[Closed] Singlespeed - should I?

Do you have any facial hair?

Do it.

just give it a go, you'd be surprised how much more you can ride once your used to it.

Try a slightly easier gear than 2:1 to get you started on the hills.

Then just have fun,

Speaking as both a beard wearer and Suffolk inhabitant I'm probably a more natural candidate for SSing than someone from the Peaks I guess. 😉

Having said that if you get a frame with a slot dropout or similar you can always try it and if it's rubbish for you stick some gears on. 💡

Technical climbs become more about momentum and moving your weight around on the bike (you'll develop a kind of hip thrust thing) rather than spinning an easy gear and trying to balance.

Try it, If you don't like it no harm done.

You'll be surprised how well brute force can work on steep bits on a ss. Shifting balance to find traction becomes intuitive , and the direct nature of the drivetrain helps no end.

However, the vertiginous and lumpy nature of the peaks will push a ss to it's limits. You'll still see plenty of them in the peaks though. [just make sure you put a suspension fork on the front! I did the Peak District on a rigid ss................Once!

Ok so what SS should I get that I can add gears to if needed? I like the look and simplicity of the Kona Unit (and the price!)

I'm selling my complete dialled love/hate bike if you're interested? (mk1 with a gear hanger)I was going to list it next week as a split. Emails in profile.

Inbred or Scandal slot dropout, Singular Swift, Dialled Love-Hate can all be run SS or geared. All nice bikes.

I'd say the chink in the armour is flat fire road, not hills....
There's nothing to differentiate yourself there apart from a taller gear, but when the land points up, you can rely on your [i]Great Pistons Of Power[/i] you call legs to fling you up the hill to victory....
In fact I keep some spare chainrings and cassettes in my bag, just to use the weight as an additional handicap.....

DrP

q1: yes

q2: I had a Love/Hate (see above), it was lots of fun. If you want a 29 look at Singular Swift.

I use a 456 as my single speed. Just use a tensioner and any hardtaul frame will do. And pushing is a perfectly valid way to get up hills with a one-er. 🙂

I built one and loved it now I'm buying a proper one and have developed an impressive tache in doing so.

It's great, but on the first few rides my right thumb twitched and on a few hills, but that's passed now.

Absolutely. It's a lot of fun

......and I can't even grow a beard!

do it, but as a 69er

I'd say the chink in the armour is flat fire road

+1 any flat bits really

...on the first few rides my right thumb twitched and on a few hills, but that's passed now.

but then after a few SS rides on my Swift I put gears on, and found I mostly stood up and pushed 32:18 anyway.

I'd say the chink in the armour is flat fire road, not hills....

Hmmm, this sheds new light on my thought process. A lot of my from-the-back-door riding does involve flat stretches joining up the fun bits e.g. old train tracks, towpaths etc. I'd not even considered that singlespeeds would be a considerable weakness on the flat. Might need to rethink this...

[EDIT] ...or just try it anyway and find out for myself 😆

Spin out, chill out.

It's not a weakness.

It ain't a race. Just sit and spin and take in the scenery and the sounds on the flat.

Do it!

I've just taken the ss plunge. It's not "better" than gears, but it adds a new dimension to your riding over the winter. I wouldn't want a specific ss bike, but its fun in its own way.

On my second single speed, first 29 er, and is my bike of choice at present. Living in Devon I have a lot of up and down stuff, so freewheel or pedal like #### are my two options. Everyone should have a singlespeed. And you never have to clean it.

Did Llandegla today on my Sanderson Soloist. Nothing better than flying past a geared bike on a climb, listening to the clunk as they try valiantly to find the granny. Basically, you've got what you've got and as long as you're set up right and your tension is good you'll be surprised how far those legs will go before you give up and get off. It just makes you wonder if you've been going too easy on yourself!

Daisy_Duke just wait till spring, you will be hooked on SS, anything else just lacks something

Jonny did this week avoid hospitals? 😀

SS rocks. I've just moved to 29er SS so my old chameleon SS is up for grabs - mail me if you want to get in before the ad goes up.

