# Recommend a Ss rigid MTB



## rideswithmoobs (7 Apr 2016)

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


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## Spiderweb (7 Apr 2016)

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.


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## rideswithmoobs (7 Apr 2016)

Spiderweb said:


> 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)


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## Kajjal (7 Apr 2016)

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


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## rideswithmoobs (7 Apr 2016)

Kajjal said:


> 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


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## User19783 (7 Apr 2016)

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.


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## rideswithmoobs (7 Apr 2016)

User19783 said:


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



That's the sort of thing I'm looking for.


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## rideswithmoobs (7 Apr 2016)

Talking of riding hills on a single speed and blowing up on MTB trails. Check out this link of what this guy achieved..... 
http://www.bikeit.eclipse.co.uk/localrides/ride2c/index.htm


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## ChrisEyles (12 Apr 2016)

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


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## OskarTennisChampion (12 Apr 2016)

I have always liked On One's seatstay design.
Good option for SS as well


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## Motozulu (14 Apr 2016)

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.


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## Motozulu (14 Apr 2016)

Still got the frame but might convert that back to a 120mm travel, trail flier, at some point.


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## clockworksimon (17 Apr 2016)

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........


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## Polocini (18 Apr 2016)

I've got a cannondale trail 29er ss. It's perfect for my local trail. Have a Google there's plenty about on ebay/pinkbike etc. 

AL


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## Kajjal (18 Apr 2016)

clockworksimon said:


> 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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## clockworksimon (19 Apr 2016)

It's easy enough to fit a new stem and riser bars to a 90s XC bike give a more modern and comfortable position. Well set up V brakes are fine. Simple, light and surely in the spirit of SS?


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## ChrisEyles (19 Apr 2016)

^^^ definitely this! Maybe give the narrow bars and long stem combo a go first before ditching them, they may be less suited to gnarly terrain but on flowly singletrack they can be a blast


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## Grant Fondo (28 Apr 2016)

seen some Cannondale M500's on Ebay, worth a look. Had mine 22 years and will never sell.


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## GrumpyGregry (29 Apr 2016)

I built mine using an old Kona Kilaluea frame and fork. Gone now, but I loved that bike whilst I had it. My partner in singlespeed mtb crime rides a Kinesis but they don't make his frame anymore.


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