Originally Posted by
Kapusta
"Underbiked" does not mean that you CAN'T ride something. Or that you won't enjoy it. It just means that bigger bike would make the task easier and you would likely be faster.
Of course you can ride Slickrock and many other famous Moab trails on a rigid bike with cantis.....People have been riding those trails since that was all there was (or since the suspension forks were not any better than rigid). And of course they enjoyed it. Well, some of them, at least. And maybe some folks still would enjoy it.
And since there were no other options, the term "underbiked" did not really mean anything back then. But now there are other options, so the term could apply now.
FWIW, I don't think Slickrock Trail itself requires much in the way of suspension. It has been 15 years since I rode it, but as I recall, it was relatively smooth. It was just ridiculously steep in places. Like, I was hitting my knee on the topcap of my fork climbing some of it. Stuff like Porcupine rim and other sections of the Whole Enchilada... my body hurts thinking of doing that ride on a rigid bike with cantis. I'm too old for that.
I think this describes what I was getting at.
I used the Slickrock example because it is very well known and others might be able to visualize it. It isn't technical by nature (though there are some drops at the bottom of a few hills that would challenge a rigid frame) but it is about 10 miles of up and down steep inclines, some very steep. As noted, of course people have ridden this with older bikes. If you were there in 92 with a 92 mtb you were probably riding the cutting edge of technology. Today however, that technology would be considered under biked for some applications. The viewer can judge for themselves if this is something someone would ride a "road bike" on.
To put it into perspective.
If someone were planning a destination trip to Moab (which many people do) and was asking about what bike might be best to take
full advantage of the trails in the surrounding area. No one would suggest an older, rigid or crap suspension, poorly geared, 26" mtb. Well, maybe someone would, seeing as this is BF, but that person would be shot down by most who would say a FS modern mtb would be the way to go. Suggesting the former would have people saying don't do it - you'll be under biked.
However, if what you really wanted to do was some easier flow trails and nothing that required modern technology, then a less capable bike would do. Here's a video of
Maverick, in the Brands area of Moab. Gravity flow rides like this are some of my favorites and this sort of trail would be perfect for my 26" rigid SS mtb and if that were all I wanted to do, a modern FS bike would be over biked.
a longer West Coast flow trail that also suits rigid SS mtb can be seen here.