Rigid Single Speed

I'm thinking about getting something like a Kona Raijin or maybe a SC Chameleon as a "utility" bike. 

-mellow trail rides and pump track with my 7 year old

-commuting from roughly parkgate to roughly park and Tilford. 

-gravel path exploration

I'm sure I won't be able to resist taking it up Seymour or fromme just for laughs but I certainly don't expect to rip trails on it. 

I can also see that I might find single speed to just be too tough for covering ground, but I'm curious to try. I certainly think it could make me a stronger rider on my "real" bikes. 

This is a little out of my wheelhouse so thought I'd see if there are any words of wisdom in terms of setup or bike choice other more experienced North Van riders might have. 

Any other bikes to consider! I looked briefly at trek Superfly SS, but the geo is too much like a road bike I think. I want a short enough seat tube for a 100mm or 125mm dropper. 

Any thoughts? I have a ripmo AF and a chromag rootdown. Both weigh in the mid 30s and feel like I'm hunting squirrels with a rocket launcher for riding around town. I've never been interested in more urban travel so this is a little out of my wheelhouse. I'd considered a gravel bike/something with dropbars but for trails and pump track type riding I dont see that working. I'm not trying to be a roadie so I think some more close to a rigid xc bike might be more versatile.

thoughts on having a small travel fork up front to make it a little more trail friendly?

Maybe, I could see putting something like a lauf fork on it. But the experiment will go one of two ways, either it will feel too sketchy on trails for me to want to ride it at all on them vs my chromag or ibis, in which case it stays as a mostly road bike, or it will be surprisingly fun and then start the cycle of anglesets and front suspension, and then probably another N+1 for a more true road bike. Lol

I ran a rigid as karate monkey for years. Before fromme got its makeover, I sometimes found it a little sketchy on some of the blacks. With trails being much more mellow these days, the rigid bike is ok on trails like 7 secret, forever after and espresso etc.

I run a 28x22 gearing that has got me up to the top of meadow of the grizzly. It would suck for commuting. Some people do a 2:1 ratio like 32x16. On a 29er I don't know how they do it. Probably walk some things, which I think is unacceptable.

As for running rigid, I would only do it in 29 with cushcore these days.

Here's my old rig

Last year I got a singlespeed gravel bike and I love It. TBH I haven't done a ton of gravel riding on It but I have explored the city a lot and that's been really fun.

Welp, it's not rigid and not singlespeed, but it's a step in the right direction! Lol 

In the summer I think it'll get a zinger singlespeed kit, a rigid carbon fork, and an angle set.