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Singlespeed simplicity


RodTi

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So here's a thread to hopefully pass away a few hours at work...

 

 

I'm going to convert my ride to a Singlespeed one day.

Something just seems right about it.

Something in the simplicity of it.

 

And whenever I google SS bicycles - I invariably find countless uber-cool, arty websites with amazing pics up, seemingly taken by some cool-cats who lead the types of lives where, if they feel the need to hop on to their sleek "I have all day and you don't" steeds - well then, they just do.... B)

 

But here's the thing...

 

I caught myself thinking the other day about how SS riders surely only worry about lubing their chains - and seemingly nothing else...

They just hop on and ride - with no worries really about speed, gear ratios, maybe even fork/shock compression issues etc. etc... You know - just roll with the breeze through the hair etc etc...

 

Then I started thinking, given how long it usually takes me to get everything ready before going on any of my longer rides - how much more chilled it would be, if I was on a SS instead - and chose to just "BE", rather than freaking out like a Boy-Scout ("be prepared") everytime I go riding...

 

But then I had a moment of doubt - would things really change?

 

So with tongue-shoved-firmly-in-cheek - I put it to the SS hubbers out there: How do you Roll?

 

 

Me?

 

In no particular order [for that 'long' ride] ---

 

Grab Garmin Edge - pop it outside, to start finding satelites;

Pump tyres / check pressure [i run tubeless converted];

Grab Camelbak bladder - fill it up;

Insert bladder;

Find phone - pop into Camelbak;

Grab shoes - off to room;

Put on HR Strap;

Put on Chamois Cream;

Get dressed;

Back to garage - grab banana going through kitchen;

Banana in back-pocket;

Gloves on;

Sweat bandana on;

Sunglasses on;

Helmet on;

Pepperspray cannister and house keys in back pocket;

Grab bike - out front door;

Grab Garmin Edge - pop on bike/mount;

Out gate - keys in Camelbak;

Strap up/put on Camelbak;

Attach Pepperspray canister;

Push start;

Ride...

 

Somewhere in between all of this - I've done rudimentary stretching - kissed goodbye to the little one etc etc;

 

All of the above - +/- 20 minutes, sometimes (ok, often) longer...

 

NOW - in my dream world of Singlespeeding...

 

Pump tyres;

Grap keys / maybe phone;

Get dressed - shirt and mtb baggies/stovepipe jeans/hip & happening :P

Put on my helmet;

Ride...

 

 

But this is where reality kicks in... Surely, SS or not - you run the risk of still getting a puncture [tubeless or not] etc? What about a chain snapping? What I mean is - barring the 'tools' you'd need to 'repair' a gearing malfunction - most of what I have in my camelbak presently - would still foreseeably be used were I to be riding a SS...

 

However, I've yet to see a SS with a saddlebag on it?

At least not in the websites I'm looking at... :P

And since a Camelbak presumably clashes with the simplistic approach to life's riding - I assume that's a big no-no as well?

 

Which must mean - that if one looks as cool as one potentially could on a sweet SS machine - then one is instantly too cool to ever have mechanical issues? B)

 

That's it - isn't it?

Look uber-cool - and say bye-bye to the over-burdened rigours of one's past, multi-geared and complicated life?

 

Would love to hear your thoughts - and please don't take any of the above too seriously, and ruin what could be a fun thread...

In fact, take all of the above SS-style - and simply roll with it! ;)

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well all fixie riders need just one tool, and that's a #15 spanner

 

Fixies, in general, are worthy of all sorts of respect.

 

I loved my old "back-pedal" BMX... :D

Remember those?

 

Fixie MTB'ers should be admitted to a necessary mental asylum.

Fixie MTB'ers are mad.

 

:P

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The best part about riding a single is the lack of sound - no changing of gears, no thumping of chain on chainstays - just silent fun.

 

Wicked!

 

Owning a single is the bicycle equivalent of only being a petrol head when you've owned an Alfa. It's painful and hard but the rewards far outweigh the negatives.

 

It makes me feel like a 12 year old all over again. Long before gears, shocks, hydraulic brakes, scandium, carbon, body geometry and all the other *** that clogs up mountain biking.

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Fixies, in general, are worthy of all sorts of respect.

 

I loved my old "back-pedal" BMX... :D

Remember those?

 

I just remember that my tyres never lasted very long.

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Haven't got my fixie yet, but this is what I do to get out of the house quicker than in the past.

 

Roadbike: Bought a BBB holder(looks like a waterbottle and fits in bottle cage) and in it is my medical card, tyre levers, puncture kit, chain link and multitool with chainbreaker and a pump. Extra tube(lightweight and small) taped to seatpost.

