SS peeps... rigid or hardtail?

Phil said:

After several rides/races on my rigid SS, I've determined that the joy and
happiness that I used to have bombing downhill with barely a flinch has been
sucked out by the pain and suffering incurred by my sus-uncorrected rigid
fork.

Get a suspension corrected fork and ride light over the rough stuff.

Quoted message said:

I found myself white-knuckled trying to hold on during the rooty downhills
(yes, we do have them in Florida) and finding myself fatigued more from
trying to wrangle the bike around than from the uphills.

Building upper body strength that helps with bicycle handling on all of
your bikes certainly is a drag.

Quoted message said:

Do any of you rigid riders find yourself significantly faster with the
benefits of a suspension fork?

There are too many factors for anyone to give an honest answer, unless
they want to compose a novella.

JD

Try a fatter front tyre first.
Steve.

JD said:

Phil said:

After several rides/races on my rigid SS, I've determined that the
joy and happiness that I used to have bombing downhill with barely a
flinch has been sucked out by the pain and suffering incurred by my
sus-uncorrected rigid fork.

Get a suspension corrected fork and ride light over the rough stuff.

Ick... riding rough over rough is what I love to do.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I found myself white-knuckled trying to hold on during the rooty
downhills (yes, we do have them in Florida) and finding myself
fatigued more from trying to wrangle the bike around than from the
uphills.

Building upper body strength that helps with bicycle handling on all
of your bikes certainly is a drag.

Yes, I am lacking in that respect.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Do any of you rigid riders find yourself significantly faster with
the benefits of a suspension fork?

There are too many factors for anyone to give an honest answer, unless
they want to compose a novella.

JD

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

spademan o---) * said:

Try a fatter front tyre first.
Steve.

I've been running 25psi, but at a competitive pace, I need to slow down for
the things I can't jump or maneuver over. The sus fork helps with hopping,
too. At a recreational pace, it's not as bad with a rigid.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Really? I find the faster I go the smoother things get. I did for a
while run a fully rigid with 2.5" weirwolf race tyres run at around 30
psi which worked fine for general riding, but I suffered on drops and
such.

spademan o---) * said:

Really? I find the faster I go the smoother things get. I did for a
while run a fully rigid with 2.5" weirwolf race tyres run at around 30
psi which worked fine for general riding, but I suffered on drops and
such.

To be more specific, I was speaking about rooty descents. On smooth trails,
we can let up on our grip and let the bike float a little more. When you
wrote the above, what kind of trail conditions were you talking about?

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

More rocky than rooty I suppose, just let go of the brakes and keep a
loose grip.

"Phil, Squid-in-Training" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:lh_4f.5494$vk1.211@dukeread04...

Quoted message said:

After several rides/races on my rigid SS, I've determined that the joy and
happiness that I used to have bombing downhill with barely a flinch has

been

Quoted message said:

sucked out by the pain and suffering incurred by my sus-uncorrected rigid
fork.

I found myself white-knuckled trying to hold on during the rooty downhills
(yes, we do have them in Florida) and finding myself fatigued more from
trying to wrangle the bike around than from the uphills.

Do any of you rigid riders find yourself significantly faster with the
benefits of a suspension fork?

Yes, I rode my SS fully rigid for 1-1/2 yrs and starting having bad pain in
my hands. I put a Marzocchi sus fork on it earlier this year and the pain
went away and I became much faster on the bike. It seems to take the shock
out of hands and I concentrate more on the ride instead of the pain.

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

Bombing downhills are inherently challenging on a fully rigid SS.
However, they'll usually track a line with laser precision, and require
a lot more thought, all-over fitness and finesse on your part.
Trackstands, tail whips, wheelies, all become your good friends on
these rigid one-trick ponies. I know this well from experience with a
few rides of my long travel boing-boing switchblade to compare it to my
fully rigid SS. 2 different universes. You give up a lot with each.
Did about 18 hot miles on the boingboing and just never got tired or
felt beat up. Strange sensation...

I Amen the bigger tires recommendation. I have the Kenda 2.4 Kinetics
and run them under 30lbs. Love it for our conditions here in the high
dry desert.

