Jeff Neese

3 of my 4 bikes are fully-rigid, chromoly mountain bikes. I ride an '89 Trek 970, a '92 Trek 930, and a '93 Rockhopper. Like Happy Feet (above), I can ride the same trails as anyone, just not as fast and without the big jumps. Mine are all set up a little differently with regard to handlebars and tire size. My fourth bike is a '91 Trek 750 with drop bars - again fully rigid chromoly, from the early '90s, the Golden Age.

Maybe not as fast, but it takes more skill to ride on the trails and is definitely more fun.

prj71

My arms hurt thinking about riding those bikes.

Did a group ride last night with a bunch of friends. One of my friends who has been exclusively been riding his rigid carbon fat bike lately decided to take his full suspension bike on the ride last night. He made numerous comments about how much more comfortable of a ride it was and that he's probably done riding the fatty now until the snow flies.

Jeff Neese

Funny how people used to be able to ride bicycles without their arms hurting, before suspensions were developed. I guess it's like indexed shifting - it definitely got more newbies into cycling, and that's a good thing. But there's a lot to be said for a nice, responsive fully rigid steel frame and fork, coupled with decent riding skills. Loads more fun.

If you're talking about aluminum frame bikes, that's a different story. I've never ridden an aluminum bike that I liked, but at least a suspension makes them tolerable.

Happy Feet

Maybe... HTFU?

prj71

I was one of those people!!! I was riding mountain bikes in the mid to late 80's!!!!

I don't know about it being funny though. I guess I was younger then and my body could take a beating better in those days.

thehammerdog

yes. my 1st bike cannondale beast of the east. bought Scott unishock a full 1 inch of travel...was all the rage.

prj71

My first mountain bike. Ross Mt. Hood.

BoozyMcliverRot

Fully rigid mtbs are super fun with the right bars 😉

DMC707

i can relate. We are the same age. I could tolerate my full rigid 22 lb Marin in 1995 , but shudder to think of riding it now on my local trails although rigids and hardtails are still a common sight

Jax Rhapsody

Rigid is how I like my MTBs. Of course the most offroading they might do is grass... about to change, though; I'm making a klunker, was gonna be hardtail, but some bastich outbid me for a girvin earlier.

Wongway

I literally JUST picked up an old 96 (I think? maybe 97?) in a Black Cherry/Wine Purple looking color I plan on turning into more of a gravel/street bike. After taking my semi-rigid Trek 930 into some intermediate trails with not-so mountain bike treads (they're really a hybrid street/gravel tire) I'm going to put real mountain bike treads on that, so the Wahoo can enjoy life as a street/gravel ride.

Just using arms and legs is fun and tiring, but I'm getting old, and fat, so I kinda need that workout haha!

I'd post pics, but I'm still a noob lurking and learning as much as I can in the meantime.

2old

Rode rigid for many, many years, but a couple of falls resulted in shoulder damage. It's a thing of the past with front forks.

Kapusta

When I started riding, I and most of my peers were riding rigid. And we ALL had aching forearms at the bottom of a long rocky rooty down hill. It was one common way that rough downhills were described.

Of course it may have has as much to do with the canti brakes and rock hard 2.0" tires as it did with lack of suspension. I ride a modern rigid Fat bike now and it does not beat me up anywhere near as much.

thehammerdog

1st step in the process is now completed.
Fresh new paint.
​​​​I hope to get her built over the holiday.

fresh green sparkly powder coat.

Wongway

If someone likes rigid mountain bikes, are products like Redshift’s Shockstop stem and seatposts geared for them then?

I’d imagine they’d go a very long way towards alleviating the sore forearms and rear…

thehammerdog

just finished the build.
took outside in order to make small adjustments.
​​​​​​tAdded new seat, carboon seat post upgraded brakes.
so pumped.

OldCruiser

Where’s the finished pics ?

DMC707

in Cheez’s shed

thehammerdog

OldCruiser

Nice ! I like it . Thanks for the pic !

pbass

Missing my 2015 ss Unit reading this thread. Only sold it 'cause it was a bit too big for me. What a great bike. Tried a suspension fork on it and it lasted barely 2 weeks before I put it back rigid!

OldRailfan

My old rigid Bianchi Nyala gets now used and treated as a gravel bike sans the drop bars, but with 21 speeds. Not quite as nice a ride as the new Hardtail.

Devilmedic

On my 930 build Im using a Tranzx seatpost. Gives a little spring anyhow. Dumped the junk sus fork.

prj71

I took the shocks and struts out of my truck and replaced them with concrete bricks. I wanted to feel all nostalgic and stuff.

thehammerdog

the old beast rides well slicing dicing the well used trails love it.