Hairy Posted June 23, 2015 Share Copy and Paste, because it is a fun read The Angry Singlespeeder: Singlespeeds aren’t dead. They just smell funny. The ASS weighs in on the "state of singlespeeds"By Kurt Gensheimer June 18, 2015 OPINIONhttp://reviews.mtbr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Zach_Allen.jpgZach Allen keeps it real at Mammoth 2014 as the only singlespeeder in the cross country race (click to enlarge).While thumbing through a freshly delivered copy of Dirt Rag magazine last week, I encountered some “screed” on the state of singlespeeds written by fellow scribe and mountain biking buddy Eric McKeegan. In short, Eric said “singlespeeds = dead”. According to Eric, what used to be a thriving tribe of counterculture misfits is no more. They’ve moved on.In the words of Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction, “allow me to retort”. Singlespeeds aren’t dead. They just smell funny. What do I mean by this? So long as bicycles exist as a thing, singlespeeds exist as a thing. While Eric may be onto something when talking about a singlespeed tribe or culture, that’s not the reason why I started singlespeeding. The state of singlespeeds shouldn’t be judged based on the fleeting counterculture that surrounds them.http://reviews.mtbr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Angry.jpgIt’s true. The ASS loves to pretend he’s Rich “Dicky” Dillen (click to enlarge).For me riding a singlespeed is just another tool in the toolbox of bicycles. I don’t only ride a singlespeed. Nowadays I’m riding my geared full suspension bike just as much or more because the brutally steep terrain around Downieville requires it. People like to jibe me when I post a picture of my Ripley with gears under my ASS Instagram handle. I have no shame admitting I’ve got more geared bikes in my garage than ones without derailleurs. If that makes me a hypocrite, then I’ll own up to it fully. The road of life is paved with hypocrisy.There’s a fine line between being stubborn and stupid. Through extensive experience, I know the line well, which is why I am more selective these days about bringing my singlespeed to a place like Downieville. In the words of the great Greg Williams of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, “the only reason why you’d ride a singlespeed around Downieville is if you recently got divorced or declared bankruptcy.”http://reviews.mtbr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/FU.jpgThe ASS doesn’t hate gears all the time, just some of the time (click to enlarge). Photo by Craig BusterI don’t ride a singlespeed because “**** you”. I don’t ride a singlespeed because it pairs well with leather jackets, tattoos, punk rock and getting hammered all the time. I ride a singlespeed because I’m a faster climber on one. I ride a singlespeed because I love the sensation of going downhill without a chain incessantly banging on my chainstay. I ride a singlespeed because I prefer the worry-free, low-maintenance benefits of a bike with no shifters or derailleurs. I ride a singlespeed because I cherish the looks people give after telling them I did a 50-mile ride with 8,000 feet of climbing on a bike with no gears. I ride a singlespeed because it pays homage to the original one-speed velocipede invented more than 130 years ago. And yes, I ride a singlespeed because it’s the best release for a wellspring of anger.For me, singlespeeding has never been about looking cool, being cool or hanging out with other people who think they’re cool. Last year I spoke up about the shitshow that was Singlespeed World Championships in Alaska, and a good friend who was also in attendance said, “you shouldn’t have talked bad about SSWC, because you’re causing a rift in the tribe.”http://reviews.mtbr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ASS.jpgThe ASS negotiating Downieville’s murderous 8-mile climb on a singlespeed (click to enlarge). Photo by Forrest ArakawaTribe? What tribe? I ride a singlespeed for me. Nobody else. Single. Speed. It should come as no coincidence that I prefer to ride my singlespeed alone. I don’t need a tribe to be able to ride my bike. So when I hear singlespeeds are dead, I shrug my shoulders. The anti-establishment counterculture long associated with singlespeeds may be dying, but who cares? If that’s the only reason why you choose to ride a singlespeed, then you shouldn’t have gotten a singlespeed in the first place. Go buy a fat bike or something. I guarantee you that singlespeeds will still be around long after fat bikes = dead.Perhaps Eric thinks singlespeeds are dead because TheAngry Singlespeeder ceases to exist as a person on Facebook any longer. Three months ago the Facebook Gestapo shut down my user account, stating they required a valid government ID to get my account reactivated. Since I don’t have any ID validating my pseudonym, naturally I was up a stump. Even though I sent them an ID with my real name numerous times to work out the situation, they’ve continually ignored and deleted my support requests with no explanation.So if you’re reading this and wondering why we’re not Facebook friends any more, it’s not because I blocked you. It’s not because singlespeeds are dead. It’s just because the folks at Facebook suck at communicating. Nearly 10,000 friends and followers are now in the dark because TheAngry has disappeared from the world of Facebook. But as my literary hero Mark Twain famously said, “the report of my death was an exaggeration”. The same goes for singlespeeds. Now if anyone knows somebody high up at Facebook who can help resurrect TheAngry, drop me a line.Editor’s Note: The Angry Singlespeeder is a collection of mercurial musings from contributing editor Kurt Gensheimer. In no way do his maniacal diatribes about all things bike oriented represent the opinions of Mtbr, RoadBikeReview, or any of their employees, contractors, janitorial staff, family members, household pets, or any other creature, living or