The trick to riding rigid is compliance, everywhere. More compliant wheels, flexier bars, ESI Extra Chunky grips, 29+ tires with low pressure. Also sniping lines helps too.
YES! Love this! I built up a Stooge Mk6 a few months ago and it's basically my only MTB now, and I'm riding it on all the stuff I used to ride my full-sus bike(s) on. Punishing, difficult, usually absolutely hilarious... I love it.
Finally someone in the TH-cam realm put some serious dirt in the dirtbomb and have gave us good insights on it... Awesome riding as always!!... Been enjoying my dirtbomb these past 2 yrs... Raced it a few times but the hardtail is currently my main rig nowadays... But still have the stooge in the shed for some back to bare bones fun every now and then... 😎🤘🏾
Are there other Dirt Bomb videos? I saw the article on pink bike with the guy who would ride it to enduro races, race, then head back home…. But other than that, I’ve done zero research on this thing.
@@JeffKendallWeedunfortunately none that I've seen, hence I was elated you posted this sick video... Tbh, I don't see many ppl review rigid enduro bikes at all... Ahahahah
Stooge! Love it! Art cubed - beautiful and original build, stunning photos on instagram and the best writing on their website and sm. Tip of the hat to them, and to you for enjoying it!
That fork is the only thing that freaks me out but seems to hold up well. Jeff, if you want to try a FUN Bike, see if any local shops have and will let you demo the new WeThePeople SwampMaster. It’s ridiculously fun to ride.
Hi Jeff, this past year I put Onyx hubs on my hardtail. I think you'd like them on your Stooge. It's really nice to have a completely silent bike and they feel like coast faster than my I9s.
Only recently re-entering the FS space, I’ve been in a rigid bike for the last 10 years. (Jones SWB with a Truss fork) You’d never know how fun being under-biked is until you try it. Yes, everything is more comfy on a fully and drops and missed landings can sure sting, but like you said “It turns blue trails into blacks” which has its own appeal!
Hell yeah about 5 months in my Speedbomb, which is the twin top tube successor to the Dirtbomb, and I'm in love. Killer bike, I'm winning the occasional race on it, and I'm not riding my Knolly at all... It's been a ton of fun.
I love riding "under biked". It makes all your usual local trails feel new and way more fun. I spent most of the summer on a 98 Orange Clockwork, fully rigid, with a modern 1x drivetrain. V-brakes are a bit sketchy though 😂. Love the stooge and you've gone full hipster with the brooks 🤜🤛
Riding my home trail once a week I love to mix it up with quirky bikes. I had an old 26er for a while with modern suspension and gears and 27.5 front, it is a lot of fun from time to time just because it's different. Having much less skills a rigid bike would likely be too much for my spine and ankles, though.
Yes yes yes! So excited for a video of you with a rigid bike. I love my heavily modified Stache, and you’re really making me want to ride it more! Thanks Jeff. ✌️🚴♂️
Great video on a non-squish bike. I have always wanted to see a review on a bike with only rear suspension. A bike with only rear suspension makes a lot of sense to me, but I must be wrong.
With the Maguras there is a really good vid link on there website using a syringe with a hole drilled in the side to pull a vaccum when you pull back past the hole the fluid rushes back in.
Yep that’s what I did initially and it *seemed* to work, then my brakes went AWOL mid ride. Then did dual syringe bleeds and they still sucked, so eventually did another dual syringe and then a lever bleed and that seemed to work.
with bleeding the maguras mate best practice is to use the supplied bleed blocks and push and pull from the calliper syringe until all air bubbles are removed, then close off the system from both ends. its important you don't try to overfill the brake system as you can burst the internal reservoir in the master. align the caliper to the rotor then insert the pads, first few pulls will come to the bar and then come out as the pads make contact. make sure you bed the pads in properly, 20/30 stops from 20mph roughly
Exactly. I just build my new bike with Maguras, followed the Instructions as given on the Magura YT Channel, fairly straightforward process. No Issues.
It really depends on the brake you're bleeding. Shimano brakes are easy to bleed. Magura brakes meanwhile need more patience. Shigura bakes when done right are as easy to bleed as shimanos...
Loved this video! Very entertaining, and a very cool bike. Reminds me of the crappy rigids we used to hit all the trails with in the 90s as kids. We rode everything on bmx bikes and whatever we could scrap together and had a blast!
