janneman72 Posted June 12, 2013 Share Just somethings that I heard and thought about. Comments and feedback will be appreciated. Lets say the normal travel on a 29er shock is 80mm or 100mm. If you sit neutrally on the bike, the shock should compress with about 10-20mm depending on how hard the shock is inflated leaving you with 60 or 90mm of travel for the trail. On a rigid niner fork, lets say you inflate 2.2 or 2.4 tubeless tyres to 1.8 bar, the tyre should absorb about 15mm of bumps, the carbon fork another 15mm and the 700mm carbon handlebars also about 10-20mm, if you put soft, thick grips on another 5mm, thus you are actually getting 55mm of travel on a rigid fork if configured correctly with the right components where as on a front shock, as described above, the difference is only about 15mm more travel. In theory and in practice, is this correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted June 12, 2013 Share the carbon fork another 15mm and the 700mm carbon handlebars also about 10-20mm, I doubt that this would be the case.... Hairy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pietas Posted June 12, 2013 Share Theory is so beautiful. Have you ever ridden a ridgid? Just try locking your suspension out for a few rides and see what your arms feel like. Ridgid is not for every one ChUkKy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanJan Posted June 12, 2013 Share Although manufacturers market and sell forks using terms as "travel", forks are engineered to provide a certain stiffness and damping coefficients. The large amount of travel is only to ensure a rider doesn't 'bottom out". You can't use 'travel' as the measuring parameter, because a rigid fork doesn't even travel 1mm. It provide much more stiffness and that requires the bumps in the road to be absorbed by another part of the bike or more generally; your arms. So unfortunately neither the theory nor the practice is correct. Edited June 12, 2013 by JanJan jcmeyerSS and rouxtjie 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rouxtjie Posted June 12, 2013 Share Your numbers are too far out...you don't get travel on carbon rigid forks and handlebars, you get compliance...which basically means it takes clatter out...numbs the roughness so to speak DR ◣◢ and Hairy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rouxtjie Posted June 12, 2013 Share Theory is so beautiful. Have you ever ridden a ridgid? Just try locking your suspension out for a few rides and see what your arms feel like.Ridgid is not for every oneRemember even when a fork is locked out, there is still a little amount of travel on fox and rs....about 15mm I would guess. With a rigid, there is nada...niks, bogerall. Your arms becomes your suspension, that is why its important to stay loosey goosey on a rigid when it gets rough...otherwise it throws you off D Vader, Hairy and Draad Kameel 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldron Posted June 12, 2013 Share The difference between rigid and shocked is less tha most people think. It's what you're used to. If I've been hammering the SS rigid for a few weeks and move back to the geared shocked bike it feels sluggish and squishy then back to the rigid and it feels harsh and scary. The only terrain I really hate on my rigid is grass tufts and rocky downhills - you lose time and happiness on both...the rest - grinfest! Chro Mo, DIPSLICK, divernick and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldron Posted June 12, 2013 Share , that is why its important to stay loosey goosey on a rigid when it gets rough...otherwise it throws you off Best description I've heard! The more you relax on a rigid the better it is. Take that looseness to your shocked bike and everything gets buttery smooth :-) rouxtjie and DIPSLICK 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rouxtjie Posted June 12, 2013 Share Best description I've heard! The more you relax on a rigid the better it is. Take that looseness to your shocked bike and everything gets buttery smooth :-)Where is that picture of the chicken moving around while being shaken when you need it....Do that...and you are fine on a rigid. M L 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M L Posted June 12, 2013 Share Just somethings that I heard and thought about. Comments and feedback will be appreciated. Lets say the normal travel on a 29er shock is 80mm or 100mm. If you sit neutrally on the bike, the shock should compress with about 10-20mm depending on how hard the shock is inflated leaving you with 60 or 90mm of travel for the trail. On a rigid niner fork, lets say you inflate 2.2 or 2.4 tubeless tyres to 1.8 bar, the tyre should absorb about 15mm of bumps, the carbon fork another 15mm and the 700mm carbon handlebars also about 10-20mm, if you put soft, thick grips on another 5mm, thus you are actually getting 55mm of travel on a rigid fork if configured correctly with the right components where as on a front shock, as described above, the difference is only about 15mm more travel. In theory and in practice, is this correct?No, cause even if you do get those shock absorbing numbers they will be there when you have front suspension as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M L Posted June 12, 2013 Share How the hell meezo managed to rock a rigid in jonkers is beyond be. My palms get sore when when I have front suspension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennyg Posted June 12, 2013 Share Your numbers are way out ito travel vs force required to get those numbers. I have been on a niner rigid for 3 years, its a great rigid fork and has some natural damping against chatter.but really not much else. Your tyre plays a critical role in your comfort, thats true. The problem there is the travel is greatly under damped adding to the pogo stick feel. Climbing the rigid is awesome, decending smooth fast gradients you wont notice you missing a front shock. However, the biggest difference is small bump compliance in the corners, you develop a feel for riding the "unsettled" bike and the skill you develop saving your life and your face improve you overall cycling experience. I agree with Eldron, the difference is not that great, between the rigid and the squishy bike, after 60km of rocky ridges and grass tufts I do tend to have a sense of humour failure, where as the squishy you can still be smiling. M L and shaper 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rouxtjie Posted June 12, 2013 Share Also as Eldron said, you quickly get used to a rigid...ito the "harshness" The one thing that is tricky though is the fact that with a travel fork, it pushes out when you go over smallish bumps at speed, so the wheels always feel grounded and you take this for granted...Climb onto a rigid and you have to do what the front travel does by throwing your weight around....huge fun though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doppelganger Posted June 12, 2013 Share I am very keen to try a rigid fork on my new build. However what scares me is the following: I was riding a 26" DS bike. Now I have switched to: 29"Hard TailSingle Speed I'm scared to throw a rigid fork in the mix as this is quite a jump in the deep waters of HTFU DIPSLICK 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janneman72 Posted June 12, 2013 Share @doppelganger That's exactly the same I've done, from 26er DS to 29er SS, rigid fork. My DS maintenance cost too much and I need a bit of HTFU.... doppelganger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doppelganger Posted June 12, 2013 Share @doppelganger That's exactly the same I've done, from 26er DS to 29er SS, rigid fork. My DS maintenance cost too much and I need a bit of HTFU.... And how do you find the rigid? ALso the jump to the 29er HT SS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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