how hard's single speeding?

Singlespeeds look cooler.

I singlespeed.

And clearly I am the hardest bastard here.

I don't even use gears during chemo.

Any of my geared brethren fancy a slice of MTFU?

Singlespeeds look cooler.

True.

All the single speeders I know also wear wooly hats inside as fashion statements and have bead bracelets.

I don't even use gears during chemo.

Any of my geared brethren fancy a slice of MTFU?

Petesgaff has just won the ss/gearie argument in one post.

Well that's f**ked about 70% of all anti ss posts for the future 😀

singlespeed doesn't make you fitter.
it makes you stronger.
a geared bike will make you fitter.

petesgaff FTW
singlespeed make you strong like bear

Can I set up a full sus slopestyle bike as SS?

Heres my experience of riding singlespeed. First ride your legs and lungs are shagged – you blame poor gear choice – and you find out just how unfit you are. When you get to your first descent you spin out but brake lots because thats what you are used to doing. Couple of weeks go by and your legs have got a wee bit stronger, but your lungs are like those of a 100 a day smoker, your descending is a wee bit better and you have had to learn how to conserve speed. Couple of months go by your legs have got a lot stronger and your lungs are finally starting to catch up and you are flying down descents because your technique and line choice have had to improve out of necessity – you are quicker than you were on a geared bike because you are trying harder. Couple of years go by your legs are like high revving pistons and your lungs can handle it pretty well – your descending hasn't changed because you have got lazy and stopped trying.

singlespeed is great, 27 speed is great, it's 1×9 I don't understand – 70% of the downside of gears with 30% of the advantages…

Just did two laps this evening of a local trail. One on a geared HT, one on a fully rigid SS (rigid because my new faulty Rebas have gone back) . Main differences were on flat bits.

For me probably as someone new to SS – there seems a bigger difference between geared HT and geared FS, than SS HT and Geared HT.

If you ride singlespeed, which gear, on average, is the single speed most equivalent to?

Middle ring front and rear? Is it just the gear you would spend the most time in anyway in a geared set-up?

Mine is normally a middle ring up front and 1/3rd of the way up the block on the back. Which is roughly the gear I would spend most time in anyway.

32-16 seems to be quite popular for 26" wheels. If I can't get my gears sorted by completely re-setting all the cable tension, limit screws etc I shall give SS a proper go (about bloody time)!

terrahawk – Member
Plus it gives you a ready-made excuse for being a bit slow

Modesty…FAIL! 😉

nice smooth fairly flat road, slicks -peasy!
offroad, lumpy bumpy, climbs, fat tyres -****'hard!

depends on your gear, but above applies!

A lot of the places I like to ride would rip the derailleur off in no time.

I was wandering if its possible to have a 2/3 x 1 setup. I.e. a double chain ring with a single cog on the back.
Havent yet decided if its a good idea, but i would think its possible with the right chain tensioner. Any experiences?

SS in winter – gears in summer or the bad weather

Commuting = SS because you can just dump the bike after a shift and go to bed 😉

road – fixed or gears but SS on the road SUCKS

as obitwa says – flat road sections between trails and your doing it wrong !

i remember obi twa tried to take me round his local trails and reduce me to pushing ….. i may have had a cadence of 1 or 2 riding the natural stuff to minch moor but i was damned if i was getting off …. legs hurt for days after but it was gooooood – the look of dissapointment on his face !

I SS'd for about 2 years, I love it, really enjoy the simplicity blah blah blah.. I've just swapped back to gears for the simple reason that SS was no longer practical for the people I ride with, it was ok on the hills but any flat section would see me trailing behind.. that doesn't mean I'm anti singlespeed though, nor will I never consider it again, but maybe as another bike, not my only one.

Give it a go, you'll undoubtedly love it!

I've been riding SS for a good while now, and when I go back to riding my geared MTB I can't seem to find the right gear, it just doesn't feel right. I've gone back to rigid forks on my SS MTB too, having suspension on there didn't feel right either.

The hardest thing I'd found about singlespeeding, is that it kinda makes your other, geared bikes feel redundant, and a bit unloved … 🙁

Growing a beard isn't hard tho'.

