Single speed

Whats the score with this single speed fetish? When i was new to mtbing it was a case of the more gears the better and i feel for proper offroading this is still the case. Am i missing something should i go out and build one?

i re-opened this can of worms when i said i didnt understand the singlespeed thing in a thread a week or two ago theres a thread on the subject on here http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... inglespeed

personally, i don't see the point for XC, it's just gonna knacker you there is the arguement that it's less to go wrong in our muddy conditions

for dirtjumping i ride a singlespeed, with only a rear brake but thats because its all i need and the lack of cables/hoses makes sense but as i said before, for 'proper' xc mtbing i don't see the point but each to their own

gears keep the bicycle industry churning so please keep buying the latest stuff to shave those seconds from the weekly ride in the woods with your mates

i nearly lost the will to ride once when my spangmano wxyx race turbo gti shifter hesitated a shift from 3rd to 27th :cry:

im still recovering now

i could wax lyrical about how zen it is :? but whenever i ride with multi geared people i find im stood at the top of hills waiting for them to catch up , im sure they spend so long shifting they forget to pedal and they give me a headache :x

I'm building my first singlespeed at the moment. Retro rigid steel frame with modern'ish compoments in a retro style

i think its the simplicity of the ride and uncluttered look for me. i'm building my first single speed at the moment, have rode one in the past and really enjoyed it! for a bit of hassle free fun it's spot on

greenfinger":6fcgdufk said:

i think its the simplicity of the ride and uncluttered look for me. i'm building my first single speed at the moment, have rode one in the past and really enjoyed it! for a bit of hassle free fun it's spot on

Click to expand...

Must be subliminal messages hidden on this site somewhere ... build a singlespeed ... build a singlespeed ... build a singlespeed ... build a singlespeed ... build a singlespeed ... build a singlespeed ... build a singlespeed ...

yeah, that and.... buy more parts you don't need......buy more parts you don't need.....buy more parts you don't need....

I didn't get it myself, though i can understand the attraction of the simplicity and less to wear/go wrong etc, didn't realise there were so many till i joined this site at the start of the year :shock: .

I'm planning building one to see what it's all about , i think how you will get on with a single speed depends on where you live too, if you live in a very hilly area then a single speed is probably not the best thing to use, i also plan to have a second fully geared bike (the Sunn) as there is a few long flat road sections i ride where i've been spinning out 44-12, i think it would do my head in twiddling along turning 32-16, i'll probably use the single speed for some rides and the geared bike for others.

I've been into SS since the late 90's, and i've tried every bodge and discovered every mistake in their construction. I will always have an SS in my collection.

Ploughing through Scottish mud that clogged up the gears to the point of failure time after time started me wondering if there was a better way.

I like that i can just get on with attacking the terrain without having to consider what gear I'm in.

I'm not a super fit trail whippet, I do not try and build a weight weenie special, my skills in riding and picking the best line do not exist, I do not follow the established SS format of 2:1 gear ratio and On-one are not in my opinion the best bet.

But I still love SS.

Try it for a few weeks and then decide, do not pre judge

Can I just clarify...are we talking singlespeed witha freewheel or fully fixed here?

I was thinking about giving fixed on my mtb a go so I get more bang for my buck out of my weeday 40 min lunch time bike rides.....cos that is the only time I am getting to ride at the moment??

Or what abut going to one chainring and a close ratio road block....??