What is the Advantages of having a Single Speed Crankset?

[gpcar]

Hi there guys,

I am interested to know why are people changing there cranks to only one chainring?

Is it easier? Harder?

 

Thanks

[M L]

Harder; bigger tendency to spin out, bigger tendency to struggle on climbs.

 

Roughly 350-400 grams lighter, cleaner looking handlebar, simplicity, makes you look taai.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

To add to marinio, in my case it's the following:

 

More clearance at the BB for technical trails (the only trails I ride, really)

Simpler

Only one shifter to worry about

Makes me tougher (don't have the granny as a cop-out, and if I can ride it to the mast, it's good enough for me)

DOESN'T mean I spin out. I don't ride at more than 40kph on dirt roads for extended periods of time - I don't view that as mountain biking. Jeep track is there to get to the top of the trail or inbetween singletracks. If I go faster than that, it's gravity doing the work with me trying to keep my hands off the brakes

More control (again, the clean bike principle)

Cleaner look around the BB

[flyluis]

Because Kulhavy had one at the epic......

[Hairy]

Some of you boys sound like knock kneed, chicken legged girly boys.

 

If you can't ride a single ring up front and others can and you don't get why it is being ridden set up like that then sorry for you.

[shaper]

How many of you have 2 pr 3 rings at the front and hardly ever change it from the one you regularly ride in? Lots I guess especially 3 rings who sit on the middle ring and hardly ever change it.

 

If you are running a 11/36 at the back you will have enough gears for most things anyway, so why not shed weight,have less things to go wrong or break and clean up the bike

Edited July 13, 2013 by shaper

[gpcar]

Thanks for your responses

[Wyatt Earp]

Posers

[RexFuzzle]

*What are the advantages...

[Hairy]

Posers

Only posers are those that ride with a single ring in front and a single cog at the back .... those SS riders are true posers!

[Hairy]

*What are the advantages...

Clearance and less chance of dropping the chain on the front on really rocky terrain as a single ring up front traditionally has a guide and roller to keep the chain in place, the new wide narrow rings combined with a clutch type rear der seems to be doing a decent job too and this then negates the need for a guide and roller.

[KaKa]

after many years of not using the small chain ring i removed it...

[gpcar]

Yea thinking of doing that.

[Li Mu Bai]

When things get wet and muddy, especially in KZN, I noticed 10speed does create issues with 2 rings up front and chainsuck, even when everything is properly lubed and set. (thinner chain and less clearance)The FD does get fouled and performance wanes when really clogged up with mud and grass.

Having the single ring up front has done away with this completely. enjoying 1x10 at the moment, obviously there may come a time that something really steep and technical forces me out the saddle, but then again, I have never found a hill that I cannot walk up.

Edited September 20, 2013 by Li Mu Bai

[Hairy]

When things get wet and muddy, especially in KZN, I noticed 10speed does create issues with 2 rings up front and chainsuck, even when everything is properly lubed and set. (thinner chain and less clearance)The FD does get fouled and performance wanes when really clogged up with mud and grass.

Having the single ring up front has done away with this completely. enjoying 1x10 at the moment, obviously there may come a time that something really steep and technical forces me out the saddle, but then again, I have never found a hill that I cannot walk up.

Classic and so true!

[avatar]

let me put it to you this way... Riding with a 2 x 10 you mostly use the lowest 4 gears at the back on flats or at speed (and to avoid riding cross chain) and on the small ring you maybe ride the 5 top big gears at the back on the hills. So in total you use about 9 or 10 of your 20 available gears. With 1 x 10/11 you use all your gears, and with the correct ratio you'll lose maybe the biggest one or the smallest one that was available on the 2x10 setup. So if you take a concrete pill and drop the biggest gear, its just a little bit more effort to get up the steep ones, and by the time you really cant pedal anymore everyone else will prob be walking already. And did I say that it looks awesome when you look down and its so CLEAN! no FD no chainguide. And it all looks so cool and saves weight too!