Singlespeeds.....wow they're FUN!

[Harryburgundy]

Direct drive

Clean bar look plus 2 gears actuated by the direction you pedal known as Retro-direct drive.

You need 2 single speed freewheels say a 16 and a 22 tooth mounted beside each other on an extended freewheel screw on hub.
Extended screw on hub - place some spacers inboard of the first freewheel-old style threaded freewheel with thread that passes all the way through from one side to the other. Screw a left side Bottom Bracket cup of the old cup and cone type into the freewheels overlapping thread then screw on outboard freewheel.

Mount wheel in frame and fit a Dave's Chain Device type jockey wheel to the chainstay. Single chainring up front that will allow a ratio with either rear freewheel you can live with say a 42 tooth.

Now the clever bit - pass a chain from the top of the front chainring over the top and around the outer freewheel then forward and over the top and around the chain device idler wheel then back to the bottom of the inner freewheel up and around and back to the bottom of the front chainring and connect up the chain. Play with chain tension by moving the chain device back and forward.

Result when you pedal forward the outer freewheel is engaged and the inner freewheels, stop peddaling and both freewheel, pedal backwards and the inner freewheel is engaged and the outer freewheels.

2 gears without hand actuated shifters invented by a french company about 1905, can't get more retro than that and it works quite well with mtb's as they have good tyre and thus chain clearances. Info is available on the web.

Brilliant :!: I'm loving that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1Syu0aI9G0
and here
http://users.skynet.be/ppc/retrodirect_drive/

 

[neilll]

I dont get the whole SS thing, cant see the point really :?

Not that I'm wanting to do it, but I am prepared to be educated as to why!

Ditto....and that's after reading every single post in this and all the other threads about SS.........I keep coming back to "How would you ride up Mam Tor out of Edale on a SS?".... :? (or any other ride with lots of climbs/descents...)

 

[grahame]

I dont get the whole SS thing, cant see the point really :?

Not that I'm wanting to do it, but I am prepared to be educated as to why!

Ditto....and that's after reading every single post in this and all the other threads about SS.........I keep coming back to "How would you ride up Mam Tor out of Edale on a SS?".... :? (or any other ride with lots of climbs/descents...)

You've never ridden with my friend Gavin then - he gave me an absolute beasting on a ride round there this time last year - him on his singlespeed (on-one), me on my Merlin. He absolutely thrashed me uphill and down dale. Mind you, he is a bit of an animal - former captain in the army, been know to run a 1/2 marathon before breakfast ("I woke up early, and didn't want to disturb anybody before breakfast") then go for a decent bike ride. Anyway, he cleaned the (road) climb up from Edale to Mam Tor that day.

 

[Max P]

As posted above:

You do have to try it to get it and give it a few rides at least before you dismiss it.

Don't just read about it and dismiss it - get out and try it!

Must be a reason why so many do and never go back to gears.

 

[neilll]

You've never ridden with my friend Gavin then - he gave me an absolute beasting on a ride round there this time last year -

Yeah I know the sort...'Pants outside the trousers' and a big cape

I had a mate like that, he'd come out with me only so he could see me nearly passing out/throwing up/bonked while he rode off into the sunset like Roadrunner.....he got some sort of kick out of that :roll:

Ok, super-heroes excluded......"I don't get SS"

 

[Pickle]

Again, not that I'm going to, but if I were to consider losing my gears I'd do what ededwards has and go single front ring. But then I spose this is more weight saving than owt else.

 

[clockworkgazz]

Have had a go on a a mates on-one singlespeed (great bike even if it is new) and I will admit it was a stange thing to get my head around at first but have t say that I now echo the positive comments made so far. That is why I am biulding up a singlespeed as we speak .

I had been put off going singlespeed "'cause i didn't want the bother of converting one of the bikes" but realised that I could get the same effect by just not changing gear dooh!

Did a few runs in just one gear and treated it as a challenge and have to admit I had a good deal of fun- looking forward to doing this on the convertedand much lighter bike.

As for limiting your offroad capabilities I would say that most of us are far more limited by our fitness levels. A fit singlespeeder will get to the top and back down again way quicker than me with my 21 gears. I know from bitter experiance damn my fragile ego.

As has been said by many before, just give it a fair crack of the whip-you might just surprize yourself and also have a very good reason to get a new bike which is always good .