 

When I go for a ride: grab cellphone, keys, helmet, sunglasses(always leave it in helmet) and waterbottle with carb mix. Off I go.

 

 

MTB: Also lightweight tube taped to seatpost. I have two CO2 canistars attached to frame.

 

When I go for a ride: grab cellphone, keys, helmet, sunglasses(always leave it in helmet) and waterbottle with carb mix. Also grab (tyre lever, chaintool with most used allen key, chainlink and CO2 dispenser all taped together). Off I go.

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now you guys are going to make me go and buy a scrapped up frame and convert it ...

 

 

lets just say that we all started somewhere with this

usually with more guts than brains

now all we want is a fisher superfly ss and a set of crank bros cobalt29rs

anybody offering to buy me one

PLEASE

no harm in asking :D :rolleyes: :lol: B)

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Old toe clips, so you can wear any old shoes. Spare tube pushed in under your Brooks saddle (to be removed for photos). Courier bag over the shoulder. Ah, what a life! Like bikes should be.

 

(My mate rode his fixie from Mowbray to Java Cafe & back this Sunday. Also MTB's fixies!)

 

You gotto come through for Critical Mass some month - last Friday of the month, meet outside the Baxter at 6:45, ride to town, meet another bunch at CTICC, have coffee off Greenmarket Square.)

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lets just say that we all started somewhere with this

usually with more guts than brains

now all we want is a fisher superfly ss and a set of crank bros cobalt29rs

anybody offering to buy me one

PLEASE

no harm in asking :D :rolleyes: :lol: B)

 

 

Shocking.

 

Single speeds should be old school.

 

I have a converted Kinesis Raleigh RM9 single with vee brakes and my friends moan about how "new" and "hitech" my bike is.

 

Your first single HAS to be built out of spares available in your own house. The only "new" bits have to be gifts from friends or hubbers. You can't buy anything for your first single - thems the rules.

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From a maintenance point of view a single speed will consume less time, but for getting ready before a ride it will take the same time as normal. Maybe a bit quicker as you don't have to check your fork pressure(I ride rigid). I take the same tools with me on ss, except my polar, and I don't have a computer on my ss, so no reset or flicking through modes.

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RodTi - look at the end of the ride scenario too...

 

Geared bike:

Clean bike - all the nooks and crannies (plenty if its a full sus)

Dry bike - all the nooks and crannies (ditto above)

Clean Chain (could be split link, in parafine, good shake, leave to dry - if you that way inclined)

Clean cables (anywhere between 1 and 3 - if you have something for suspensin my bru')

Clean gears (anywhere between 1x9 to 3x10!!! Gear development is a beeeech)

Lube chain

Lube cables

Sit back, rest aching back (cause wife made you buy garden implements not that nice park tools bike stand) and drain beer..

 

SS Bike:

Clean bike - less nooks cause its a hardtail, super skinny steel and all and all cause its like ooober dude!

Dry bike - nah, to much effort after all the lass from the full sus rig

Clean chain....and

Lube chain

DONE

Stand back drain beer and think if wife will cotton on to the pedigree fluffy bloody dog is missing and that your bike has this new blue thing hold it up in the garage at eye level.... :rolleyes:

 

Either which way - you going to take all the necessary *** with you on your bike so you don't have to walk home (yes we have all had to do it and all felt like a **** cause you dress the part, road the part for 5km and then forgot that damn part on the kitchen table)

But keeping the single speed clean is so easy even that pedigree fluff ball can be used as the squeegee!!!

 

Happy trails ya'all!!!

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Shocking.

 

Single speeds should be old school.

 

I have a converted Kinesis Raleigh RM9 single with vee brakes and my friends moan about how "new" and "hitech" my bike is.

 

Your first single HAS to be built out of spares available in your own house. The only "new" bits have to be gifts from friends or hubbers. You can't buy anything for your first single - thems the rules.

 

since i don't own anything carbon let me dream

i am presently riding a daccordi fixie and a 2.2m long 25kg stretch cruiser as my single speeds

my rigid fork dh klunka is 7speed

and my freeride hardtail i only run a 32 blade

even my road bike is 30 years old

so please can mr fisher sponsor me a dream bike B) post-5890-077057800 1284563724.jpgpost-5890-065419700 1284563743.jpg

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Oi MT, you been using the GF's dog to clean your bike again?

 

And Eldron, I agree except for 1 thing - you're allowed to buy a SS cog and tensioner. That's all.

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