Single speed, second ride thoughts..much better this time!!

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Comments

  • _Ferret_
    _Ferret_ Posts: 660
    Oh...don't go down the old route - that's just plain nasty!

    Tis quite a good point though.
    yeehaamcgee - were you one of those crazy welsh guys who used to ride up and down the mountains on adapted road bikes in the 70's?
    (oh no wait...wasn't that in America somewhere...)
    Not really active
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Before mountain bikes came about in this area, we were dicking around off road on BMX bikes, and then after that on what you'd now know as "cruisers", which were basically very early mountain bike frames, but we just cobbled bikes together from anything we had to hand, and derailleurs weren't part of our inventory.
    Also, when something broke, we basically worked around it, cause we didn't have the money to fix it properly. This lead to having a rudimentary "mountain bike" frame, with no shifters, and only a front brake etc.
    The first time I saw a "proper" mountain bike, so to speak, with Cantis and gears, was the very late 80s/early 90s. Of course, this is out in the styx, I assume they were more widely available in other parts of the country.
  • Darra8
    Darra8 Posts: 721
    Wow, a nice reply with no venom, you really are going soft :wink::lol:
    40 year old pussy who "still" hates the thought of falling off!!
  • clanton
    clanton Posts: 1,289
    Hey Darra8. Thanks for posting you experiences.

    I have just started riding my first SS, a rigid On-One Inbred that I built myself. I have previously owned a Marin Nail Trail, a Scott Genius MC30 and currently also have a Cotic Soul which is my do it all hard tail.

    Like you, I got my SS as I wanted to try something a bit different. I have also found that 2 of my local climbs are now impossible to get up again, just like when I first started riding my geared mtb's around here. I'm going to keep persevering thoughh and I'm hoping to get up both of them one day!

    The thing is, the SS will not be repalcing my Soul for racing/ epic rides/ trail centre riding etc. What it is doing for me though is re-injecting some challenge and fun into my local trails which had become a bit boring. I can't track across to a new trail centre every weekend or across to France or Spain and so this has been a great way to gain some fresh challenges.
  • If you have a bike that means you can't ride routes you're accustomed to, it just isn't a good thing.

    that sounds like the rider rather than the bike. I can't think of a single route round here (Peaks/Lancashire) that I'd ride on a geared bike but can't ride on my ss..

    limitations? the only one I can think of is that if you can't pedal very fast, you might end up coasting some downhills. Work on high cadence..
  • Darra8
    Darra8 Posts: 721
    clanton wrote:
    Hey Darra8. Thanks for posting you experiences.

    I have just started riding my first SS, a rigid On-One Inbred that I built myself. I have previously owned a Marin Nail Trail, a Scott Genius MC30 and currently also have a Cotic Soul which is my do it all hard tail.

    Like you, I got my SS as I wanted to try something a bit different. I have also found that 2 of my local climbs are now impossible to get up again, just like when I first started riding my geared mtb's around here. I'm going to keep persevering thoughh and I'm hoping to get up both of them one day!

    The thing is, the SS will not be repalcing my Soul for racing/ epic rides/ trail centre riding etc. What it is doing for me though is re-injecting some challenge and fun into my local trails which had become a bit boring. I can't track across to a new trail centre every weekend or across to France or Spain and so this has been a great way to gain some fresh challenges.

    Fresh challenges and now a real need to become fitter to enjoy the bike even more. Like you, I had trouble getting up the hills with my other geared bikes when I first started, so with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work I will be thrashing down and up those hill very soon on the SS.

    Cheers,

    Steve
    40 year old pussy who "still" hates the thought of falling off!!
  • pypdjl
    pypdjl Posts: 52
    Give up trying to brainwash yourself into it and face facts, gears are better.

    Good job you are here to show us the light, why only last week I was out on my singlespeed, now at the time I thought I was enjoying it, but clearly I was only brainwashing myself, doubtless I didn't enjoy so much as a second of the ride.

