Singlespeed

Might be a daft question but is a single speed chain crucial?

No but they jump off the sprocket or chainring more easily if there's a bit of wear and the chain gets slack, or if you use an oval ring which needs slack at the low/smaller ring radius point. I prefer 3/32" singlespeed chains generally but that's partly due to using an oval ring. I've heard good things about SRAM 12s chain durability though and NW ovals are better at chain retention.

counter-intuitively, it might not be the best terrain for SS. If it’s proper flat you’ll be spinning like a washing machine, SS is best in places like the Chilterns or North Downs where the hills are rolling, or longish with not much gradient.

Agreed. Flatter areas might be ok if you can still get up the hills in a higher gear than the average 32:18 29er SS gear, which on the flat is a PITA.

I was running my Boardman hybrid as a singlespeed for commuting and general riding. I'm tempted to convert it back. I used the Problem Solvers EBB in the PF30 frame and it worked well.

I've always just used an 11spd chain without any issue at all. When chain gets slack I just adjust the BB to add some tension.

When chain gets slack I just adjust the BB to add some tension.

I have a SS because I CBA with high levels of maintenance, tensioning the chain would mean cleaning off that BB area for starters ; )

I’ve always just used an 11spd chain without any issue at all.

Same here, I just use my worn 11 speed chains from my old MTB's. Never had an issue so far.

If you you’re feeling spenny then the Paul Melvin does a wonderful job and means you can run it on a full suss and change ratios without shortening/lengthening your chain.

I rode ss for about 10 years, up until just before lockdown. My latest was a sliding dropout but with a mech hanger and I converted to gears and sold it when the world was mad for getting a bike. I made a killing vs what it was really worth with intent to then get another ss after the madness died down - but haven't got round to it yet.

My story - started when I was stripping a frame to get recoated (a RL853 26er) and as it sat in the garage waiting to be built up again I thought why the hell not. So I got a PX kit of tensioner, chain and sprocket and spacer kit for about £20 and thought that I'd be putting it back on ebay in a couple of weeks. I had this idea that ss was only for folks with thighs of steel and dustbin liner sized lungs - wrong!

I loved it. Sure, it's hard, uphill takes commitment and effort, downhill is all freewheeling and on the flat your legs are going like a monkey having tinsel pulled out of its arse to maintain any speed or keep up on a group ride. It was great for an after work couple of hours with no need to clean or maintain, equally it's great for 5 hour long rides too - especially solo or social - because on the flat with no point in going faster you quickly learn to just spin at 90-odd and the speed is the speed, there's just no impetus to keep changing gear and push on. So you don't run out of gas as quick as you'd think. My terrain was Surrey Hills, so no massive climbs (but equally chance to do a couple of hours on eg: Tunnel Hill with a punchy little climb every 10 mins)

I went from the 26er with tensioner to a 26er Tinbred to a 29er Inbred to a Swift to a Pace and finally to an unbranded Alu (might have been a Voodoo). Major difference in any of them was the move to 29er - definitely worth it as much of ss'ing in rolling / rough terrain is maintaining momentum. And then the tensioning - I liked EBB as on the Tinbred and Swift, then sliding dropouts, then trackends and finally the tensioner. I also think that an oval ring made a difference.

Do it - you might love it.

Right - off to research 29er SS frames again......

Tunnel Hill with a punchy little climb every 10 mins

I think that the only climb I’ve ever had I get off and push on when riding singlespeed was the concrete climb along the fence line at Tunnel Hill. It was bloody awful!

That's Porridgepot but yeah - I've seen it done ss but not by me (although I used to be able to do it with gears)

I also saw someone clean it on ss, it all the way to the top where the concrete ends and it levels off a bit..... and then took his eye off the ball and span out on the loose bit at the top. Gutted.

Initially I found s/s a little odd, in as much as I felt I should be ‘doing something’ other than just turning cranks . I have now done many hilly rides , mostly in Shropshire and the Welsh borders.
Climbing is a re-learnt experience, as others have said, be prepared to learn when to stand up. Moreover, think carefully ( it becomes intuitive) about how much by pressure you actually need to climb comfortably and save energy as you go. I’m a bit of a convert and my rigid 650b+ Kona Unit gets more use than my full suss Anthem by quite some margin. Descending over rough or in steep terrain is ‘fun’,but skills developed over years of suspended descending have helped, especially with line choice.

On my third chameleon, before that had a genesis altitude with a bb tensioner, a p7, an 853 inbred, a regular inbred. The chameleons have adjustable dropouts as did the p7 and inbreds. Local riding is mostly winch and plummet with fire roads. I love singlespeeds. Been doing it for 16 or 17 years.  It's just like riding a bike, but more, but less. 🙂

This threads got me looking at SS gravel bikes again 🙂 not sure I'd go back to it for proper MTB riding, but a single speed gravel could be ideal for my local tame but muddy bridleway rides.

I’m a total convert to singlespeed MTBing, should have gone singlespeed years ago! For most of my local riding I’m on a Pipedream Moxie (29” and 160mm forks) running 30:18 with 165mm cranks (and flat pedals).

I haven’t taken it anywhere with long and steep climbs but it’s fine with the shorter climbs around the South Downs, and it has to be unpleasantly steep before I run out of torque - often around where you run out of grip anyway.

My other bike is a Levo - v similar geometry, same fork and most of the same parts, but adds gears, rear suspension (157mm) and a motor!

Another big SS lover here.

> Never tried it, but it’s flat where I ride.

Though as above somewhere, flat is the worst! Downhill you can freewheel, uphill you can grind away or if it's steep stand up get your sex face on and get it done.

Flat you spin at a thousand rpm and your legs burn... and you still feel slow.

I rode SS a bit - both road and MTB.  The road bike was hilarious in a wind - one day I went out and back in a strong wind - 10mph at lowish cadence on the way out.  25 mph at a ridiculous cadence on the way back.  It was spin like a bam as long as I could, coast a bit and spin like a bam again!

Taking an SS to GT was interesting.  I usually sit and spin in a very low gear up the climbs and complete the lot.  On the SS it was attack until I blow up, walk until recovered.  I was actually about the same overall speed climbing.  Im sure the SS made me a better climber

Back to gears on everything now

SS all my life. Never had gears.

I ride SS cos I’m too sexy not to.

I guess….

DrP

(also ride gears when feeling less attractive)