On my hardtail for commuting I don’t reckon I’ve changed gear this month. Always big ring, 2 off the top on the rear. Can I call myself a SSer please??

do you have a beard ?
do you have a big ego
do you look down on geared riders ?
was your bike made by a manufacturer that know one else has heard of ?

if yes to all these questions
then your well on your way

call yourself what you like, it’s what people call you behind your back that you should worry about 😉

hmm…well

does 3 days growth count?
no
I have gears though
Yes!

Some way to go. I suppose I’m just bike-curious. Is there such a thing as a Geared SSer?

The hardest thing about being a singlespeeder?

Telling your parents that you’re……

(I’ll stop there!)

DMR converter kit, then you can be a SS without fully commiting to the lifestyle. you can even use your rear mech for tension.Just make sure you take your shifters off. And always, ALWAYS carry a hipflask. for added fun, ofer a swig to the carbon framed roadie at the lights, before leaving them for dust on your early 90’s bodged SS.

People point, people laugh, but I’m usually wearing lyrcra so i bring it on myself!

do you have a beard ?

Used to.

do you have a big ego

Yes.

do you look down on geared riders ?

Yes.

was your bike made by a manufacturer that know one else has heard of ?

No.

I have 2 singlespeeds. Gears are for climbing mountains.

2 off the top is a bit high for conversion? Unless by top he means bottom.

Only if you have a 3′ x 2′ portrait of Sheldon Brown above the fireplace.

By top I mean the…errr smallest cog..thingy

Just converted my commuter to SS and at the moment I’m not sure what to make of it. I’m liking the simplicity, the ‘stripped-down-ness’ of it all, the fact that my bike is significantly lighter and the way I need to work a bit harder. I’m not so keen on coasting down anything that even looks like a hill. Won’t be rushing out to convert my MTB anytime soon I don’t think.

call yourself what you like,,,, i can be on any day a
singlespeeder
roadie
triathlete
motorcyclist
vintage car driver
bongo driver
runner
swimmer

and you do get treated very differently depending on what I am being today
but today I was a swimmer in the morning a dog walker at the naturereserve then a singlespeeder on the way to skool

Is that a bongo friendee driver?!
All I’m trying to ascertain is whether by carrying gears but not using them, I can call myself a SSer.

I went ss for exactly the same reason – only need one gear on my commute.

Are labels that important? Do you feel the need to feel part of a group? If it really is something that is keeping you awake then no, you cannot call yourself a singlespeeder. Sorry, you are not in “the gang”.

Finally a definitive answer!

ooOOoo – i’ll let you into the secret; no-one actually RIDES a single-speed bike. it’s a myth.

once a year 250 people pull an old orange clockwork/on-one inbred out of the shed, chuck it in the back of a car, and drive off to the SSUK venue.
Here they will drink a bit too much beer, and cock about on their bike for about an hour or so. One of them is later announced as a ‘winner’ – and given a t-shirt.
Then the real prizes get given out to those people who had the most fun/provided the most entertainment/broke something.

When they all get home, they will get back on their geared bikes, and give their knees a rest for 363 days.

honestly, that’s all there is to it…

(and you WILL need a beard)

you only ride one gear on a geared bike…?
you’re in denial, come out of the closet and bin the extra weight.

I’ve got 2 singlespeeds but I’m not sure I’d call myself a singlespeeder.
(P.S. no beard, no niche)

Do you own one of theses stickers?

If, when pedalling along, you think to yourself, no, I really don’t want to go any faster thank you, this speed is perfectly adequate, and to exceed it may well provoke some unpleasantness, then go SS.

If, on the other hand, you encounter different situations including changes in gradient that would allow, given the correct equipment, some mechanical change in the gear ratio of your bicycle and therefore an increase in speed, or efficiency, then perhaps you should re-assess your desire.

I was under the impression that no amount of effort, hardwork, or skill could make you a singlespeeder.

You have to be born a singlespeeder.

Crikey, Crikey, crikey that is a conundrum wrapped in an enigma. I do encounter b), but I seem to assume the attitude of a). I’m a hybrid. Maybe I should buy one.
If I’m carrying the extra weight but not using it that’s more hardcore than just SS isn’t it?
I don’t own one of those stickers stu but they do look jolly good fun!

I will check my birth certificate tonight RealMan

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. (strokes chin…)

I think your current approach; one of enquiry as to the correct nomenclature that should be applied to your current situation, is perhaps indicative of a deeper problem, and one which would benefit from the following test;

Put t’bike in a bigger gear and try to go faster, y’blouse.

They rarely come first, I’ll give you that…

Am I a trend setter?

