single speed why?

that rockclimb earlier in the thread looks like flying buttress direct (stanage) to me 🙂

For me my SS inbred brought back the joy of simply riding my bike. Never looked back although i may be getting two geared bikes setup soon (road + FS) although the road bike is free and the FS bike should be ultra cheap.

Wow, I didn't realize so many people struggled with gears

Can't believe no-one's done this one yet:

It's funny because it's true.

Some people like the simplicity the quietness of riding one, trying to make their local trails a bit more challenging/interesting and not being bothered about wether it gets cleaned or chucked back in to storage all dirty and know it still be okay for its next ride.

Others just like it so they can shout about it.

Wow, I didn't realize so many people struggled with gears

You've never done a very muddy MM have you?

I think hte only answer to the OP question is: why not?

Not to sound snobby but…allow me to quote some mountaineer…"If you have the ask the question, you won't have a hope of understanding the answer."

Personally I ignored single speed for years, until flipping through a Kona Catalogue I saw the Kona Unit…20 minutes of staring at it later I suddenly announced "I want one." So eventually I got one…and haven't looked back. I just enjoy riding it. Simple as that.

Daddy tell me all about girls

Surely fixed gear riders are the most popular with the ladies?

You've never done a very muddy MM have you?

Yes and guess what they still worked fine.

Yes, gears are actually pretty good these days.

Easy, having spent years riding full sus, six inches of travel front and back, massive disc brakes and being gnarly to the power of rad all over Wales/France/Switzerland/England I'm a bit more sedate. I still enjoy riding in those places but the people I used to ride with are now much more extreme than I want to be. The places that I ride are a bit dull on a massive;y advanced bike and having loads of gears makes it a bit easy. Gears off and back on a hardtail, suddenly my local woods are fun to ride again, and I can pootle along at my own pace without feeling like I'm constantly in a race.

Interestingly I got a new P7 yesterday, and despite planning to take the gears off, I though I'd give it a ride with the gears on, see what I was missing out on. The ride to the trail was very easy, I could ride up that killer climb that gets me every time whilst sitting down and every time I approached a jump/drop/rooty bit I was in the wrong gear.

There is a place for gears I'm sure, just not on my bike.

Yep, the quietness/solidity/unflappability of a singlespeed has made riding a lot of trails far more fun, I doubt its a co-incidence I'm now flying through rooty singletrack a lot faster, and having a lot mor fun doing it.

Plus I've gone through a long spell of bikes breaking/malfunctioning, so ss is just one less thing. If I could go back to Vs right now I would…

(this is not an admission of mechanical incompetence, this is an admission of not having the time/space/inclination to be constantly fixing bikes)

Right, it,s just this simple for me….I ride only single speed because I dont go to Scotland or welsh big trails all that much so round the local woods, on the street and even places like Cannock it's really not an inconvenience and as I seem to do more street and dirt tracks these days it works really well for me. I,m quite happy coasting down hill and only find I get left for dead on really long sections which is why i prefer techy twist down hill (where no one really pedals much). Riding back up a decent hill can be a struggle and yes I occasionally have to get off but only very occasionally.

Singlespeed makes perfect sense on my commuter, as I have no real hills to climb and the drivetrain lasts through all the worst weather with little more than a bit of oil and a rub down with a rag now and then. Far cheaper to replace the drivetrain too, as above. On my mtb, SS suits the trails I ride mostly, and I can just ride along at a decent pace which suits me. Never had trouble keeping up with people with gears at all.

Yes – im too stupid to use gears. huurr duuurrrr

Also ive ridden south wales trail centres on a 32:18 inbred. Worked out fine. MTFU is the phrase.

I would like someone to explain how singlespeeding gets you strong and or fiter please?
The reason being I don't believe that to be true at all. The reason being someone mentioned trying to go up a hill in 32:16. What if someone with 27 gears decides **** it lets try that in any one my many lower gears. Do they not get stronger or fitter just as quick or infact quicker?

32:18 – oh the girl or small childs ratio…. 8)

Dirtynap – Member
I would like someone to explain how singlespeeding gets you strong and or fiter please?
The reason being I don't believe that to be true at all. The reason being someone mentioned trying to go up a hill in 32:16. What if someone with 27 gears decides **** it lets try that in any one my many lower gears. Do they not get stronger or fitter just as quick or infact quicker?

Point is, 97.2% of stw fatties don't.

cynic-al

Thats not actually a point now is it. The fact is any geared rider can if they wish choose during a ride to pick whatever gear they wish and therefore, if they so choose run a much lower gear than a singlespeed rider. So they get stronger and fitter quicker if the wish too. I do believe the get fitter stronger agruement or point can therefore be disgarded becuase it simply is not true.

You don't believe something therefore it is not true?

