Who still rides singlespeed?

Yes, sscx (On-One Pompino) is my only bike. I’d probably only swap it for a Ti version.

I wish I hadn’t read this thread. Having decided to buy a Canyon CX, I now find myself gazing at a Genesis Day One Decade. 😕

I do, in fact later last year a friend asked me “are you still riding that singlespeed”.

It’s a way of life (or a easy life) I cant remember which. 8)

It’s a way of life (or a easy life) I cant remember which.

unique looking riders, odd language and terms of reference that normal riders do not understand, a strange addiction to self flagellation

its a “singlespeeding cult”, at least I thinks that’s what some mincers on gnarpoons called me as they were sweatily biffling up a climb as I scampered past with a cheery wave

Genesis day one decade owner here, buy it kryton57, great bike…

My issue is I’m thinking of converting my hard tail back to singlespeed thanks to this thread..

Is anyone able to comment in the difference between the Decades “Mjölnir chromoly AKA ‘Thor’s Hammer’ and pronounced ‘Myol-n(ee)r‘ (rolls off the tongue, eh?). Our double-butted, cold-drawn, seamless, Taiwanese chromoly tubeset also goes by the aliases of 4130, Cr-Mo and Chromo. It’s a like-for-like replacement for other, identical branded chromoly tubing and ultimately means a saving can be passed onto you via either a healthy price drop or a little more room for up-speccing elsewhere without sacrificing performanc”

and an older day one discs’ Reynolds 520?

Edit, scratch that:

The raw material used for Reynolds 520 is essentially 4130, so the difference between 520 and 4130 is that 520 refers to the finished tube sets from Reynolds, while 4130 is simply a steel alloy that other manufacturers use to make their own tube sets competing with Reynolds 520.

Now I’ve a choice between a Day one disc at £520 or the Decade at £699!

Pretty much, 520 is just a product (a tubeset), you could go to a go to a tubing manufacturer and ask for an identical set of tubes and call them “custom butted 4130”, or kung-fu, or DN6, or Dave, the choice would be yours, Reynolds just charge a bit more for the benefit of their experience in determining those specific tube profiles and butt lengths. 525 is the same, but made in house by Reynolds rather than in Taiwan.

Or in between, an Arkrose for £600 with Hydro’s. 🙂

phutphutend

I can’t wait to get the time to build a new singlespeed trail bike, but with contemporary geometry and wheel size

very much looking forward to seeing your singlespeed as well. The stuff you’ve done so far is stunning.

I started mountain biking with a rigid single speed using a converted, unnamed frame. Then moved up to an On One Inbred rigid SS 26″, Genesis iO 26″ and now to a Mk1 Singular Swift rigid SS which is the best of the lot.

I can’t see me ever getting rid of that unless it breaks and I upgrade to a new one.

There’s a large proportion (statistic not validated) of people who have posted here have a singlespeed which is deliberately set-up with old tech; 26″, 1 1/8″ etc.

Personally I want my singlespeed as capable as my geared bike. Good fork, lightweight wheels, good tyres…..just no gears.

I use 26″ wheels and 1 1/8 because the are just as good to me as a wheel 1/2 inch bigger and a head tube a fraction of an inch bigger. However, all my components are good (light weight and reliable which is actually what matters) and makes a very capable bike. If I had a geared bike it would be exactly the same but have gears…

Kryton57, the decade has a nicer colour scheme, the matt black front end and the white gloss looks stunning… Think the tyres are a bit bigger too

Mine has 26″ wheels. Inch and an eighth headset, threaded bb, it’s stuff that just works. And there’s the beauty of ss.

aa – Member
Mine has 26″ wheels. Inch and an eighth headset, threaded bb, it’s stuff that just works. And there’s the beauty of ss.

Mines exactly the same. It was built when those things were the best you could buy. And in many respects they still are. I don’t need a tapered fork because it’s 2% stiffer, a press fit BB is just utter junk, my 90mm stem works with the frame geometry, a 35mm stem wouldn’t. Wide bars, short stems, long, low, slack is not better, just different.

phutphutend – Member
There’s a large proportion (statistic not validated) of people who have posted here have a singlespeed which is deliberately set-up with old tech; 26″, 1 1/8″ etc.