Got my first Marin 10 years ago, followed by a beard. Got another 5 years ago, replaced under warrenty 3 years ago. Sold it at end of last year and bought carbon Yeti. Have been comutting on SS for a year and a half (still have beard and first Marin)

Marin riders didn’t have beards until I got one.

It was only on reading the above posts that I discovered one now needs a beard to be a singlespeeder. Why is everyone copying me?

Also, SS has only one gear (obviously) and hyraulic rim-brakes. Replacing tyre a fortnight ago was it’s first maintnance this year, not even cleaned it! Perfect ride-and-forget bike, not riding it because it is now fashionable, also beard is lazyness rather than fashion.

andrewh I think you will find Jon whyte ( marin designer ) had a beard

how did you get your beard replaced under warrenty I know ATB are good for warrenty claims

Thing is you can’t be a single speeder with a rear mech and cassette. Even if you never use it. When a singlespeeder passes someone on a steep climb while grimacing and stomping on the pedals, or is passed on a descent while grimacing and pedalling like a maniac to stop spinning out, people look at the lack of gears and are filled with wonder, amazement and a slight inferiority complex.

When they see you doing the same with your rusty, never been used cassette and mech etc they just think you look like a cock who can’t use their gears.

HTH

I think that’s a risk I’m going to have to take. Much as I don’t use my gears, I like the warm feeling of knowing that they are there should I need them. Mmmmmmmm… I’m feeling it now.
I thought maybe about a compromise of grinding off 8 gears from the cassette but keeping the rear mech & 3 rings. But I doubt even that would satisfy the evangelical luddites that SSers seem to be.

3×1 could be a whole new niche. Although beards are obviously already spoken for so maybe moustaches could be your thing?

Yeah good idea, I’ve been looking for an excuse to have a tash for years.

Even with 3×1 though I’m worried what joe public will think. If he stops and says “nice bike mate….how many gears has it got?” and I say “three” or even “one”, he’s gonna be really underwhelmed. It’ll be “That’s shi!t my mum’s bike’s got more than that! SMACK” etc. etc. Then he’ll notice the tash and call me a nonce. Nah, I’m gonna stick with what I know.

Ditch the gears, you clearly want to be a single speeder. My commuter is a late 90s Kona Explosif (covered in electrical tape so scallies think it’s a heap of cr@p) converted to SS with one of them on-one things (doofer?). It even has cantis instead of proper brakes. When I’m on it I constantly find myself looking down on people with gears thinking “you’re just making life difficult for yourself, you poor thing”. To make sure I can still go fast I’m using a 3:1 ratio (48:16).

Oh yeah, I don’t have a beard but that’s mainly due to my inability to grow a proper one.

Do it…you know you want to,

I am planning to try being some sort of ‘chelsea’/beginner singlespeeder.
-currently no beard (though i could produce photographs of both big beard and jesus-like hair)
-will be singlespeeding a shamelessly aluminium xc race frame.
-with a mech hanger/tensioner, and cog/spacer on 9 speed freehub.
-and a suspension fork.
-and though i posess a hipflask of rum, i am the worst even-slightly-tipsy rider ever.
-oh and its a bit hilly round here. I anticipate either getting calves of steel, ruined knees or pushing a lot.

go on, should i bother?

Forgetting all the silly bollocks for a minute…

I built up a simple SS for zipping around town (London). Just used a resurrected old frame, and Bits Box bits. Pair of Nimbus tyres, for good puncture resistance.

It’s light, fast, and very maintenance free. I oil the chain occasionally, and check the brakes from time to time. It’s got quite tatty, so does not in any way attract thieves. It does the job for what it’s intended, perfectly. I prefer it to a geared bike for the same purpose.

However, my enjoyment of being freed from the demands of geared riding led me to trying SS off-road. Another bike was built. Again, the simplicity of it all was great. And not having to clean your entire gear system after muddy rides is a huge bonus. It is a bit more tiring on longer rides, mind.

As for the SS ‘look’, well, that’s already been done…

When I’m on it I constantly find myself looking down on people with gears thinking “you’re just making life difficult for yourself, you poor thing”.

What? That makes no sense.

No, but if you have a Bongo then you’re halfway there…

Last night I had gears but the cable outer for the front mech collapsed so I only had half of them.

Today I am commuting on a bike that not only has no gears, it has no free-wheel. It is steel.

I have no beard.

What am I?

Im a girl with a singlespeed so definatley no beard, I roll my jeans up when I commute what does that make me???

cant work out if owning my bongo is a good or bad thing i suppose it depends if I have my single speed whyte preston , road bike or my fixie inside
I seem to have a split personality or fashion victim

but I have been riding ss since 1998 and full sus single speed since 1999 i must be out of fashion by now,,