REVIEWS DEALS BIKESHOPS TRAILS

Have you switched to or from gears or singlespeed?

4704 Views 79 Replies 35 Participants Last post by AdamBike, Jan 4, 2022

AdamBike

Discussion Starter · Dec 30, 2021 (Edited)

These past couple years I've been learning what works for me and what doesn't in mountain biking. I've tried different bikes and most have been geared (except a Surly Lowside), but I find I'm interested in trying single speed again.

Have any of you been geared for a long time and then decided to go single speed? What were the reasons and benefits? What gear ratio or tooth counts are you using (the Lowside was too hard for me at 32/17 for semi-punchy Ohio trails)?

Some of the thinking behind it is simplicity. I went from full suspension to hardtail for mainly that reason as well. Lower maintenance and less to think about. I grew up riding street BMX and I just don't like a lot of parts to worry about (though they have benefits).

I'd be concerned of losing some range and versatility though and making it too hard to just go out for light days if I want to climb a hill and not exert a lot. Also been having some knee pain in one knee and I've read so far that standing and pedaling can be less stressful on the knee than sitting with bent/angled position(?).

1 - 20 of 80 Posts

834905

· #2 · Dec 30, 2021

I’ve pretty much always been a SS guy, but keep a set of gears around for special occasions like steep bikepacking routes. My hardtail is set up SS 99% of the time though.

I don’t have a great answer for you honestly. It doesn’t bother me to hike a bike, and I have a full suspension for big, steep trails if I don’t feel like walking a lot on any particular day.

If SS is going to be your only bike, you just have to get used to the fact that there are going to be days where you’re on the wrong bike. That’s just a fact of life on SS, and quite honestly one of the reasons I love it so much.

Last thing, SS may seem intimidating for the light rides you mention but you get used to it pretty quickly. If you stick with SS for a couple weeks at least, you’ll find that it’s easy to do light rides. You’ll still have to get out of the saddle and climb, but after a couple weeks of consistent riding you won’t feel like you’re pushing a huge gear anymore.

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127.0.0.1

· #3 · Dec 30, 2021

SingleSpeedSteven said:
<snip>

If SS is going to be your only bike, you just have to get used to the fact that there are going to be days where you’re on the wrong bike. That’s just a fact of life on SS, and quite honestly one of the reasons I love it so much.
<snip>

SS ?
never on wrong bike,
never in wrong gear.
pedal, push or run, or super high cadence.

if it's SS it's correct.

You may choose a different bike at a later time sure, that's OK too.

VegasSingleSpeed

· #4 · Dec 30, 2021

127.0.0.1 said:
never in wrong gear.

What? SS is almost always the wrong gear

Reactions: 2

kapusta

· #5 · Dec 30, 2021

I've been geared my entire MTBing life (24 years), but I did go through a phase for about 5 years from 2007-2012 where I have a single speed in the mix. I found it nice to simplify things and mix it up. This bike would also be either rigid or short travel HT, which was a departure from my go-to FS bike.

I still like the rigid thing, and the Fat Bike now fills that niche, but the lack of gears just got annoying for me once the novelty of the challenge wore off.

What has also changed is the amount of time and opportunity I have to mountain bike. Back in the 2000's I was riding a lot more often than I get to now, so some of the trails and the FS bike was riding were getting a bit boring, and a rigid SS was a great way to breath now life into the sport.

Reactions: 1

North woods gal

· #6 · Dec 30, 2021 (Edited)

After a lifetime of bicycling with fully geared bikes, I got the single speed bug, big time, after buying a used Gunnar Ruffian. Two years later, I was up to seven single speeds of varying types and gearing. I'm now down to four single speeds and two fully geared bikes, which reflects my continued love of single speeding.

As to gear ratios, the first thing I learned was to ignore "recommended" gear ratios and use what works for me and my riding after much experimentation. Making this happen required me to learn how to change out cogs and chain rings as well as lengthening and shortening chains as needed and buy the few simple tools to get it done.

Keep in mimd that I'm an athletic gal in her early 70s and I ride nearly every day, even in the winter on our snow and ice covered roads. I tend to run ratios that are lower geared than most. No big deal. I even change out gear ratios on my single speeds on a seasonally basis to better adapt to changing conditions.

