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First ride with my geared buddies... little discouraged, lol

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#21 ·
fishcreek said:
i ride with geared guys and you must go ahead of them uphill otherwise you wont make it to the top following their pace.
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^ This. Getting stuck behind spinning geared riders can sometimes be tough. Don't be afraid to ask them to let you by. After awhile they'll start asking you if you want to get by. Just return the favor on the flats.
 
Discussion starter · #22 ·
Well, I went for another ride with just 1 buddy today, he's on a FS 26er. We both are new to riding really, so we agreed to keep the pace decent but not kill ourselves, and I feel MUCH better about today's ride! I tried the "hover over the saddle" technique and it works really well over the rough stuff, and standing on the downhills is better for sure. Every time I ride I feel a little more in control of the bike and if I try and take it easy and not over extend myself in the beginning the ride is a lot more enjoyable. The bike does have the stupid "body geometry" grip and I'm ordering some new grips tonight lol.

Thanks for the encouragement guys!
Jake
 
#23 ·
Might just be your area favours FS. It probably isn't about single speed...that is just about how conditioned you are. Locally, my trails are kind of hilly with lots of features, but generally smooth all the same. It's great on the rigid SS...I am much faster on it so far especially on climbs. I recently went to another area nearby that is less hilly but really rough, with small to medium embedded and loose rock....I was so glad I didn't have to keep up with everyone on my rigid. It was hard enough with the sus fork bike. If you haven't been riding long it'll take some time to work up skills to ride rougher areas..either that or get a bike with sus.
 
#24 ·
Forgot to mention. ESI chunky grips, are a low cost way to help lessen or eliminate trail buzz. Also, I'm sure since your new you have a death grip on the handlebar. Relax your grip. Your arms will thank you, and it actually helps with controlling the bike.
 
#25 ·
One tip I received that really helped my "fitness" was to really focus on controlling your breathing. I would get to breathing really quickly and I'd gas out feel like I just couldn't recover. A riding buddy told me to focus on taking deeper breaths and controlling it more. All of a sudden, I wasn't gassing out halfway up a climb, and when I got to the top, I could recover sooo much faster. Undoubtedly the single best piece of advice I've received.
 
Discussion starter · #26 ·
Cormac said:
Forgot to mention. ESI chunky grips, are a low cost way to help lessen or eliminate trail buzz. Also, I'm sure since your new you have a death grip on the handlebar. Relax your grip. Your arms will thank you, and it actually helps with controlling the bike.
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Yep those are the ones I'm looking at! I also forgot to mention that one of my FS buddies told me I was weaving and swerving in the trail to much lol, said it was making my ride harder but I was just dodging the giant roots and going for the smoother lines, am I doing this wrong?

Jake
 
#27 ·
Jakerz said:
Good to know its not just me lol. I do plan on keeping it full rigid, I like the simplicity really. Our local trails are pretty flat, roughly 50-75 ft elevation change total but they have some holy **** root sections that suck on any bike lol. I think Ill try some grips and see if that helps any.

My current gearing is the stock 32/20 setup btw

Jake
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Lots of great feedback and suggestions.

If the trails you are riding only have 50-75 feet of elevation gain, you may want to gear up a bit. I would think a 32x20 would be very spinny on a trail like that.

Stick with it and have fun. You will be dropping your buddies before you know it.
 
#29 ·
Honestly I don't think most people should start out on a rigid SS as their first real trail bike. I tried it out and got beat up by the trail and my bike. After a year of riding a hardtail gearie I got a super deal on a rigid SS and bought a suspension fork for it. I have no problem keeping up on group rides with full suspension riders. The terrain I ride has a lot of climbing and descending, there's a good mix of singletrack from smooth flowy to rooty rocky tech. I only worry about keeping up when we are riding to/from the trail on flat pavement. My setup is 32x21 26" hardtail.
 
#30 ·
Just listen to what everyone says, ride more.

I got into MTBing in college, I bought a Redline D440 with every cent I had (1x10, rigid setup). Less than year later I busted the derailleur and in true cheap recent college grad fashion went SS.

My riding really took off (I got with a group) after I went SS. I am from New England where the trails are steep, rocky, and full of roots. I never had issues with rigid, in fact most of the group liked to follow me as I picked the best lines.

I quickly learned that its all momentum. As others have said when you're with weaklings - er geared riders, don't get caught behind them on hills. Also, decent people/riders will realize you're on a SS and will let you pass to gain momentum on the hill.

I've never looked back. I moved and SS is a rare breed here, people don't get it and they often complain, but I know my sack dropped so I'm not offended.

