Singlespeed Hardcore Hardtails?

Plan is to get fit riding SS, but still have a blast going downhill.

Needs to be 26″ as planning to use existing forks and wheels, So whats missing from my shortlist…?

– NS Surge (probably a bit too heavy)
– Identiti AKA
– SantaCruz Chameleon
– On-One Carbon 456

Transition Trans Am……or any other frame and put a tensioner on there. My Yelli Screamy works fine as a single speed with a dmr tensioner on it. And since you sound like you haven’t singlespeeded before i’d suggest getting something you can convert back to geared in case you don’t like it.

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IMAG0039[/url] by burchy80[/url], on Flickr

Dialled Alpine? mine has changed a bit now with a dropper post added and wider bars. Rides lovely though.

Cheers Gotama. Used to SS a lot a few years ago when I was 2 stone lighter… need to get back in shape 😉 Trans Am looks great, just found the FireEye Flame too, but both are up there at 6lbs-ish. I think it might have to be Alu or Carbon to be much lighter than that.

Anyone ridden a Chumba HX1?

COVE Foreplay?

enjoyed my c456 SS;

NS Surge (probably a bit too heavy)

I found mine OK when running it SS, but it would’ve been a bit porky for me if I’d added gears.

I’ve had 2 HX1s, one of each version. Great frames, surprisingly comfy and loads of stand over. If Si is still selling them they’re definitely worth a look.

The one in this link[/url] was mine, size large.

Sanderson Blitz,

^^^the 456 looks so much better with Pace forks on it, very Black Ops stealth.

What forks are you going to be running?

Identiti AKA?

Ramones in Ali or CroMo

What’s the budget? Titanium an option?

Another vote for the Alpine.
Great fun 😀

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^^^^^the Blitz has a claimed weight of 4.6lbs….can any verify this? Seem light for an aggressive steel framed ride.

Evil Sovereign. Properly SS compatible, and conveniently also the best HCHT ever made.

Having said that, I had my Sovereign Singlespeed for a while before I could afford gears and whilst it was still pretty good, it (and any decent rad HT) is a bike that only really rewards getting properly stuck in, leaning on some wide handlebars and mashing the gears.
With a 32:16 ratio, you just spin out really quickly and can’t ride the thing by the scruff of its neck, which defeats the point somewhat.
I like the idea of a super simple, bombproof SS hardtail, but in practice you may well find that it’s just screaming out for a 1×10 setup to get the most out of it.

Obligatory pic of non-SS Sov…

Burchy1 – what ratio have you got there? Looks like you’ve not got a tensioner on there?

EDIT – scratch that, I’ve just noticed the chain guide

I want to singlespeed my Mmmbop at some point.

I think it will be interesting… although not pretty as a tensioner will be required 😥

Thanks for the recommendations, but the Alpine cupboard is bare at the moment. Sorry.

Got Love/Hates (with Phil Wood EBB) and Prince Albert Classic frames in stock though.

Mango – 32:16 but with sneaky use of a blackspire stinger as a tensioner. 😆

My old Dialled Alpine, unfortunately way too small for me and has moved to pastures new.

Cheers Burchy1

I’d have no hesitation in recommening a Love/Hate as an option if you want an out and out SS, they’re not as hardcore by reputation as the Alpine but they are plenty tough and awesome fun to ride!

wwaswas- what are the forks in your second picture?

No pics but I turned my Specialized P1 into a SS by just adding a longer post

Bit of an off the wall suggestion but Brooklyn Park Bike, although you’ll need a 24″ rear wheel. Absolutely loved mine!

Production Privee Shan with singlespeed hangers conversion kit?

Are pipedream doing ones these days?

2013 Santa Cruz Chameleon for the singlespeed swinging dropouts alone. 🙂

The Love/Hate is a smashing frame. I have a Hummingbird (Similar sort of thing from Singular, sadly now discontinued), and I have to say a nice stiff 120mm fork on the front makes it very capable – while keeping it sensibly light too.

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Untitled[/url] by bent udder[/url], on Flickr

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Hummingbird[/url] by bent udder[/url], on Flickr

whilst I’m sure its been covered many times before already, how easy is it to convert to SS. I’m currently riding a Blue Pig, built up with parts that means its got a 3/10 setup.

