Recommend a Ss rigid MTB

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Location
North West
As the title says, for use in Lake District and grizedale type places. Second hand or new.
I ride Ss road/trail bike and fancy doing the same off road
 

Spiderweb

Not So Special One
Location
North Yorkshire
I like the idea and simplicity of a single speed rigid MTB but personally I would need the some gears and at least front suspension for comfort at the likes of Grizedale and Whinlatter forest in the lakes. There are too many ups and downs for SS and rigid forks would shake out my fillings even running lower tyre pressures.
 
OP
OP
rideswithmoobs
Location
North West
I like the idea and simplicity of a single speed rigid MTB but personally I would need the some gears and at least front suspension for comfort at the likes of Grizedale and Whinlatter forest in the lakes. There are too many ups and downs for SS and rigid forks would shake out my fillings even running lower tyre pressures.

For years MTB was rigid and them guys still flew. If I was seriously into MTB then maybe I could justify 'all the gear' but unfortunately it's 'all the gear but no idea'^_^ seriously though I love my Ss and there simplicity. I was walking in grizedale last year and watching the mtb' son sections of trails. A guy on a Cotic Ss tore up the hill past them. I checked out the bike with Cotic at the time but they don't make it anymore. Not enough purchases apparently...shame but
(Oh and later in the day the guy on the Cotic was sat by the children's play area and shop having a brew and looked as fresh as a daisy):notworthy:
 

Kajjal

Guru
Location
Wheely World
I had a proper rigid mountain bike in the early 1990's, the reason it flew was due to very poor caliper brakes which meant you could quickly accelerate down steep hills with the brakes full on!!!!!

A rigid bike may be fine round smoother trail centres but on rougher xc riding you will take a real beating from the trail. That is before you come to a long steep off road climb on a loose trail. At that point you will understand why people want such a wide range of gears mountain biking. Many years ago a friend tried powering up a long off road hill through a forest single speed style. After five minutes he exploded and took about an hour to fully recover, saying he now understood what we were all warning him about.

Just be careful where you plan to ride or get gears ;)
 
OP
OP
rideswithmoobs
Location
North West
I had a proper rigid mountain bike in the early 1990's, the reason it flew was due to very poor caliper brakes which meant you could quickly accelerate down steep hills with the brakes full on!!!!!

A rigid bike may be fine round smoother trail centres but on rougher xc riding you will take a real beating from the trail. That is before you come to a long steep off road climb on a loose trail. At that point you will understand why people want such a wide range of gears mountain biking. Many years ago a friend tried powering up a long off road hill through a forest single speed style. After five minutes he exploded and took about an hour to fully recover, saying he now understood what we were all warning him about.

Just be careful where you plan to ride or get gears ;)

Yep I understand and agree. I would only be doing moderate trails, nothing like the north face run at grizedale or black runs. I do some fairly steep ascents, a 1:7 was a killer but I did it and that's on 69 GI. I presume MTB gear inches would be a lot lower and suited to off road.
But yeah thank you for the welcome advice and I will keep to the moderate stuff :thumbsup:
 
U

User19783

Guest
Here's mine

Ok it's got 120mm forks
But the bike does everything I need, from commuting to trail riding,

It's a On One Inbred 26" ss

Sorry I can't remember the gearing but it can do any hill around here.




IMAG0270.jpg
 

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ChrisEyles

Guru
Location
Devon
Why not look out for a 90s MTB on gumtree/ebay and do a SS conversion (I'd keep the freewheel on first in case you decide SS is not for you, you can always bung the derailleur and a full-size chain back on to get your gears back then)? You can probably pick up a decent bike and kit it out with new cables/tyres/brake pads for under £100

A 90s rigid MTB may be a little less capable on the really gnarly stuff but I get around red routes no problems on mine and have an absolute blast, and it's about as maintenance free as a bike gets :smile:
 

Motozulu

Über Member
Location
Rugeley, Staffs
Just broken mine down and sold the bits. Absolutely loved it tbf but now in my 50's trying to do the Dog on it at Cannock was taking my back and knees 3 days to recover from!

It's great, but it's also a young man's game.
 

clockworksimon

Über Member
Location
England
I recently put the original rigid forks back on my old Orange Clockwork. Made the bike much lighter and more responsive - like it was when I first bought it. Tested it out on a mixed road/MTB ride up Worlds End then the black trail at Llandegla. No problem without the suspension forks. Ok - didn't bomb round getting big air on the jumps but did the uphills like a whippet. Not sure I would want to give up the gears but there must be loads of decent 90s rigid bikes out there which could be easily converted to SS. Re the issue of going rigid. Seems to be a fashion these days for cyclo cross bikes and trail riding - these are rigid........
 

Kajjal

Guru
Location
Wheely World
I recently put the original rigid forks back on my old Orange Clockwork. Made the bike much lighter and more responsive - like it was when I first bought it. Tested it out on a mixed road/MTB ride up Worlds End then the black trail at Llandegla. No problem without the suspension forks. Ok - didn't bomb round getting big air on the jumps but did the uphills like a whippet. Not sure I would want to give up the gears but there must be loads of decent 90s rigid bikes out there which could be easily converted to SS. Re the issue of going rigid. Seems to be a fashion these days for cyclo cross bikes and trail riding - these are rigid........
I have a mid 1990's orange c16r and it still rides well but the narrow by todays standards bars and vbrakes make it entertaining compared to modern bikes.
 
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