futon river crossing – Member

Don't change – ride what you know.

No no.

Having seen how you like to experiment with bikes get a full suss geared bike then start cutting and shutting the frame/ drive train and post up a shitload of pictures on here to mess with the Trekmarinspecializedgiant riders minds. 8)

I recently went from rigid to suspension on my Inbred. My forks are only old 80mm Air bombers, the rigid forks were on-one steel ones. It is a lot faster over anything that's remotely rough. And a lot less tiring.

scaredypants – Member
it's a world championships – presumably either it'll be full of world class riders in all classes and you'll get you ass kicked, or it's for fun. If the latter, don't spend 2 grand on a bike for it; just enjoy the experience

I'm in with a chance in my age category if I can get a bit faster. I'd sooner race on a proper bike than get gears and suspension. Hence the question.

Looks like I'll have to do some testing myself so I can work out the %.

singlespeedstu – Member
Having seen how you like to experiment with bikes get a full suss geared bike then start cutting and shutting the frame/ drive train and post up a shitload of pictures on here to mess with the Trekmarinspecializedgiant riders minds.

Don't worry, I'm not neglecting that aspect. Currently making my own suspension fork – it will be shit, but shiny 🙂

It's like kaisae and Ritchie McCoy have mated! Supertroll??

No idea percentage wise but if you ride singlespeed over an XC course the chances are that you will rarely evcer be in the most effiecent gear. Therefore gears will be a big advantage becuase the 1lb will easily be over come by being in the most effiecent gear when both climbing and decending.

Suspension fork will help prevent get knackered as quick. help with traction and aid with decending quicker. again no perecentage guess but I know at cwncarn I get down the DH track 30 seconds quicker on my DH rig than my 4x rig, if I am pinning it on both.

Two options.

#1
Look at the results of any 12 or 24 hour race with a seperate singlespeed class.
How many laps did the overall winner do ?
How many laps did the SS winner do ?
That's the difference.

#2
Hire a bike with gears and suspension.
Time a lap of a test route on your bike.
Time a lap on the hire bike.
That's the difference.

MilitantGraham – Member
#2
Hire a bike with gears and suspension.
Time a lap of a test route on your bike.
Time a lap on the hire bike.
That's the difference.

#1 won't work because they are different riders – but I have looked at it.

#2Yeah, that's basically what I'm going to have to do.

I was hoping some research had been done on this previously and that I could be pointed that way.

I find it amazing that the advantage has never been quantified.

I'll build up an Alfine wheel tomorrow and give it a whirl.

get super niche and get yourself a rigid 29er ss that will certainly be faster.

metcalfe – Member
get super niche and get yourself a rigid 29er ss that will certainly be faster.

That's what I ride at the moment 🙂

This thread has totally destroyed my image of STW riders. 🙁

Based on the amount of threads where the emphasis is on going fast and performing amazing feats, I had visions of finely honed athletes who tested every little thing to check its incremental value to their performance.

The sort of people who wouldn't hesitate to use the ShelBroCo
chain maintenance regime to gain half a second per lap. Now I'm not so sure.

I had hoped there would be one who could spare a crumb of fact. Unfortunately the thread remains fact free.

However the STW crew have been extremely generous with their opinions which unfortunately have fallen on stony ground because I already have such an excess of opinions that I am often voicing them to ungrateful ears.

Or could it be that I'm wrong, and that you are all competing in the World 24 Hour Solos and do not wish to give away any advantage? 🙂

There's too many variables in mountain biking to give an exact figure.
I'm sure it would be possible to set up a test rig to measure oxygen consumption and power output at set speeds and cadences with different gear ratios to calculate the exact benefit of having a choice of gears, but I don't know how accurately the results would translate across to a real mountain bike race.

Epiccyclo-What bike did you ride before your rigid SS 29er? I can't believe you've never had gears!

My advice would be to buy a set of suspension forks for your 29er and try 'em. Will of course depend on where you test them wheter or not they are faster than rigid or not.

I, for what its worth, have tested my FS bike against a front suspension singlespeed around Sherwood Pines and I was faster on the FS.

#1 won't work because they are different riders – but I have looked at it.

#2Yeah, that's basically what I'm going to have to do.

I was hoping some research had been done on this previously and that I could be pointed that way.

I find it amazing that the advantage has never been quantified.

I'll build up an Alfine wheel tomorrow and give it a whirl.

I sincerely hope you'll be posting up a thorough, lucid breakdown of your efforts, with graphs and maybe a Powerpoint presentation. Extra points will be given depending on how witty the name of the units you will use to quantify performance gains/losses is. We need this information, damnit!

#1 won't work because they are different riders – but I have looked at it.

that is of course true, but if you look at enough results over enough events, you're probably close enough for the data to be meaningful, or at least indicate a trend. at least as accurate as you riding one lap on one bike and another lap on another bike you're not used to, i would have thought. IMO.
did you really think someone had tried to measure this stuff scientifically?
i use an alfine on one of my bikes but i wouldn't use it for racing. i'm not usually bothered by weight on my bikes ( the alfine'd HT is 33lb! ), but if you're looking in that direction i'd go 1×9 and probably save a couple of pounds. i understand the racers are weight weenies. that's probably for a reason..

My laps were between 61 and 64 mins a lap for my geared 29er HT and 67 – 69mins on my rigid 29er SS at 2010 Mountain Mayhem.

2 laps each in the dry without lights being needed. My night laps were all done on the 29er geared HT.

So: 3-5 mins slower per 9.2 mile lap with 1600ft of climbing.

3.5lbs difference in weight, similar wheels and tyres, identical build kit (other than suspension forks, brakes and mechs + shifters).

IMO I lost most of the time on the flats and downs where I spun out on the SS.

Daffy – Member
My laps were between 61 and 64 mins a lap for my geared 29er HT and 67 – 69mins on my rigid 29er SS at 2010 Mountain Mayhem…

Thanks Daffy. Exactly the sort of thing I wanted to know. 🙂

ctk – Member
Epiccyclo-What bike did you ride before your rigid SS 29er? I can't believe you've never had gears!

I've got gears on my belt drive Pompino. A S-A 3 speed. 🙂

I gave up on derailleurs decades ago when I suffered an eye-watering GTTI* episode after my lightweight expensive derailleur broke apart on a steep climb and did a roadside single speed conversion.

*Goolie Top Tube Interface