Forced to single speed after breaking a mech. Too high a gear for climbing properly, too low a gear for the flats and downhill. Didn’t work for me at all.

As various parts on the old Kona I was riding to work knackered, I gradually bodged it into a SS, and did it properly for SSUK in Hamsterley in 2006.

I had a geared Inbred that I still used for proper rides, though the front mech seizing in the middle ring position gave me a hint that I didn’t really need it. When I realized that I was choosing geared over SS for group rides, so that I didn’t leave everyone behind on the climbs I made the switch to SS only.

I have gone partially back to gears this year, with the purchase of a cross bike. It’s not any faster up the hills though, just on the flat and downhill.

Is no one going to admit that they did it for the attention?

I’ve not ridden with others for ages, but I did like it when people noticed I was on a SS on group rides. Then when they realised that I had rigid forks. And then when someone else pointed out that I’d ridden to the start of the ride as well. 🙂

Just wanted to try it, so I did it the bargain way 2nd hand frame plus shed build). It was a revelation, instead of trepidation, as was sticking a rigid fork on it.

Simplicity, cost and some article in MBUK about Chipps riding a downhill race on his SS
Since ’99…
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Quantocks by oxym0r0n, on Flickr

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IMG_4144 by oxym0r0n, on Flickr

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Day 1 by oxym0r0n, on Flickr

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Wanted to get fit quick

Ever ridden in the Chilterns in winter? Awful chalky grinding paste. liked it so much I rode nothing else for nearly 4 years.

I saw the SS riders on here and wanted to find a way to be like them somehow..

I like it.
It likes me.
Now ride pretty much exclusively on SS. This year I’ve won more stuff xc racing than at any point in last 20 odd years. I’m 51. Does SS get you fitter? I’d say yes.

I also did it to get chicks.

Epping forest mud.

Had all the bits to build a bike bar the gears and was curious about SS. I loved it immediately and now ride SS most of the time. I do sometimes tire of fending off slavering women and adoring would-be disciples but on balance it’s worth it.

I also did it to get chicks men with beards.

I have an SS-specific Salsa Selma frame that I got from the classifieds on here, but really it was a process of mechanical evolution, borne of other moving parts breaking down.

Forks packed up. Got some carbon rigids in the meantime while they were away getting serviced. Liked them so much that the suspension forks never went back on.

Alfine 8 hub packed up. Bought a cheap wheel and some SS spacers as a meantime thing while Alfine hub was being serviced pronounced dead by the bike shop. After a little experimentation with gear ratios, found a combo I liked and never looked back.

Had one puncture too many and went tubeless.

If I keep paring the bike down at this rate I’m going to end up riding a fixed-wheel unicycle.

Whilst the Isle of Wight is hilly, none of the climbs are that long, amd most of my riding is fairly gnar-free XC. I find there’s maybe only 1% of any ride where I miss having either gears or suspension. Also enjoy bombing past people on climbs where you can hear them crunching and munching their way through a series of problematic gloop-infested gear changes when the trails turn to porridge.

I am looking to build one up under the guise of “My current commuter is too small for me” and it will be an SSCX or SS road bike depending on the wheelset I put in it.

I love riding my cross bike off road and the face of the mamils on 5k full suspension bikes as I ride past them down a descent they are all umming and arring about. That makes me want the cross bike, the single speed is to just make my legs hurt over winter and make my legs look more like a german track cyclist.

The cool kids made me do it and its a great excuse for another bike

I have a beard, I want to be more successful with the laydees, it’s a bit niche and I wanted to fit in on here

Natural progression 😉

??

That would be the reason I would go for it. Drivetrains are expensive, yo.

I was told by a former riding ‘mate’ that I was too fat/unfit and would never be able to ride SS….

nothing like my pig headed ignorance to get me motivated

The world champs were in Afan in 2001, I lived in Bristol, it looked a laugh so cobbled a SS drivetrain onto my old Kona and talked a mate into driving me over. First SS ride was from the start line, always had one since.

