singlespeeds

[Johan]

i'm converting an old mountin bike into a singlespeed (since i love my road one so much). will riding it aid me in skills for cyclocross??? that is my intention.

[leapfrog]

i have yet to acquire my single speed mountain bike, but i'm told that it will help your cyclo cross skills a bit. i mean, you will have better bike handling skills (especially if you go fixed), and it will defenitely build muscle. ask matt chester about single speeds. he'll school ya.

[Mauriceman]

Single speeding will give you all kinds of strength, speed and skill.

[Lockwood]

Yeah, it will give you some sort of an edge in a race, but I wouldn't say that is the only or main reason to get or ride a singlespeed. It is so much more than that. Tough to explain, but just more....

[Mauriceman]

Keep in mind, they only go one speed, and it's a pretty good clip.

[cyclodan]

Singlespeeds only go one speed, and since 'cross races are so short, they only go one speed too. ALL OUT!

[phatlizard]

It will improve your sex-life, your beer-drinking-skills (is there something like that?) you also will win the lottery and you will get a much better job!!
There will be no more hunger in the world, no more wars or global warming, the French will finally learn to be nice and maybe one day Singlespeeding will help us getting rid of Dubbleya - the guy in the big white house ...

At least I still have dreams!

Christian
Germany

[lungbutter]

This stuff'll make you a sexual TYRRANOSAURUS, to loosely quote
'The Body'. This year I was seriously out of shape after not riding the trainer during the winter and having to work 12 hour days for 5 months (January-May). I busted out the SS and within about one month of steady riding I was back in shape for the most part. The 'FEEL' of riding is indescribable when you are a singlespeed...you won't know it until you ride one on the trails.

[jimilton80401]

Everyone likes SSs even those who would never ride one in a million years. They're great on certain types of rides. To steep and gnarly, and you'll be off the bike pushing or carrying. They teach you to carefully pick every line and every pedal stroke. No wasted moves or screwing around. In some cases, the light weight and inevitable momentum that comes with pushing a 34/18 through stuff will get you over stuff that you never imagined.
One or two rides on your SS, then back on your regular geared bike will tell you all you need to know.
I also heard that Cannondale is going to start marketing their own SSs.

[jimilton80401]

Aaron: Tell yer friend to come on out here and I'll put his notions to rest. Perhaps HE doesn't think SS's fly in the Rockies, but there are large groups of local riders on the front range that will prove him wrong.
I would not want to singlespeed on, say Kenosha Pass, White Ranch or Mt Falcon (I can almost see doing it there, though), but Buffalo Creek, Hall Ranch (Lyons), and Green Mountain all seem to work just fine with the SS. I've seen SSs at Fruita and I also did Porcupine Rim in Moab with the SS on my 40th B-Day. Yes, Apex and Dakota Ridge/Matthews-Winters wouldn't be the ideal SS rides, but theres lots more to choose from.
Hey, I'll save you 40,000.00 on a graduate degree:
Never say Never and Always avoid Always.
No Charge-Happy Trails!

[MTBMike]

I'm still not getting the SS thing.When I ask people who ride them why?I never really get what they're trying to tell me.I'm a tech freek,I love every new gadget that comes out.I love the multiple speeds (I need them all).I'm in no way fast enough to ride SS just yet and may never be.So I guess I'll just stay here confused.:( :confused:

[hairygrump]

Originally posted by MTBMike
I'm still not getting the SS thing.When I ask people who ride them why?I never really get what they're trying to tell me.I'm a tech freek,I love every new gadget that comes out.I love the multiple speeds (I need them all).I'm in no way fast enough to ride SS just yet and may never be.So I guess I'll just stay here confused.:( :confused:

I guess if what you mean when you say the SS thing is why people are so dedicated to them, my response would be just the feeling of accomplishment and connectedness with the riding.

There's times when you're riding that you just can't do something. You can't make that climb, you can't land that jump... whatever. I'm sure that even the biggest gear geek doesn't say to himself "Gosh, if only my seatpost were 6 or 8 grams lighter, I might have been able to crest that ridge," but I do think that riding a singlespeed gives you a sense of connectedness to your ride that discourages that (or any other )kind of fetishization. I know guys that ride beautiful Ti boingers most of the time, but when they break out their SS it's because they just want to go out and rock and roll... just them, two legs and two wheels. I think the minimal equipment means that you spend less mental energy interacting with the bike (shifting, making adjustments to suspension, etc) and more time interacting with just your body or the trail.

