Single Speed mountain biking
Discussion
Anyone ride a single speed mountain bike?
I am tempted to convert mine for the Winter, usually find well before the ride is over the gears aren't working properly, chain starts getting sucked up when dropping to the middle ring etc. Last year I also went through several chains, a couple of cassettes and jockey wheels.
Like the idea of lower maintenance that single speed may bring but what am I likely to miss?
What do you enjoy about SS riding?
I'm not afraid of pushing the pedals hard up hills
I am tempted to convert mine for the Winter, usually find well before the ride is over the gears aren't working properly, chain starts getting sucked up when dropping to the middle ring etc. Last year I also went through several chains, a couple of cassettes and jockey wheels.
Like the idea of lower maintenance that single speed may bring but what am I likely to miss?
What do you enjoy about SS riding?
I'm not afraid of pushing the pedals hard up hills
Silver940 said:
Why would the chain slip?
In my case it was becuase I had a Kona Unit (bought as a factory built SS) that had sliding rear dropouts, occasionally the retaining bolts would slacken and I'd lose chain tension, on this one occasion it loosened just at the point I stood up and accelarated on a firepath, next thing I know BOOM! On the deck..I must admit from that point onwards I've been a little wary of SS.
I was out a couple of weeks ago with a bunch of guys on a night ride.
Towards the end of the ride, we rode up the steps to an overpass bridge.
When I say "steps", they're each about 3" high, and about 3' long, sloping upwards, so whilst they're not completely insurmountable, they are bloody hard work.
It's somewhat humbling to watch the chap on the SS bike just power up past all the people putting their feet down half way up!!!
Towards the end of the ride, we rode up the steps to an overpass bridge.
When I say "steps", they're each about 3" high, and about 3' long, sloping upwards, so whilst they're not completely insurmountable, they are bloody hard work.
It's somewhat humbling to watch the chap on the SS bike just power up past all the people putting their feet down half way up!!!
The only thing you'll miss are your mates while you're sitting waiting for them at the top of the climbs 
It takes a few rides to get the hang of it but once you get the knack it's great fun.
When I first built up my SS I didn't really like it at first as it seemed such hard work but once I'd done a few rides on it and got the hang of it I found it much easier. The first time I took it out on a proper hilly ride rather than just a trail centre there was a couple of climbs that I was expecting to have to push up but surprisingly I didn't need to and my times on the climbs were all PB's on Strava.
The thing with SS'ing is that you can't sit and spin up the climbs, you either go completely balls out or get off and push. Balls out is less embarrassing.
The reduced maintenance is a real bonus in the winter. I tend to just blast mine down with a portable pressure washer after a ride and leave it to drip dry while I'm getting changed then give the chain a blast of GT85 and throw it in the van to head home. The chain will get a drop of lube before the next ride if it looks like it's gonna need it, no faffing about with cleaning crud from in the cassette and jockey wheels or trying to lube sticky cables and that kind of stuff. Having the bike fully rigid is a double bonus as you don't need to worry about cleaning forks.
Another bonus of the SS is that the drivetrain is pretty much silent compared to running it geared. Apart from the noise of my Hope freehub there's no grinding or crunching like every geared bike I've rode.
It takes a few rides to get the hang of it but once you get the knack it's great fun.
When I first built up my SS I didn't really like it at first as it seemed such hard work but once I'd done a few rides on it and got the hang of it I found it much easier. The first time I took it out on a proper hilly ride rather than just a trail centre there was a couple of climbs that I was expecting to have to push up but surprisingly I didn't need to and my times on the climbs were all PB's on Strava.
The thing with SS'ing is that you can't sit and spin up the climbs, you either go completely balls out or get off and push. Balls out is less embarrassing.
The reduced maintenance is a real bonus in the winter. I tend to just blast mine down with a portable pressure washer after a ride and leave it to drip dry while I'm getting changed then give the chain a blast of GT85 and throw it in the van to head home. The chain will get a drop of lube before the next ride if it looks like it's gonna need it, no faffing about with cleaning crud from in the cassette and jockey wheels or trying to lube sticky cables and that kind of stuff. Having the bike fully rigid is a double bonus as you don't need to worry about cleaning forks.
Another bonus of the SS is that the drivetrain is pretty much silent compared to running it geared. Apart from the noise of my Hope freehub there's no grinding or crunching like every geared bike I've rode.
Slight thread hijack, but has anyone ever done a 2 or 3 speed bike, or is it just not worth the effort - I'm tempted by the single speed thing, as *most* of round my way is flat, but there are 1 or 2 big hills, which having an easier gear might help with.
I like the reduced maintenance, easier to set up and keep tuned up idea of a single speed, but wonder if these benefits disappear as soon as you add in even a second gear?
Looking on the net doesn't really throw up much in the way of this - put in '3 speed' and you get a load of sturmey archer stuff.
If it makes a difference, the donor bike is a 2006 specialized rockhopper, is this a good basis for a project?
Sorry, lots of questions!
