Single speed mountain bikes

[LegendRider]

To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld, what's the deal with single speed mountain bikes?

I ask because they seem like a cheap alternative to the geared mtn. bikes I've been looking at recently. I'm not anxious to sink $3k in a bike that will only be ridden a dozen times a year...

Thoughts?

[Acotts]

SS MTBs are just toys. Really fun toys. But they are limited in their application.

I use my SS 29er on the local trails I know by heart. Mostly when I am riding by my lonesome.

But if I want to go really fast, race, ride a really hard trail, explore a new area, or keep up with the fast group, I use my geared full squish rig.

They make a fantastic second second MTB. If I had only one MTB, i would stick with the full squish-geared rig.

If you do go single, get a 29er.

[Matt-H]

There are some folks around my area that ride the local, technical mtb trails on ss 29'ers. Strictly speaking of xc trails, they can ride whatever I can on my full suspension 5" rig, they just sometimes pick a different line through the really rocky stuff. Comfort can be an issue, however.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you are only using it a dozen times per year, a ss can be tough on the legs depending what trails you ride. The terrain here includes many short, steep climbs that can be very hard to clean if your legs are not used to a single gear. The riders that ride a ss often, however, are FAST!

[avalonracing]

Gears=Good

There are some great deals on used, geared MTBs right now as trendy guys sell them to buy SS MTBs. ;)

[Acotts]

oh yeah. I want to qualify my post.

Its comming from one recreational MTBer to another. If I were more hardcore, sacrificing the road and CX season for MTBs, I am sure I would be able to do a lot more on the SS.

MTBing is super hard, but super fun as well. If you are not out there everyday honing your skills and are seeking new challenges, then its hard enough with gears.

P.s. I think all road riders should throw in some MTB in their year. It will make you a better, stronger, smoother, faster rider.

[weatherman]

There are some folks around my area that ride the local, technical mtb trails on ss 29'ers. Strictly speaking of xc trails, they can ride whatever I can on my full suspension 5" rig, they just sometimes pick a different line through the really rocky stuff. Comfort can be an issue, however.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you are only using it a dozen times per year, a ss can be tough on the legs depending what trails you ride. The terrain here includes many short, steep climbs that can be very hard to clean if your legs are not used to a single gear. The riders that ride a ss often, however, are FAST!

Riding a SS mtb will make you a much faster/more aggressive rider and improve your overall skills quickly. Honestly, I don't want to start an argument but in terms of speed and for XC racing, in many cases I am faster on my SS because you are forced to stay on top of the gear and ride aggressively 100% of the time. There is no backing down (or you'll be walking). I own a SS and geared 29er---my geared bike rarely sees action except when I plan to do rides with some serious climbing (think Colorado--say 3-4k elevation gain on a ride). Most of the time I race my SS.

Fully agree with the comment about going 29er if you do a SS--that advice is spot on. Some people may suggest SS rigs are a "fad"--look around, they aren't. They've been around for years, serious riders ride them everywhere/anywhere, some even with rigid front forks (I'm not quite that hardcore).

Also agree with the comments that if you don't ride the mtb frequently or aren't used to a SS setup, that it could be hard for the occasional ride to get used to it etc. I have a SS road/commuter bike as well so am frequently riding a single gear, thus not a big adjustment. Find a used one to try out and go from there, my guess is you will enjoy it.

Good luck! :beer:

[peanutgallery]

Some of the same reasons that many insist on a fixed gear. Mechanical simplicity

Here in PA, where the rocks breed like rabbits and grow like weeds, a squishy and geared MTB takes a lot of abuse. Trails are littered with drivetrain parts and their broken recreational riders. A 29 single speed is simpler than a squishy 26 and their owners claim that they are "fun" and cheaper to maintain. I have noticed that pupils are usually missing from the eye, brain matter is exposed to the air and kneecaps have long since popped off.

Personally, I don't see it. Drivetrains grow on trees in Asia (so I hear) and can be delivered right to your door on the cheap. I will continue to consume until I find more fitness or hit my head. Gotta admire the drive it takes to ride one of those around here.

Waiting for the single-speed, 29er, fixed gear craze to hit the trails around here. Now that would be a hoot and give us old guys a chance

[uno-speedo]

One aspect I enjoy about SS riding is the maintenance. I clean/oil the chain and thats it pretty much. Riding SS is a good work out not just for the legs but for the upper body to.

Now some people are riding fixed off road :bike:

[peanutgallery]

Now some people are riding fixed off road :bike:

I would love to see that at Michaux

[rinconryder]

Single speed is the way to go. Unless I am hitting some gnarlier trails where my physical well being requires full suspension, I go with the single speed. There is something nice about the simplicity. It will make you strong.