Is that the original Singlespeed? No trip to Wrexham A&E today. I still say we should have pulled the dislocation back into place ourselves. I had a YouTube demo and all!

Not the original, a mere impersonator, yea you should have given it a tug. Sounds like you all had fun, what a day too. See you some time soon

I like SS. keeps the bike looking and feeling clean and love the simplicity.

I've switched a few weeks ago and after the initial shock I'm really enjoying it, at first it just felt slow on the flat bits and hard on the up bits but a little change in attitude and it's all good,
Chill on the flat bits, enjoy the downy bits and push harder on the uppy bits,
The silence is nice too..

I'm not a beardy

Had two SS builds over the last 15 years or so - don't currently have one but thinking about it when I have a couple of days spare (like that will happen)

Never had them for 'trendy' reasons - just fitted my riding at the time and that I think is key - i'm not an evangelist

The plus points - great for fitness, riding technique and winter mud
Bad for riding in a group when there are flat bits and long downhills and your buddies have gears.

Uphill you can generally beat most geared bikes after a bit of practice

Steep downhill ditto

Gentle downhill you will get mullered

khani +1 well said

Give it a go.Start on an easy ratio-I,m still on 32/20 an go from there.

Any anecdotes from the singlespeed masses to help with my decision? I'm in the Peak District if that bears any relevance.

I rode a singlespeed almost exclusively in the Peak for a couple of years and it's eminently doable even on steeps as they're never that long or that steep for long. You need to be tactical, it's about riding smart not necessarily brute power - people tend to throw themselves at everything flat out when they start ssing, but it's often better to just turn the pedals over steady and keep something in the tank for when there's a techy step you need to power over - look at it this way, if you're already on the red-line, there's nowhere to go when you need to up the power.

People glamorise it and try hard to make it seem really difficult or somehow mystical, but it's not. You need to be stubborn, develop a good eye for the line with the most traction, but otherwise it's just like riding a bike.

I used to ride 32:16 in the Peak and could ride the climb out of the ford on Jaggers going towards Hope Cross with it and I'm honestly quite an average rider. Now I run 32:17 because I don't ss as often. I found 32:18 too spinny, though it's not a bad starting point, and as for 32:20... ridiculous, you'll be spinning like demented hamster on the flat.

One thing no-one really mentions is that ss has a rythmn of its own which means on group rides you tend to climb faster than geared bikes - until your legs fall off anyway - and on flats and easy descents you tend to spin out. Makes it nicer riding with other singlespeeders.

That's my take on it anyway. Give it a go, you'll be surprised at how easy it is once you've got over the initial shock. 😉

And you never have to clean it.

I have to clean my chain twice a year 🙁

I've considered it but have concerns about how it will affect my knees over time.

New to the SS game myself. The first few rides took some mental adjustment. But I'm loving it now. No slapping chain every time you hit a bump. Line choice and carrying speed through corners is your friend.

Climbing is less about the reason why you can't make it up, more about the determination TO get up.

A mate told me 2 secrets of SS.

1: You can agonise over your choice of ratio. Which ever one you have it will be the wrong one.
2: You don't have 1 gear, you have 3. Sit down, stand up & push.

Try it. You never know.

jonnycritchley

My new* soloist is coming on Tuesday. It'll be rigid for a while until I can buy some suss forks.
What are you running and do you have a SS specific hub or just spacers?

Post up a pic please, I'd like to see your build.

Can't wait to ride it 😛

*new to me that is?

Thanks for all the positive encouragement. I'm even more tempted now 🙂

As for the offers from a couple of you for second hand bikes, thanks but I'm after a new one.

Then get a 29er. The rollalongability of a 29er works well with SS. Gearing 32:18.

I was sceptically curious but built a cheap bag of nails up a few years ago one winter (so I could then slag them off without hypocrisy!). From the first ride I loved it to my happy astonishment - it really did just click. As I'm a fat b*****d, I have always compensated by riding with momentum, and that is what works with s/s. If you like to clatter away with gears for ages at slow speeds at the bottom of hills, you'll need to change your style.