Ta, CH
I like the reduced maintenance, easier to set up and keep tuned up idea of a single speed, but wonder if these benefits disappear as soon as you add in even a second gear?
Looking on the net doesn't really throw up much in the way of this - put in '3 speed' and you get a load of sturmey archer stuff.
If it makes a difference, the donor bike is a 2006 specialized rockhopper, is this a good basis for a project?
Sorry, lots of questions!
Ta, CH
Dr Bob said:
Slight thread hijack, but has anyone ever done a 2 or 3 speed bike, or is it just not worth the effort - I'm tempted by the single speed thing, as *most* of round my way is flat, but there are 1 or 2 big hills, which having an easier gear might help with.
I like the reduced maintenance, easier to set up and keep tuned up idea of a single speed, but wonder if these benefits disappear as soon as you add in even a second gear?
Looking on the net doesn't really throw up much in the way of this - put in '3 speed' and you get a load of sturmey archer stuff.
If it makes a difference, the donor bike is a 2006 specialized rockhopper, is this a good basis for a project?
Sorry, lots of questions!
Ta, CH
How would you create a 2 or 3 speed bike? I like the reduced maintenance, easier to set up and keep tuned up idea of a single speed, but wonder if these benefits disappear as soon as you add in even a second gear?
Looking on the net doesn't really throw up much in the way of this - put in '3 speed' and you get a load of sturmey archer stuff.
If it makes a difference, the donor bike is a 2006 specialized rockhopper, is this a good basis for a project?
Sorry, lots of questions!
Ta, CH
Do it with traditional mechs, and you might as well have a 1x9 or whatever. Do it with an Alfine or Rohloff (sp?) hub and you're also going to have at least 8 gears.
Other than Sturmey Archer, who actually offers a 2 or 3 speed gearing system?
Well that was kind of the question...
I just thought single speed - ace, but it'd be handy to have a granny gear...
I kind of assumed that you might have 2 or 3 crank rings, and no derailleur at the rear - but I guess you'd still need some kind of tensioner, so you'd lose a lot of the single speed benefit - or am I wrong?
I just thought single speed - ace, but it'd be handy to have a granny gear...
I kind of assumed that you might have 2 or 3 crank rings, and no derailleur at the rear - but I guess you'd still need some kind of tensioner, so you'd lose a lot of the single speed benefit - or am I wrong?
Dr Bob said:
Yeah, it might just be the case that I need to MTFU, the hills probably aren't completely insurmountable on a SS, just wonder if it's be doable - I might try by going on a ride out and just not changing gear!
Which hills are they?Someone here might be able to let you know if they're doable or not.
Dr Bob said:
Well that was kind of the question...
I just thought single speed - ace, but it'd be handy to have a granny gear...
I kind of assumed that you might have 2 or 3 crank rings, and no derailleur at the rear - but I guess you'd still need some kind of tensioner, so you'd lose a lot of the single speed benefit - or am I wrong?
If your tensioner has the range you may be able to shift from middle to granny, I'm sure I've read about someone may be Sheldon Brown setting one of his bikes up so he could do this IIRC the change was by moving the chain by handI just thought single speed - ace, but it'd be handy to have a granny gear...
I kind of assumed that you might have 2 or 3 crank rings, and no derailleur at the rear - but I guess you'd still need some kind of tensioner, so you'd lose a lot of the single speed benefit - or am I wrong?
It's superb, very focussing, as you need to try and preserve momentum, it's not much slower than a geared bike on an overall ride, but in some sections and circumstances it's definitely quicker. So much easier in the mud, just keep powering, no gears clogging, long grass in summer is ok as well as it's not winding into an expensive rear mech.
My current ride a Pace RC129er, Reynolds 853 and it's lovely.
Previous one a Cannondale Trail SS, nice enough, but wanted the Pace more.
My current ride a Pace RC129er, Reynolds 853 and it's lovely.
Previous one a Cannondale Trail SS, nice enough, but wanted the Pace more.
Dr Bob said:
Well that was kind of the question...
I just thought single speed - ace, but it'd be handy to have a granny gear...
I kind of assumed that you might have 2 or 3 crank rings, and no derailleur at the rear - but I guess you'd still need some kind of tensioner, so you'd lose a lot of the single speed benefit - or am I wrong?
If your tensioner has the range you may be able to shift from middle to granny, I'm sure I've read about someone may be Sheldon Brown setting one of his bikes up so he could do this IIRC the change was by moving the chain by handI just thought single speed - ace, but it'd be handy to have a granny gear...
I kind of assumed that you might have 2 or 3 crank rings, and no derailleur at the rear - but I guess you'd still need some kind of tensioner, so you'd lose a lot of the single speed benefit - or am I wrong?
Give it a go, it's amazing how efficient they are, and the other nice thing is the silence. Hills are a challenge depending on your fitness, as for spinning, depends how technical it is, the more technical the less you notice the lack of pedalling, and there really isn't much in the times.
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