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An Interesting Take on Suspension vs Rigid

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10K views 152 replies 60 participants last post by  CCSS  
#1 ·
I came across this and he makes sense.

surlybikes.com

Is Mountain Bike Suspension Pointless?

Editor’s preamble: Today’s blog is a special blog. It’s a guest blog to be exact. Our pal Colin True, host of the Rock Fight Podcast provides us with a controversial hot take from the mountain bike world. Specifically, Colin decided to throw wrenches instead of rocks and attempts to poke holes...
surlybikes.com surlybikes.com
 
#2 ·
A full suspension Rocky Mountain Element and I thought...that I was The ****.

.....But it didn’t take long before the upkeep bills started.

And the mechanical issues.
Click to expand...
I can't relate. Compared with hubs, bb, drivetrains, hydraulic brakes, droppers, forks, the rear suspension is a small increase in maintenance.
 
#6 ·
I went from a full suspension race bike in 2003 to a SS hard tail in 2004. Haven’t looked back since. Spent 12 or 13 years riding rigid. Went to suspension fork after my wrists were giving me grief On our rocky terrain.

loved the responsive feel of rigid. My fat bike is rigid and I’m thinking of going back to rigid on my main ride.
 
#7 ·
I don't get it. I take my mountainbike to specific spots and trails which have bumps, roots, rocks and even jumps. All of which I can do faster and with less effort on full suspension.
The first thing I did when I got my first full suspension bike was huck it off a six foot drop in the middle of our local DH track that I'd never managed on a hardtail. The bike didn't even blink.
I don't service my suspension myself but it's like anything. The dentist is expensive, but I still go.
I still remember my first race at a national DH where they still had a hardtail class. There was one section I couldn't actually ride. My plan for my race run was to hope for the best, but I crashed before it after my front tyre left the rim. Ah Kujo DHs. What a rubbish tyre!
 
#10 ·
I tried racing on rigid, then front suspension, but it beats the hell out of me.

When I go to races with pros, the pros riding hardtails are usually real young guys that can take that kind of beating (with a few exceptions obviously). There are some that defy belief, but it's just a matter of can you hold on while you are constantly battered. Some find that fun and the fastest way, but can't take that kind of punishment. I've also done longer XC races around 100 miles and more and again, you find some people doing it on hardtails, but I find that over that much distance it really makes a difference to have some cush at mile 80, as you start making more mistakes and you need some margin due to the severe exhaustion.

But besides all of that, just every-day riding around. I prefer not to get beat up. I like being able to ride faster when the terrain allows (free energy!) to ride further and with less of a beating.

I kind of split the time in the winter of 21/22, training for the ITI and getting fun-rides where I could, but this winter I rode almost exclusively on my FS fat bike and goddamn, it was so nice. I mean, yeah, you don't need it, but it was so fun to ride it and made me want to ride more.
 
M
#25 · (Edited)
Have FS few years now. Serviced suspension once. Suspension still works just fine, i spent way more on tyres and drivetrain maintenance.

Rode trails around here on HT, it rattles teeth like ****. Rigid would probably take you to dentist :)
Its quite simple i think, you need right tool for the job, if job is smooth gravely path rigid is better than FS for sure. The more rattling trail becomes, more FS makes sense. To claim FS are nonsense or some industry conspiracy to take your maintenance money because people are using them for riding on asphalt is nonsense - its just people not using right tools for the job.
 
G
#28 ·
I miss my rigid bike. Really. That direct feeling was awesome. But the whole argument of F/S being more maintenance intensive is just false. Rigid bikes demolish wheels and hubs. Know why I don't have my rigid anymore? Because it's the only frame that I've ever broken. Possibly just bad luck, but that frame is taking a lot more of the impact w/o suspension to soak up the bumps.

As for suspension maintenance, I went at least 1,500 miles before servicing the cheapo Manitou Machete on my H/T. It was fine. I service my other two F/S bikes more frequently, but nowhere close to the 50 hours suggested (I don't ride mud and it's just some oil sloshing around in the lowers that always comes out looking clean).
 
#29 ·
I have a rigid bike — I ride it every week.
It’s got 700c wheels and 32mm smooth tires.
Drop bars and a front derailleur {gasp}.
It’s the perfect bike for what I use it for.
What I use it for doesn’t include off-road riding.
In my world, when it comes to off-road riding, the expense & effort of a FS bike are worth it.
Your world? That’s your bizniz.
Have fun!!
=sParty
 
#30 ·
In the link it states...

"A lot of people go through the following mountain bike evolution:
You start on a hardtail.
You graduate to a full squish.
You eventually find your way back to a hardtail.
The most hardcore of this crew keeps this journey going eventually ending up on a fully rigid bike and then the last step in this de-evolution of a mountain biker is a fully rigid singlespeed."

