[Closed] Full sus single speed

yeah, Kona made/make?? a ss specific fsss

it was called the kona "a" but im not to sure what there called theses days.

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i have a kona A - 2003 model. its a good laugh and makes a change from the usual SS i was riding. pivoted round the BB to keep chainlength constant, and kinda needed a lockout cshock for prolonged climbing.

(when i say i have an A, what i mean is that the frame (inc fox vanilla shock with lockout) + magura HS33s, fits someone up to 6 foot, are hanging in my parents garage waiting to be sold... £100)

EDIT - exactly like that one.

Commencal absolut sx is another, but most ss fs bikes are slopestyle bikes.

You go single speed to save faffing around with excess technology, so you're likely to not want suspension either.

Hungry Monkey, i have been trying to get one for ages now!! where are you based??

Here you go - and it's a 29er 🙂

[url] http://www.lenzsport.com/detail.php?prodID=4 [/url]
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oneoneoneone - i'm based in the alps... but my parents (and the frame) are based in York.

@epicyclo Point taken. But I'd expect that a well set up rear sus would be a lot less hassle than keeping a full set of gears and shifters in tune.

I've been reading that some (all?) rear sus set ups make use of chain tension as part of the dynamic system. So a SS with rear tensioner should mechanically be the same as being in any particular gear in a 3 x 9 set up in terms of chain tension at any point in the power cycle. Or not?

Hungry- Tbh i think ill have to take a miss as my bank account is saying NO atm.

thanks though

I have owned a couple of Kona Cowan DS frames (like a burly 'A') set up singlespeed and loved them. My current bike is a similar design Commencal Absolut SX but as yet the singlespeed dropouts have stayed in the box - not sure 140mm travel and 1 gear is going to be a lot of fun unless the trail slopes downward.

[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=1fprpq&=1&nostamp=1&quality=70 [/img]

epicyclo - Member

You go single speed to save faffing around with excess technology, so you're likely to not want suspension either.

As Sambob says, a lot of f/s singlespeed bikes are designed for slopestyle where a rear mech is just one more thing to trash in a crash and not strictly necessary for gravity-assisted competition.

It looks like they've dropped it for 2011 but Lapierre passport would be SSable:
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Various softtails from the likes of Salsa, Moots, Global etc etc

I remember in WhatMountainBike some time ago they had an interview with I think Matt Carr? He singlespeeded a Trek Fuel (it doesn't pivot around the BB shell) with a short cage road mech

no bother oneoneoneone, i know how being a little cash tight feels!

hungry monkey, although I really shouldn't ask (in case it's my size), what size is the frame?

So a SS with rear tensioner should mechanically be the same as being in any particular gear in a 3 x 9 set up in terms of chain tension at any point in the power cycle

Sounds sensible; have seen a Demo9 and a Tr Blindside set up as SS so would guess it'll work with most bikes.

SS FS feels as if you were riding your bike with the gear shifter broken in a particular gear. I liked my A (before I stupidly sold her, moron!) but never used the lockout.

SS FS feels as if you were riding your bike with the gear shifter broken in a particular gear.

Well duh...? 😉

Have been seriously thinking about SS'ing the Bow-ti, it should work without a tensioner (using an EBB)? No chain growth with a URT style setup is there?

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4669391099_512b21382b_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4669391099_512b21382b_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/32746168@N08/4669391099/ ]IMG_9212[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/32746168@N08/ ]ten_sim[/url], on Flickr

psychle, it will. And the bike will end up looking better too.

That's what I've been thinking as well, simplify the lines down a bit (I especially don't like the rear mech cable routing, 'tis silly!). Might do it tonight in fact!

@psychle Do it! We want photos on here before midnight. 🙂

We do especially that I shall be going 35kms to drop my wife's laptop tonight for repair.

Someone on here has / had an Alfine on the back of a Trance which must be pretty much the same as setting up a ss

Hairychested - not sure exactly - i'm 6 foot and it fitted fine, although i'd not want to be much taller - probably suits 5'9 - 6 foot. 17 inch?

SS freeridey DH bikes are great fun.

rubbish for actually getting from the top to the bottom as fast as possible, but they make you maintain your speed as pedalling is tricky, so make you flow better.
also removes the possibility of knocking bits off!
ideal for "dicking about" on 🙂

i was looking at getting one, until i got my patriot.

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Can't really see but it's in SS mode

Here's mine.
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I'm also building up another one from a broken FS frame.

Why aren't there many about? For a start they're kind of a contradiction - SS is usually either about being maintenance free(ish) or about the 'purity'/other simplicity BS so FS goes against that.

Also FS bikes tend to reward smooth pedalling which goes pretty well against what you do on a SS. One of the reasons why mine about is the URT design which was very compromised as a general (geared) design but works well as a SS as it stiffens when you get out of the saddle to do some gurning...

I loved my Kona A before it was stolen last year, pedalled surprisingly well and fitted in with the SS spinny spinny style on the flats and downs by allowing you to keep pedalling sat down with a few inches of squish

hungry monkey. if it's a 17-18" please email me the details as it's my size and I've been told to get the frame by the wife.

here is my first FS SS built in 1999 for cheddar it has now morphed into [img][URL= http://inlinethumb61.webshots.com/43516/2034720570036898833S600x600Q85.jp g" target="_blank">http://inlinethumb61.webshots.com/43516/2034720570036898833S600x600Q85.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL][/img]
[img][URL= http://inlinethumb20.webshots.com/2003/2955441700036898833S600x600Q85.jp g" target="_blank">http://inlinethumb20.webshots.com/2003/2955441700036898833S600x600Q85.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL][/img]

just when you thought it's impossible to come up with an uglier whyte than the std preston, well done that man! 😛

Tell me though, out of curiosity, how have you attached the mech/tensioner?

Done it once, rather unsuccessful.
Broke a mech-hanger mid-race so built an SS to finish on. Everytime the suspension compressed the chain would jump off, solved it by locking it out. You will need a tensioner of some sort. Or a URT.
I believe someone on here has a belt driven one?

Even if you have a URT like mine above, you'll usually still need a tensioner as there's no other way to tension the chain

I have no idea what morbid curiosity keeps me coming back to this thread - not enjoyed singlespeeding for a couple of years and finally made the decision to sell my lil red 'bred last week - but part of me wants to fit the s/s dropouts to the Absolut just to see, like . . . and I need a new rear mech anyway. Hmmmmmm, new mech or one of those bling half-link orange chains? 😛

the tensioner on Marin/preston is an old sunn dh item the bb holds it on , works very well if it is hit very hard it just rotates backwards and just needs to be rotated back to the correct position ,, this very rarely happens but nothing gets damaged when it does,,

i have been riding with this system since 1999 and havnt broken it yet,, and have been looking for another tensioner since then as a spare,

I've always really fancied having a SS setup with a 'phantom cog' but not convinced how secure it'd be off road and don't fancy searching for undergrowth for it if it did come out. That and also looking for my teeth 😉

http://www.mtbr.com/ssfaqcrx.aspx#ssConversionsRearHub - point 8

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These guys run Singlespeed mainly 'cause they can't afford to keep replacing broken bits 😀