[trialsmasta]

I guess my question is more pointed toward you single speeders. Whats the attraction? Why ride a bike with one gear when you can ride one with 27? Do you think there would be any interest in the market for a internally geared hub for single speed and cyclocross frames?

 

[nicklin]

i ride a bruiser and run ss with it if that counts.

it's a very nice feeling to not worry about gears and go all out, and the direct power input is addicting. after riding an ss all geared bike seem so clumsy and power sucking, with the exception of the older 8 speed XTR stuff, but that was way long ago.

 

[Toshi]

i like the lack of noise and the clean look more than anything. i would like to have at least two speeds ideally -- one trials ratio for pedal kicking and then 2:1 for everything else

 

[endtroducing]

the purity of it! like soap! it makes me feel prepubescent all over again! Whatever. i hate hate hate making adjustments. The idea of "wrenching" is fun, and i enjoy toying with my bike, but constantly having to fiddle with parts drives me nuts. My ocd quickly kicks in, and every little squeakrubclickclankcreak resonates in my skull as i ride, driving me wankers and ultimately detracting from the experience. Essentially every part on my bike is chosen specifically with durability, simplicity, and serviceability in mind. one speed. 3 piece cranks. avid discs. rigid fork. Also, like Toshi, I'm a sucker for the aesthetics.

Lastly, I'm a glutton for punishment.


(p.s. any internally geared 6-7 speed hub of high durablity and acceptable weight would sell like pumpkin pie flavored crack. and would be the only way i'd ever even toy with the idea of gears again.)

 

[BurlyShirley]

when i ride my SS, I feel like its just me Vs. the terrain. Like I dont even have a mechanical advantage. If theres a hill, i just pedal harder. Its a neat feeling that you get used to after about 10 minutes.

 

[BikeGeek]

I guess my question is more pointed toward you single speeders. Whats the attraction?

It's fun, but a different kind of fun than geared riding. The only way to truly understand is to try it.

 

[Echo]

In my short time singlespeeding, I've been surprised at what I can do without gears. The bike is light, simple, and quiet. Maybe not everyone appreciates that sort of thing, but I do.

 

[BikeGeek]

In my short time singlespeeding, I've been surprised at what I can do without gears.

Word. I added a rigid fork to the mix and eventually noticed that it made me faster on my geared hardtail. I wasn't shifting unnecessarily and I was picking cleaner, faster lines.

 

[riderx]

It let's me drink more beer.

 

[riderx]

Do you think there would be any interest in the market for a internally geared hub for single speed and cyclocross frames?

It's already been done.

 

[trialsmasta]

It's already been done.

How many of you would be willing to pay $1000 for a hub to get away from a derailer or would you just rather run single speed?

 

[PsychO!1]

I run a SS because I like the simplicity and the man vs. terrain aspect of riding. If/when I wanted gears, I would ride my XC bike that has gears. I guess what I'm trying to say is, i believe most people ride SS because they only have one gear, adding an internally geared hub would defeat the purpose most of us ride them for.

just my opinion.

 

[MtnbikeMike]

It's already been done.

Wow, they've sold over 10,000? I didn't think they were that popular.

 

[riderx]

How many of you would be willing to pay $1000 for a hub to get away from a derailer or would you just rather run single speed?

I can build a sweet single speed for a G with money left over for beer.

 

[MtnbikeMike]

Didn't Redline already do that?

 

[slowSSer]

I guess my question is more pointed toward you single speeders. Whats the attraction? Why ride a bike with one gear when you can ride one with 27? Do you think there would be any interest in the market for a internally geared hub for single speed and cyclocross frames?

an internally geared hub would make a SS NOT a SS, right?

why? because:
i cant count higer than one
i like my knees blown out
i like to be anti-establishment
the chicks dig it.

in reality:
http://mtbr.com/faq/ssfaq.shtml
assuming we arent working on it.

I started SSing as a "why not, Ive got strong legs" and never looked back. the current bike quiver has a 26er SS, a 29er SS, a kona cowen SS, and the only geared bikes are the roadie and the dean- the dean does NOT like the SS idea (yes, my bikes talk to me, is that so wrong?) and the roadie is used for triathlons where gears are a good idea.

 

[w00dy]

A rohloff is a whole other ballgame. It weighs a ton and costs as much as a bike. I recently tried to build myself a disc internally geared hub with all sealed bearings, based on the sram version. While it worked, I loved it. Never a missed shift, never a dropped chain (once I got it set up right), and no chain slap.
Drawbacks:
There was definitely a weight penalty. I could feel that it was less efficient than my friends bikes. It crapped out on my about a week ago, totally unusable. To be fair, I did a load of bad things to it to modify it, and it's not meant for jumping/offroad/inclement weather.
If somebody made a decent 5-7 speed version, I'd be all over it.

 

[bomberz1qr20]

I'm a bike mechanic. After wrenching on others people's bikes, I'm too burnt to wrench on my own. SS keeps the maintenance down.

And it's fun.

 

[oldfart]

I don't ride a ss because it's mountainous here. I live a little above sea level and the trails are all pretty much between 1000 and 3000 feet up. I like to try and ride up some pretty steep single track and no one can ride those on a single geared bike, unless it only had a really low gear. I keep my bikes running well and know how to tune them so that I am never constantly adjusting them. Never.

I dislike the counter culture reason some people seem to use. Why ride a certain style of bike just to fit in?

I have thought about converting a hardtail into a full ridgid ss, but I know I'd ride it a few times and hate it. I can certainly see the attraction for some folks though. Just not for me.

 

[bean]

Because I broke my shifters and haven't bothered to order new ones. I've got all the drawbacks of single speeding it, but none of the weight saving benefits.

 

[SuspectDevice]

How does 'cross fit into all this exactly?
I have a ss cross bike that I ride when it's REALLY muddy...

 

[hardtail_schmuk]

(p.s. any internally geared 6-7 speed hub of high durablity and acceptable weight would sell like pumpkin pie flavored crack.[/QUOTE]

Word. like crack.

 

[bigkonarider]

It's very different. So quick you'll think you were on a 10# bike sometimes !
If you are into fitness aspect of mtn biking-Then you get much more upper body work than on a geared bike..
Just try & stand alot & crank..Plus will make you a real blazer on the DH runs..
NO Mechanicals unless the axle slips w/o chain tugs !!
Flat's take longer to change though on the BACK of a SS w/ Vertical d/outs.
That is a little annoying--but rarly happens & compared to ALL the other mechanicals on a FULLy loaded derailer/geared bike..It DOESN'T EVEN COMPARE ! Singlespeeds of any kind are cool..Road/DH/Slalom/Jump/Cruiser & have always been cool..
I have seriously amazed people on a rigid SS on DH runs....
Be a believer & buy one asap! Plus are really a cool crowd & not too serious & MOST of the Singlespeeders i have met-are highly knowlegeable about bikes usually ..& pounding some beverages no doubt........

It's fun, but a different kind of fun than geared riding. The only way to truly understand is to try it.