How Much of a Cheater are You?

Fully Rigid, 6/21/23

While climbing up to Noble from Pine Valley via Pine Creek Road, I was thinking about how much easier it would be with an e-bike. It’s true, no doubt.

Before the e-biker fans get too worked up, hold on. Patience, my friends.

Now, everyone, put your tongues in your cheeks and remind yourselves what this column series Fully Rigid is about: Fully Rigid is a monthly column by me about Mountain Biking Issues within the Mountain Biking Community.

view from pine creek road

While climbing up Pine Creek Road on the way to Noble, I thought about how much easier it is to go down Noble with a big squishy bike and a dropper post, along with precision disc brakes and all the “new” bike technology that I am provided when I ride my “enduro” bike. No doubt, it makes it easier going down, over and through the chunky stuff. Getting that seat out of the way changes the gravity center, so to speak, as an example.

For the years that I’ve owned my “fancy” bike, I’ve held onto the belief that, and stated it many times: riding this bike is like cheating … so much easier going down … big plush magic carpet ride. It climbs quite well, too.

Thirty years of mountain biking gives me that perspective. Starting out way back whenever, it was a rigid ride. Then I had a Rock Shox Judy C put on the front. Wow! What a difference?!

Then came another hardtail. After that, I went full sus on 26 inch wheels. In between then and the “riding-on-clouds” rig now (sometimes), there came a singlespeed hardtail with wagon wheel hoops and then a rigid fat bike. The one gear has made its way down part of Noble. The Pugsley has gone up Noble, aka Elbon, and down it.

Still got your tongues in your cheeks?!

Cheating. Comparatively speaking, we’re all doing it. Some of us, though, are doing it more than others. To better understand what I’m talking about, I’ve come up with a grading scale of how much of cheater you/we are:

100% cheater — you ride an e-bike with super plush front and rear suspension and a dropper post (and are not medically advised to ride/in need of such a bike, and/or are under the age of … oh … let’s be careful here … and say … hmm … how about age 60, to keep it safe, hopefully?!).

75% cheater — you ride a bike with a dropper post. Period.

50% cheater — you ride a bike with suspension on the front.

25% cheater — you ride a rigid bike with gears.

12.5% cheater — you ride a one gear with squishy bits.

0% cheater — you ride a rigid one gear for the win!

That’s a quick recap of what ran through my head on the drive home after Noble. Certainly, it needs more fleshing out.

What do you think?! How should we fine tune this cheater grading scale?! Is there more wiggle room in there for a “B” grade?!

Happy 1st day of summer, everyone!