You seen some of the 20" short length but tall headset bikes people have been making? Rides like a bmx but small little mtb. I made one long time ago but cracked the welds.
I love the bi-plane fork, but the perhaps a color matched or titanium truss fork? Otherwise, thanks for the rigid klunker love, that’s a bike worth keeping, and will never be out of style.
I love my Brooks saddle. No need for padded bike pants, etc. Takes a little to break in, but once it is.. oh comfort. Just a little Neatsfoot oil to keep the leather in good condition
This was cool. I have a full ridged OM Duro. Chromoly frame 27.5x3” tires. It is a blast to ride on mountain bike trails just to switch it up, from time to time. It is totally capable but I am not…haha I love the simplicity though.
That saddle made my butt hurt just looking at it ha ha , reminds me of my old diamond back mean streak from the early eighties crazy it had a 65 deg ha 46 inch wheelbase and 7x 30mm wide rims it was pretty darn good crazy how bikes went backwards for years before they got to were they are today . Fun vid Jeff . 👍👏✌😁
Rigid bikes are amazeballs. More people need to ride rigid. It's not painful or scary and we all can and should totally do it! I got so much better after riding rigid. Rigid for life! 💯
A year ago ive bought a breezer thunder. A 29er bikepacking bike and took it down a red trail we have here and that i know really well. Thing was completely rigged, steel everything, weighed more than me after 10 visits to taco bell but somehow got down without injuries. Definetly an "experience".
I love my stooge. A mk4 which is a blast to ride over some pretty serious terrain. I did bust those biplane forks and now have the tougher stooge forks. Less offset but still keeps the ride funnest. 💪🏼
Thanks for the fork feed back! They are so flexy, I get the feel that they were NOT intended For mountain biking… fingers crossed they don’t break, they are so pretty!
@@JeffKendallWeed mine lasted 2 months of similar riding. The later mk5/6 fork is like a bmx fork and tough as old boots. Make sure you check where the biplane meets the steerer as this is where mine cracked before it folded - I was doing similar riding to this. FYI. Andy at stooge was a legend and sorted me the new forks as soon as they were available so can be had as an upgrade.
I love this..! My ankles, knees, and wrist hurt before you even rode the bike.! Love the mods you did... cross between historical/old-school and modern
with magura's they won't seel good until they are fully bedded in before they have the nice feel, when that happens, basic lever bleed with the lever positioned just shy of flat. good luck
Riding a rigid definitely has a learning curve. You quickly learn how to ride light or pay the price. Riding a rigid with clipless pedals helps with this. You may not get down the trail as fast a fully but you can ride just about anything on one. Stooge Cycles has some interesting bikes in their line up. I'd like to get my hands on an MK6 frame and fork for a sweet custom build.
You ask what changes to make? I have a Mk4 and I run a 3.0 DHF on the front. I'd be curious to know what you thought about that, though you obviously push your tires harder than I do.
I've ridden my old Redline Monocog 29er for about 8,000 miles. A rigid frame is fantastic for cornering. Suspension is too inconsistent. With a rigid frame bike there are fewer variables. You're going to know what it's going to do in most situations and over time your muscles will store that information. Further, maintenance is a bummer. Fewer parts, less maintenance and more riding.
There should be a small Brooks spanner glued to the packaging/paper plate to retighten that saddle. It's meant to do that and they know so they give you one :)
Yeah I have since adjusted- sadly it’s already like 3/4 of the way thru the adjustment… the directions say you’re not supposed to ride in the rain at the saddles
@@JeffKendallWeed Yeh, they're supposed to be treated like a higher end baseball mitt - which tbf is almost impossible with a bike saddle. Still happy seeing you give it a shot!
It’s a adventure / all surface bike . I ran rigid with tubeless but would run my pressures so low then tires would burp. Those tree roots on the trail will have you hold on when your front hits them.
Oh yeah with the 36mm rims, 2.6 tires, and Cush core, I can run crazy low 15-18 psi and they don’t blow off. Any lower and the rebound would be terrible.
Yes your probably right mine was a low dough set up sx25 WTB rims and 2.3 High Rollers. I cant ride anywhere close to your level but I put a suspension fork back on. By the way those cheap rims will bottom and still stay true back in the day you would walk out. Great content by the way / out of all the bloggers on youtube you are the gospel in my opinion.
