Single Speed.... convince me please
- Thread starter yo-eddy
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orange71":czwzut2d said:
What a load of bollocks.
Gears are almost certainly part of the essence of a mountain bike, aren't what I'd call complex, and as for purity, well I think singlespeeding is a newish phenomenon and gears on any +10 year old bike are much more 'pure' than bastardisation into a singlespeed.
Clean? Exposed spiders, tacked on tensioners, redundant braze ons...I see where you're coming from. :roll:
If you must ride one of the horrid, awkward things, then build one new, don't sacrifice a poor vintage frame and retro parts to it.
As for the 'being different' thing; another load of codswallop. No coincidence that singlespeeding, and lately fixed roadies, attract hordes of those wankers who get some sick pleasure in being different for the sake of it and parading their alternative selves around in little cliques of likeminded wankers.
Mainstream Alternative...like Band T-shirts from department stores and My Chemical Romance.
Oh and slow on the uphills, slow on the flats, slow on the downhills...
The tossers will try and explain this lack of any ability to cover ground as taking life at their own pace or some other todge.
shogun":10vc5fn2 said:
I take it the old shogun has got its gears back after a brief flirtation with singlespeeding
I don't consider single speed mtbing a retro thing either as back in the day the only single speed bikes you had were BMX and track bikes....
One question that has to be asked of those who are slating SS is have you actually given it an honest go??
If it's not for you then great but don't knock it until you have tried it!
Where I ride 90% of the time (Epping Forest) ie mostly flat, woody singletrack, soft and muddy for 9/12 year) then a SS rigid (or hardtail) is absolutely all you need.
Unbelieveable that many feel you need 27 gears and 5" - 6" of travel to ride in such a place.
After three years SSing I put on a 1 x 8 geared set-up (as I had just bought a tag-a-long for my 5 year old). It was handy on that - but when out on my own the lower gears were ridiculous - just not needed. Only thing that was nice was to be able to power down a few hills a bit faster but no way was it worth the extra weight, clattering and mud sucking derailleur.
I would say if you do want gears then a 1x8 or 1x9 covers the vast majority of UK needs (front mechs are the work of the devil) but who on earth needs a 22/34 ie a 16" gear? BITD the lowest gear was a 26/28 = 24" and how often is that needed?
I prefer a SS for the clean looks, weight saving, beautifully efficient, quiet and smooth drivetrain (even in the crappiest mud) and, yes, even a bit of the 'pure' SS ethos that some harp on about...
As for retro - well if you want to make an old bike into a SS, why not? Always try and sort it without using a tensioner though for a better result.
Most importantly though, having said all that - ride what you want and what suits your terrain, not what someone else or years of marketing has convinced you is 'right'. Epping Forest is not the Alps and vice versa.
If it's not for you then great but don't knock it until you have tried it!
Where I ride 90% of the time (Epping Forest) ie mostly flat, woody singletrack, soft and muddy for 9/12 year) then a SS rigid (or hardtail) is absolutely all you need.
Unbelieveable that many feel you need 27 gears and 5" - 6" of travel to ride in such a place.
After three years SSing I put on a 1 x 8 geared set-up (as I had just bought a tag-a-long for my 5 year old). It was handy on that - but when out on my own the lower gears were ridiculous - just not needed. Only thing that was nice was to be able to power down a few hills a bit faster but no way was it worth the extra weight, clattering and mud sucking derailleur.
I would say if you do want gears then a 1x8 or 1x9 covers the vast majority of UK needs (front mechs are the work of the devil) but who on earth needs a 22/34 ie a 16" gear? BITD the lowest gear was a 26/28 = 24" and how often is that needed?
I prefer a SS for the clean looks, weight saving, beautifully efficient, quiet and smooth drivetrain (even in the crappiest mud) and, yes, even a bit of the 'pure' SS ethos that some harp on about...
As for retro - well if you want to make an old bike into a SS, why not? Always try and sort it without using a tensioner though for a better result.
Most importantly though, having said all that - ride what you want and what suits your terrain, not what someone else or years of marketing has convinced you is 'right'. Epping Forest is not the Alps and vice versa.
Harryburgundy
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shogun":1ftjdpg2 said:
Oh dear....not really a measured, intelligent post was it?
Typical Ozzy! Full of shit!
Welcome to retrobike. RETROBIKE you plum!
I have an idea for you, why dont you go down to your local library and get a book out on the history of the bicycle.
This site does not need gobby people slagging others off. Go away if you think this site is too retro for you.
All the very best, Al
Welcome to retrobike. RETROBIKE you plum!
I have an idea for you, why dont you go down to your local library and get a book out on the history of the bicycle.
This site does not need gobby people slagging others off. Go away if you think this site is too retro for you.
All the very best, Al
mullett
Dirt Disciple
I do, for crawling up steep rocky mountain passes and through deep peat, save getting off and walking which i hate doing. (its also great when towing the kids up tracks in the bike trailer
)Ive ridden fixed on the road since i was 15 (am now 36) and still get the patronising 'arnt you doing well on that' sort of comments as if it was some sort of disability. If asked why i ride it, ive just grown to like it plus its cheap to run and you get used to the riding style quite quickly. At the time i bought my fixie it was all i could afford on pocket money - I got a 531 professional fully campag record equipped bike for £200. It also kicks butt on hill climbs which is what i used to enjoy most. Have also ridden an endless succession of single free hack bikes. My dad also raced track bikes in london in the 60's, so i guess that encouraged me.
Gonna try single speeding the rc200 when i get my new mtb in the summer, but to be honest im not convinced it'll work that well up here. Maybe on dry summer days on easyish tracks, but not on the tough rocky steep or muddy stuff, but we'll see and ill have the two mountain bikes anyway depending on what i fancy doing.
As for getting worked up about all this, who gives a toss what other people are riding, at least you getting your backsides off the couch and out the door. Ride a unicycle for all i care, as long as you enjoy it...
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