Single speed - why?
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All I know is that it has made me fitter over the last five weeks, and I was relatively fit beforehand.
I have no choice but to climb hills where I live, which is what I love doing, and the constant out-of-the-seat routine has upped my fitness, and I'm really enjoying the personal challenge. I haven't been on my geared bike for five weeks, but I'm going to give it a go next week to see how much I've improved after a few weeks of SS.
I always thought that SS wouldn't be for me, but I was wrong. I you want to try it, then try it. If you think it's a waste of time, then don't try it. I will always have a geared bike, but from now on I will also always have a singlespeed bike too.
Right, I'm off on the SS now for my early-morning ride.0 -
Okay,
So better bike handling can be thrown out the window. I'm still yet to hear an argument as to why it makes you a better rider. Uphill you have to think ahead - I get that, but downhill? Don't know about you, but when I ride downhill I almost alway spin out when I try to power out of corners, that's just the routes I ride though.
Getting you fitter would make sense if I had smaller hills. No offence to any of you, but you wouldn't be able to ride half of my trails on a SS, one gear just isn't gonna cut it round here, hence there aren't any! Everyone would have to get off and push and I don't have a bike so I can push it up the hills...
It seems that I've got the wrong terrain here, so maintainance would be the only advantage..
BUT you might be different - If I still lived in the UK I might give it a try...Not really active0 -
John Moore wrote:1) Try it
2) Shut up because you just don't get it do you? :roll:
That's good advice.
I think some of the justifications people use for singlespeeding are rubbish, mind, I think some people just aren't happy to say "I like it", they need to come up with a list of reasons why it's better... but that doesn't undermine the good reasons to do it. No different to any other "vs" argument on here really.Uncompromising extremist0 -
I think some of the justifications people use for singlespeeding are rubbish, mind, I think some people just aren't happy to say "I like it", they need to come up with a list of reasons why it's better... but that doesn't undermine the good reasons to do it. No different to any other "vs" argument on here really.
Yeah, if it's your thing, then fine. If it's not, then that is also fine. Just as long as the pro SS-brigade don't ridicule the non-converts, and vice versa.
Personally, I'm doing it for the fitness. I haven't noticed that it's made me a better rider (apart from the fitness) regarding any other aspect of my riding though. But then again, it'd be a bloody miracle if it did improve my overall, yet very poor, skills! :oops:0 -
Bollocks! You need to find some proper hills if thats the case... I concider myself to be a pretty strong rider and there are some hills where I live (Yorkshire Dales) that are definitely granny ringers...
well, there are plenty round here thanks. I live on a 1:4, for instance. That's fine. I do most of my riding here on a singlespeed - north Peaks, Pennines, Calderdale. What constitutes a 'proper hill' anyway? I've ridden ss in the Alps, the Dales, the Lakes...all good fun.
Is Snowdon a proper hill, for instance? I rode that a fortnight ago on the ss.
Maybe you're just not very fit? Just a thought.
No offence to any of you, but you wouldn't be able to ride half of my trails on a SS, one gear just isn't gonna cut it round here, hence there aren't any! Everyone would have to get off and push and I don't have a bike so I can push it up the hills...
No offence, but have you tried it? I've not been to Freiburg itself but I've ridden ss a lot in the Schwarzwald. Great fun.0 -
_Ferret_ wrote:Okay,
but downhill? Don't know about you, but when I ride downhill I almost alway spin out when I try to power out of corners, that's just the routes I ride though.
The either a SS isn't for you as your a downhiller or just use your gears for the downhills you know and like.0 -
John Moore wrote:_Ferret_ wrote:Okay,
but downhill? Don't know about you, but when I ride downhill I almost alway spin out when I try to power out of corners, that's just the routes I ride though.
The either a SS isn't for you as your a downhiller or just use your gears for the downhills you know and like.
sorry dude, didn't understand a word of that - can you write in english please!Not really active0 -
[quote="singlespeedexplosif"
No offence to any of you, but you wouldn't be able to ride half of my trails on a SS, one gear just isn't gonna cut it round here, hence there aren't any! Everyone would have to get off and push and I don't have a bike so I can push it up the hills...