Thanks PS! These wide rims and such are all total cheater parts, so don’t feel lame or anything for going back to squish! Run what’s fun, what works for you, and what you’ve got available to ya!
Nope, this is the Dirt Bomb. It's been discontinued. 65 degree head angle and massive wheelbase make it an enduro bike. www.pinkbike.com/news/bike-check-matt-lakins-fully-rigid-stooge-cycles-dirtbomb-enduro-race-bike.html
The first time I hit my taint on the nose of a Brooks saddle while riding offroad is something I shall never forget. I’d rather be punched in the face.
@JeffKendallWeed looked like a blast. I've rode some rigid ss but it was older geo and xc width tires. It is nice knowing if you are going to have a 70 hta its not going to get steeper on my xc rigid. This is way more capable. The mk builds are the ones I was eyeing. For the exact reason you were talking about lowkey trail capable. Ride a commute to work and hit some trails before heading home. I've done that on a handful of bikes hardtail usually seems best.
This review is very misleading, rigid MTB is brutal! The romance of steel-simplicity disappears IMMEDIATELY on anything but green trails. Ive owned several, the love affair dies quickly.
Head to www.DrinkLMNT.com/Jeff to get your free sample pack with any purchase.
The trick to riding rigid is compliance, everywhere. More compliant wheels, flexier bars, ESI Extra Chunky grips, 29+ tires with low pressure. Also sniping lines helps too.
Fat is the key here. Not the tires, the ass
I like Atleast 120mm of compliance front and rear
Compliant legs. That’s your real suspension
And perhaps dialing back the speed
This should be the video that puts Klunkers back on the map. “Turn Blue trails to black” should be its slogan
this bike was from two year ago, can't get it now
the skill with which you handle that full rigid bike is downright impressive. I would absolutely never ride that thing in those conditions hahaha
In for more Enduro Stooge content! This video was a blast 😁
YES! Love this! I built up a Stooge Mk6 a few months ago and it's basically my only MTB now, and I'm riding it on all the stuff I used to ride my full-sus bike(s) on. Punishing, difficult, usually absolutely hilarious... I love it.
Finally someone in the TH-cam realm put some serious dirt in the dirtbomb and have gave us good insights on it... Awesome riding as always!!... Been enjoying my dirtbomb these past 2 yrs... Raced it a few times but the hardtail is currently my main rig nowadays... But still have the stooge in the shed for some back to bare bones fun every now and then... 😎🤘🏾
Are there other Dirt Bomb videos? I saw the article on pink bike with the guy who would ride it to enduro races, race, then head back home…. But other than that, I’ve done zero research on this thing.
@JeffKendallWeed his articles were awesome but there isn't anything hardly on them. He also did fairly well at some of the races.
@@JeffKendallWeedunfortunately none that I've seen, hence I was elated you posted this sick video... Tbh, I don't see many ppl review rigid enduro bikes at all... Ahahahah
This actually turned out cool as hell! Pls consider doing more crazy bikes like this in the future😎👍
Stooge! Love it! Art cubed - beautiful and original build, stunning photos on instagram and the best writing on their website and sm. Tip of the hat to them, and to you for enjoying it!
That fork is the only thing that freaks me out but seems to hold up well. Jeff, if you want to try a FUN Bike, see if any local shops have and will let you demo the new WeThePeople SwampMaster. It’s ridiculously fun to ride.
Hi Jeff, this past year I put Onyx hubs on my hardtail. I think you'd like them on your Stooge. It's really nice to have a completely silent bike and they feel like coast faster than my I9s.
Only recently re-entering the FS space, I’ve been in a rigid bike for the last 10 years. (Jones SWB with a Truss fork) You’d never know how fun being under-biked is until you try it. Yes, everything is more comfy on a fully and drops and missed landings can sure sting, but like you said “It turns blue trails into blacks” which has its own appeal!
Hell yeah about 5 months in my Speedbomb, which is the twin top tube successor to the Dirtbomb, and I'm in love. Killer bike, I'm winning the occasional race on it, and I'm not riding my Knolly at all... It's been a ton of fun.
Right on Glenn! It’s a neat feel!!!