Long, continuous gnarly descents can wear you out and put the hurt on
you bouncing along for long on a rigid SS, and most SS riders I know
have gone to a front shock. I haven't because on longer rides, ie, >15
mi or so, I often bring a more forgiving bike, like one with springs.

But, as in all things in life, you get the adventure of going out to
find what works for you.

CDB

Squid-in-Training said:

After several rides/races on my rigid SS, I've determined that the joy and
happiness that I used to have bombing downhill with barely a flinch has been
sucked out by the pain and suffering incurred by my sus-uncorrected rigid
fork.

As JD says, get yourself a suspension-corrected fork. At the moment,
you're running a fork that is too low and you're putting too much weight
on your wrists and hands.

Quoted message said:

Do any of you rigid riders find yourself significantly faster with the
benefits of a suspension fork?

I'm probably faster with suspension but it's difficult to tell - I still
feel as if I'm riding as fast. I guess the test is whether you can keep
up with your riding buddies and I can quite happily do that riding rigid,
although after about four hours my wrists begin do begin to get a bit sore.

Paladin said:

Bombing downhills are inherently challenging on a fully rigid SS.
However, they'll usually track a line with laser precision, and
require a lot more thought, all-over fitness and finesse on your part.

There's not much I can do with a series of perpendicular roots, the bane of
all off-road cycling in Florida.

Quoted message said:

Trackstands, tail whips, wheelies, all become your good friends on
these rigid one-trick ponies. I know this well from experience with

I learned all these on the geared bike doing "adult bmx" and running away
from cops and the like. They definitely come in handy on the trail, too.

Quoted message said:

a few rides of my long travel boing-boing switchblade to compare it
to my fully rigid SS. 2 different universes. You give up a lot with
each. Did about 18 hot miles on the boingboing and just never got
tired or felt beat up. Strange sensation...

I've always kinda wondered that. We do mountain biking, make the terrain
more gnarly, and then put more suspension to soften it out. We're back to
square one.

And about the 2 universes, I agree. The DS bikes are such a pain to do
jumps on... timing is all off.

Quoted message said:

I Amen the bigger tires recommendation. I have the Kenda 2.4 Kinetics
and run them under 30lbs. Love it for our conditions here in the high
dry desert.

I've tried my Mutanoraptor 2.4s at low pressure alongside my Hutchy Python
2.0s and find that there's not too much of a difference.

Quoted message said:

Long, continuous gnarly descents can wear you out and put the hurt on
you bouncing along for long on a rigid SS, and most SS riders I know
have gone to a front shock. I haven't because on longer rides, ie,

Quoted message said:

15 mi or so, I often bring a more forgiving bike, like one with

springs.

I'm glad to hear that I'm not just a big softie 😉

Quoted message said:

But, as in all things in life, you get the adventure of going out to
find what works for you.

For the upcoming Tour de Felasco 50-miler (http://www.sanfelasco.net/), I
think I'm going to have to go with a front-sus. 🙂

On that note, I'm looking for a lightweight Marzocchi X-Fly fork from 2001
or so. Does anyone happen to have one that they're wanting/willing to sell?

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Phil said:

Paladin wrote:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I Amen the bigger tires recommendation. I have the Kenda 2.4 Kinetics
and run them under 30lbs. Love it for our conditions here in the high
dry desert.

I love the big tires in the high desert too. Faves so far have been
those Intense System 4 XC 2.25's (which seem way bigger).

Quoted message said:

I've tried my Mutanoraptor 2.4s at low pressure alongside my Hutchy Python
2.0s and find that there's not too much of a difference.

Quoted message said:

Long, continuous gnarly descents can wear you out and put the hurt on
you bouncing along for long on a rigid SS, and most SS riders I know
have gone to a front shock. I haven't because on longer rides, ie,

Quoted message said:

15 mi or so, I often bring a more forgiving bike, like one with

springs.

I'm glad to hear that I'm not just a big softie 😉

Then I'd be one too. I even have a Sid on mine, so it's a widely hated
fork too. I've got a sketchy shoulder and I'm trying to soften the
vibrations and shock and it came with the bike. I may even upgrade it at
some point. Plus I feel it's ok because I ride the SS because I like it,
not because I'm trying to be a purist (not that there's anything wrong
with that).

