Single speed appreciation, lets see them singlespeeds!

d_c_h_w

Just arrived today, already nearly fallen off twice, maybe I shouldn't have bought that fixed sprocket.



btw this is the bargain £275 2008 Tricross Single from Pearson's

gtitim

d_c_h_w wrote:

Just arrived today, already nearly fallen off twice, maybe I shouldn't have bought that fixed sprocket.



btw this is the bargain £275 2008 Tricross Single from Pearson's

Bought one of these from Pearsons yesterday, can't wait for it to arrive!!! I bought a 16T fixed sprocket to go with it.

Other than nearly falling off, how are you finding it so far?

d_c_h_w

I think it's excellent, and an absoute bargain. All the components seem really good quality especially the frame. I had been toying with buying a fixed for about 6 months now, was oiriginally looking at more expensive options like the Condor, but a change in income meant I had to reduce the budget.

The 16T fixed sprocket seems a good choice, seems to be just the right gear, athough I do live in Cambridge, so not much in the way of hills.

I does seem to ride really smoothly and effeciently, I suppose this is due to the lack of deralliur pulleys etc. Just got to remember to keep pedalling!

If you can work out how to fix the bell that comes with it let me know, I can't for the life of me work it out.

Good luck with yours

mz__jo

Is the frame available on its own? I might be able to get one from my local Specialized dealer here in Limoges if I managed to hide it from my wife (can't mail order complete bikes from the UK, except Chain Reaction possibly)?
Cheers Jo

mtbhenry888

has anyone tried riding thier tricross or any other singlespeed cross bike properly off road yet? can you really ride a single speed/fixed on minor off road around muddy track etc.

i'm thinking of getting an On One pompino (i take it every one knows what Pompino translates into, just dont search it in google images) Looks good, rack mounts, gaurd mounts and clearance for 32 c cross tyres, anyone got one

loving the pictures by the way!

meagain

"can you really ride a single speed/fixed on minor off road around muddy track etc."

Umm, yes, why couldn't one? Folk have even been known to compete in cyclo cross on s/s. That's what the On One Ti s/s crosser I used to have was built for and I reckon my Tricross is very near as good, certainly on "muddy tracks" (or at least as good as being about a grand cheaper allows!)).

For deep rutted stuff, s/s is IMO rather more sane than fixed - but then I am a well known coward. Nor am I particularly fit....

mtbhenry888

so meagain s/s off road you think is ok, iv'e only ever ridden a geared MTB off road and that is challenging as it is without having just one ratio to play with! I worded the question badly but i find climbing hills on my mtb hard enough and not sure what an s/s would be like offroad having never ridden one, or a cross bike even for that matter

gkerr4

Here's my 2007 langster!

I know they get some abuse from the hipster 'fixie' crowd but it's a great bike and extremely rare up here in the northern sticks.

If I am honest - in the stable of 15yr old Alpinestars MTB , 2007 trek pilot 1.2 and 2008 S-Works Roubaix - in many ways it is my favourite bike. I love how light and 'sharp' it feels - the silence as you roll along and the lack of complication - so much fun and i never feel unsafe leaving it locked up in town (where i'd never leave the roubaix anywhere!!)

here it is in singlepeed mode - i ran it fixed for the first 8 months of ownership but I am concerned (with no real evidence) that it caused my two bouts of knee surgery last year - so now it is SS and actually just as much fun!

it has a bontrager carbon seatpost, a charge spoon saddle with matching charge bar-tape in brown (of course!). it also has S-works aero-bars from a transition pro that I picked up for a bargain after a guy at my lbs specified Zipp bars for his new bike - I got the S-Works bars for a tenner!!

it also has recently fitted Gatorskin tyres as the mondos were starting to show a lot of tears and punctured last weekend.
after the winter has done it's worst I will upgrade the wheels to some handbuilts and perhaps change the brake calipers to 105 units.

stickman

Remember MTBs have thicker tubing and suspension which add weight. Also the big tyres because rotational weight is supposed to be worse.
In the past s/s cyclocross was normal, they rode 48/22 ratio.

GibboGT

My new Touche.

She's lovely! totally addicted to the single speed thing for some reason. Never understood it before. Actually went out at lunch time at work the other day for no real reason. It was sunny, what can I say?

clickable pics



Running 48:17 at the moment. Can just about make it up the huge hill to my house, although pretty much lost all speed by the time I get to the top.

mz__jo

Very nice but a big gear. Try an 18T and you will be right for limited gear trials (72" which is usually enough for most humans with a hill to climb!). My last fixed gear was 48:20 but I don't have a 19T in my collection of sprockets, which might have been better.

GibboGT

The thing is I deliberately chose the 17T as otherwise I would hate it on the flat. I can't stand not being able to get to a good speed, and I do want to improve my fitness.
Any lower than a 48:17 and I get a little frustrated.

