Community

Forum menu
A question for thos...
 

[Closed] A question for those of you that single speed

Posts: 4914
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Do you find you have more than one SS bike?

I've SS'ed for 6 or so years now.

Part of the original draw was less maintenance - rigid HT.

Despite being the worlds worst SS'er I do enjoy it.

I now have three SS bikes: rigid steel, front squish steel, carbon thing. All hard tails.

This is starting to fly in the face of the maintenance thing.

Help me feel better by regaling me of stories of multiple SS bikes.

Pics always help ......

Thanks, M


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 9:51 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Yes, Inbred and Pompino. And yes the same as all bikes, you always need to fix something/change something/buy another one.


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 9:54 am
Posts: 3136
Full Member
 

Ah the problem is you need more and across all disciplines ๐Ÿ™‚ Road and cx ones help ๐Ÿ™‚


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 9:55 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I have two at the moment, a rigid 29er Cannondale fat front and a rigid 29er Inbred
Looking at just having one ๐Ÿ˜ฏ that I can swap the forks about, which is probs gonna be the inbred.
Also that can have, ahem, gears should the need arise.


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 9:58 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I have a SS DMR trailstar, used to be rigid but now has suspension, my forearms like it more!
Got a SS Rockhopper that is the school run and trundling around bike, not really SS as it has a 32 and a 42 at the front and I run an old mech as a tensioner with enough chain to change rings at the front, it works well, no slipping so i have a big gear for road duties and a little gear when I need it!
Also will be building up and old steel Kona, this too will be SS!


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 10:31 am
Posts: 2091
Full Member
 

I've just got one singlespeed - rigid, steel. And, flying in the face of all this low maintenance ethos, it is always the cleanest (although the most ridden), best prepared and has the nicest componentry of any of my bikes.
It's going out in about half an hour for my first singlespeed ride since returning from Greece - the forecast calls for pain... ๐Ÿ˜ฅ


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 10:45 am
 cp
Posts: 8963
Full Member
 

No I just have the one, I've tried SS road a couple of times and just don't get on with it. But winter MTB it just works for me.

It started as a donor bike with all the knackered stuff off other bikes, but has 'progressed' slightly and is now quite nice (for me, for a winter rat bike), with a scandal 26er frame, Kona P2 TB, hope/Mavic wheels, On one SS c/ring, XT 785 brakes etc...

I'll be out on it this afternoon ๐Ÿ™‚


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 10:52 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Just bought a Karate Monkey, and judging by the way it rides it may well become my only bike. Cant see me riding any other at the moment. Full susser sold, even considering selling my 1997 Orange P7 that I've had since new - the Karate Monkey is soooo good


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 10:58 am
 Yak
Posts: 6939
Full Member
 

No - just one. And that's it - nothing else.

edit, although it would be nice to have a regular cheap ss and then a lighter posh one too. I can see how this might happen.


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 11:01 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Two here. Winter 26" MTB and road bike. Although I fancy trading in the MTB for as 29er SS.


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 11:09 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Only 3 at the moment but another one on the way?!


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 11:12 am
 Muke
Posts: 4103
Free Member
 

One for off road [img] [/img]

and one for on road
[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 11:42 am
Posts: 6
Free Member
 

I REALLY want to build a cannondale scalpel 2012 frame and carbon lefty into a 27.5 single speed.
I have a geared version and it's just such a great bike. The 27.5 wheels could just squeeze into the frame so make sense to give them a try ๐Ÿ™‚

Much spendy for an experiment thow


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 11:45 am
Posts: 4972
Full Member
 

3 at the moment , 1 rigid with cx tyres , 1 front bounce with mud tyres and 1 posh with front bounce and non mud tyres ๐Ÿ˜€


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 11:51 am
Posts: 1980
Full Member
 

Three here too. Rigid Inbred 29er, C456 with Revs and Hookooekoo commuter. I'm looking for something that would cover what the Inbred and C456 do and I'm thinking it might be a Stooge (or maybe a Nimble 9 or a Jones if I get rich).