I also like the long rides and suspension is more comfortable for me.

Matt the softie

Shawn said:

Kinda begs the question then doesn't it?

;-)

I have a hardtail race bike. I love the thing. But to get a rigid
singlespeed and then complain that you can't rail a rough downhill like
you can on a suspended bike is having the point of the whole exercise
whoosh solidly over your head. I think singlespeeding may really be
jumping the shark at this point.

For the record, Phil, I have ridden Reddick, Hard Rock, Ocala,
Powerlines, and San Felasco all on a rigid single. So I know where
you're coming from. You should ride whatever bike makes you happiest,
of course.

CC

<Phil, Squid-in-Training
I've tried my Mutanoraptor 2.4s at low pressure alongside my Hutchy Python
2.0s and find that there's not too much of a difference.--
Phil, Squid-in-Training>

The SASS came with a wire bead mutano 2.4. Carla ditched them for a set of Contis vertical Pros... A friend told me that the Mutano 2.34 had a wider foot and I bought one... I'll be damned it is wider... I am not sure if it is the bead or the fact that the 2.4 is an OEM tire...
I also switched to an 80mm Marzocchi... I am not sure about being faster or slower... I actually liked running a full rigid set up... The intent was to use the SS on longer rides. I also have a wonky shoulder and needed an 80mm excuse :-P

Jimbo(san)

I think the mutanoraptors are waaay overrated. I rode them for a day
on the McCall ski hill and hated them. Just dont compare to their
older brother, the motoraptor, or almost anything fat from Kenda.

CDB

"Paladin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think the mutanoraptors are waaay overrated. I rode them for a day
on the McCall ski hill and hated them. Just dont compare to their
older brother, the motoraptor, or almost anything fat from Kenda.

I personally didn't like the mutanos after riding them for a few weeks. I
don't care for Kenda tires either...

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

"Carla A-G" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Paladin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think the mutanoraptors are waaay overrated. I rode them for a day
on the McCall ski hill and hated them. Just dont compare to their
older brother, the motoraptor, or almost anything fat from Kenda.

I personally didn't like the mutanos after riding them for a few weeks. I
don't care for Kenda tires either...

The Kendas styled after tires like the Motoraptors are pretty decent.
Reminds me of my moto days when Cheng Shin copied the great tread patterns
of Metzeler and Dunlop tires.

Greg

G.T. said:

"Carla A-G" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Paladin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think the mutanoraptors are waaay overrated. I rode them for a day
on the McCall ski hill and hated them. Just dont compare to their
older brother, the motoraptor, or almost anything fat from Kenda.

I personally didn't like the mutanos after riding them for a few weeks. I
don't care for Kenda tires either...

The Kendas styled after tires like the Motoraptors are pretty decent.
Reminds me of my moto days when Cheng Shin copied the great tread patterns
of Metzeler and Dunlop tires.

Greg

The Kendas don't last nearly as long as the Motoraptors though.

JD

Corvus Corvax said:

Shawn said:

Kinda begs the question then doesn't it?

;-)

I have a hardtail race bike. I love the thing. But to get a rigid
singlespeed and then complain that you can't rail a rough downhill
like you can on a suspended bike is having the point of the whole
exercise whoosh solidly over your head.

I'm not two people. I didn't know if my experiences matched up with
others'.

What it came down to was that I was going uphill WAY fast with the lighter
weight, but the downhills hurt. I was having problems keeping up with the
group on the downhills but had no problems on the uphills.

Quoted message said:

I think singlespeeding may
really be jumping the shark at this point.

Hmm... I looked up jumping the shark and I'm not sure what you're saying.
Are you saying that it's past its peak?

Quoted message said:

For the record, Phil, I have ridden Reddick, Hard Rock, Ocala,
Powerlines, and San Felasco all on a rigid single. So I know where
you're coming from. You should ride whatever bike makes you happiest,
of course.

Surprisingly, Reddick was far smoother on the RSS than San Felasco. San
Felasco just has retarded dips and roots that screw up any kind of rhythm.
Reddick's private ownership really shows.

What'll make me happy? All I need is a sus fork up front. *goes on eBay*

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training