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The two rules of singlespeed club:
1) Always talk about singlespeed club
2) Seize the first opportunity every year to ride your singlespeed in the snow (then talk about it)
Mine was a pitifully short spin around the block to test out new tyres, but everything about it just felt 'right'. Is it just basic gear and traction science due to being permanently over-geared?
Especially the smug feeling when you get back and put the bike away without cleaning it.
Team Pink Singlespeed! Mine’s slightly different:
But I did get straight out into the snow for a couple of hours of singletrack fun! It’s raining now so it’ll all be gone soon…
I think it is very gear ratio and snow-type dependant.
I've had the occasional good ride on snow, but other times it has turned into a knee destroying slog as I tried to remain seated to keep traction.
A couple of pics from last year
I must be going soft this year as I've only used gears in the snow 🥶
I got 3 rides in 24hrs this week, 5 snow rides in total since Sunday.. it's been great. All felt far more rideable this year from a combination of having geared the SS down for the local valleys compared to my previous Chilterns ratio (34:21 now, 34:19 before), and proper cold, almost powdery snow. Usually it's a 30rpm slog for some slow but fun descents. Been enjoying it alot recently and wishing we had whole winters at -5 to -10.
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2) Seize the first opportunity every year to ride your singlespeed in the snow (then talk about it)
Definitely.. Started snowing early last Sunday am, we were out in it by 9.
I want one of those pink Charge Plugs in small if anyone has one ☝🏻
Because if its icy enough all bikes turn into single speed!
And they look great
Because it doesn't get any worse when covered in snow 🙂
I find the opposite riding my SS in snow.
Traction, traction, traction, stembollocks 😬
I find a low skinny gear much more useful.
All the benefits of lack of maintenance etc are of course very valid.
Pros and cons
I had a great long snowy ride over the Dales last week, and my SS ensured I avoided the issues I've had with geared bikes before when the jockey wheels and small sprockets turn to teethless lumps of ice
On the other hand, the inevitable bits of walking had me scratching the ice out of my shoes' cleats more often to find the space to clip in
(the bike before the snow)
Love the snowy photos, nothing more tantalising than a few compacted tyre tracks on snowy singletrack.
By pure co-incidence, it was the Val di Sol round of the CX World Cup this weekend, commentators waxing lyrical about how good riding in the snow can be when you find your flow (in my case, find the magic cadence that you can maintain whilst holding traction).