    Yes, you have convinced me gears are objectively better, after all something that is heavier, more expensive and more prone to mechanical failure cannot fail to be better...
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Good, then my job is done :lol:
  • v23
    v23 Posts: 217
    Before mountain bikes came about in this area, we were dicking around off road on BMX bikes, and then after that on what you'd now know as "cruisers", which were basically very early mountain bike frames, but we just cobbled bikes together from anything we had to hand, and derailleurs weren't part of our inventory.
    Also, when something broke, we basically worked around it, cause we didn't have the money to fix it properly. This lead to having a rudimentary "mountain bike" frame, with no shifters, and only a front brake etc.
    The first time I saw a "proper" mountain bike, so to speak, with Cantis and gears, was the very late 80s/early 90s. Of course, this is out in the styx, I assume they were more widely available in other parts of the country.

    Fair enough. You do make North Wales sound very like the West coast of America, I've always likened the A55 to Big Sur.
  • _Ferret_
    _Ferret_ Posts: 660
    Damn - yeehaamcgee - you really are old!
    Or did you just get that extract from the internet :wink:
    Not really active
  • Darra8
    Darra8 Posts: 721
    _Ferret_ wrote:
    Damn - yeehaamcgee - you really are old!
    Or did you just get that extract from the internet :wink:

    I did say, to be this grumpy, he would have to be quite old :wink:
    40 year old pussy who "still" hates the thought of falling off!!
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    what extract? What?
  • Well I managed to get my SS up Ravens Knowe just after Easter - mind you it was nice and light to carry on my shoulder :wink:

    bang.jpg


    The 2 main things I learned fairly quickly with my SS:

    1. Read the way ahead in advance and build up speed towards a hill and coast downhill.
    2. Learn to pedal like f**k.

    For me personally (not anyone else, not advising, not suggesting... etc) I can ride 90-95% of the trails on SS I can on my 27sp XT. I think the big difficulty arises because you really have to put more effort into it.
    CAAD9
    Kona Jake the Snake
    Merlin Malt 4
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    A firing range, perfect place for a singlespeed :lol:
  • _Ferret_
    _Ferret_ Posts: 660
    okay - I thought bikes were for riding, not carrying. :roll:

    What does yours weigh then?
    Not really active
  • Duffer
    Duffer Posts: 379
    Does nobody just ride because they enjoy it? Why does everything always come down to which is faster/lighter/easier...?

    A brief metaphore; The new Transformers film is technically brilliant in every way, but i'd still rather watch the Italian Job.

    Darra: a cracking bike - i really like the simplified look. i fancy converting mine to SS one day
  • Seems to me you either think its a good idea and get one, either just for winter or for general riding or you just dont get it at all, and have the opinion anyone who does ride SS speed is a bit of a twat and whats the point.

    Me I have geared and a SS speed but always seem to want to go out on the SS even I dont know why , Mates have made comments but I always seem to hold my own no problem.

    Im one of those people who is always fiddling with my bike adjusting the suspension and tweeking the gears never 100% happy. With the SS there nothing to adjust so maybe thats what I like.

    You either love it or Hate it.
  • Penylope
    Penylope Posts: 320
    I currently have an On One Inbred built up as a rigid SS, which is great fun to ride. It has also forced me to think about line choice and speed/cadence on every ride (a lot more than my previous geard hardtail anyway).
    As much as this 'may' make me a better rider, give me a greater chalenge etc, it isn't for me. i only have 1 bike at the mo, and a rigid SS is not versatile enough for my needs, so gears and maybe a sus fork will be going on in the near future.

    I'm glad that i have tried it just to see what all the fuss is about, and if you enjoy what a SS does for you and your riding then i would say go for it, what have you got to loose :P
    MTB's, SC Blur LTc & Cotic Soul (26" definitely aint dead!).
    Other, Genesis Croix De Fer
  • _Ferret_ wrote:
    okay - I thought bikes were for riding, not carrying. :roll:

    What does yours weigh then?

    Some sections we very steep, I doubt anyone could have rode it. Great fun going down!

    It's about 24lbs with Alu rigids, although I've just recently put a front suspension fork on and upset the balance a bit.
    CAAD9
    Kona Jake the Snake
    Merlin Malt 4