It's now more often than not my bike of choice in the summer too. Rode this weekend, the only problem currently being the carpet of leaves which means you hit hidden rocks and roots and keep stalling on the slower wet stuff - but that only lasts a little while.

Give it a go. It really is amazing what you can get up, if you learn momentum and if necessary the long slow steady grind (the latter sounds like it is familiar to you already).

I'd never have an SS as my only bike, way too compromised for that. However it can be fun in the right situation, I bought mine mostly for winter riding around local man-made trails (also pretty flat), works great there. Did some riding in the Mendips yesterday on it though and whilst I still enjoyed it I'm pretty sure I'd have enjoyed it more with gears. There's only so much knee-popping grunting up hills with the back end slipping you want to do on a ride (at least for me anyhow), I enjoy steep technical climbs more on a geared FS (which can get up a lot more than the SS bike can) rather than the challenge of getting up anything remotely steep and slippy on the SS.

Went out on mine for the first time in ages - forgot how much fun riding can be.

No gears to worry about, not that I did anyway, but having just one gear builds you resolve to just push harder than you usually do.

Also realised riding rigid for the first time this year that tyre pressure is critical too comfort.

Heart was still racing 3 hours after the ride too.

4 years ago a mate convinced me to get a rigid 29er SS and grow a beard*.. I failed on the beard front back then (but not now, though it is immaculately trimmed) and I duly swapped from a geared HT with suss up front. It took about 5-6 rides to figure out how it fitted my riding style, like you I’m a grinder on the road. But once I got used to spinning out on the flats and relaxing and taking it all in I simply found another aspect of MTB’ing and finding my own techniques for riding 29erSS,
I do ride with a bunch of SS’ers and at first I simply watched them to asses how they ride/rode and how they tackled hills and stuff and I followed them for a while..
I’ve not looked back since, in fact bought a s****y new Niner and built it super light and enjoying it even more.
Gear’idge I’m 32:17 at first I went 32:20 then 32:18 and have settled on my currently ration and been there for 3 years.
I’d say if it’s proper tech hills then gear up 32:20’ish and ignore the spin out on the flats, then build confidence in climbing before you get off and push, soon enough you’ll be changing to 32:18 thereabout and adapting to the simplicity and lightness of your new bike.

*you don't need to grow a beard to ride 29erSS rigids.

in fact bought a s****y new Niner and built it super light

Pics please. (In fact shall we do a "show me your SS 29ers" thread ...?)

Like [url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/show-me-your-ss-29ers-1 ]this one[/url]?

Haha I did think it just 'might' have been done before.

Oh please don't make s/s'ing all exclusive to bloody 29ers too!

I'm 26" and have no intention of trying 29" yet!

Beginner SS'er here, no beard, running 32/18 on a converted Genesis Altitude.

I'm loving the simplicty of it, especially for mud riding where you can't really get a head of steam for trail obstancles on any bike.

So much so I'm considering a pre-work 5am "night" ride sometime this week.

Just because no one has mentioned it... I've pondered single-speeding, though given my local trail conditions... I would plumb for dinglespeed:

Beginner SS'er here, no beard, running 32/18 on a converted Genesis Altitude.

I'm loving the simplicty of it, especially for mud riding where you can't really get a head of steam for trail obstancles on any bike.

I also converted my Genesis Altitude to SS last winter. I'm currently rebuilding it after having the frame powder coated, and very much looking forward to getting out on it again.
For the record, I'm a 50 year old biffer with a beard, running 32:18.

Do it - it's great.

Ok, so I could go relatively inexpensive with a stock build e.g. Kona Unit, Charge Cooker or Genesis Fortitude or go for a more expensive custom build e.g. Cotic Solaris, Singular Swift. I'd like something that can build up light and also geared/suspension should this rigid SS not be for me 🙂

The more money I spend on this, the less I have for a full susser

I'd like something that can build up light and also geared/suspension should this rigid SS not be for me

Not a Fortitude then, which I believe is rigid only.

You're answering your own question here.

Personally I like the idea of a bike like the Fortitude that is optimised to do one thing well and will be notably different to your other bike(s). But I don't have much use for a boinger either.

