Is there anything else out there? Would like it to be properly SSable, ideally with an EBB, rather than with a retro-fitted tensioner.

The A9C looks lovely, but man it’s a bit steep!

On One Lurcher

Intense Hard Eddie.
£1600 quid
😀

Alas I too am waiting for the moon on a stick.

This has one of those funky BB’s so you can run it

So 50% of what you’re after…

Flange it was you that started me down this course, now you’re rubbing the salt in, so stop it already. But that’s an A9C no?

I think I’m walking away from the A9C and the Intense on grounds of price. It’s just too damn much.

You could try and find a Forwards components EBB. Then you can run any bike with a 68mm shell as a singlespeed.

I have a Philcentric BB I’m probably going to sell. Barely used and lying in a box.

(The Intense looks nice tho, if anything better than the Niner!)

@Ian: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/anyone-ride-an-intense-hard-eddie

But that’s an A9C no?

It is indeed. Ref Hard Eddie, a bloke was on one at the Brandon round of the Thetford winter series and it really was lovely. A very nice looking bit of kit.

I’d say look to On-one or maybe direct from China via eBay.

On-One lurcher, the weight difference between it and the race29er looks minimal (and presumably a lot of it is in the swopouts).

Failing that, any carbon 29er frame and a tensioner (I don’t see what folk have against them) lighter than an EBB and easier to live with than track ends.

Chinese carbon frame from Light Bcycle with one of these fitted to it
Clicky
The EBB isn’t cheap mind. I think i saw one on ebay from the States for around £70

Cheers mattjg

I’ve just had a look at that Problem Solvers EBB link and I can’t see that it will be torsionally rigid enough or clamp tightly enough not to move in the frame under singlespeeding loads. Down here we’ve seen several On-One Whippet frames killed by press fit BBs moving and wearing away the BB shell.

I don’t see what folk have against them

I’ve never ridden a tensioner, both my SSs have had EBBs, but I do like that I can get the chain properly tight, not having it run through a dangly contraption (extra friction), and the look. A tensioner looks to negate a lot of what I like in my SS. (I can see the value of a tensioner for try-outs, certainly).

The chain shouldn’t be overly tight anyway, if it’s like a guitar string then it’s too tight. In use it felt just the same as any other SS I’ve ever ridden, certainly no added friction (it’s one jockey wheel). I kinda get the looks thing, but with the right length chain (with/without a half link) it sat inline with the chainstay anyway. Then again I like my bikes to work well rather than look good so just put a tensioner on the closest frame I could find to my requirements. that I now have a Swift with an EBB is entirely coincidental 😛

I’ve just had a look at that Problem Solvers EBB link and I can’t see that it will be torsionally rigid enough or clamp tightly enough not to move in the frame under singlespeeding loads. Down here we’ve seen several On-One Whippet frames killed by press fit BBs moving and wearing away the BB shell.

Does it use something similar to the bushnell?

Do you really need carbon, Niner Scandium or their Air9 both less than £800, but the carbon forks a few quid too…

So..

Chinese carbon frame off eBay.

Do you really need carbon

Nope. Don’t need a new bike at all.

Steel. Go steel. SIR.9.

Chinese BB30 frame off the bay and a Beer EBB

and a Beer EBB

works for you, SS?

Chinese BB30 frame off the bay and a Beer EBB

That’s what I was going to say – not that I’ve ever used either.

I rode an mate’s A9C, which was lovely, but bought an Air 9….the carbon bike was really stiff so didn’t really have the ‘compliant’ feel that justifies the plastic-premium black stuff….especially when you SS one and you are out of the saddle much of the time anyway, it becomes less of a concern. The ali bike is still hugely still around the bb, less than 200g heavier, but a grand cheaper…..

Errr let me put my carbon cap on,,,

If it’s not clear by the time you have read my reply of seek a Plan X DH,
Check my X Dirty Harry on stw search.
With niner rdo fork yet to be built and tested.

@onceinalifetime is Yoda and I claim my five pounds

I’ve no idea what he’s on about either.

Those light bicycle frames look nice. I need convincing about Beer EBB and BB30 though

Yeah, but the worst that can happen is to end up running it geared. (And have a BEER EBB to sell off).

@cheez but really, put monetary thoughts aside and take a look at the Hard Eddie http://intensecycles.com/hard-eddie/

It makes the A9C look like one of those lozenge shaped tanks from WW1.

I have the mean gene. I just can’t see how that’s five times nicer/better than the cheapy Chinese one. You could get an incredible paint job and still have over a grand in change.

Can’t argue (assuming they ride, more or less, the same, and they probably do).

Unless it has to be an EBB I’d just go with a lurcher and some horizontal swapouts that’s got to be more reliable than an after-market EBB effort even if slots are a bit old hat these days…

It doesn’t have to be EBB, it’s more that EBB is what I know.

How does the Lurcher ride?

I rode a mate’s Whippet and was surprised how forgiving the rear end was … and he’s not slow!

Beautiful as the Intense is, it’s hard to see how it can be 3+ times the value of a Lurcher or 5 times a Chinese. It would have to ride like something quite special.

Jules’ Lurcher’s BB30 was making horrid creaky noises on Sunday (running a press fit, not a Beer EBB or anything fancy)

yuk

The Eddie at Thetford belongs to Howard who owns Spoked cycles in Lowestoft, I also know it’ll be up for sale in the new year 😉 It’s ridiculously nice to ride and a stupid weight, 16.5 lbs i believe, know it’s lighter than my TCR Advanced SL road bike!

This one? http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/anyone-ride-an-intense-hard-eddie#post-4307163

Hopefully it’s too big for me.

Cost aside….The Pivot Les looks nice and that has slidey drop outs i think. Bit more relaxed in the head angle too by the looks of it.