No offence, but have you tried it? I've not been to Freiburg itself but I've ridden ss a lot in the Schwarzwald. Great fun.[/quote]
Did you see any SS riders here? Really? Where? Honestly, I'd like to know becuase when I try explaining it to anyone they look at me like I'm on crack!
Where did you ride?!Not really active0 -
Do you know what...I'm gonna get a cheap SS kit from on-one and convert my spare bike (merlin) and then I'll know once and for all what this is all about... I really do think the gears will be going back on though...0
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My manhood has increased in size, and I have also become a better lover. That's another benefit of riding SS!0
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Johnny Napalm wrote:My manhood has increased in size, and I have also become a better lover. That's another benefit of riding SS!
Not really active0 -
The cheapest and easiest way to see if SS is for you is to go out for a ride on your normal geared bike, but set it in one gear and don't change gear for the entire route.
I did this at Afan using my middle front cog (36t) and the fourth cog of my rear cassette. It was ok but I'm sticking with my 18 gears, although I may change this to a 1x9. Riding my ghetto SS certainly made me question the need for so many gears.0 -
el loco pollo wrote:The cheapest and easiest way to see if SS is for you is to go out for a ride on your normal geared bike, but set it in one gear and don't change gear for the entire route.
It's not that simple. The chainline on a geared bike means you lose efficiency because of chain drag (through the dérailleurs) and the offset chainline. Plus, you usually lose much more weight from the bike ie, gears, shifters shorter chain, cassette, cables...CAAD9
Kona Jake the Snake
Merlin Malt 40 -
just out curiosity, does anyone run singlespeed on a full susser? I know someone who uses a rohloff on an orange 5, so its got to be possible...Rock Lobster 853, Trek 1200 and a very old, tired and loved Apollo Javelin.0
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I've gone SS for my commute, and I'd say there's definitely something in the 'makes you stronger' argument- you don't realise how much you're taking it (relatively) easy with gears until you have to keep pedalling in the one gear you've got! The amount of weight lost is also surprising, but I'm not that convinced that the maintenance argument is really meaningful- sure there's less to do, but I didn't find it a particularly onerous task to keep my gears running OK anyway.
Uphills are OK once you get your mindset right, but I have to say downhills are a bit tedious- I spend a lot of time coasting thinking I could be going quicker, and that's about the only time I wonder about going back to gears.
Obviously it's different for MTB though, and I'd have to say I'm in no hurry to go SS there, although I wouldn't mind giving it a go. One problem for me is that I use the train a lot and the miles on either end of the off-road stuff would really suck.0 -
The problem with ful suss' is that during the compression of the shock the chain is subject to growth, (ie, at full compression, more chain is needed than at none.) On a geared bike this can be compensated for as the mech takes up any slack chain when the shock isn't compressed.bike-a-swan wrote:just out curiosity, does anyone run singlespeed on a full susser? I know someone who uses a rohloff on an orange 5, so its got to be possible...
With single speeds the chain is always one length and needs to be tensioned at all time.
However there are some bikes that can be run singlespeed (like the Kona Cowan DS) and i've seen ghetto conversions on other bikes.What We Achieve In Life, Echoes In Eternity0 -
You can run singlespeed on most FS bikes (although not sure why you'd want to) by using a chain tensioner that bolts to the mech hanger.0
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I tell you what - it was bloody hard this morning, in Greno & Wharncliffe, climbing those hills in the snow on the SS. I have all this week off work, so a few early morning rides are pencilled-in.0
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Buckled_Rims wrote:It's not that simple. The chainline on a geared bike means you lose efficiency because of chain drag (through the dérailleurs) and the offset chainline. Plus, you usually lose much more weight from the bike ie, gears, shifters shorter chain, cassette, cables...
Yeah, but you can get a feel for it. I think the "lost efficiency" thing is tenuous at best, but the nice thing about gears is that it's perfectly possible to have a perfect chainline. In a 2:1 gear, middle ring and near the middle of the cassette, the chainline is almost spot on.
The rear mech has roughly the same drag as a tensioner, both of which are negligible. So it's just the weight loss you really miss out on.Uncompromising extremist0 -
Did you see any SS riders here? Really? Where? Honestly, I'd like to know becuase when I try explaining it to anyone they look at me like I'm o
n crack!
Where did you ride?!
