Firstly sorry to mention winter!
Having ridden my xc/marathon full susser through a hard winter and spending a fortune on new parts ready for spring, i have decided to go for a winter hardtail. I am into xc and marathon and wondered what would be best an e bay frame and build up or slightly used/ new ? I am looking for reliability and have a budget of around £500 max ?

rigid singlespeed (Inbred etc) is a good start point – add some 80-100mm forks if you ride somewhere bumpy.

Yep rigid single speed Inbred (29er) for me, all I had to do was oil the chain and pump the tyres up last winter.

sounds good, i have never ridden a s. i ride with a gang would a ss leave me behind ?

For the same reasons, I built a brand new singlespeed Inbred up with second hand carbon forks, probably spent less than £600 times for a reasonably tidy build. Got some bits off here slightly used, a few bits from the parts bin, and some new bits from the LBS / online.

I’m now half thinking of adding some 100mm forks to make it more fun all year round, but it was ace over the winter and on muddy trails – didn’t feel guilty at all about riding it a couple of times a week and washing it once a month.

i ride with a gang would a ss leave me behind

you have to promise to wait for them at the top of the hills.

unless it’s very flat, open, terrain you’ll be fine on a singlespeed.

Rigid SS would be to restrictive (and too niche!) for me. I’ve got a 29er steel hardtail with an 8spd Alfine hub and pair of reba forks. Works nicely as a summer bike too if truth be known. Makes a great 2nd bike for multilap events that get muddy – used it at set-2-rise last year for the first half when is was proper boggy.

I bought everything bar the hub 2nd hand, gave the frame a spray and it all looks very tidy. Came in a touch over your budget but only because the frame was a 2nd hand niner sir 9 rather than something cheaper like an On One Scandal which would probably been almost as good.

If you ride on the tarmac a lot to get to trails, yes the SS will mean you get dropped/bored, but if your riding is all off road, you’ll be fine. If anything, you’ll be waiting at the top of the climbs since you’re forced to power up them.

I’d love to see some of you SS types get up some of hills straight out of the door from me as you all seem to consider it a breeze. You could all be 5 stone wet through with 300Watt+ thresholds in which case you might make it but I’d be really surprised if you’d manage it let alone drop the geared riders. I rode a lot of fixed on road in the winter when I was still road racing but even then I’d struggle as the hills I ride off road are orders of magnitude harder.

Similar approach. Started with a Single Speed with a conversion kit on a 9 speed hub, but ended up going to a 1×9 as couldn’t get up a few of the hills 🙂 Initially built around a Specialized Rockhopper, since replaced the frame with a Carbon Stumpjumper as original frame was slightly to small. Majority of bits are hand me downs and parts bins. and as I replace components on my FSR they filter down to the 1×9 for the next winter.

This winter replaced a Kenisis rigid fork for a Sid, firstly as the steerer was to short for the larger frame size, and also for comfort.

Its also good for the more fitness orientated rides.

Building around a lighter frameset, plus keeping it basic with gearing means you can invest some weight in more durable components.

I quite like the sound of the Alfine as we do ride a fair few road miles which sounds like the ss would struggle on.
What sprockets are ideal ?

I love mine all year round 🙂

I like the sound of your set up mighty marmite. I have not seen anything like this before could you let me know any info, spec or pics please.

Mine’s on a 29er which adds about 10% to the gearing. I have a 32X20T setup which according to Sheldon gets to 22.2mph @ 100 rpm cadence which would keep you in the pack for all but the most ardently ridden road sections. 32X18T is about the same on a 26″ bike.

Chris p

I thought the whole SS thing was a bit OTT,but tried it over the winter and it changed my mind (mostly flat single track with few hills).
I did go full ridgid ,but that was a bit too much.

The main thing I liked was how little I needed to do to it (and how quiet it was),so I will be swapping between it and the CX bike come October.

Like marmite ,I had a lot of bits and bobs that I used on an old frame,so the only thing I bought was a tensioner and a back sprocket converter.