Love the stooge i have the og mk1 fully rigid steel bikes are the best!!!
I would be interested with how a Berd wheel setup might affect this bike!
I love riding "under biked". It makes all your usual local trails feel new and way more fun. I spent most of the summer on a 98 Orange Clockwork, fully rigid, with a modern 1x drivetrain. V-brakes are a bit sketchy though 😂. Love the stooge and you've gone full hipster with the brooks 🤜🤛
At my Work we use a pneumatic cylinder like a really large siringe to push a lot of fluid from the bottom through the magura brakes. works great :D
My Dad has a stooge MK4 It’s so cool and get’s interesting looks, lead to our steel bike obsession.
I hated my Magura levers so much, so I went with shimano xt levers. Work like a charm with the Magura calipers.
Riding my home trail once a week I love to mix it up with quirky bikes. I had an old 26er for a while with modern suspension and gears and 27.5 front, it is a lot of fun from time to time just because it's different. Having much less skills a rigid bike would likely be too much for my spine and ankles, though.
Yes yes yes! So excited for a video of you with a rigid bike. I love my heavily modified Stache, and you’re really making me want to ride it more! Thanks Jeff. ✌️🚴♂️
Brooks saddles rock! I run their “new tech” C13 on both bikes since @ 2019
I love love love the idea of this bike. His one size fits all thing though....I'm not sure I can get on board with that....
Great video on a non-squish bike. I have always wanted to see a review on a bike with only rear suspension. A bike with only rear suspension makes a lot of sense to me, but I must be wrong.
With the Maguras there is a really good vid link on there website using a syringe with a hole drilled in the side to pull a vaccum when you pull back past the hole the fluid rushes back in.
Yep that’s what I did initially and it *seemed* to work, then my brakes went AWOL mid ride. Then did dual syringe bleeds and they still sucked, so eventually did another dual syringe and then a lever bleed and that seemed to work.
Great video! Looking forward to you upgrading and changing stuff on the Stooge 😊
with bleeding the maguras mate best practice is to use the supplied bleed blocks and push and pull from the calliper syringe until all air bubbles are removed, then close off the system from both ends. its important you don't try to overfill the brake system as you can burst the internal reservoir in the master. align the caliper to the rotor then insert the pads, first few pulls will come to the bar and then come out as the pads make contact. make sure you bed the pads in properly, 20/30 stops from 20mph roughly
Exactly. I just build my new bike with Maguras, followed the Instructions as given on the Magura YT Channel, fairly straightforward process. No Issues.
As a 30 year mechanic, I find best practice is to replace them.
@@lufbraroots very good mechanic, just tired of frequent, frustrating bleeds on a brake that isn’t any better than other options.
That was a lot of fun to watch. Keep these types of projects coming.
This just proves that you can ride anything and still be Top steez.
If it puts a smile on your face, it’s the right bike. Love this content!
Nice to hear I'm not the only one who finds brake bleeds to be an excessively frustrating job.
It really depends on the brake you're bleeding. Shimano brakes are easy to bleed. Magura brakes meanwhile need more patience.
Shigura bakes when done right are as easy to bleed as shimanos...
Bleeds are reason alone to ride Shimano.
Loved this video! Very entertaining, and a very cool bike. Reminds me of the crappy rigids we used to hit all the trails with in the 90s as kids. We rode everything on bmx bikes and whatever we could scrap together and had a blast!
Loved seeing this vid! You shred that rigid hard! All types of bikes are fun and a challenge to master. love it
You seen some of the 20" short length but tall headset bikes people have been making? Rides like a bmx but small little mtb. I made one long time ago but cracked the welds.
Try suspension stem and seatpost, see if it can better absorb the impact
I love the bi-plane fork, but the perhaps a color matched or titanium truss fork? Otherwise, thanks for the rigid klunker love, that’s a bike worth keeping, and will never be out of style.
I love my Brooks saddle. No need for padded bike pants, etc. Takes a little to break in, but once it is.. oh comfort. Just a little Neatsfoot oil to keep the leather in good condition
I love the idea! However, I'd really have to add a coil-spring fork up front for my weak wrists, even though it would kill the rigid frame feel.
If that Wolf Tooth bottle cage disappoints, try a King Cage (even comes in Ti if that's a requirement).