Horses for courses.

postierich has been selling a nice looking 26ss for a while, take a look at that.

You're answering your own question here.

I wish I had your insight. How so?

I love the look of the Fortitude but how would it be notably different from a suspension corrected frame with rigid forks? Or to ask it another way, what advantage would it give me to offset the disadvantage of never being able to add suspension?

As for singlespeed, are there many SS frames that [i]can't[/i] be geared some how? I like to tinker and modify my bikes, so not sure I'm quite ready to buy something that I can't adapt to other needs.

Watching this post with interest, after something for the reletively flat muddy night rides, save me wearing out more kit...

Mattig have you a link to postierichs bike, search function brings up nout??

Cheers

[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-if-rigid-forks-hope-tech-brake-sunn-enduro-ss-avid-brake ]Heres the link, [/url] I nearly bought it, the spec is awesome for the price.

The only major advantage of the non-sus corrected frame is it makes it easier to run the bars lower (if you are short).

If you really like the Genesis but want more options (i.e. front susp) then why not go for the high latitude alfine? Just buy a ss back wheel and you have a hardtail ss with a geared option. Not sure how heavy it would be as a ss (I think the steel ht alfine will be a bit of a lump).

Whatever - the one key thing is to get a reliable transmission setup that you can trust under full thrutch. The absolute last thing you want is a chain that comes off or wheel slipping in the dropouts. So for a good first off experience it might be better to go for a factory build where all that should be sorted. If going custom then think about things like a WI freewheel if a screw on hub, or nutted / bolted axle if using horizontal dropouts, good chainline etc. Also don't dismiss regular cassette hubs - Shimano LX / XT are cheap, reliable, and can be rebuilt around a solid / nutted axle for horizontal dropout duties.

For occasional alpine excursions I've made a mech hanger that fitted to the axle of a bolt in Hope ss / trials hub. It meant that the mech was 6mm further outboard than normal, but I run it with a 6 or 7 cog cassette (using 9 spd cog spacing) on the shorter ss freehub so it works fine.

There is a picture of the bike in geared setup at the enclosed link (but you need to be logged into mtbr to see photos I think) http://forums.mtbr.com/members/mickuk/albums/29er-e-stay/1987-aare/

@Stilltortoise: where in the Peak?
I ride a SS exclusively because it's the only bike I have,
Some routes I know I can't power up, so I choose my routes accordingly - I don;t seem to miss too much - pushed a bit more than most on the last Pootle, but not that much.
If you get one and fancy a singlespeed outing - let me know.
Cheers, P.

Mick-r.

I've got a Sanderson Soloist. Vertical "cupped" drop-outs and an EBB. I've been tinkering with a replaceable mech hanger to see if I could get a rear mech in the right place. I've got a Hope single speed hub and was lead to believe that you can only get 5 sprockets off a 9 speed cassette on it. Might get my motivation up if I could get 7 on there. Less expense than a new rear wheel. Partly because it would have to match cos I'm a bike tart.

Great advice everyone. Thanks.

Love the concept of the Genesis High Altitude Alfine but SOOOOOOO heavy. Granted a lot of that weight would be the hub gears, but no point paying for them if I want SS 🙂

Been thinking on it and I reckon the Kona Unit looks the best bet. Looks good, great reviews, not too expensive and I've wanted a Kona for over 20 years.

P, I'm in Leek, but have been known to venture Hope Valley way.

Never ridden around Leek - what are the trails like?
Shout if you are heading this way, would be nice to ride with another SS rider.

I've been singlespeeding for eight months (on the road) and my thighs and calf muscles are now too big for my skinny jeans 🙁

Offroad, I can see the point (simplicity, fewer moving parts to break) but it doesn't suit my style of riding (mainly going as fast as possible up, down and on the flat).

Hi bigblackshed

If you google it / trawl through mtbr there are lots of people modifying cassettes to fit ss hubs (Hope, King etc).

For best results you need to use an XT style cassette where the top cogs (4 or 5?) are on an aluminium carrier. Machine / file off some of the rear of the carrier so the sprockets run closer to the spokes (be careful how much you remove). With some invention, I managed to bodge a reliable setup with 34-13 7 speed cassette using 9 speed spacing.