Do i need to replace the rear hub to accomodate the sprocket, or is there an adapter. And can I just use the existing triple chainset (obviously removing 2 of the rings!).

I’m assuming a chain tensioner is required as it has no sliding dropouts? Keen to give it a go but only if I can do it for buttons rather than spend hundreds and work out its not for me.

You won’t do it for buttons but £30 should see you right. A rear kit will consist of spacers & a tensioner. You can get cheaper ones but as to whether they last as long or are as good I’m sure someone will be along soon to tell you.

I take it you have a cassette rear hub?

I think DMR do a complete kit. Gusset do a ” double six ” single speed converter and a seperate tensioner. Fire eye do a nice tensioner.

Chumba HX1, seemed the best combination of short stays, low BB and slack angles in a light frame for little money when I bought mine.

Agree with Tinas, very comfy but great handling bike with a 140mm fork on it. Very nicely finished as well…

While frames like the Sov are not light, they are very laterally stiff and encourage you to attack the pedals, until your lungs come up. I run it 1×9 as I’m too feeble for SS.

I can’t say enough good things about my Sov now. At first it terrified me, but as you ride it more you get find your balance, get used to it’s fast responsiveness, and start looking for trouble. It particularly likes rear wheel drifting and the back wheel is rarely tracking the front. I run a lower traction rear tyre to encourage this. It seems better on faster, wider trails with lots of kicks where following an exact line is less important than hopping and drifting everything.

Chumba HX1 (has an EBB) – I used to use an Alfine on it.

duffmiver – Pace RC41’s 130mm travel.

Ive said it before and Ill say it again. To be able to attack the downs you will need a long gear so you don’t spin out. Unfortunately such a long gear makes climbing very hard so unless you have Chris Hoy legs your going to want to get off and push on all the climbs and this defeats the object.

To be able to attack the downs you will need a long gear so you don’t spin out

there’s very few downhills bar fireroads where I spin out on a singlespeed – I tend to just stay off the brakes and pump.

Flat sections are where SS gearing can be a problem – fortunately (!) there’s not muc like that near me.

Ive said it before and Ill say it again. To be able to attack the downs you will need a long gear so you don’t spin out. Unfortunately such a long gear makes climbing very hard so unless you have Chris Hoy legs your going to want to get off and push on all the climbs and this defeats the object.

You, Sir, don’t get it.

There IS no object; that’s the whole point. What exactly is the object of riding any bike around in circles in the countryside?

OP – why consider the Carbon 456 and not the normal steel on? I’m running mine 16:32 on a magic ratio. No pictures, i’m afraid, but it’s fantastic. Although to be fair, a slot-dropout Inbred will perform the same task. £200 well spent, in my book!

Depends on where you ride I_Ache. I don’t have chris hoy legs and only pedal out on one trail round me with a single. Based on how close i can stay to riding mates i’m no slower from being on a singlespeed compared to geared. Now you can naturally make assumptions on my skillz and you may well be a lot faster but for me it makes no difference whatsoever on the trails i ride 99% of the time.

There IS no object

This is the objective of the OP.

Plan is to get fit riding SS, but still have a blast going downhill.

I spin out quite a lot on a 32/11 on my FS and HT around Cannock. And I’m not talking about the fireroads. Admittedly I am terrible at climbing but when I tried SS with 32/16 the climbs killed me and I felt like I was going nowhere on the DHs. I did not enjoy it at all.

Maybe I am looking at it the wrong way but you would have to be incredibly stubborn to ride gearing that works on a fast DH while your fitness and muscle develops enough for the climbs not to kill you.

I’m riding a Blue Pig x with Talas 36 forks and SS 36/16. Absolutely love it and the lack of weight on the rear hub really helps the spring in the tail. I hate spinning out so suffer the repeated exhaustion of sprinting up the climbs. I do a fair bit of racing so treat these as hard intervals and eat lots of carbs during a ride!

Totally simple to do using a cheap pressed steel Shimano chainring with short bolts and one of those DMR kits.
So about £40 all in for an amazing bike made better, less maintenance and a brutal race training machine.

Dialled love/hate. Ace. Seen here sporting her favourite mud coat. Fantastic climbing machine (assuming geared for the uphill bits) and great on the downhill (let go of brakes and steer).