Folks, i find myself in need of your knowledge, i'm off to Moab an Collorado in a few weeks an have the desire to go wi my singlespeed instead of my real, geared, bouncy bike. Any thoughts, is it wise or will it kill me? I would ask the folks I'm goin wi as they have all been before but i suspect they would only encourage me t go with it to see me totally broken for the first time ever......
Depends very much on the trails as there is a wide variety on offer - in fact so many you could ride a new trail every day for a year.
In Colorado, trails like Buffalo Creek are SS friendly and great fun - real smooth SS with loads of tight turns - like Thetford in places. Other trails like Monarch Crest (a real classic) are much more suited to a 5" bike and Stans is highly recommended - I was forcively converted on my first trip out there by my local riding companions after snake biting my nth inner tube.
Same goes for Utah - Slick Rock Trail (another classic has 45% climbs - unreal but true, so not SS friendly), whereas The Kessel Run, just down the road in Fruita, is very SS friendly (and a bit dull).
Also, check out South Boundary Trail in New Mexico - amazing descent, but you need a good 5"/6" travel and I destroyed a Talas on my 1st trip - it over heated and blew the seals.
Buffalo Creek (Colorado)
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Me on the start of Amasa Back (Moab)
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Monarch Crest (climbing at over 4000m = hard work)
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Agree with footflaps-there are so many trails of just about every description, but I would say that most are more suited for a FS bike, unless one is a masochist looking to beat yourself up.
+1 for South Boundary Trail here in NM, but I wouldn't recommend trying it on a SS unless: see masochist comment immediately preceding
ah what a wonderful trip...I take your singlespeed for sure!
In its favour...reliable and super easy to transport by air --i.e. unlikely to get damaged in transit.
Sounds like theres some legendary riding to be had on it, and if it gets too savage then I beleieve there are ple nty of high quality bike rental outfits...which sounds like a smart option given the rate of attrition on componentry etc.
for persective I bought my singlspeed out to Norway first off, and still choose to get out on that in preference to my more "suitable" full susser!
Whatever you decide have a great time!
What will get you far more than the trails is the altitude, even Moab although that's bearable (about 8500ft, Colorado is >10000ft).
Jumping on a SS and heaving up the first climb will see you collapsed in a heap gasping like a fish out of water and looking at your breakfast before you can think "hmm, maybe I should have brought my geared bike"
Have fun though. Ace trails out there, I'd love to go back. 🙂
crazy-legs is right, many of the classic trails in Colorado involve climbs starting at 3000m and going up for some time, you start your descents at over 4000m and climbing at that altitude on a 2:1 ratio over rocky terrain would be challenging to say the least!
I wouldn't even think of an SS in Colorado, unless you have a point to prove, which you won't.
How about Dingle speed?
Sounds like a great trip, I reckon you'll have lots of fun whichever bike you take out.
Just to give a slightly different take to those above, we rode in Moab and Fruita, CO last April - me on a geared hardtail, my brother on his racey full sus. Without getting into the whole fs/hardtail debate, I didn't ride anything where I was wishing I had a full sus - it's all good fun, and would be good fun on a full sus, just different fun I guess.
The stuff we rode in Fruita - joe's ridge, kessels, zippity do da, prime cut, shoots and ladders - I'd be happy riding on my ss.
Sovereign trail in Moab would also be a blast on a ss. When we rode the slickrock trail, there was a couple of blokes riding it on fully rigid ss, and absolutely bombing round. Looked like knarly locals from back in the day - much respect to them. Footflaps' point about the couple of 45% climbs is true, but there's a sense in which they're good for ss - because of the unbeliveable grip on the slickrock, you can haul as far out of the saddle and over the bars as possible, and dont have to worry about your rear wheel spinning out. You could also take them in a zigzag-style climb, rather than straight up.
Guess the best point is that there are hundreds of trails to choose from, so it depends what you and your mates have already planned to ride.
32:16 might be a bit optimistic, maybe stick an 18t on the back? Or take the ss, but also a cassette, rear mech and shifter and switch to 1x9 if you find it too hard going?
Just a point on the altitude - I didn't really notice it either in Moab or Fruita. I'd be more worried about the heat if you're going out in August - it was hot enough in April. I think it's recommended that you start riding at sunrise and aim to finish by 11am or midday at the latest.
fire a post up on mtbr? aside from heroes telling you how they rode it on a unicycle you might get some good advice
Good points from Crispedwheel there.
When we did Fruita and Moab I was on my Superlight. To be honest, we didn't do many trails that I wouldn't have been equally happy doing on my Simple--and the stuff in Fruita would be fantastic on a singlespeed. Both there and in Moab there were a fair few locals riding singlespeed with no problems at all. Some of the real steep slickrock stuff in Utah might be tricky but you can always stick a lower ratio on there if you're worried about it.
i personally would not ride a ss in moab, there are some very long climbs and also some rediculously steep ones but if you are a really smooth rider that can carry speed well, then you could possiby get away with it. you need to remember its crazy hot their aswell so alot of exersion because lack of gears will mean getting very very hot.