This way I can just about reach 28mph on the flat (going for it!) and can still (just about) make it home. Hopefully over the next few months the homebound journey will get easier.

The thing is at the moment i've just gotten used to the lack of gears thing, ie having to really build up before the hill etc (which I love!). My fitness is however still pretty crap, i'm not overweight at all, but only have a short commute, so it's difficult on a regular basis to get in enough miles without finding an easy excuse out (ie the pub )

ridgerider

Here is my Giant Bowery, built up from a frame.

Intended as my Summer commuter, but earning it's keep as my Winter hack

mtbhenry888

(not sure how to show picture in message, help anyone?)

i had this problem for ages, i tried and failed with flickr but try imageshack it worked for me they give you 'tags' to put onto the forum post and that puts your image up!

blorg

Here are my pair. Bowery is 46-17, Tricross is 42-15. I have the stock tyres on the Tricross at the moment because of the snow but it is a lot nippier with 700x25 slicks. It is still a bit of a tank compared to the Bowery though. I have since taken the rack off the Bowery as the Tricross is going to fulfil that function. As for off-road, I've taken the Tricross up fireroads etc without problem, for the more technical trails though I would prefer a mountain bike, more the bigger tyres and front suspension than the gearing though.

itboffin

Shortly to become geared again and perm attached to my turbo trainer, needs must

mz__jo

After all the sophisticated stuuf here are my two, on a rather different level of expenditure.





The road bike is a frame that apparently was built in the Paris region in 1940 although the fork is a cyclo fork from the early 50's and the downtube was changed at the same time (hence the Simplex gear boss which would not have been original). I doubted the date until I discovered that the tubing is seamed. It is not heavy. Here it is on fixed (42x17) but the bb is much too low for safe riding on fixed and normally it is on the freewheel on the flip side of the hub. Needless to say I was given it.
The mtb is a recent acquisition from the garden of a workmate. I have seen better than this in the metal bin in the tip but it amuses us and is pretty much unpinchable in France. China's finest. Also free (although I had to buy new tyres and cables). The pedals are Campag, a bit over the top but also free and they go with the french threaded cranks. Fitted with a spare 3 speed freewheel giving me a choice of 16/19 or 19/22 with at present a 32t ring but I have a 30t available as well.
Cheers Jo

GarethPJ

mz__jo wrote:

After all the sophisticated stuuf here are my two, on a rather different level of expenditure.

Those are the sort of bikes I like. The bicycle is a simple machine and my engineer's sensibilities are offended by fripperies that do nothing to improve the machine's function. Indeed I'm looking for an old roadster to serve as my hack.

mattsccm

I ride my Tricross single off road. Only hit tarmac to cross it . Lots of gravel but also all the single track stuff I usually do on the mtb here in the Forest of Dean. I use the 42 x 18 it came with and that is great. Have to push past my mates on their mountain bikes as I can't go as slow as them up hills. Do occasionally struggle on really technical stuff but generally as I am very unfit I get up more than I do on the mtb. Down hills can be iffy as the brakes are lousy and the grip n the standard tyres isn't much on very steep muddy stuff. done all the technical downhills around here though. Just fitted some midge bars but not sure if I like them. The drops make my wrists hurt. some playing needed here I think.

mackdaddy

Not sure if this'll work. A lovely bike, built by someone esle who did a great job. I have 4 bikes of various values and pedigrees but this is the best money spent by far. Great fun

meagain

The Langster with its new red wheels (to match the 'bar tape, obviously!).

barrybaines

meagain wrote:

The Langster with its new red wheels (to match the 'bar tape, obviously!).

What size gear is that?

meagain

Very low! I can only get up the hill home if gear inches plus my age =s 120. So, when I was 50, gearing was 70. Now I have my bus pass.....

ride_whenever

I've got a few singlespeeds...









just a few... but I'm getting rid of the carrera

explosifpete

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd20 ... /002-1.jpg

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd20 ... 11/006.jpg

This is my fixed gear bike.
I'm running a 39/18 set up at the minute as i've beeen doing alot of cyclocross on it, can't wait till i can get some mud tyres on it as i'm running slicks (although they do some how find grip in the mud)

explosifpete

stickman

39x18, good ratio, mine's nearly there - 38x18.

gkerr4

Ridgerider wrote:

Here is my Giant Bowery, built up from a frame.

Intended as my Summer commuter, but earning it's keep as my Winter hack

that is a smart looking bike! - good picture too.

What wheels are those? - not standard surely? - look really good, quite a low spoke count for track wheels.

nielsamd

My recently aquired Tricross currently used as commuter/tractor...:
(excuse Flickry linkage and not direct photo..):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nielsamd/3293292800/

I'm liking the sporty Bowerys on here btw.

explosifpete

[img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd201/simplepete11/002-1.jpg just a better photo of my bike[/img]