Right now I am waffling on the 29er thing. I am able to fly up the steep stuff pretty well on a 26 inch single speed, the only problem being coming back down and feeling like I am going to go over the handlebars. I am not sold on 29ers but am not completely closed to it - I just don't think they are the second coming as some people claim they are with among other things, the weight of the bike being a disadvantage. I suspect that people who swear by them have never seen a real, extended, climb.

[Matt-H]

Single speed is the way to go. Unless I am hitting some gnarlier trails where my physical well being requires full suspension, I go with the single speed. There is something nice about the simplicity. It will make you strong.

Right now I am waffling on the 29er thing. I am able to fly up the steep stuff pretty well on a 26 inch single speed, the only problem being coming back down and feeling like I am going to go over the handlebars. I am not sold on 29ers but am not completely closed to it - I just don't think they are the second coming as some people claim they are with among other things, the weight of the bike being a disadvantage. I suspect that people who swear by them have never seen a real, extended, climb.


Not to stray ot, but I, too, am not entirely convinced 29'ers are the bike for me. I've ridden them, both geared and ss, and like them just fine. However, weight (how much are we really talking about?) would not have any impact on me personally as a non-racer. Also, I have ridden big, extended climbs with people on 29'ers, 40 pound freeride rigs, etc. who just crushed it (and made me look silly :) ), and they all swear by the bikes they are riding. I'd really like to experience a 650b at some point.

Peanutgallery - In our neck of the woods, I agree, fixies wouldn't seem to work very well...

[Jawn P]

Hey PA guys, Tomi McMillar finished the Wilderness 101 in 9 hours on his fixed MTB. So there's no excuse :)

But that being said, I really don't think gears and squish are the end all be all in being faster. I've got both a rigid SS 29er, and a geared hardtail. I feel that where one lacks, I am stronger on the other.

[Matt-H]

Hey PA guys, Tomi McMillar finished the Wilderness 101 in 9 hours on his fixed MTB. So there's no excuse :)

But that being said, I really don't think gears and squish are the end all be all in being faster. I've got both a rigid SS 29er, and a geared hardtail. I feel that where one lacks, I am stronger on the other.


That is just showing off... :p Seriously, unbelievable!

And, on the second part, I totally agree.

[MassBiker]

A lot depends on what you call MTB and how you ride it.
To some it is a leisurely ride on a dirt trail, to some it is gnarly downhills, tight singletrack, etc.

If you are faster on a SS then a geared you're doing it wrong (no offense).

:beer:

[peanutgallery]

Hey PA guys, Tomi McMillar finished the Wilderness 101 in 9 hours on his fixed MTB. So there's no excuse :)
.

Tell him to bring that fixed gear death contraption to Michaux.

Amazing accomplishment, but it must be a pure joy to ride downhill, no?

[Acotts]

Single speed is the way to go. Unless I am hitting some gnarlier trails where my physical well being requires full suspension, I go with the single speed. There is something nice about the simplicity. It will make you strong.

Right now I am waffling on the 29er thing. I am able to fly up the steep stuff pretty well on a 26 inch single speed, the only problem being coming back down and feeling like I am going to go over the handlebars. I am not sold on 29ers but am not completely closed to it - I just don't think they are the second coming as some people claim they are with among other things, the weight of the bike being a disadvantage. I suspect that people who swear by them have never seen a real, extended, climb.


I have a feeling you ride more on your MTB than the OP. As someone who trail rides a lot, I think the SS is great.

But I just cannot rec it to someone as their only MTB.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . and I can't help but think this while SS thing has come and will soon go for both road and MTB. Especially for "fixies."

I bought a Langster with the flip-flop rear hub in February of '08 as a coffee shop and bike trail bike and for that--once in a while--it's great. But it only took one ride with the hub in "fixed" gear for me to realize that the riding experience on a fixie puts an awful lot of stress on your knees, especially if you're riding on anything other than totally flat terrain.

I can't imagine deliberately subjecting myself to the physical punishment on my legs that would be involved in being a messenger on a daily basis and riding up and down hills on a fixie with no brakes. And that's on pavement. IMHO, anyone who does that with a fixed gear with no rim or disc brakes on an MTB on rough downhill terrain either has legs like Ah-nold or a death wish--or both! :eek: :p

BBD

[gregclimbs]

Thoughts?

About a year and a half ago I went from a geared trek stp to a ss (26"er).

It is my only mtb and it gets ridden about 1 day a week on average... the other 5-6 days are road until this time of year when CX takes over...