But sadly, after 3 years I did just drop the rigid fork. But never one gear.

You'll get stronger and you'll learn to pick lines and you'll learn how to keep momentum. Just keep riding and smiling.
 
#31 ·
Jakerz said:
Yep those are the ones I'm looking at! I also forgot to mention that one of my FS buddies told me I was weaving and swerving in the trail to much lol, said it was making my ride harder but I was just dodging the giant roots and going for the smoother lines, am I doing this wrong?

Jake
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That's what I do. Smooth = faster IMO. Plus easier on the body riding rigid. My brother in law rides FS and just plows through everything! It slows him noticeably however!
 
#32 ·
slomo said:
If your bike has those Specialized body geometry grips with the palm flanges, definitely try something different. The shape itself could be contributing to your arm pump. Those things made my arms go numb.

And one sure fire way to get faster is to ride with faster people. You always push yourself more.
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I must respectfully differ there. I've come to love those grips even more than Ergons. Finding the correct position for the grips makes all the difference in whether arms go numb or whether you're super-comfortable.

+1 to all the other posters that are saying stick with it. The best piece of advice I have is to use flat, double-track sections [if you have them] to rest and focus on going harder elsewhere. At first, I made the mistake of trying to keep up on the flats, but once I realized that I can spin as fast as I want and only go so fast and calmed down a bit, it made things quite a bit more fun.
 
#33 ·
I'll chime in on the long series of replies about sticking with it. Couple of specific thoughts:

Grips - like a saddle, this is a personal thing. Don't forget gloves as well (are you using reasonably new, clean gloves whose pads haven't broken down?). I've had good luck with ultra-cheap foam "cruiser" grips lately. They are a larger diameter and more comfortable on my tired hands. Experiment.

SS-ing in general - for me, I have to change the way I think depending on the bike I'm on. For the singlespeed, I find myself "flowing" more and feeling more in touch with the trail (my SS is rigid, too). I'm usually watching the trail more closely and choosing my lines better. And paying close attention to momentum. I notice I apply those practices to my hard tail and full-suspension bikes more effectively after spending time on the SS. I guess I'm just saying that it's a different bike, with different characteristics, then the FS's that your buddies are riding. You'll ride differently than they do.

As long as you're riding... :)
 
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#34 ·
I know know no MTBer wants to hear this but running will get you in great shape for single speed. I'm also a 100 mile ultra runner and I find the muscle groups for out of the saddle and running to be very close, so I can pedal out of the saddle for hours if needed.

You don't need to start running ultras but any little bit will make a huge difference in your pedaling.
 
#35 ·
AnonymouseTech said:
Honestly I don't think most people should start out on a rigid SS as their first real trail bike.
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so most kids do it all wrong when getting bmx bikes?

the OP's only problem is that he seems more worried about keeping up than having fun. riding bikes is supposed to be fun. fun can be had on any bike with the correct attitude!

OP, if your friends won't wait up and you are feeling stressed riding with them maybe ride alone until your a little more comfortable on the bike.
 
#36 ·
I love my rigid SS but I wouldn't be riding it nearly as much it if it wasn't for the WierWolf LT tire, ESI Chunk Grips and Thudbuster ST seat post. It is a little heavy but far more comfortable than either of my geared bikes. When it comes the rare 40+ mile road ride...you'll see me on my Monocog.

To be comfortable on a rigid bike you have to kit to make it comfortable for you.
 
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#37 ·
max-a-mill said:
so most kids do it all wrong when getting bmx bikes?

the OP's only problem is that he seems more worried about keeping up than having fun. riding bikes is supposed to be fun. fun can be had on any bike with the correct attitude!

OP, if your friends won't wait up and you are feeling stressed riding with them maybe ride alone until your a little more comfortable on the bike.
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Excellent point. Have fun first and foremost. Worry about keeping up later. Also riding alone will help you develop your fitness at a pace that's comfortable for you! Meaning you won't be killing yourself and subsequently possibly quit.

Also as others have said, concentrate on your breathing helps tremendously!
 
#38 ·
I am new to SS as well. Just got back from my third ride. 13 miles with only about a 1k of elevation change. I have been riding relative easy trails that I have ridden many times so I have something to compare to. I have noticed that I am faster on climbs but slower in most other areas. I am running 32/18 and spin out at about 15 mph. Once I start spinning I stop pedaling, I am sure this conserves energy for the out of saddle climbs. So far I feel great and look forward to the more challenging trails with longer sustained climbs. I haven't ridden with any of my "geared" buddies yet.
 
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