The period a few years ago when Shimano/SRAM prices went a bit mental as the exchange rate shifted. Tried it once and found it wasn’t as hard as it looked, makes sense you’re actually going slower than everyone else most of the time, just pressing on the pedals harder.

Now I keep using it as it just feels better, going uphill the pedals have to be pressed harder, gears feel a bit wierd! Added advantages is it’s (generaly) cheep, I always seem to snap mechs off when I go back to gears, it’s nice being able to take corners tight or not worry about leaving space through rocks.

Bought an Orange R8 frame at a bargin price and wanted it built up sharpish, went SS (with a suspension fork – I’m not a total masochist!!) and absolutely loved it, easier to honk it up hills than I anticipated, more fun, much quieter, lighter, less maintenance and, aye, it looks beautiful. Wouldn’t get rid of the geared full bouncer but the SS is the ying to its yang. Love it. N+1 means I’m now contemplating a rigid SS 29er…

New transmission after winter on SS = £30.
Cost of servicing rigid forks = £0.

GB

I have only been rising one for a year. Got it to make riding with non-cyclists more strenuous. The elegance and simplicity of the singlespeed solution is a real attraction but the plusses of ease of maintenance and lack of wear have become more apparent as time goes on.

singlespeedstu – Member
Is no one going to admit that they did it for the attention?

I would but as both a jonny-come-lately and riding it it mainly with family and non-cycling mates – it has failed spectacularly!

Summer 2012.

So I could grow my beard…

I was told by a former riding ‘mate’ that I was too fat/unfit and would never be able to ride SS….

this too

he was wrong

Had spent many winters riding fixed on the road, so when I came back to cycling, and singlespeed mtbs were mentioned started looking around, found one going cheap, bought that, got hooked, sold it to build a better one, and love it to bits, no gears no suspension, just feels proper. Tempted to try singlespeeding a cross bike, probably try one over the summer.

Bigger boys stole my gears… 🙁

DrP

My SS is an Ibis Tranny. It seemed a bit pointless to have it and not SS it. I love how rear triangle adjusts to take up the slack in the chain.

Had an Alfine 8 and decided to try changing for a ss set up. So much nicer. I felt more in control on the climbs. The aesthetics are also fantastic.

My names Luddite and I’m a bike tinkerer, there I’ve said it.
I wanted to build one out of my “junk”.

Would like to polish it now but not possible, perhaps I should just roll it in glitter!

because PQ did……

It was an excuse for a new bike 😉 there is a local grass track league near me and after a trip to the velodrome Idecided to get something with a flip flop hub. I tried I out singlespeed at first and loved it! I actually flipped it over to fixed today but not sure how long it will stay like that for.

My mate suggested we do SSUK at Drumlanrig. He bailed to go to a wedding but that was the start of it for me. I started with an old frame I had spare and bought cheap bits to build it up. When that was knicked I bought a scandal with horizontal dropouts. I like being able to put some nice stuff on the SS as I’m not spending lots on gears. I don’t do it for the attention but it is fun when somebody says you can’t ride up that on a SS and you go and do it. I think I push myself a bit harder on the SS and I think it makes you better rider, gives you a better feel for grip.

because PQ did

Is he still around?

Did you ever give him his bikerack back?

I started ssing because it seemed to confuse the hard of thinking.

singlespeedstu – Member
because PQ did
Is he still around?

Did you ever give him his bikerack back?

no,’off the map’

and it’s my bikerack now 😉

But really I was riding an old Pug road bike lost a jockey so SS’ed it to get home, good old Cool Tool. didn’t fix it for a few weeks found I was quicker on, most of, my regular routes. Liked the ‘just riding’ so the rigid ’92 Kona got the SS treatment ad well.

Nice to find a use for a hardtail frame I had gathering dust, saves the good bikes from winter trashing, makes local trails harder/more fun (26″ wheels though so can’t claim they came alive), makes rides with non-bikers harder/more fun.

Apart from that it’s rubbish. And cheap, and nice looking, and light.