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 2:21 pm
Posts: 10194
Full Member
 

4 at the moment..a jones, a black sheep ti, a fat bike and a cx bike...need a road bike and oneday I may turn into a weak wristed mincer, shave my beard and get one with suspension 8O. I couldn't be one of founding idiots of one cog and organsing the ssuk champs with less than that it would be just plain wrong


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 2:45 pm
 kcal
Posts: 5450
Full Member
 

one (the 'original') SS, Kona Kilaeua chopped and dropped, MTB, currently rigid though have had it squishy.

Liked that so much, and had option on a mate's Stumpjumper, thought I'd play about with that -- currently it's a mongrel drop barred MTB with slickish tyres and fixed cog... use that for road blasts, though have been on a autumn 75 mile 'spin' before and been fine..


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 2:52 pm
Posts: 6009
Free Member
 

2 here, although one is in pieces in the loft as a long-term project.

fully rigid '95 Kona Cindercone (in the loft)
fully suspended Kona A which was such an effort to build and maintain it goes against the keep-it-simple ideology of SS. Its bloody good fun though, but is more of a summer bike than a winter bike.

The problem of SS in the winter is high-torque + mud = no traction. Hub-gears FTW...


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 2:57 pm
 D0NK
Posts: 592
Full Member
 

Don't really see my commuter (ss cx) as [i]another[/i] SS bike, it's my transport, a necessity, so doesn't really count.

Kinda tempted to have a pimpy lightweight one and a rigid winter one, was considering turning the geared hardtail into winter SSer but turned it into a winter FSer instead ๐Ÿ™‚

how do you find the belt drive in mud ir_bandito? That's not the maintenance you just mentioned is it?
oh and

The problem of SS in the winter is high-torque + mud = no traction
you're doing it wrong ๐Ÿ˜‰


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 3:05 pm
Posts: 10194
Full Member
 

Ss on winter = fat bike, morw traction than you know what to do with and manly thighs of norse god.


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 3:08 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Surly 1x1 winter snot bike
Dean Ti 26er dry jumpy trails bike
Tomac Flint 29er race bike
Merida MTB with slicks and 50:18 commuter bike


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 3:22 pm
Posts: 6009
Free Member
 

how do you find the belt drive in mud

Dunno yet, not got round to taking the Rampage tyres off it and there's no way I'm using those in these conditions!


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 3:39 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Kona unit 29er rigid and on-one scandal 29er with rebas, commute on ss dolan pre cursa. Old skool all the way ๐Ÿ™‚


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 10:27 pm
 AD
Posts: 1577
Full Member
 

Three here - Kona A-Ha, Kona Paddy Wagon and my Bontrager Race is currently a singlespeed too.
I'm thinking about 1x10ing the Bontrager for this winter though.


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 10:33 pm
Posts: 2
Free Member
 

I miss having no road fixie.


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 10:36 pm
Posts: 6050
Free Member
 

Took mine up Nan Bield today it was hard but easy to shoulder!
[url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5483/10874738873_73a7c768d5.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5483/10874738873_73a7c768d5.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/10874738873/ ]GOPR0232[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/nzrich/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 10:42 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Langster for the flat 5 mile commute is my first as bike and seems OK. Quite liking the limitations.


 
Posted : 15/11/2013 11:42 pm
Posts: 3722
Free Member
 

Just the one for me. Old Chameleon that does lots of duties - town bike, rides with the 5 year old, rides to the pump track with both boys and then as a mountain bike too. It's already stiff enough, so I have Rebas. Couldn't imagine having rigid forks on a Chammy!


 
Posted : 16/11/2013 3:02 pm
Posts: 0
 

Just the mtb at present, but tempted to another fixed for the road, then race the local velodrome league in the summer. Also been looking at a singlespeed cross bike just for fun and as a spare pit bike. Think I may be on my way to three.