Your arm is going to be your biggest problem.

When I first started singlespeeding I found my whole upper body ached, and I'm a regular windsurfer, so I should be used to that sort of effort.

Now I find that when I go back to sailing after a few weeks off, I don't get crampy arms like I used to because the constant mauling the singlespeeding gives them.

I recently switched to flat pedals, and that's giving me a whole lot of new muscles to break in.

Been singlespeeding for about 18months. Its done wonders for my strength and fitness, but I started from a pretty low baseline TBH.

Whilst I like the fitness benefits, I think I would have got them on a geary too.

The thing I like the most and has already be alluded to is the change in riding style and the different demeands it makes – conservation of momentum and energy, attacking climbs you otherwise wouldn't etc…

Its so different from my other bike which is a 5 inch travel geared trail gobbler.

Variety is good.

on the road, on a road bike it is great – not had a proper go on a SS mountain bike though..

Single speed is RAD.
gears are fun too.

1×9 strikes me a as bit daft unless your on a DH bike

crap chain line, so wears it all out quicker, and will run noiseier and rougher?

why not just have 3 x 9?

If you ride singlespeed, which gear, on average, is the single speed most equivalent to?

Middle ring front and rear? Is it just the gear you would spend the most time in anyway in a geared set-up?

Most SSers are on the equivalent of a middle ring and a couple of gears higher than middle sprocket.

1×9 strikes me a as bit daft unless your on a DH bike

crap chain line, so wears it all out quicker, and will run noiseier and rougher?

? most people seem to ride in the middle chainring even when they have a triple so just the same

As you have no bridleways in Uddersfield, it shouldn't be a problem.

In Alifax I use a SS for making "social" rides a bit more interesting.

Hmm, don't understand the 'crap chainline' arguement on 1×9 at all – it's just the same as riding in the middle ring of a 3×9 set up. Then again, my only bikes are a SS and a 1×9, so maybe I'm just a bit odd.
c9tin – ygm re ss kit btw.

crispedwheel-have sent payment mate.

Its all your fault. All off you

look what I have done…

before

…after

how hard is it..dunno , Ill find out tomorrow morning with the dogs..!

Better to run the tensioner pushing up, as it engages more teeth and looks nicer.

Good man!

Looks so much better with one gear 🙂

Anyone know if the on-one SS kits are any good? I can get one for a fiver posted, the spacer options don't look very flexible though.

Better to run the tensioner pushing up, as it engages more teeth and looks nicer.

the tensioner shaft would hit the chainstay, i think. There is a pin on it which falls against the flat of the hanger and the natural spring position leads you to this arrangement. I know what you mean though and to be fair, If I get on with it, a new slow dropout frame and some smaller sprockets may be in order 🙂

Well I am back after my first go.

Initial thoughts on the road outside my house; This is going to be silly. (spinning after a few strokes)

On the trail however, it immidiately made perfect sense. I can already see where i was stop/ starting before; basically I have been lazy on any hint of a gradient which means I was slower into the next bits. Now, to keep the RPM up, you cant do that. This much was ace fun and enjoyed it a lot

What I didnt enjoy was the first climb. It wasnt steep, or indeed long, but I found myself pushing the first bit. On the next bit, I attacked. I made it to the top (just). My heart was trying to jump out of my chest, my lungs were burning and I had to sit down for 5 minutes 🙂

Its almost enough to put me off.

but im not beaten yet…

NB The Cheap superstar kit performed faultlessly. Quiet and no hint of a slip or dropped chain. For 20 quid I cant complain

My heart was trying to jump out of my chest, my lungs were burning and I had to sit down for 5 minutes

try and make the sit down 4 minutes next time, then 3, then 2…

you do get used to the climbs and, tbh, because you don't push a big gear as much on the flat bits overall on a ride the effort is about the same.

Fairly recent convert here. It definately does increase fitness and the difference when you get back on a geared bike is amazing!

Sounds very much like my experiences with running "singlespeed" (just trying not to change gears) 🙂 On road there's only been one climb I haven't got up so far. Off-road I rely on my granny ring still.

Gears in winter.
SS in summer.

It carn't be that hard, the knights of niche do it. 8)