I'm not going to say it's any better (I get a kick out of computer equipment the same way some people get tricking out their bikes), but it's definitely not the same.

As far as ever being "fast enough" to ride a singlespeed, that's that sense of accomplishment I was talking about. It's hard at first, just like pushups or talking to girls or doing your taxes, but also like 2 out of those 3 things it only gets easier the more you do it and becomes uniquely enjoyable over time.

How do you know when you're fast enough, anyway? I thought this game was all about doing something until you got tired, then sitting around with friends, drinking beer and talking about how much fun you had.

[jimilton80401]

Hey, read my post a couple of lines back: If it doesn't make sense to you, then don't waste your time, money or energy on a singlespeed. All I can say is that after one or two rides on my singlespeed, I come back to my geared, suspended bike a much more competent rider.
Not to mention the sexual benefits...............

[MTBMike]

How do you know when you're fast enough, anyway? I thought this game was all about doing something until you got tired, then sitting around with friends, drinking beer and talking about how much fun you had.

So very,very true!

[hairygrump]

Originally posted by mville_mtnbiker
WHAT SEXUAL BENEFITS DUDE?!

I mean honestly, I can talk to women, and I don't 'love' my mom anymore, and I sure as hell know I can ride a singlespeed. What have you got that I don't huh?


Clearly the answer to this is "a partner."

See, being a sexual tyrannosaurus like singlespeeders are just means you have enormous teeth and are generally menacing and muscular. You still have that whole vestigal forelimb thing going against you, which makes you a much more fearsome scavenger than it does a predator. You might have a hard time chasing anything down and killing it fair and square, but once you've got it down... LOOK OUT!

Or so some paleontologists have said. I'm just saying that my singlespeed/sexual tyrannosaur experience backs up the slightly more articulated sexual tyrannosaur theory... but that might just be a coincidence.

[leapfrog]

oh sweet baby jesus. i just got my new bianchi c.u.s.s. you know...the horrible aqua blue color, cars-r-coffins logo, red accents. titec, race face, paul, all the goodies. goodbye...i must go ride now.

[stump ss]

do you ever feel like you are looking at a cyclocomputer more than the scenery? do you get frustrated because work etc. is adding too much complication to your life?

do you remember what it was like riding a bike when you were 10 years old? where it didn't matter how fast or how far, you just WENT, and you jumped over shit and went through fences and rode all day and didn't worry about how many gears you had?

that is singlespeeding. if you are a techie, you can get all excited about tubing or you can put some thought into what kind of rubber to put on your wheels or get all into gear inches or whatever - but sometimes you just want to ride. i think the added benefit of ss'ing is that if you have been riding for awhile, it gets harder and harder to find really challenging trails.

again - remember the first time you mountain biked? couldn't get up that steep short hill, but after a few months you could? when you couldn't carry enough momentum through the gully to get to the other lip, but after a few months you could? ss'ing can take you back there, and you will get better and that improves all the rest of your riding.

lance wins the tour by using high cadence. singlespeeding gives you the ability to ride at high cadence, to attack hills using all the power you've got. you don't idly ride a trail when you are on a single speed, you live that trail.

yes, it is almost a religion. yes, singlespeeding is a subculture, yes i think ss bikes are gorgeous. but you can still love your other bikes, they won't be too jealous.

[the Inbred]

SS is fun.

i wish i'd meet a chick like Phil's grand-daughter. and i think if i were to get a tattoo, i'd get the CRC logo.

[leapfrog]

i think the first thing to do if you wanna meet someone like phil woods daughter is probably not refer to her as a chick. im takin a wild guess but im thinking that might help.