dead. You can submit questions or comments to Kurt atsinglespeeder@consumerreview.com. And make sure to check out Kurt’s previous columns. Photo Thumbnails (click to enlarge) IH8MUD and RocknRolla 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryanpmb Posted June 23, 2015 Share For me, singlespeeding has never been about looking cool, being cool or hanging out with other people who think they’re cool. Soooo... I'm going to call bull**** on this statement of his - given the hipster shirt and beard and goggles thing he has going on in the pics... He's trying SO hard. But no, he's not trying to be cool. Shame. Singlespeeding IS cool. For a number of reasons (some of which he ironically listed). Own it... I do agree with the sentiments re SSWC though... Edited June 23, 2015 by Ryanpmb Hairy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted June 23, 2015 Share Soooo... I'm going to call bull**** on this statement of his - given the hipster shirt and beard and googles thing he has going on in the pics... He's trying SO hard. But no, he's not trying to be cool. Shame. Singlespeeding IS cool. For a number of reasons (some of which he ironically listed). Own it... I do agree with the sentiments re SSWC though...I think it is more a matter of those buying into the SS scene to simply go where it is "cool" ...... kind of like #moonlightmass bikes (Personal hate was hearing people say they have to buy some or other hipster bike in order to do and ride the moonlightmass .......ride what you have I say) and every dick tom and harry now being very #enduro. Ryan .... I own a few pairs of questionable design / pattern baggies, but I wear them because I have them and I have grown to really like them ..... and they are party baggies as the side pockets accommodate beer very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocknRolla Posted June 23, 2015 Share Soooo... I'm going to call bull**** on this statement of his - given the hipster shirt and beard and googles thing he has going on in the pics... He's trying SO hard. But no, he's not trying to be cool. Shame. Singlespeeding IS cool. For a number of reasons (some of which he ironically listed). Own it... I do agree with the sentiments re SSWC though... Yeah, he blurts a whole bunch of contradiction. I agree with this: "because it pays homage to the original one-speed velocipede invented more than 130 years ago. And yes, I ride a singlespeed because it’s the best release for a wellspring of anger." IH8MUD, Ryanpmb, the nerd and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryanpmb Posted June 23, 2015 Share I think it is more a matter of those buying into the SS scene to simply go where it is "cool" ...... kind of like #moonlightmass bikes (Personal hate was hearing people say they have to buy some or other hipster bike in order to do and ride the moonlightmass .......ride what you have I say) and every dick tom and harry now being very #enduro. Ryan .... I own a few pairs of questionable design / pattern baggies, but I wear them because I have them and I have grown to really like them ..... and they are party baggies as the side pockets accommodate beer very well. *Ryanpmb walks out the door in his plaid shirt, scratching his beard. Hops onto his singlespeed and rides off into the singletrack waving a middle finger at all cassettes in sight* RocknRolla, IH8MUD and danthunders 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rock Posted June 23, 2015 Share One's SS needs to be the most expensive bike in your quiver. No old re-cycled 26ers with a chain tensioner. danthunders and Ryanpmb 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rock Posted June 23, 2015 Share I fitted 10 gears to my SS and haven't even ridden it yet. Far too ashamed. danthunders 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V12man Posted June 23, 2015 Share One's SS needs to be the most expensive bike in your quiver. No old re-cycled 26ers with a chain tensioner. Do old recycled 26ers converted to sliding dropouts count as ok? IH8MUD, DIPSLICK and shaper 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V12man Posted June 23, 2015 Share I fitted 10 gears to my SS and haven't even ridden it yet. Far too ashamed.It's NOT an SS if you CAN fit gears to it..... cut those bits off.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIPSLICK Posted June 23, 2015 Share One's SS needs to be the most expensive bike in your quiver. No old re-cycled 26ers with a chain tensioner. I fitted 10 gears to my SS and haven't even ridden it yet. Far too ashamed.you get "MODS" and you get back yard jobs,,,,just saying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIPSLICK Posted June 23, 2015 Share Do old recycled 26ers converted to sliding dropouts count as ok? small 20150616_162600.jpgshow them a side angle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V12man Posted June 23, 2015 Share show them a side angle RocknRolla, IH8MUD, Jinga and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowta Posted June 23, 2015 Share small 20150607_142228.jpg Who put on the sliders for you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rock Posted June 23, 2015 Share It's NOT an SS if you CAN fit gears to it..... cut those bits off.... ahh you got me there. will grind the tabs off when I fit a split Tange sliding drop out so I can fit a belt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rock Posted June 23, 2015 Share Do old recycled 26ers converted to sliding dropouts count as ok? small 20150616_162600.jpg they do, but you have to get 24 x 3.0 tyres and call it something stupid like 24+ Edited June 23, 2015 by rock IH8MUD and Ryanpmb 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIPSLICK Posted June 23, 2015 Share ahh you got me there. will grind the tabs off when I fit a split Tange sliding drop out so I can fit a belt you will need a split frame Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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