I like it for a lot of the reasons listed above... simplicity being the best - with a lot of bikes, it is nice to only have to lube the chain and check the brake pads.

I find that I can ride 99% of 99% of the trails that I could ride before.

I regularly ride trails from my house that have 3-4000 feet of climbing in them.

I use a 32x17 gear.

BUT, I have been riding for a while and off-road for a long time too.

I find that I climb faster than before cause it's climb fast or walk.

I can usually hang with the gearies on the flats and descents because I have an aversion to brakes and inclination for speed.

I find that riding with gearies points out one of the keys taught by the SS (any wheel-size) - and that is a conservation of momentum. Ride behind a geared by on your ss and you will constantly be asking them "why are you slowing down here?"

It does make you stronger, and it does make you work outside your "comfort zone" of cadence/power pairs...

I like'em ATMO.

HTH...

g

[fil]

i bought a kona unit this year and pretty much immediately put my geared hard tail up for sale. i love the unit. its cheap, steel, simple, and rides great. if i was racing mtb more or riding trails multiple times a week i would probably have a geared bike too.

[markie]

I am a SS fan. I agree that it might not be a good choice for an occasional rider, but I don't seeing going back to gears...

I have been riding fixed a lot on the road and the last couple of years I have been riding fixed off-road too. It is a fun challenge for the mild trails here in the Mid-West...

[weaponsgrade]

I have a SS too. I find that I attack the hills a lot more aggressively so I can stay on top of the gear, keep the pedals turning, and keep the momentum.

[spiderman]

i have a surly pugsley set up as a single speed.
...it is the king of mountain bikes...
at least for me.
i ride the bike over snow banks
and across the frozen lake in winter,
through the mud in spring
and the sweet soft grassy trails of summer.
whatever awaits autumn...
it's going to be good.
i've had to walk the bike a few times
up steep icy banks in winter
but otherwise haven't needed any other gears but the one!
(i am also certain that the way i ride that thing
it probably wouldn't still have a rd left anyway)
i have never
...i repeat...
ever--
had as much fun on any other bike!

[Likes2ridefar]

My favorite thing about riding a single speed is that I'm in the wrong gear all the time.

[nahtnoj]

Riding a SS mtb will make you a much faster/more aggressive rider and improve your overall skills quickly. Honestly, I don't want to start an argument but in terms of speed and for XC racing, in many cases I am faster on my SS because you are forced to stay on top of the gear and ride aggressively 100% of the time. There is no backing down (or you'll be walking). I own a SS and geared 29er---my geared bike rarely sees action except when I plan to do rides with some serious climbing (think Colorado--say 3-4k elevation gain on a ride). Most of the time I race my SS.

Fully agree with the comment about going 29er if you do a SS--that advice is spot on. Some people may suggest SS rigs are a "fad"--look around, they aren't. They've been around for years, serious riders ride them everywhere/anywhere, some even with rigid front forks (I'm not quite that hardcore).

Also agree with the comments that if you don't ride the mtb frequently or aren't used to a SS setup, that it could be hard for the occasional ride to get used to it etc. I have a SS road/commuter bike as well so am frequently riding a single gear, thus not a big adjustment. Find a used one to try out and go from there, my guess is you will enjoy it.

Good luck! :beer:

Great discussion!

+1 until you get to the last paragraph.

MTB riding introduces all sorts of variables that are not present on road rides. Rocks, logs, trees, roots - all of these things require thinking and adjustment. If we are talking flat to moderate terrain, I'd argue that the SS (I ride an SS 29er, so this isn't idle speculation) would be easier for the occasional rider b/c they can focus on the obstacles and not be distracted by the bike.

[flickwet]

I built my Surly 1x1 to serve as a winter bike, no suspension no gears nothin' to go wrong, put full fenders on it.
I ride single track about once a week around here, (ne ohio),
I only ride the 1x1 now, I LOVE IT, big mutanorapter tires are all the suspension I need, built it as a dingle 32/34 chain rings, 16/18 rear, flats versus hillier stuff.
My kids buddies now fight over who am I gonna let ride it when I'm not.
The best bike, probably not, the most fun bike, Heck-yeah

[guyintense]

My favorite thing about riding a single speed is that I'm in the wrong gear all the time.
Now that was funny.

Single speeds are so one dimensional.

[SC Will]

They do seem to be trendy

I bought a custom Seven SS MTB on Ebay and it makes for the best commuter you can imagine

[L84dinr]

I have an old Schwinn KOM that i traded a Torpado SL for years ago. The shifters stopped working so i stripped the shifters off, installed a singulator, and it has been good to go; A great beater bike.

rtp