Don't bother responding, I don't care.

i supose anyone could ride ss if they could be arsed but whats the point! id rather enjoy the ride ' i think its more a " look at me with only single speed" " ive got something to prove bullshit thing" but thats my opinion!

Yes anyone who rides different bikes from you is just an attention seeker. EVERYONE knows you are the yardstick by which all riders and bikes should be judged.

I would like someone to explain how singlespeeding gets you strong and or fiter please?

A bike with no gears is harder in general terms than a bike with gears or why would we have and use gears on bikes?. Harder = more effort = fitter. Yes you could train as hard on a geared bike but not by using a lower gear as ou would just be spinning and not producing enough watts.

So they get stronger and fitter quicker if the wish too. I do believe the get fitter stronger agruement or point can therefore be disgarded becuase it simply is not true.

If you're looking at things from a purely physiological perspective, maybe. But in my experience the psychological component is just as important. You (at least I) get fitter on a SS because I have to ride up in that gear. If I have other gears available I'll use them..

if they so choose run a much lower gear than a singlespeed rider. So they get stronger and fitter quicker if the wish too

So riding an easier gear is the way to strenght and fitness then …excellent news for granny ring spinners everywhere they will be ripping the legs off middle ring riders this time next year thennusing yur excellent lower power training schedule to highr strength. You are describing base training here really not strenght/fitness per se.

if you had turned up to ssuk at the weekend no further reasons would be required, what a great event,, just a shame i could only take one bike and Preston had to be locked in the garage

Gear works nowdays. Yes, but not when clogged with mud. During my last MM (2007) I have seen plenty of "geared" bike pushing uphill (inspite of a very very low 22/34), or running with the bike on the shoulders the broken mech hanging off the chain. I have not seen a SS bike in such position…

emac65 – Member

32:18 – oh the girl or small childs ratio

i prefer to call it 'yorkshire gearing' thankyou.

consider 'lodge lane' in sheffield, i can just about get up it in 32:18, but i find it fairly painful, and jolly hard work, and i have to keep the gear turning over, so i go up it very quickly. Consequently my arms and legs and heart get a strenuous workout.

i'm far too lazy to inflict that much pain on myself on a geared bike, i just drop it into granny gear and twiddle my way up. s'easy.

SS'ing is a good way to get fit for lazy people like me.

So the Yorkshire hills are too mich for it's inhabitants?

Junkyard – Member
…A bike with no gears is harder in general terms than a bike with gears or why would we have and use gears on bikes?…

Sucked in by techno-bling marketing?

Or maybe old or frail.

I ride a singlespeed cos I've started riding around Delamere, and it's flat..

So felt massively overbiked when on my Heckler..

Having said that, the amount of Woolybacks(?) I saw today riding 6" full sussers and wearing body armour, I did wonder if I'd made the right choice…

The singlespeed riders I sometimes ride with are much fitter than the geared bike riders.

why have a girlfriend when a tug results in the same affect?
Like using a love toy, when technology is there at your disposal and doesn't make it hard for you to enjoy fully..

Hmmm! perhaps it's because we want to ride without gears as much as you may want to cuddle up to mrs inflatable for your nights of passion..

Mrs inflatable isn't appreciative and has a permanently shocked look on her face. Puts you off your stride don't it. 😉

Surely you can't call yourself a proper mtbiker unless you;ve got a SS in the shed?

Great fun bike, just serviced and cleaned mine up for winter mud plugging duties. Rode it for week day night rides last winter when previously I would have only gone out at the weekend when it was sunny, so encouraged more riding.

Also found I got much better at climbing due to not having the luxury of a granny ring to bail me out.

All in all it definitely has made me a better and fitter rider.

I wouldn't have one as my only bike though, too limited.

I haven't grown a silly beard yet though.

I ride a singlespeed only and purely to annoy people.

Ss shep-lol!
Little known fact and one ss'ers like to keep quiet "single speeding is easier than riding with gears".yeah some of the time it's a bit harder but the rest of the time I'm cruzing along (north Wales,peaks,mid Wales) on 32/18 (29er).My Heart rate moniter usually only shows me over zone about 25% of the time. Wasn't too much of a handicap at the dyfi.

sshhh!

(some of the steeper hills are bloody hard work, but if it gets too much, you just walk. and flat bits are easy too – once you've span out you just coast slowly along, and as for downhills…)

ahwiles – Member
….but if it gets too much, you just walk…

And you'll be going the same speed as riding on really steep bits.

It's not a race though.

This concept is too much for many…

Having just got back from my first (and defineatley not last SSUK) all I will say to answer the OP's question is 'If I had to explain you wouldn't understand'

and for those of you who were there I'm one of the guys who won the prize for drinking beer whilst signing on/registration in the morning, new Surly Jethro Tule, why thank you..

Here here, my first SSUK too, I also won a prize, mine is made of something a little bit special