Well, mine’s a 69er, so old tech I suppose, but I’ve not ridden anything that I’ve felt is an improvement. It’s just built with stuff that I particularly wanted, so that’ll be Hope brakes and hubs, Middleburn cranks, SKF BB, Chris King and HBC drive train, Renthal bars and stem, Sun Ringle rims and Chunky Monkey tyres.

Nothing cutting edge, for sure, but just stuff that works and keeps on working. And I know I’ve banged on about it before but it (Hummingbird) is one superb handling bike.

PrinceJohn – Member
Kryton57, the decade has a nicer colour scheme, the matt black front end and the white gloss looks stunning… Think the tyres are a bit bigger too

I agree, looks like the winner so far, just need to make sure my work bonus isn’t a cock up and actually ends up in my account at the end of the month before I pull the trigger.

I really miss my Kinesis Decade Versa SS, I wish I’d have kept it. Hopefully this might take me on new (CX) ventures!

My SS bike has just been 650B+’d, but I am sure it will go 1×1 again.

Just built up a SS road ENO wheel to replace my difficult to justify SS road bike.

Really don’t ever think I’ll be going back to gears anytime soon. Been soley SS for 6 years now.

Caad10 SS 46/18 for summer commute

Pompino 44/18 for winter commute/general duties

Swift 32/18 or 20 for MTB

Planning a SS steel/ti disc gravel type thing to maybe rule them all.

Karate Monkey Flickr
Karate Monkey Ops, my most favourite bike ever!

Yes, it’s ace. 26″ steel love hate, fixed carbon forks and chunky tyres. Hope bearingy bits and rnr blue to avoid winter maintenance. Now stop talking about it and get out there.
Flickr love hate mud[/url]

I’m back in the gang.
First ride this morning, it was bloody lovely!
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image[/url]

New wheels and a conversion back to rigid. Dead on 9kg.

AdamML – Member
Yes, sscx (On-One Pompino) is my only bike. I’d probably only swap it for a Ti version.

Ti Pompino is very nice. Shame they only made one.

Finally popped Juan’s cherry properly with 60k at a cold but sunny CyB today

Ti Pompino is very nice. Shame they only made one.

That is a lovely looking bike.

Yes I have 3 mountain bikes all rigid single speeds. A cool old school 853 steel, 26″ wheel, carbon rigid fork, middleburn crank, square taper bb, bike. Also 2 black sheep single speeds – a 29er and a fat bike. Love them all!

How many of you have a suspension fork on your SS’s?

Yes- 150mm, 20mm axle, 35mm-stanchioned goodness 😀

Fat, fully rigid and singlespeed. Niche box checked 😉

More singlespeed fat biking by Gavin Belton[/url], on Flickr

thegreatape – Member
How many of you have a suspension fork on your SS’s?

That gets stored in the same box as the derailleurs… 🙂

Me
I think it depends on where you live/mainly ride though

Swoopy woods and grassy climbs it’s fine
rocks and mountains less fine

There are hardcore exceptions to this rule and fat gives a few ” of “travel”

29er Inbred – SS Rigid, Never liked how this rode with gears or a bouncy forks & prefer this set up

Inbred 26″ – SS & Reba’s (it just rides better with a bouncy fork)

Scandal 29er – Has many guises – SS – rigid – 1×10 – 100mm or 130mm fork – rides great in all of them. At the moment it’ s1x10 with a carbon rigid fork..

Kona Paddy Wagon – Bought last year off fleabay for a steal with the intention of doing some nice long road rides….After a few altercations with motorists I’ve decided road riding is not for me anymore & it sits in the turbo for winter usage…. may try & get out on it again in the summer..

As I started the thread I suppose I should add a picture of my one geared bicycle.

Well, thanks to this thread 3/4 of my bikes are singlespeed…

How many were SS before?

A question for those SSers who have disc brakes – do you use any form of chain tensioner to compensate for chain stretch?

track dropout and a bolt up axle here, haven’t adjusted the rear brake in 2 years

my fave singlespeed.

whitestone – Member 
A question for those SSers who have disc brakes – do you use any form of chain tensioner to compensate for chain stretch?

Eccentric BB on my Sanderson. If the wheel needs to come out then it just goes straight back into the dropout, no fiddling with track ends or tugs.

Same here. EBB shell and insert on the singulars, philcentric on the normal English BB shell on the other.