I'm sure there is someone on mtbr that managed to get 8 speeds on there using a 10 spd cassette.

I've managed 5 and 6 speed setups previously using regular 8 speed spaced cassette with no machining (an old Sachs one where the cogs clipped together).

Wheel removal can be a faff, but the Hope hub helps due to the 10mm axle bolts - remove them and the wheel comes out of the dropout in any direction you want.

Shimano make an axle mount hanger that works-ish. However the drop of the hanger is less than regular mtb so the top jockey wheel might clash with sprockets in some setups.

Hope this helps!

I'm pretty fit and can climb hills better than most I ride with, but no way would I be contemplating SS if I rode regularly in The Peaks - at least not The Peaks that I know.

Such as the Pennine Bridleway climb out of Hayfield, or tbh pretty much any climb out of Hayfield - you'll just be pushing, and from near the bottom.

And a steel SS will be no lighter than an aluiminium/carbon/Ti geared bike.

And when you're at the end of a long day, whereas previously with gears you'd drop onto the granny just to winch up that last climb, whereas now you'll be pushing...

This isn't going to be my only bike, it's really for local messing-in-the-woods duties as well as family rides, with the occasional foray onto bigger/harder rides. Leek is not a mountain biking mecca unless you put some road miles in first and then you're in Macc forest terrain and of course the southern Peak District. Doorstep riding depends on how cheeky you want to be.

i want something that I can throw in the shed still covered in mud/snow and know it's going to work next time I take it out. I'm used to riding rigid and happy to take a punt on SS

Ah, so you want a pub bike with knobbly tyres really.

Ah, so you want a pub bike with knobbly tyres really.

Not really. In my mind pub bikes are of the [i]so-cheap-and-nasty-it doesn't-matter-if-you-lose-it[/i] variety. The bikes I'm looking at are not what I call cheap. However I am after a [i]don't-want-to-be-too-precious-about-it[/i] bike. It will be used for "proper" mountain biking from time to time, but it will not be my "main" mountain bike. If I'm going for a big day out or a weekend away, the full susser will come with me.

(cont'd)...I had a alu hardtail with carbon forks and gears. It was nice and light, I wasn't too precious about it and it got ridden a lot, even on big days in the Dales. I did get a bit fed-up with gears not working that well, hence the SS option now. Also, the chainstays were a bit narrow so I could only fit 2.1 tyres in there, which made for a harsh rear end and pinch punctures. Hence why I'm now thinking steel.

This reasoning is quite a cathartic exercise 🙂

Steel won't solve your snakebites, don't believe the marketing...

[img] http://followingthechainline.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/build-progress.html [/img]

My second SS build but this time a 29er. Just need a few more bits to complete it. The frame, an On-One Scandal, would probably suit what you are looking for in a frame that is versatile enough. The drop outs can be changed so it can be run SS or with gears. Not stupid expensive either. 😀

Jez www.followingthechainline.blogspot.com

Do it you'll enjoy it. I do love my SS, simple, light, cheap but the only thing which is stopping me only having a SS is that in a race it just isn't competitive enough as I find you just spin out on a short 10 mile ish lap.

My SS is a chameleon. That's got a pretty stiff backend, and I don't get many pinch flats - but partly that because riding SS teaches you about conservation of momentum, which means learning how to handle the bike so you don't smack into rocks and slow yourself down

Do it, I have just built up a 29er scandal with carbon rigid forks. I have been to delemere and llandegla up to now and have had no trouble regarding SS just missed some front suspension at llandegla especially on the rocky sections. Loving the smooth and quietness of it though!!!

Do it, learn about momentum, grow a beard, buy new trousers for your MASSIVE QUADS.

And have some fun.

By the way anyone in the north east and yorkshire might be interested in this link 😀

Join if you want to!

Getting excited. On One Scandal which satisfies my slight weight obsession or Kona Unit, which ticks the "steel is real" niche too? Both 29er and both will be rigid.

Which one would be the best for doing wheelie/manuals on?

Id only think light weight if you intend to race your ss