Before Christmas I had my old Rockhopper singlespeeded. And I love it.
I live in Chelmsford in Essex, so not too hilly. And in this mud the new look Rockhopper has become my new favourite thing to ride.
For a long while I read about singlespeeds with no real opinion. I had the Rockhopper converted cos the cassette was knackered and I thought it would be more marketable on Ebay as a singlespeed (I have a new Orange R8, with gears, to pay for) but now I understand... It's just as quick in the muck as my geared mates. It makes me feel strong. It liberates my brain. It doesn't malfunction. It feels faster in the corners. It's wicked.
Anyone else want to pontificate on singlespeeding.. ?
Singlespeed make you strong like bear!
40% of my bikes are now 1ers. 🙂
It's just a fad. It'll never catch on.
Yesterday morning I looked over my shoulder at my mates on their geared bikes frantically switching up and down to negotiate a big boggy puddle. They'd slow down and pootle thru. I just go on with it and powered through at speed like a riding god with neither a dab of my feet nor a clang of my gears.
66.666666% of mine are SS 
My mmmbop is and its fine, but that's cos its a commuter with slicks and my journey is flat. I will fix the gears eventually.
Off road I can't see the point. I'd rather the bike adapt to me, rather than me adapt to the bike.
it's just sad that some people on STW spend so much time mocking that they'll never experience the joy of singlespeeding :-p
Just built up my 1st one, not been this excited about a new bike since my parents bought me a Saracen Rufftrax in 1998!
Anoyingly I still have the same compulsion to 'upgrade' it, just that the upgrades are things like rigid forks and bling wheels rather than stuff that might actualy make it faster like suspension and gears!
I have 3 SS and one geared bike. The geared bike is a road bike which is fine because the change in speed on the road justifys gears. However off road, I find that with the right gear ratio I can power up the hills, cruise the flats and pump the downs.
I love it!
bassspine - Member
it's just sad that some people on STW spend so much time [s]mocking[/s] waving their willies over [s]that they'll never experience the joy of[/s] singlespeeding :-p
It's all bikes, get over it. 🙄
Mate of mine's got a SS Inbred. I've ridden it a few times. It's OK.
It's like my Inbred, but mine has gears; aside from that there's not much difference (apart from my forks are betterer).
If I get tired, I can change gear. If he gets tired, he can't.
If I want to ride mine SS, I just don't change gear. If he wants to ride his geared, he can't.
His chain falls off sometimes. I can't remember the last time that happened on any of my bikes although he has less bits to go wrong/maintain.
I like mine. I can leave some of my geared riding buddies behind at this time of year (but not the really fit ones).
I really, really like the fact that I can just chuck it away filthy and it works perfectly the next time I take it out.
I also really like the absence of a "Make it easier now" lever - knowing that makes me work hard to get home as I have no other option.
Fun. Hard at times, slow at other times, but always fun nevertheless. It feels like running though the forest with no pants on.
Chicks dig SS'ers. Fact.
Stumpy 01 memberMate of mine's got a SS Inbred. I've ridden it a few times. It's OK.
It's like my Inbred, but mine has gears; aside from that there's not much difference (apart from my forks are betterer).
Apart from the weight and the complexity. Losing cables in the winter is a godsend....
If I get tired, I can change gear. If he gets tired, he can't.
If I want to ride mine SS, I just don't change gear. If he wants to ride his geared, he can't.
That is the point! Different riding style, you have to attack short climbs, carry your speed more, think a bit more....
His chain falls off sometimes. I can't remember the last time that happened on any of my bikes although he has less bits to go wrong/maintain
There something wrong with his set up! And less bits = much quicker cleaning, less faffing and less expense.
FIFY 😉
66.6% of my bikes are rigid singlespeed's - now that goes with my beard 😉
The rest of my 'fleet' is in bits till the summer!
thisisnotaspoon - Member
Just built up my 1st one, not been this excited about a new bike since my parents bought me a Saracen Rufftrax in 1998!
Rufftrax was a beast though!
Fun. Hard at times, slow at other times, but always fun nevertheless. It feels like running though the forest with no pants on.
Where is the fun in always being in the wrong gear??!
Anyway that's my last comment on bicycle gears on the internet this year. I think it was one of my resolutions 🙂
Where is the fun in always being in the wrong gear??!
even a a clock that has stopped is right twice a day 😉
tree-magnet - Memberit's just sad that some people on STW spend so much timewaving their willies that they miss a joke
...
It's alright. I prefer it on road to off, for mtb it feels like most of the time you're in the wrong gear. If I didn't only have the space/money for 1 mtb I would probably have a rigid slot dropout singlespeed for xc mincing. No good for a do-it-all bike though imo.
"Where is the fun in always being in the wrong gear??!"
That's a point of view, yes. But hard is good. If we wanted easy we wouldn't be mountain bikers.
The bike is light and responsive, you move with the bike, you learn low cadence, high cadence, levering the bike with your whole body, carrying downhill speed, pumping, attacking, then just cruising, and sometimes having to quit and push. There is so much more to learn when you have one gear. And learning is fun. Choose and easy ratio and try it, you'll see.
There is no wrong gear, only the one gear.
it's just sad that some people on STW spend so much time mocking that they'll never experience the joy of singlespeeding
It is possible to do both, you know. 😉
Single speeders ? its a club full of freaks & niche haws.
gears gears gear gears 🙄
on a s/s you are NEVER in the wrong gear 😀
My preferance is 95% of the time my s/s ok so I walk more but hey if it was a race I would have a number on my bike.
All I can say is try it.
buzz-lightyear - Member
Fun. Hard at times, slow at other times, but always fun nevertheless. It feels like running though the forest with no pants on
well put buzz