Awesome bikes, love seeing this on the channel Jeff, Stooge bikes are about an hour from my in England, great company
This was cool.
I have a full ridged OM Duro. Chromoly frame 27.5x3” tires. It is a blast to ride on mountain bike trails just to switch it up, from time to time. It is totally capable but I am not…haha I love the simplicity though.
That saddle made my butt hurt just looking at it ha ha , reminds me of my old diamond back mean streak from the early eighties crazy it had a 65 deg ha 46 inch wheelbase and 7x 30mm wide rims it was pretty darn good crazy how bikes went backwards for years before they got to were they are today . Fun vid Jeff . 👍👏✌😁
Rigid bikes are amazeballs. More people need to ride rigid. It's not painful or scary and we all can and should totally do it! I got so much better after riding rigid. Rigid for life! 💯
another person has a problem bleeding his magura brakes... what a surprise
It is channeling the old Cooks Bros cruiser as it’s spirit animal
Rad! Nice job Jeff, Logan, and Riley!
Thanks for watching, Andrew!
Sick build! Love it!
Thanks Brian!
My old wrists and shoulders appreciate suspension forks
A year ago ive bought a breezer thunder. A 29er bikepacking bike and took it down a red trail we have here and that i know really well. Thing was completely rigged, steel everything, weighed more than me after 10 visits to taco bell but somehow got down without injuries. Definetly an "experience".
Nice bike! You could try wheels with textile spokes li pi rope. Maybe they are compliant. Have fun!
Try lewis brakes the quad 17mm piston..
It’s what I think I look like when riding my rigid SS 😂
I love my stooge. A mk4 which is a blast to ride over some pretty serious terrain.
I did bust those biplane forks and now have the tougher stooge forks. Less offset but still keeps the ride funnest. 💪🏼
Thanks for the fork feed back! They are so flexy, I get the feel that they were NOT intended For mountain biking… fingers crossed they don’t break, they are so pretty!
@@JeffKendallWeed mine lasted 2 months of similar riding. The later mk5/6 fork is like a bmx fork and tough as old boots.
Make sure you check where the biplane meets the steerer as this is where mine cracked before it folded - I was doing similar riding to this.
FYI. Andy at stooge was a legend and sorted me the new forks as soon as they were available so can be had as an upgrade.
I love this..! My ankles, knees, and wrist hurt before you even rode the bike.! Love the mods you did... cross between historical/old-school and modern
😂 nah it actually rides pretty good! At least for me with my “aging BMXer” riding style
with magura's they won't seel good until they are fully bedded in before they have the nice feel, when that happens, basic lever bleed with the lever positioned just shy of flat. good luck
Thanks for the video Jeff 👍
If 2.8 fit in the front with the fenders, that would be a sweet option.
Yeah I considered but I tend to ride so much 2.6, it’s plenty for our smooth trails. Feels great in the jumps, less rebound than the 2.8
Riding a rigid definitely has a learning curve. You quickly learn how to ride light or pay the price. Riding a rigid with clipless pedals helps with this.
You may not get down the trail as fast a fully but you can ride just about anything on one.
Stooge Cycles has some interesting bikes in their line up. I'd like to get my hands on an MK6 frame and fork for a sweet custom build.
This is awesome! Good work man. So fun! ❤
Thank you!
Jeff, Big congrats on 100K
You ask what changes to make? I have a Mk4 and I run a 3.0 DHF on the front. I'd be curious to know what you thought about that, though you obviously push your tires harder than I do.
The nice thing about this is that you can have an exciting ride on trails that aren’t likely to kill you if you screw up.
Reminds me of the sauce from Priority bikes... Only it has a beltdrive. Great video this is awesome! Way to jump outside the norm!🚲
I've ridden my old Redline Monocog 29er for about 8,000 miles. A rigid frame is fantastic for cornering. Suspension is too inconsistent. With a rigid frame bike there are fewer variables. You're going to know what it's going to do in most situations and over time your muscles will store that information.
Further, maintenance is a bummer. Fewer parts, less maintenance and more riding.
You're an absolute madlad!
There should be a small Brooks spanner glued to the packaging/paper plate to retighten that saddle. It's meant to do that and they know so they give you one :)
Yeah I have since adjusted- sadly it’s already like 3/4 of the way thru the adjustment… the directions say you’re not supposed to ride in the rain at the saddles
@@JeffKendallWeed Yeh, they're supposed to be treated like a higher end baseball mitt - which tbf is almost impossible with a bike saddle. Still happy seeing you give it a shot!
