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Thread: Singlespeed Mountain Biking

  1. #11
    david
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    Re: Singlespeed Mountain Bikin

    Quote Originally Posted by nikalas View Post
    Ride fixed on the road (suppose my 48X18 gear is poofy FishBulb!?) and no problems
    The people who say riding fixed is bad for the knees are the same people who say running up and down hills is bad for the knees. Exactly the opposite is true in my experience.

  2. #12
    Senior Member idler's Avatar
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    Re: Singlespeed Mountain Bikin

    It's surprising what you can do fixed off road, mostly in a 'because it's there' kind of way admittedly. Welsh trail centres like the Marin, Llandegla, Cockerham triathlon, a friend of mine did the 3 Peaks 2 years ago. Some silliness...
    http://www.63xc.com/sriley/warp.htm
    http://www.63xc.com/sriley/jonwyatt.htm
    It's rubbish when it gets technical, obviously

  3. #13

    Re: Singlespeed Mountain Bikin

    Lola, I am on my third SS now. First one was an old Kona I converted with a chain tensioner, a cog and cassette spacers and ran 'til the frame died. I then bought a second hand Inbred frame off Brant Richards and, although it's a bit shonky it's my favourite bike. Just soaks up abuse and lack of maintenance. Hmm, must remember to service the headset...
    I am now building a Voodoo Wanga with some reasonably nice kit on it as I got fed up with the crap brakes on the Inbred and wanted some decent discs.
    Anyway, in answer to some of your questions, as with any other bike you just ride it and work it out. Do it.
    The 32 x 16 thing is just a 'nice' ration i.e. 2 to 1. Works reasonably well on most things.

    Idler - you know Samuri too, do you? I did the Three Peaks the year Jon did it on his fixie. Quite an achievement!

    Nikalas - don't know much about riding SS on the road. That ratio looks ok to me. I know riding a SS mtb on the road is spintastic!
    Last edited by fishbulb; 10-12-2008 at 10:15 PM.

  4. #14
    Lola
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    Re: Singlespeed Mountain Bikin

    Fishbulb,

    I have an old Trek Superlight frame that has had 2 rebuilds so far but the groupset is completely finished now; the wheels etc are still good for a year or 2 though so I'm fired with the SS idea. I have the time over Christmas and all the tools etc so how to make the conversion? Presumably the single ring has to be crank compatible or else the cost will be huge surely. The block is an 8 speed, who to go to for the spacers and the single cog?

    If I move quick I can have a new bike for Christmas - how cool is that!!

  5. #15
    Senior Member idler's Avatar
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    Re: Singlespeed Mountain Bikin

    Lola: On One do a nice conversion kit... http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/...Convertor.html with a Christmas bonus. You'll probably want an unramped chainring from someone like Chainreaction too. Just make sure you get the right bolt pattern for your chainset.

    Fishbulb: Small world! I've known Jon for ages. Sound fella. Are you on the other place too?

  6. #16
    Grandmaster + stevefoster's Avatar
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    Re: Singlespeed Mountain Bikin

    Got one of these, 42 chainring, 18 sprocket. Great fun on and off road, hardly owt to go wrong and low maintainence. Can get up some steep hills on it and was good training for the Lakeland Loop. 2007 on a 39-27 gear had to get off and push up Hardknott Pass, 2008, after grunting up climbs on SS, pedaled all the way up on same gear
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    Hills and Guinness!

  7. #17
    Grandmaster + stevefoster's Avatar
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    Re: Singlespeed Mountain Bikin

    Quote Originally Posted by idler View Post
    Fishbulb: Small world! I've known Jon for ages. Sound fella. Are you on the other place too?
    Read about Jon on Dave Haygarth's blog, top character
    Hills and Guinness!

  8. #18
    Grandmaster dominion's Avatar
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    Re: Singlespeed Mountain Bikin

    Quote Originally Posted by idler View Post
    Lola: On One do a nice conversion kit... http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/...Convertor.html with a Christmas bonus. You'll probably want an unramped chainring from someone like Chainreaction too. Just make sure you get the right bolt pattern for your chainset.

    Fishbulb: Small world! I've known Jon for ages. Sound fella. Are you on the other place too?
    That's what's on my bike pictured above. I couldn't use the sprocket as the wheel is a really old screw on freewheel, rather than a new style free hub. I was going to get a new pair of wheels and do it properly, but it works okay as it is.

  9. #19
    Grandmaster + stevefoster's Avatar
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    Re: Singlespeed Mountain Bikin

    Essential add on for my Singlespeed, a Surly Tugnutt chain tensioner, cos it opens bottles of beer
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    Hills and Guinness!

  10. #20

    Re: Singlespeed Mountain Bikin

    Lola - the late, lamented Sheldon Brown is your friend: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html

    Idler - if you mean STW then yes, I have been known to frequent. I am Mr Sparkle on there. If you don't mean STW then I know nothing of any 'specialist' sites...

    Merrylegs - I found riding SS really strengthened my climbing. I was always reasonable at it but I'm sure I improved. Pretty sure it improved my leg strength and endurance for fell running too. Getting up Hardknott still on the bike is always a satisfying experience, well done fella.

    Oh, and if you want to do it 'properly' you need one of these bad boys: http://www.sidewayscycles.co.uk/prod...?id=26&clid=12
    Last edited by fishbulb; 11-12-2008 at 11:46 AM.

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