I personally don't see this as "A lot of people". At least not where I ride regularly, and who I ride with. And it doesn't depict me by a long shot. This comes down to the same thing it always does. The right tools for the job.

As for rear suspension maintenance, eh. Of all the stuff on my bikes, rear suspensions require the least amount of attention.
 
#36 ·
fredcook said:
In the link it states...

"A lot of people go through the following mountain bike evolution:
You start on a hardtail.
You graduate to a full squish.
You eventually find your way back to a hardtail.
The most hardcore of this crew keeps this journey going eventually ending up on a fully rigid bike and then the last step in this de-evolution of a mountain biker is a fully rigid singlespeed."

I personally don't see this as "A lot of people". At least not where I ride regularly, and who I ride with. And it doesn't depict me by a long shot. This comes down to the same thing it always does. The right tools for the job.

As for rear suspension maintenance, eh. Of all the stuff on my bikes, rear suspensions require the least amount of attention.
Click to expand...
The final couple steps after the FS bike are actually:
…wearing Depends while you wobble around during your final days
…being lowered in a casket

If I ever go back to riding a FULLY ridgid bike, it’ll be because I can no longer ride bikes on dirt.

I think.
=sParty
 
#53 ·
He says "Here’s the thing, people! In the nine months since getting my rigid bike I’ve improved as a rider and I have yet to encounter a trail where I can definitively say “that would have been better with suspension”."

I believe him. He probably hasn't ridden a trail where suspension would have improved his ride or at least his riding isn't capable of improving with suspension. The amazing thing is that these people can't seem to grasp that their experience doesn't apply to everyone.
 
#44 ·
Most of the issues I've personally come across on my bikes, broken parts and warranty type stuff has almost exclusively been on rigid bikes.

My gravel bike is currently sitting useless in the garage as I wait out a warranty claim for a cracked fork. The best part, once I get a new fork it looks like I'll get to undo the basically brand new bar tape, remove the brake line and fish the brake line up the internal routing that's now present on nearly all new rigid gravel forks, Then I can re-connect the brake, re-bleed the brake and re-tape the bar.

Once a year, in the winter I break down all of my bikes for full inspection and maintenance. Maybe I've been lucky, but I haven't had to chase down noise issues from my suspension. Usually if I'm dealing with a noise issue it's from something non-suspension related; headset, BB, seatpost, saddle...
 
#84 ·
FrankS29 said:
Most of the issues I've personally come across on my bikes, broken parts and warranty type stuff has almost exclusively been on rigid bikes.

My gravel bike is currently sitting useless in the garage as I wait out a warranty claim for a cracked fork. The best part, once I get a new fork it looks like I'll get to undo the basically brand new bar tape, remove the brake line and fish the brake line up the internal routing that's now present on nearly all new rigid gravel forks, Then I can re-connect the brake, re-bleed the brake and re-tape the bar.

Once a year, in the winter I break down all of my bikes for full inspection and maintenance. Maybe I've been lucky, but I haven't had to chase down noise issues from my suspension. Usually if I'm dealing with a noise issue it's from something non-suspension related; headset, BB, seatpost, saddle...
Click to expand...
How is that Niner fork thing going? Were they cool?
 
F
#50 ·
I would definitely say that my rigid, on the right trails, is more fun than my full suspension bike. And sometimes is even faster too. I also love the purity and simplicity of just lubing the chain, putting air in the tires, and just going riding. I love not having to mess around with suspension settings, etc when I should be riding.
 
M
#55 ·
I would definitely say that my FS, on the right trails, is more fun than rigid bike. And sometimes is even faster too. I also love the purity and simplicity of just lubing the chain, putting air in the tires, and just going riding. I love not having to mess around with suspension settings, etc when I should be riding. Thats why i setup suspension when i got the FS bike and i didn't change settings from that time.
 
H
#51 ·
Article makes sense for most, however you cannot beat full suspension for an aging body. I went through his 3 stages, but he’s too inexperienced to know he left out # 4: “Aging body moves you BACK to full suspension and maintenance costs are affordable if you crafted your life correctly.“ Arthritis hits different people at different stages in life, and full suspension allows me to ride more often, and frankly, long term. Sadly, I sold off Hardtails in my mid 50’s. Some humans are more durable than others.
 
#57 ·
Clickbait.

I rode rigid from when I was a kid up until just a few years ago (~50? years). No, you don't need suspension, but it has its place depending on the trails you ride and your own personal riding style. Some have it for control. Some have it for comfort. If you're in the comfort camp, there is a good chance you have more suspension than you really use.

-F
 
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