Convert: think you got your letters wrong, suspect you mean 22.2 kph not mph (unless you have a very, very large tire!) With 32/20 more like 14 mph, bit slow on road unless you can manage 200 rpm.

I would stick with the gears, however you decide to it, especially if you ride on road as well.

I love my SS but for combined road/trials and riding with others gears better choice in my opinion.

I have a similar setup to converts – except I’m on a 456EBB and I’m using UST. After 2.5 years of abuse I’ve had to order a new race from sjs cycles as mine has died. So that’s £30 and a coupla squirts of oil on the chain and I’m expecting another 2.5 years out of it (oh, it’ll need another set of tyres and some pads soon too, might treat it to a new set of cables so maybes £130 for 5 years riding, which is nice).

I’ve just checked on the hubcalc thing that was doing the rounds on STW about 2 years ago and top speed for a 32:20 setup at 100rpm with 2.35 halo choir masters is 33.41 (KPH) 20.76 (mph).

And as a empirical backup, I can cycle 15 miles to work in 50 mins on it and there is no way I’m in 8th giving it tap all the way.

Hi Saccades

You own a flying machine !

What are we looking at for initial set up costs?

DIS – just checked again, I was right.

Just to confirm, 32X20T on a 29er with an Alfine in top gear goes 22mph at a cadence of 100.

Will take a few images when I get in tonight but basic rundown. Originally started with a 19″ rockhopper frame off bay then …

Specialised Stumpjumper Marathon Carbon 21 inch (from http://www.totalfitnessbath.co.uk)
RS Sid Teams (ebay again after the Kenesis steerer was to short for the 21 inch frame !)
Formula Oro K24’s
SLX crank set, standard BB, XT spd’s
Pauls BB mounted chain keeper.
E-thirteen 32 tooth G-ring
XTR rear mech (short cage), xt shifter.
Sram 11-34 rear set (i liked the red colour 🙂 )
Hope II with Crest rims
Conti Raceking SS’s

All in wieghs sub 10kg on the bathroom scales.

I’ve cupboards full of off cast offs including a Mavic crossride wheelset, and the SS conversion kit. Let me know if you’re in need of anything.

Also have a 19″ K2 Zed team frame, has a dent in the rear seatstay but its free to a good home if your in sheffield.

I ride 32:20 on a rigid 29er and it’s the lack of suspension not gearing that slows me down in group rides

chris p, you are in the same boat as me. Just replaced all teh bearings and bushings on FSR, and am now looking at a HT for winter and endurance stuff. I’m looking at getting a Rock Lobster frame and build up around that, hunting for bits off here and ebay. Being steel, its not the lightest frame, but will be a more comfy ride ( I used to own one and loved it)

I’ve seen people get up some surprising hills on singlespeed… Then watched them trundle back down the descents because they’d had to gear so low that they can’t pedal at speed. It’s not for everyone, you need to either be strong/fit enough to push a big gear on the climbs, or accepting of the drawbacks which are pretty big.

With a 9-speed setup I get a low gear that’s just about low enough and a high gear that’s just about high enough, any more of a compromise is just too much for me. As I get stronger, I just intend to raise the gearing of the 9-speed, I’m a very long way from being able to find a single gear that’s acceptable both up and down myself and I’m not exactly a weakling.

But some people do love it.

Excuse quality, just in from work so bit rushed …

Thanks for the pic and spec mighty marmite. Your bike is fantastic and has made my mind up. I am going to copy you a bit ! I am on a tight budget so probably can’t run to carbon. At 6’2″ any frame suggestions etc ?
chris p

me, a rohloff on a scale frame. weighty but bombproof.

Im a bit over 6″2′ and found the 19 slightly small, both my stumpjumpers are 21″ with 50 and 70mm stems.

The rockhopper was actually a great frame, not much in it weight wise to the stump and kept the slender tube profile which looked well. There is a huge range of frames of similar spec about to chose from.

Keep an eye on http://www.totalfitnessbath.co.uk for frames, I got both the carbon marathon and a previous s-works through them and have always been impressed.

Anything specific just drop me an email, address is in profile.