Does anyone still single speed?

It’s the wrong gear 97% of the time and I’ve had a few years break from it but have recently built my MK2 Singular back up as intended with the one cog and I’m loving it. It’s terrible riding with geared riders, the ratio is hard to get right for the tarmac/off road that my local riding consists of and everyone thinks it’s an ebike with a rear hub motor because of the frame bag but there’s something about not being able to clean every climb and having to get off and walk. It seems to de-stress me, I’m no longer thinking of average speeds or that I’ve not ridden far enough to justify the time spent but most of all I’m looking, noticing and appreciating the scenery I travel through.

Anyway is anyone else still spinning a silly gear? Pics would be great…

Yep, I’ve had my Pipedream gravel bike on SS for a couple of years. I rarely ride this bike with others so keeping up isn’t an issue. It has upped my fitness I reckon. The only downside is that I have a trailer, and standing pedalling and fixed ratio are not ideal. When niches collide.

Yes, just fun innit. Turn pedals make the bike go.

I have an old Ti hardtail set up as SS as my pub/around town bike. It gets an occasional trip out. In the main, I like gears. Lots of them. Riding SS is certainly a different experience, especially on undulating and rough terrain. I also hate when I’m spinning out and can’t build up momentum for upcoming climbs.

Not offroad I know, but my 1952 Claud Butler Jubilee is single speed.

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Yes but has gears on at the moment. We’ve moved house and the local terrain isn’t quite so suitable – some very steep grassy climbs that are really wet and draggy half of the year. Have some plans for a 2 speed (Schlumpf or something unique) with a fully enclosed chain. And if it is having a huge enclosed rh chainstay it might as well have be single sided……

It is that satisfying flowy pedal hard before an obstacle and freewheel over it riding style that I miss.

Yep, all of my riding buddies, mostly South Downs, some proper hills too. No issues riding with geared riders either.

Just didn’t expect to still be riding the single speed with all the Mudguards in LATE MAY ☔️

@drnosh that’s a beautiful thing, love the matching headlamp!

Yes, but I’m much more seasonal now… mud and singlespeeding doesn’t work for me.  I’ve had “proper” singlespeeds but I now just use my singulator converted old Soul.  It’s not a looker but I love it for a quick Downland de-stress.

Me! New convert, two years ago. I swap between this (Pipedream Moxie hardtail) and my 160mm ebike, but the Moxie does most of the local riding:

Yes , still on the Single Speed up in Calderdale so some tasty hills to grind up on a 32-18 probably should change it.

I still ride my ancient Spot in John Derre tractor green. Its my favorite bike and it has cleaned some climbs that I seldom have on other bikes.

I used to commute on my Surly Ogre which was single speed but I put gears on it when I retired.

At 70 I tend to singlespeed less than I did. I still love the elegance and simplicity.

Yeah… Was out this week on the Travers SS.. love it!

Will hunt out pics!

DrP

Yes, On-One Pompino. It’s my summer commuting bike, but I’m retiring in a few weeks so not sure what I’ll use it for.

I miss it,,, gave up SS when I moved to the Quantocks… tbh, though living in the Quantocks does make up for lack of SS though

Yep. On-One Scandal 29er V2 – probably my most used bike off-road.

IMG_5550 by markwsf[/url], on Flickr

I miss it,,, gave up SS when I moved to the Quantocks… tbh, though living in the Quantocks does make up for lack of SS though

Can you still get SSUK entries? It’s quantocks this year!

Yes – had stopped riding my last one as it felt too short and steep as my other bikes had gotten longer etc over the years. Had a Marino made to my geometry and love it. Frame build quality is utilitarian rather than beautifully crafted, but that kinda suits SSs anyway. Alignment is good and it’s not broken yet….

Not for MTB since climbing is just a means to an end to enjoy the good bits, so nice to make it as easy as possible 🙂 whenever I get round to getting a road bike again it’ll probably be a singlespeed. Mainly because it’s cheap and low maintenance, and also road is purely for fitness so in theory SS forces me to work harder and not take it easy on any climbs.

Yes though a bit less often than when I lived in the Chilterns as this part of the Cotswolds is steeper with bigger climbs. A swap from 19T to a 21T on the back sorted that. Hurt my pride a bit but kept me SSing.

No pics but it’s a black steel Jones diamond frame with a truss fork and old Ti H-bars, 2.6 tyres on 30mm rims and a Brand-X dropper. I think the XT servowave brakes have been on one SS or another for 15 years now. It was a Ti spaceframe but the fork cracked and I’ve not got round to repairing it yet, tbh I like the steel bike just as much anyway. Far from the most suitable MTB but it’s just so engaging and fun to ride even if it feels a bit twitchy by modern standards on the DHs. Perfect winter bike that rarely gets gears put on in the summer, I just like it how it is.

