Riding rock gardens on a rigid

[ChrisEyles]

Upgrading cantis to vees is an excellent move for an old MTB, I think.

I've tried out a few different (more modern) bikes with higher front ends and shorter stem/wider bar combos, and while it does admittedly work better on the technical descents they always feel a little boat-like on fun twisty sections and I find them a bit less satisfying to ride. Mind you, comfort is not a word I especially associate with mountain biking!

I wonder if some time in the future on-the-fly adjustable geometry will be a possibility for MTBs... like dropper posts but for stems, handlebars, head tube angle... though admittedly I would probably still just continue to ride my archaic steed and suffer on the downhills

 

[clockworksimon]

I have a collection of different stems from over the years whilst fettling with different setups. Changing them isn't really an on the fly job though! I did use a Girvan Flexstem for a while which worked well, albeit at the expense of cracking a headset race which wasn't being insulated from the shocks of faster downhilling. I still have a USE XCR Shokpost which helps take the sting out of the trail going through your butt and back. However I am enjoying fully rigid mode right now as the lighter weight makes it feel like the bike skips and flies! As regards the original question, if the rock garden descent is too nervy I would probably wimp out now, shoulder the bike and make it up on the single track and climbs.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Quick question... do you get enough clearance with 2.2"+ tyres when swapping to V's? I couldn't get more than one rasher of extra thin bacon between canti cables/tyres on my rigid Cannondale M500... can anyone recommend which v to go for?

 

[clockworksimon]

I haven't used 2.2s but my now old STX Vs have always had lots of clearance for 2.1s. Can't comment on new models though.

 

[Grant Fondo]

To be honest the Avid canti's I put on are not horrendous and manage to bring my 17 stone to a stop after several hundred feet, lol

 

[ChrisEyles]

I use (admittedly slightly outdated) avid vees and they have a bit of clearance space left over with a 2.1", if that helps. Think I could squeeze a 2.4" in but wouldn't have much mud clearance.

 

[Lakesideride]

Just got back from a fab morning's riding at Haldon forest - my first trip to a trail centre since I swapped out the (lame, broken) suspension fork for a rigid one. The bike/fork were fantastic for 99% of the time, and I'm really pleased with the switch.

However... the rock gardens suddenly became a lot more "interesting" than they were before. My only tactic seems to be to go in with plenty of speed and hang on like grim death 'til I get to the other end (OK, I *try* to be as light on the bike as I can, but after the first jolt it all goes to pot). Didn't even have time to think about weighting/unweighting or front wheel lifts, and needless to say my eyeballs were juddering in my sockets the whole way!

Anyone got any tips to make riding rock gardens more comfortable/controlled/pro-active?

Just like you said speed seems to be the key and try holding your breath lol

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

We all used to race on rigid bikes at one time, I first raced MTB back in 1990, & the first Rock-Shox were just coming across from the States

Don't forget Cyclo-Crossers have ridden rigid 'forever', & some dried out/frozen courses can be equally tough
(let alone the monsters, like the 'Three Peaks Cyclo-Cross', with all its rocky sections)

 

[ChrisEyles]

Yep, it's definitely do-able - and I think quite a bit more satisfying than letting the bounce on the bike do all the work. It's kind of nice that the most comfortable way to ride them is also relatively fast, stops me from namby-pambying my way across them if I bottle it.

I've actually been getting on a bit better with the rock gardens recently. Switching over to some decent flats (wellgo v8 copies) helped a bit, but I guess it's mostly just a matter of practice.

Last trip to the trail centre our little group had a bit of a session trying to improve our wheelies and bunny hops, so that's the new goal!