[Closed] Bike choice for GT - slight differnce to usual Q

Perfect for it IMO, tho maybe not on the Black.

I did that recently and attempted the black. Managed to ride all of what I attempted, but I pretty much nearly died from arm failure - steep uphills + bumbpy downhills were a killer.

However, also did the red on rigid singlespeed recently - was pretty much perfect for the job - made it more fun than normal!

Never done GT on a rigid bike, but I've done Kirro, Mabie and Dalbeattie reds and they were fine, if very tiring. I dont know how fit you are but SS should be fine too?

Go for it! Pity I won't be there.
How can someone who posts as much as you do, have a low boredom threshold?

If you are with newbies the blue is probably where you'll be, or maybe the red, so rigid will be fine. Not sure what ratio you have on your singlespeed, but being perfectly secure with the size of my willy I am not ashamed to say I would struggle greatly with my 32:16 at glentress.

singlespeed tandem solo for the win, by the way!

I have to put my commuterised Genesis IOID into rigid singlespeed trim. Looks like 32 / 16 are the only sprockets I have available

Take the Karate Monkey.

Nah, take a normal bike but a big rucksack with a cake and paper plates in. Then get up to a good view point first and set up a tiny wee picnic for them.

Only if the rigid SS is a BMX or dirt jump bike 😉

Remember to whip, scrub and table everything

been a few times in recent weeks and am getting bored of it

...and yet no one has said "you're not riding it fast enough" yet??! 😉

Just read your second reply.
Just don't change gear

Perfect for it IMO, tho maybe not on the Black.

Al, there was a world before suspension forks, when we had arms like Popeye

[img] [/img]

Well thats it built up - IOID but alfine and sus fork removed, 32 /16 gearing. Mary bars

SPDs? thats what I am used to

GW - you forgot to teach me that

Test ride in a minute. Never ridde SS offroad before and long time since rigid (its my age)

I've ridden the red on a rigid SS, it's mostly fine. The Spooky Wood climb (which is shut at the moment) has a couple of moments that may challenge you on 32:16 if you don't have a real singlespeeder's massive torque (I didn't) but otherwise the climb's are pretty friendly for an occasional singlespeeder.

Rigid forks mean you'll be well aware of all those braking bumps that don't exist on the descents, though. 🙂

My pal regularly beats our "fancy noisy, bouncy bikes" to the top and the bottom of GT on his rigid SS.

Watch out for braking bumps though, they might snap your frame or something 😛

I have ridden the Black on my iO, the ration was 32/18. I managed to ride it all. It wasn't 'easy', but it was doable. I doubt I could do it just now as I've lost fitness, but if you're fit enough, no reason not to. Run big tyres would be my advice.

Ah well - thats it tested and working, Not as light as I hoped.

We shall see how I get ontomorrow. I suspect the climbs will be hard. ONly got 2.3 contis or Huge heavy DH tyres

When you going TJ? Might be there on Sunday so will keep an eye out and say hello as you pass..

tomorrow morning

Is this not the same TJ that tried singlespeeding once and completely dismissed it?

only tried it very briefly - didn';t really see the attraction but willing to give it a go given the circumstances.

32:16 is fine round GT, the only places it's a bit of effort are the two tight corners just after the fire road on the climb up to spooky woods and they're so short you can just carry momentum in anyhow.

The black's actually better for SS I found, as there aren't any tight-corner-to-kick-uphills. The bottom of the long climb to the top of britney's a bit steep, but fairly open so you can just summon the strength of the bear and get it done.

SS is more annoying on the downs, as you're effectively coasting/chainless - 32:16 doesn't get you very fast!

you'll be fine. Rigid is king at glentress.

SS rigid at GT, you'll have a wonderful time TJ...

Blimey Jeremy; I thought you were a Spinner not a Pusher...I guess not everyone who lives in Leith is a Pusher!

TJ - in a similar thought process when going there with my kids (9 and 5) last summer I took a rigid bike to 'spice it up' or whatever.....it was shite. last couple of times I've taken either the HT or the FS and just told them to K(id)TFU while I make a tit of myself on the logs and stuff 😆

In fact, those few rides inspired me to punt the BadBoy and reinvest in the rest of the fleet

If you are going in the morn then the two tight corners IA talks about should not be a prob as that climb was shut on Thursday and apparently the FC is behind on the clearing the trails ,so it may not all be open.

Rigid is fab for glentress. Singlespeed on an mtb is of course crap everywhere. So it'll balance out.

a lot of the red is shut off just now for felling operations. basically from the start of the spooky wood climb until the end of and including super g so it blue run for you anyway i think and even that has some closures. if your going up with noobs you should be alright though but be warned it was very icy the other day. headed round the black and hit sheet ice at speed on the first forest road section after the wall down onto the black. results werent pretty lol after that the next forest road section was sheet ice again. id be checking conditions before i left if i was you.......like i should have done the other day 😉

Borrow the KM off TBC. On a rigid bike, the bigger wheels make a big difference.

[s]Rigid[/s] singlespeed is fab for glentress

[s]Singlespeed[/s]Rigid on an mtb is of course crap everywhere

FTFY

IMO. I've not tried rigid with gears since my old Cannondale, but my old ss was rigid until it was stolen. I reckon the scumbags probably rode it 100m before they chucked it away. Having a wrist held together with screws and bits of old bone probably isn't conducive to riding rigid.

Ah but Mr Menmuir, do I not remember a chap doing one lap at the Glentress Seven on a singlespeed then changing for a proper bike? 😉

Just playing really, they're both crap of course- but can be crap in a good way.

chickenman - Member

Blimey Jeremy; I thought you were a Spinner not a Pusher...I guess not everyone who lives in Leith is a Pusher!

Has he survived?
Did he enjoy the experience?

Well that was interesting. Ok on the smooth stuff but I found all the legendary braking bumps. easy to chuck around but grinding up hills and spinning out downhill 🙁

I sort of get it for the freeride and berm baby berm where it felt very direct and responsive but I was glad not to do spooky woods or any of the other significant climbs. Ok on the slow rooty stuff but not nice on the faster bumpy stuff. felt very different on the jumps. Arms and legs hurt now

Not sure its an experiment I will redo

True. But I hadn't ridden the singlespeed for months and it had rubbish tyres for that weather. The other bike was only slightly less rubbish. Rode the singlespeed loads the year before including 10@Kirry solo. I know for me that if I had to I could live with the ss as my only bike but not a fully rigid as my only bike. Not tried a 29er that might be a different story.

TJ, maybe your mistake was to go for rigid and ss, maybe one or the other would have done for a start.

... including 10@Kirry solo

And it nearly killed you 😉

The other plus of rigid is that it's quick and easy to convert back to suspension

CX bike is good round GT.

especially if its dusty

Bollox, how often have you been on a bike since then 😉 I was gutted when they stopped it early.

My legs hurt today