Got the urge for a SS road / lost lanes tourer but every tour in Wales reminds me of how daft the idea is.

Stopped SS MTB in November 22 when I finally killed my right knee to death. I wasn’t being fun at that point either.

I “can” run the Stooge as a SS but it’s loads of fun in boingy front, suspension, enduro mode. I then use the gravel bike to make the fire roads and singletrack come alive again.

I’ve just resurrected the Charge Plug as my SS town bike. Loads of fun as long as I stay away from steep hills.

Yes, still out a few times a week on one of the ss collection, although i’ve slimmed it down from 9 custom or niche egochariots to my 3 faves and a massive spares pile of bling, and more spare rubber than a german sexytime gimp fest.

Got a new custom titanium front end comming for the Ti motobastard so that will be the bike of thrasing for the next few months and also the test bed for new titanium stuff a mate and I are working on.

It’s all I ride off road for the last 11 yrs, not even looked at getting another bike since I got it

Yep, definitely. Love the simplicity and purity.

Can’t beat the feeling of a rigid forked SS on flowy, woodsy singletrack.

Had to stop about 5 years ago because of knee issues. Same goes for hardtails. Almost had to stop riding entirely. Took years for my right knee to stage a recovery. There was other stuff involved as well, it wasn’t just singlespeeding’s fault. But wouldn’t take much to tip things back again.

I do miss singlespeeding and would like to give it a go again, just to be sure. Everyone I ride with has gone back to gears as well. Used to be a singlespeed majority on our winter rides.

I commute on a 20 year old Specialized Langster fixie most days. Low maintenance and easy trackstanding are wins – I try to complete my commute without putting my feet down which I manage quite often.

MTB single speed wise I have a Dawes Edge One which has hardly been used for a decade – I might dust it off as I used to enjoy riding it.

I do mosting road/gravel stuff nowadays but want to get back to some proper off road stuff.

It’s a keeper. Fits me perfectly, which is normally tricky, as I’m gangly. Suspension dropper post is a game changer too.

Built up from sale items, but not in a hurry to replace anything to be honest, which is a weird feeling!

I’ve just resurrected the Charge Plug as my SS town bike.

I’d love to make my Plug a gravel bike, it has the tyre clearance and especially in winter I keep my gravel rides as ‘rolling’ as possible rather than winch and plummet so the gearing is less of an issue.

Also echo comments above, there really is something special about riding them that simply ‘not changing gear’ on your normal bike can’t replicate.

It’s the wrong gear 97% of the time

The same is obviously true about geared riding. I mean if you’re in the right gear why do have to keep changing all the time?

@IA is that the Beady Little Eye? I like the idea of the short travel but not the SS bit

The same is obviously true about geared riding. I mean if you’re in the right gear why do have to keep changing all the time?

Never really thought of it that way, I guess that’s true but……when you realise it’s the wrong gear on a SS there’s not much you can do other than pedal or don’t pedal

@funkmasterp yes it’s a BLE, or rather a BBE, that’s a 29er custom in a size larger than the XL.

Amazing bike, an absolute singletrack weapon. It’s not like a short travel full sus though. Because of the pivot round the bb you run very little sag (about 5%) to keep it taut, more like a hardtail with some give in it. It’s like a nice cold pint at the end of a warm dusty  summer’s ride – you’re not getting drunk but it’s very pleasurable and you’re taking the edge off things.

Yeah, that’s what I think I’d love. A slightly more forgiving HT but I’d need gears due to being weak! Lovely looking bike and glad you’re liking it.

I’ve only ridden mine a few times since the start of the pandemic, but will be bringing it out for dog walk/rides, when the local trails dry out properly.

I’d love a beady little eye. Hard for me to justify buying one though.

Singlespeeduk tickets still available for the event being held in the Quantocks this year

https://singlespeedmtb.uk/

Horses for courses innit. I have a ss specific Inbred which I used to mince around Swinley on which it suited as it’s not very hilly, I moved to South Wales and ss mountain bikes don’t really work round here, well not for me anyway, so I put road tyres, mudguards, solid forks and all that cal on and now I mince up and down the Taff trail on it, which also isn’t hilly so suites my old bones.

TheGingerOne

Full Member

Singlespeeduk tickets still available for the event being held in the Quantocks this year

https://singlespeedmtb.uk/

I got excited for that, then realised it clashes with a family get away. Balls. Next year though!

Yep, two of my 3 MTBs are SS 😆

I also have three SS frames in reserve!

I’ve still got my SSCX/gravel which I use as an honest appraisal of my fitness – any ride from home is about 5km uphill, what direction depends on what way the wind is blowing!