single speed spotlight

[leapfrog]

man, single speeds have their moment in the spotlight right now eh? DR has two single speed give aways, bike magazine does a single speed spotlight from interbike, and the new DR is all about the SS. i for one appreciate it.

scott
leapfrog bike zine

[JerseyDevil]

I agree. If more weekend warriors and even non-cyclists see that a bike can be simple, they'll be more apt to ride. Most people have the image of a lycra-clad person on a $1,500 machine with a heart-rate monitor and funky shoes when "cyclist" comes to mind. Bikes are for everyone and should be used more. When the general populice sees them as a little more simple, and not having to wear cycling-dedicated clothes when riding, they might take a better interest.
Plus, riding a SS helps with skills - learing to keep speed up, building leg strength, picking a good line uphill... that helps if you're a rider who also rides geared bikes.
Ah, hell.... they're just fun!!!

[wooglin-at-home]

There does seem to be movement towards a broader appeal. I'm not entirely sure its a good thing, though. Used to be mtbs in general were on the fringe of biking, but now they've moved into the spotlight and its become harder and harder to just ride for the sake of riding. People need the latest this and the best that, etc., and the fact that you're out there in the woods has gotten lost. I think that's the appeal of SS: a simple tool for a simple task. Once the marketers get ahold of it, and they're moving that way judging by the things Leapfrog mentioned, its a whole new world.

Then again, I'm pretty pessimistic.

[leapfrog]

i dont know..im not trying to make a huge statement and say that our culture needs to embrace simplicity and all that kind of stuff. i honestly don't care what everyone else rides and what everyone else is into. all i was saying was that it's cool seeing a bunch of stuff on single speeds since that's what i ride...therefore it makes good reading material for me.

i do understand your sentiments about marketers grabbing onto an aspect of a subculture (singlespeeds) and using it for their advantage, but hey, it seems to me that excessive profits and marketing are a huge and accepted aspect of bike culture. i have never seen any opposition to profit motives and marketing so i'm not going to waste my time fighting it. im just gonna keep on riding and not worry about the profit margins of larger bike corporations. it all just comes down to the joy you get from riding. its that simple. i mean, the growing trend of marketers using the single speed culture (if that is even true) isn't that important..this isnt some dire political issue that deprives people of freedom and sustenance...it's just riding. some people buy into marketing and spend a shitload of money for unfullfilled promises...sucks for them, but as long as you and i are not "them" then it's nothing for us to really get worked up about. whew...im spewing.

scott
leapfrog bike zine

[JerseyDevil]

I really don't think there will be a "single-speed explosion" of any sort. If you think about it, not many dedicated SSs were built prior to 2000. Surly has always offered many different SSs at a cheap price, but their sales are always steady. A lot of attention is being drawn to SSs, but I think anyone that had or has an interest is already on one. Could someone use it as a marketing device? Maybe, if they have the smarts. But I doubt it. Surly, On One, Bianchi, and other companies have been selling the bikes and the lifestyle for years, and it keeps going at nothing but a steady rate. Maybe if they push the drunken derbies on cheap bikes idea to the college crowd, they might muster something up.
I know I've had my SS for 6 years, and I've only seen ONE SSer on a trail besides me. That's pathetic!
angelo_caduto86, I kind of agree with you about geared bikes being easier. Most people DO NOT want to put any more effort out than they have to, even when excercising! But to understand an SS is different. It's simple in other ways.
I still ride a geared bike. Actually, I ride it most of the time. But there a re days when the SS calls me. There are some trails I wouldn't take my SS on either. The many hills are too steep and littered with rocks and roots. When you wind up walking more than riding, it isn't riding anymore, is it?

[Divscotty]

I too like the results of complexity either in gearing or shocks for smoothing out a trail. But as far as clothes go cycling clothes makes as much difference as gears. On a long ride the whelts from jeans in the crotch could turn a person into a cripple. Just my 2 cents worth.

[JerseyDevil]

Someone tried to make vented lycra shorts. I think they were called Aireators or something. Large Hardware also had them. They don't last too long because once they start to unravel, they don't stop.
By the way, I wear lycra shorts too. Jeans don't cut it. And baggies... I think I'll start another thread!

[leapfrog]

angelo! i will certainly have to disagree! i haven't taken a survey or anything, but after pee wee's big adventure came out, i know EVERYONE in my neighborhood wanted pee wee's bike. can i get a what what?

scott
leapfrog bike zine

[hairygrump]

Originally posted by leapfrog
angelo! i will certainly have to disagree! i haven't taken a survey or anything, but after pee wee's big adventure came out, i know EVERYONE in my neighborhood wanted pee wee's bike. can i get a what what?

I fully coveted that bike when that movie came out. I don't remember when it came out, but I remember thinking that bike was fly as hell. With the tassles and the freakout 14" drop chopper bars and the lion on the stem like "Rowr." Oh yeah. And I didn't even like bikes that much at the time.

Anyway, I think there's peaks and valleys in the SS market. New people buy up new bikes, discover that it's actually harder, decide (for better or worse) that they prefer the gears. 3-4 years later, some new crop of newbs turn up that need to be advertised to. I feel like there was a bit of a bubble in 1999 when I first got to wondering about singlespeeding and mountain biking (I've only been on a bike for a few years).

[una-velocidad]

I kind of think the SS explosion already occured. I don't know, maybe not. To many people, it's just another bandwagon to ride along with. I think the new SS trend will include more al. frames w/eccentric BB's, and disc brakes. This, I believe, is where manufactures are going to turn their attention. This at first bothered me, but not really anymore. Who cares. As long as I'm riding and I'm having fun. But...Like what Jersey Devil said, he never see's anybody else riding SS on the trail. In the past two years I haven't see one person riding a SS on area trails that I ride. I've seen a couple of them cruising down the road, but not the trail. Even one of the bike shop owners owns a line of custom SS with al. frame and all of the trendy add ons. He claims he sells tons of his bikes. Where are they all? I'm not sure what my point is. I love riding SS and I will never ride a geared mt. bike again. (I do ride a geared road bike, but that's different). All that matters is that I have a steel SS to ride and a steel road bike to ride. I'm happy.

[wooglin-at-home]

Good thread.

The availability of decent steel rides is one of the things that worries me, if SSing goes mainstream within the larger mtb community. What I envision is the big three--Specialized/Trek/Cannondale--getting heavily involved and ramping up mass production (C'dale's already testing the water). Their bread and butter is not a steel frame that will last for 10 years, but an Al frame that needs replacement after 2 or 3. Problem is, they've got no problem out-competing the small builders (except in the high end market) since they can employ an economy of scale, so many of those will be driven out of business. And if they're not, their prices will be driven up. Either way, finding a good steel ride that has soul and won't break the bank will get more difficult. Thank god for Jamis.