in Lester's second picture (I think...somehow I have turned into a retro grouch and have no suspended bikes at school with me). What's going on in the picture Lubes posted? No dropouts in front, doesn't look like the crown is forward, doesn't look like a super slack headtube angle...