I didn't see very many riders at all, to be honest, singlespeed or otherwise. Many more in the Harz mountains. And an awful lot at the 2004 world singlespeed champs, in Berlin. Bit flatter though
Based in Hollental (apologies for lack of umlaut) for a week or so. Few days around Fussen too. Great country for riding
My manhood has increased in size, and I have also become a better lover. That's another benefit of riding SS!
unfortunately I've yet to notice this, but I'll keep on hoping
The rear mech has roughly the same drag as a tensioner. So it's just the weight loss you really miss out on.
yeah, but honestly, who uses a tensioner? horrible ugly noisy things. Plus it's something to clunk on a rock, which negates one of the great things about a singlespeed.0 -
singlespeedexplosif wrote:Did you see any SS riders here? Really? Where? Honestly, I'd like to know becuase when I try explaining it to anyone they look at me like I'm o
n crack!
Where did you ride?!
I didn't see very many riders at all, to be honest, singlespeed or otherwise. Many more in the Harz mountains. And an awful lot at the 2004 world singlespeed champs, in Berlin. Bit flatter though
Based in Hollental (apologies for lack of umlaut) for a week or so. Few days around Fussen too. Great country for riding
If it's the Höllental I'm thinking of then you were practically on my doorstep.
The Germans haven't seemed to have taken to the whole SS thing - they are busy making carbon bikes that are lighter than a SS I guess...Not really active0 -
Torres wrote:The problem with ful suss' is that during the compression of the shock the chain is subject to growth, (ie, at full compression, more chain is needed than at none.) On a geared bike this can be compensated for as the mech takes up any slack chain when the shock isn't compressed.
I know the technical issues, as I said, I know a couple of hub geared full suss riders. I just wondered if there was anyone out there who actually does singlespeed it?Rock Lobster 853, Trek 1200 and a very old, tired and loved Apollo Javelin.0 -
There's always the Kona A
http://www.duckofdeath.co.uk/temp/a3.jpg
Concentric BB and pivot so no chain growth issues.Uncompromising extremist0 -
bike-a-swan wrote:Torres wrote:The problem with ful suss' is that during the compression of the shock the chain is subject to growth, (ie, at full compression, more chain is needed than at none.) On a geared bike this can be compensated for as the mech takes up any slack chain when the shock isn't compressed.
I know the technical issues, as I said, I know a couple of hub geared full suss riders. I just wondered if there was anyone out there who actually does singlespeed it?
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=126678100 -
impressive... and odd. clearly I should read the your bikes section...Rock Lobster 853, Trek 1200 and a very old, tired and loved Apollo Javelin.0
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Singlespeeding is fantastic but I get why people don't get it. I rode Llandegla on my fully rigid Genesis io and I wasn't much slower than my mate on his P7 Pro. He was shocked to say the least on the climbs as my uber thighs kept pumping (ok I haven't got uber thighs)
I have 3 bikes
Fiixie On One Pompino which I commute 30 miles a day and is total trouble free cycling
Genesis io faff free cycling to the max
Gary Fisher Hookooekoo which currently sits unloved due to me loving the simplicity of the Genesis.0 -
I get it... I just don't like it!0
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I ride my MTB as a single speed, mainly 48/14 for a lot of roads and 38/14 for off road use, depending on conditions, i generally keep with the 48/14 gearing for the majority of things.
Just ordered a fixie with a 48/16 gearing but i am looking to reduce it to a 14,13 or even a 12 if i am going good.
I have beaten nigh on all the hills with out needing any other gears so happy to shed the excess weight FCN: 5/6 Fixed Gear (quite rapid) in normal clothes and clips
Cannondale CAAD9 / Mongoose Maurice (heavily modified)0 -
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_Ferret_ wrote:No offence to any of you, but you wouldn't be able to ride half of my trails on a SS, one gear just isn't gonna cut it round here, hence there aren't any! Everyone would have to get off and push and I don't have a bike so I can push it up the hills...
It seems that I've got the wrong terrain here, so maintainance would be the only advantage..
BUT you might be different - If I still lived in the UK I might give it a try...
It is surprising what you can ride on a singlespeed. I live in Freiburg and ride my singlespeed here without problems. Kandel, Roßkopf, Kybfelsen etc are all rideable on a singlespeed.
32:18 is the perfect ratio for the black forest if you want to try it out.0
