Single speed MTB
- Thread starter Tel
- Start date
been running s/s for a few years now
did it just to try it ,loved it
sorta single speed karma thing
and still at the front with the gearies especially with the windy trails
local to me
remember single speeds only loose out up hill ,down hill,and on the flat
did it just to try it ,loved it
sorta single speed karma thing
and still at the front with the gearies especially with the windy trails
local to me
remember single speeds only loose out up hill ,down hill,and on the flat
velomaniac
MacRetro Rider
I've been bodging SS since at least 1998 so they have something I like.
As regards hilly terrain, just choose the gear that suits and accept freewheeling down hills. I have ridden Glentress often on a SS usually with a 28:16 gear set up. Often I leave geared riders for dead on climbs and if your brave enough, stay off the brakes as much as possible to keep up the big grin momentum
As regards hilly terrain, just choose the gear that suits and accept freewheeling down hills. I have ridden Glentress often on a SS usually with a 28:16 gear set up. Often I leave geared riders for dead on climbs and if your brave enough, stay off the brakes as much as possible to keep up the big grin momentum
PurpleFrog
Kona Fan
I've now applied the Ghetto Technique to my 7 speed freewheel - removed the front derailer, turned the rear derailer into a (noisy) tensioner. It's great! I've got a 4-Jeri tensioner (a "forgery" of a Surly singlelator, but with some improvements, supposedly) on the way, because that should be quieter and more reliable. At some point I might bother to reduce the number of chainrings on the bike and even get a wheel that's "properly" set up for singlespeed. Or then again I might just continue as I am, because why not?
Well, all I know is that I have more fun on my old heap of a singlespeed than on any of my other bikes, more indeed than at any time in the last twenty plus years of riding mtb's.
I'm currently geared at 32:18 and I think that (for me) is probably the optimum ratio, that works out at about 46 gear inches. Ok, there will always be odd sections that are just to steep for me to ride but they are few and far between, and mostly I find that I climb faster on the SS than on a geared bike, as you tend to attack everything and not sit and spin small gears.
I actually think that it's easier on the knees too, it's seated climbing that tends to bugger knees up and you don't do much (if any) seated climbing on a SS. If I'm on a group ride some people will always beat me up the climbs, but they'd do it whether I was on a geary or a SS - they're just that bit quicker than me :roll:
One of the guys that I regularly ride with says that he always knows that he's in for a tough ride if I turn up on the SS - I think I'm faster on it, everywhere but on the flat (and we don't have much of that, thank goodness).
Anyway, for your edification, here it is in its latest iteration, now with Salsa Cromoto forks. (Any excuse, I know.....) It's a superb handling bike (everyone who's ridden it says so anyway...) that does everything with great poise and aplomb.
Nothing fancy, but it does it for me......
95 Columbus Max Explosif (with all cable stops, mech hanger etc removed and with caliper mount added and resprayed "Platsa Blue")
Salsa Cromoto forks 425mm A/C
Magura Marta SL brakes
Mavic 717/Shimano XT wheels
Thomson seatpost
No-name stem
Race Face Evolve Bars
Modified Shimano HT2 cranks
Trickstuff Excentriker BB.
DMR 32T chainring and Surly 18T sprocket.
KMC 610HX chain
Kona Jackshit grips
Ritchey WCS pedals.
That's about it ......
I'm currently geared at 32:18 and I think that (for me) is probably the optimum ratio, that works out at about 46 gear inches. Ok, there will always be odd sections that are just to steep for me to ride but they are few and far between, and mostly I find that I climb faster on the SS than on a geared bike, as you tend to attack everything and not sit and spin small gears.
I actually think that it's easier on the knees too, it's seated climbing that tends to bugger knees up and you don't do much (if any) seated climbing on a SS. If I'm on a group ride some people will always beat me up the climbs, but they'd do it whether I was on a geary or a SS - they're just that bit quicker than me :roll:
One of the guys that I regularly ride with says that he always knows that he's in for a tough ride if I turn up on the SS - I think I'm faster on it, everywhere but on the flat (and we don't have much of that, thank goodness).
Anyway, for your edification, here it is in its latest iteration, now with Salsa Cromoto forks. (Any excuse, I know.....) It's a superb handling bike (everyone who's ridden it says so anyway...) that does everything with great poise and aplomb.
Nothing fancy, but it does it for me......
95 Columbus Max Explosif (with all cable stops, mech hanger etc removed and with caliper mount added and resprayed "Platsa Blue")
Salsa Cromoto forks 425mm A/C
Magura Marta SL brakes
Mavic 717/Shimano XT wheels
Thomson seatpost
No-name stem
Race Face Evolve Bars
Modified Shimano HT2 cranks
Trickstuff Excentriker BB.
DMR 32T chainring and Surly 18T sprocket.
KMC 610HX chain
Kona Jackshit grips
Ritchey WCS pedals.
That's about it ......
Attachments
suburbanreuben
Old School Grand Master
How do you find the Cromotos? I'm considering these since P2's ain't what they were...
Beautiful bike, BTW!
Beautiful bike, BTW!
Thanks for the comments guys, I really appreciate it
As far as the Salsa forks go I can do nothing but recommend them. Previously I had a set of Genesis forks (OEM on the IO singlespeed) which look fairly Project 2-ish, but although they are supposed to be double butted they are a bloody harsh ride. The reason that I changed them though is that the dropout on the RH leg (which is part brazed, part welded to the leg) developed a crack in the brazing and, although I'm sure that I can re-braze it and it will be as good as it ever was, I took this as an excuse to get the Salsa's. Like I need an excuse......
Salsa list these as being available in 425, 440 and 465mm A/C variants and in disc/canti and disc only versions. It seems that in Britain only the 425mm and 465mm (29er) versions are readily available and the 425mm only in disc plus canti.
So that's what I got, I removed the canti mounts completely (because they offended me as I'll never use them, ...) and resprayed the affected area which, as they're black, wasn't a problem.
I don't know whether to respray them the frame colour though ???
They seem a perfect match geometry-wise for the frame (which was after all intended to be used with 395mm P2's) and at the minute I just have an extra 10mm steerer spacer to take the bar height back to near enough where it was before. They are a lot more compliant and comfortable than the Genesis forks were and probably only something like the Vicious Cycles forks would be an improvement (but at a price.... :roll.
Or carbon, but I can't bring myself to trust carbon forks.....
As far as the Salsa forks go I can do nothing but recommend them. Previously I had a set of Genesis forks (OEM on the IO singlespeed) which look fairly Project 2-ish, but although they are supposed to be double butted they are a bloody harsh ride. The reason that I changed them though is that the dropout on the RH leg (which is part brazed, part welded to the leg) developed a crack in the brazing and, although I'm sure that I can re-braze it and it will be as good as it ever was, I took this as an excuse to get the Salsa's. Like I need an excuse......
Salsa list these as being available in 425, 440 and 465mm A/C variants and in disc/canti and disc only versions. It seems that in Britain only the 425mm and 465mm (29er) versions are readily available and the 425mm only in disc plus canti.
So that's what I got, I removed the canti mounts completely (because they offended me as I'll never use them, ...) and resprayed the affected area which, as they're black, wasn't a problem.
I don't know whether to respray them the frame colour though ???
They seem a perfect match geometry-wise for the frame (which was after all intended to be used with 395mm P2's) and at the minute I just have an extra 10mm steerer spacer to take the bar height back to near enough where it was before. They are a lot more compliant and comfortable than the Genesis forks were and probably only something like the Vicious Cycles forks would be an improvement (but at a price.... :roll
.Or carbon, but I can't bring myself to trust carbon forks.....
