Conformational changes in cyclic and linear chains triggered by increasing chain stiffness are explored using MC simulations. The transition to the rigid strained objects is continuous and steeper for cycles. Circular macromolecules of contour length equal to ≈5 persistence lengths are characterized as rigid strained objects with a lowered spatial dimensionality. The coil regime is almost omitted in the static structure factor already for semiflexible chains of both architectures and the flattening of stiffer cycles is evidenced by oscillations superimposed on the rod‐like behavior of corresponding linear chains. The orientational correlation function shows qualitative difference in behavior of cyclic and linear chains.