 
Posted : 16/11/2013 3:10 pm
Posts: 1259
Free Member
 

Just the one (at the moment)

@Muke, is it my imagination, or has every single Trek Marlin (single speed or geared) ended up with a Manitou Tower fork?


 
Posted : 16/11/2013 4:49 pm
Posts: 77
Free Member
 

Yep, three here (well, technically two - F/S MTB and BMX, plus a two speed kickback coaster cruiser 8) ).


 
Posted : 16/11/2013 5:50 pm
Posts: 99
Free Member
 

One ss Hardtail and one ss cross bike.


 
Posted : 16/11/2013 5:58 pm
Posts: 4363
Full Member
 

Only one ATM but I'm currently considering building a second.
Mine is a Thorn Raven and is a bit ungainly in the tight twisty stuff so I'm looking at long travel fork based more playful stuff, saving the thorn for South Downs or New Forest based pootling. Only 'need' the frame, rest of the bits currently lurking in shed...


 
Posted : 16/11/2013 6:03 pm
Posts: 745
Free Member
 

I have two
A real rat bike.1985 (I think. Its frame number is 3)Roberts DOGS BOLX rigid ,steel and canti braked.This is now relegated to the Tarka trail bike or poodling with the wife, although its done all of the big drops on Exmoor and Dartmoor.
Trek 69er which I was riding on the Quantocks but a few hours ago getting very muddy. The Trek probably counts as my favorite bike ever.


 
Posted : 16/11/2013 6:22 pm
 Muke
Posts: 4103
Free Member
 

@ belugabob Yep they have either been done or are waiting to be done ๐Ÿ˜‰


 
Posted : 16/11/2013 7:46 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I had 4 at one point... ๐Ÿ˜ณ

Just the Surly 1x1 at the moment. Previously also had a drop bar SS Cotic RoadRat which I traded shortly after moving to Dartmoor for a geared Karate Monkey.

Am currently considering switching the Karate Monkey to single speed for the winter though so go figure!

I've got an itch to build up a cheap fixie too.


 
Posted : 21/11/2013 1:22 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Just one here.. ๐Ÿ˜ณ


 
Posted : 21/11/2013 1:25 pm
Posts: 2061
Full Member
 

El Mariachi (my 3rd ss in 14 years) and day 1 disc for commute


 
Posted : 21/11/2013 1:43 pm
 Andy
Posts: 3348
Free Member
 

3 here; Singular Pegasus hardtail as a posh 'un, Salsa El Mariachi as an everyday 'un and a Surly Steamroller as a commuter 'un ๐Ÿ˜€


 
Posted : 21/11/2013 6:27 pm
Posts: 108
Free Member
 

2 here. A Genesis Fortitude for off-road tomfoolery and a Kona Unit for commuting. Both ride very differently.

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 21/11/2013 7:37 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

One SS hardtail, one SS Pompino, one geared hardtail, one geared DH bike

even though my SS gets by far the most use I'm certainly no SS zealot, if the weather was nicer it would be probably be gears all the way


 
Posted : 21/11/2013 7:42 pm
Posts: 7998
Full Member
 

As of Tuesday this week, two SS bikes in the garage.

Got an old Lee Cooper steel frame with rigid forks and slick tyres that I use for road commuting and fitness rides.

Just switched my Mr Hyde to SS this week for winter riding - the whole less maintenance thing appealed and round here I never change gear anyway.

Still got a 1x9 BFe for trips to hillier environs.


 
Posted : 21/11/2013 9:15 pm
Posts: 17772
Full Member
 

I'm down to three of them ATM. ๐Ÿ˜•

A jones with a combo of different types of front wheel fat/29+/29.
A quarter horse with a 140 fork.
A gryphon.


 
Posted : 21/11/2013 9:23 pm