[the Inbred]

hmm...of the years i've been using the word "chick," i've never been faced with that comment. i don't mean it in a degrading way. "girl" gives off an "immature, young" connotation, or however it's spelled. "woman"...eh, i don't know. that sounds too mature for me. i guess i could say female, but for some reason that puts an image of Mary Tyler Moore in my head. "chick" fits the late-teens/mid-twenties (i.e. post-high school, not yet out of college age). but hey, this is a SS thread...let's not stray.

question for stump ss -- i've been riding my Inbred for about 8 months now, and rarely ride anything else. however, every now and then i'll hop on the ol' Allez for a road ride. i don't seem to have gained any speed. it's weird 'cause i know i'm faster on the SS than i was, but on a gearie road bike, it's just not happening. my cadence hasn't changed too much either. not enough to really mean anything. you ever notice anything of the sort?

[Mauriceman]

Try pushing a harder gear. That'll make you strong, or bust your knees.

[stump ss]

You know I think it makes a difference more in long-term speed rather than your burst speed. You learn to pick better lines and you learn to conserve momentum, so an epic ride you feel better at the end. Just a guess. But the improvements in cadence and power should definitely come. I think part of it too is that when we get back on our gearies you aren't FORCED to ride the way you do on an SS, you can cruise a little bit more. When it comes time to race, or time to get back before dark, or time to pass some rabbit-rider up ahead, you'll feel it...

[riderx]

Originally posted by Mauriceman
Try pushing a harder gear. That'll make you strong, or bust your knees. Ding! Ding! Ding!

We have a winner!

[una-velocidad]

I'm new and I just had to jump on the ss thread and give my praises to the one geared gods of soul.
I've been riding gearless for nearly a year. I just absolutely love it. Just the other day I tried to ride my geared bike and I hated it. It was noisy and shifting was bothersome. I had to put the geared one to sleep. May he rest in peace.

[KySingleSpeed]

Well, I've been riding road bikes since 1969 or so and mountain bikes since 1984 when I bought a Ross Mt. Whitney (see pic at http://www.mudhen.net/whitney.htm). I've got a 27-speed Marin that rides great. But I've felt the need to try singlespeeding, despite some engineering issues, I've converted a 1996 Trek 850 to a single speed (32x18), and well, let's just say I love my Marin but having one damn gear and only one gear is somehow like love without a raincoat... it's just better for me. I'm more in tune to the ride, somehow. I recommend it.

Sure, I'll pick lines better, I'll pay more attention to momentum, I'll have to really push on some hills where I'd usually just toggle an easier gear with my XT shifters, but what I like most about the single speed is the silence. No chain slap. No derailleur hum and clank, and no (NONE) unintentional shifts. There's nothing but the sound of my tires rolling, and it is sweet.

[wooglin]

Originally posted by KySingleSpeed
...but what I like most about the single speed is the silence. No chain slap. No derailleur hum and clank, and no (NONE) unintentional shifts. There's nothing but the sound of my tires rolling, and it is sweet.

Word!

[chunk]

I bought my SS three years ago. I rode that thing everywhere until I got my Soulcraft last summer.

Personally I don't think riding a SS makes you a faster geared MTB rider. Yes you learn to be smother and yes you learn how to pick better lines. But what's make you slower is that you start pushing bigger gears instead of spinning, which in the end will make you smooth and fast.

Six weeks ago I pulled my SS off the shelve and converted it into a off road fixed gear, and I've sceen an immedidate benifit on both my geared MTB and on my road bike. Who needs to coast anyway?

[thomas f brown]

ive been riding a surly 1x1 outfitted with genuine surly hubs, handlebars and stickers...this particual ride has a bomber down hill seat, kenda kinetic 2.5 tires, and the ever beefy mammoth rims. i have ridden this bike exclusively for 3 years(my mom bought it for me for christmas...aw shucks ma ya shouldnt have...yes she should have) and i have no real desire to return the land of geared bikes (although i do have an instigator frame hanging on my wall). what i know of single speeding is this you either DO or you DO NOT DO...you either climb or you walk...you either spin your ass off going down or you coast. im not badass...more near a fatass but i can hang with those geared up pals o mine anytime(well almost) so go get a ss, free your thumbs and forefingers for braking(or not) free your mind as to which gear and when and for how long and for the sake of purity (and curiousity) ride rigid...its glorious! (unless of course your like me and bend forks frames and cranks at an alarming rate). good luck and singlespeed to you all.