Always been curious bout the Brooke saddle- certainly disappointed at the lack of wet weather compatibility. Hope the fender saves it!
Great bike. I have a stooge mk5. Fun bikes to ride.
Great video Jeff!
Thanks!
It isn't stupid if it works, but l feel like someone said that before. Thanks for recommending YT
Absolutely ridiculous in the most endearing way possible
I ride a 24inch fit cr24 bmx cruiser on blue trails it is a blast.
Hahaha that’s a whole different experience! BMX cruisers are under rated… wish I had the $$$ to get into cruiser class BITD!
Needs grip streamers....and a paper basket up front
check out the carver 96er
It’s a adventure / all surface bike . I ran rigid with tubeless but would run my pressures so low then tires would burp. Those tree roots on the trail will have you hold on when your front hits them.
Oh yeah with the 36mm rims, 2.6 tires, and Cush core, I can run crazy low 15-18 psi and they don’t blow off. Any lower and the rebound would be terrible.
Yes your probably right mine was a low dough set up sx25 WTB rims and 2.3 High Rollers. I cant ride anywhere close to your level but I put a suspension fork back on. By the way those cheap rims will bottom and still stay true back in the day you would walk out. Great content by the way / out of all the bloggers on youtube you are the gospel in my opinion.
Thanks PS! These wide rims and such are all total cheater parts, so don’t feel lame or anything for going back to squish! Run what’s fun, what works for you, and what you’ve got available to ya!
Slap some Berd spokes on that bad boy
Just use TRP DHR-EVO brakes. So much better.
The top tube looks like a ball crusher, but otherwise pretty cool
That is a sweet ride!
Thanks Johnny!
I guess you never know until you try... and this channel's all about trying things.
yesssss this is the way.
All I want to know is if Gary Fischer popped up at any point to call you out on a race, and winner takes the bag of grass?
My mate said he need more travel....I will show him your video ;)
😂 thanks!!!
There’s 3 enduro bikes that are good at pump tracks but they go to a different school. You probably don’t know them.
Fun bike!
Awesome video! Subbed for sure
Wild. So their website says the model is actually the Speedbomb and nothing about being enduro... so how did you decide to test it as one?
Nope, this is the Dirt Bomb. It's been discontinued. 65 degree head angle and massive wheelbase make it an enduro bike. www.pinkbike.com/news/bike-check-matt-lakins-fully-rigid-stooge-cycles-dirtbomb-enduro-race-bike.html
@@JeffKendallWeed ooooh! I see. I was wondering if that was the exact same frame in that video.
I don’t know why but my 46 year old body felt some of those slaps with you
I love riding my fully rigid mountain bike and I truly hope we see this bike again. Also would it be able to fit 27.5x3.0 tyres?
I think it should even be able to clear 29x3.0 front and rear.
@@Tomkraai That'd be awesome if it can.
The first time I hit my taint on the nose of a Brooks saddle while riding offroad is something I shall never forget. I’d rather be punched in the face.
Sick bike
Thanks Jim! I loved it- until the fork broke.
Great Vid! You built up a cool bike, and you ride the heck out of it. What does it weigh ?
About 33 lbs
My favorite bikes to dream of building with zero need for i think haha
😂 hey, dream big!!!
@JeffKendallWeed looked like a blast. I've rode some rigid ss but it was older geo and xc width tires. It is nice knowing if you are going to have a 70 hta its not going to get steeper on my xc rigid. This is way more capable. The mk builds are the ones I was eyeing. For the exact reason you were talking about lowkey trail capable. Ride a commute to work and hit some trails before heading home. I've done that on a handful of bikes hardtail usually seems best.
don't forget a jingle bell
Single speed.... go!😎🤓🙂
get set of xc wheels and tires
This review is very misleading, rigid MTB is brutal! The romance of steel-simplicity disappears IMMEDIATELY on anything but green trails. Ive owned several, the love affair dies quickly.
Hope your elbows, knees and spine are fine 😂
This thing is awesome
Thank you I’m stoked on it!
well that’s an interesting bike
So sick 😂
Thanks! My new favorite bike!