My recommendation, again, is to change gear ratios as needed and not get locked into the idea that there is some magical one ratio that fits all single speed riders. This is especially important with your knee issues and when getting into single speed riding in the beginning.

As for standing to pedal, it is classic single speed technique, but again, how much you'll be doing depends on how you gear your bike. How much strain it might put on your knee, though, is also a matter of bike fit and other factors, not just gearing.

The why of single speeding has been addressed at great length in the single speed section, so have fun with all the great reading. Enjoy. In the end, though, there's only one way to find out if single speeding works for you and that is to try it.

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baker

· #7 · Dec 30, 2021

AdamBike said:
Also been having some knee pain in one knee and I've read so far that standing and pedaling can be less stressful on the knee than sitting with bent/angled position(?).

I've been singlespeeding on and off for about 20 years. As someone with a bad knee who has had multiple surgeries, I think the assertion that singlespeeding is better for knees is a load of crap... Actually, the stress on my knees is the main reason I don't singlespeed more often.

Having said all of that, I personally wouldn't choose to only have a singlespeed, but then again I have MANY bikes and enjoy them all...

Reactions: 3

Sparticus

· #8 · Dec 30, 2021

I rode singlespeed exclusively for about 10 years ('00-'10.)
Even did a 100 mile race that included over 17,000' elevation gain on an SS in '02.
Back then it wasn't a question of which bike I wanted to ride -- it was the SS.
Period.
I looked at it this way:
In or out.
100% or 0%.
In order to love SS, for me it had to be a lifestyle.
Not saying such an attitude is for everyone, but I will say that I wouldn't trade that decade for anything.
=sParty

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Nat

· #9 · Dec 30, 2021

I rode exclusively singlespeed for about a decade. My reason for going SS was just that it was new, different, fun, and really hard. The benefits were that my fitness increased by a huge amount. I'm back to geared bikes again and don't touch my singlespeed any more though.

Reactions: 1

Bacon Fat

· #10 · Dec 30, 2021

I like rigid SS because it is a different ride than my FS geared bike. Riding the same trails on the same type of bike becomes boring. I wouldn't have a SS as an only bike, but I wouldn't have a FS as only bike either. Variety is awesome

I use 32/17 gearing, mostly flat with punchy hills. I started on 32/20, spun out on the flats and the climbs were fine. Now with 32/17, I'm in the correct gear for most of the rides, and mash on the punchy climbs. Some are really slow cadence with me yanking on the bars to make it.

Reactions: 1

127.0.0.1

· #11 · Dec 30, 2021

VegasSingleSpeed said:
What? SS is almost always the wrong gear

your legs need work if you think any SS is in wrong gear

when motivated I can lug at 20RPM
or spin at 160 for 2 min straight, or 140 for >30 minutes, such as running my SS on pavement to another trail

as Nat sez if you use it correctly...SS can make you stronk !

Reactions: 1

834905

· #12 · Dec 30, 2021

127.0.0.1 said:
your legs need work if you think any SS is in wrong gear

when motivated I can lug at 20RPM
or spin at 160 for 2 min straight, or 140 for >30 minutes, such as running my SS on pavement to another trail

as Nat sez if you use it correctly...SS can make you stronk !

So you're making the case for SS always being in the right gear by showcasing the fact that you have to spin 20RPM and 160RPM in the same ride. Makes sense.

I would argue that you spend 90% of most rides in the wrong gear on a SS, and that's what makes it fun. Having to charge things, carry momentum, spin hard to keep up all make the riding more fun and interesting. I like having to work the bike as opposed to having the bike do all of the work for me.

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Nat

· #13 · Dec 30, 2021

SingleSpeedSteven said:
So you're making the case for SS always being in the right gear by showcasing the fact that you have to spin 20RPM and 160RPM in the same ride. Makes sense.

I would argue that you spend 90% of most rides in the wrong gear on a SS, and that's what makes it fun. Having to charge things, carry momentum, spin hard to keep up all make the riding more fun and interesting. I like having to work the bike as opposed to having the bike do all of the work for me.

I think he meant that if you're in the wrong gear 100% of the time then you need to exercise more. There should be some points of a ride when your gearing feels right.

Reactions: 1

834905

· #14 · Dec 30, 2021

Nat said:
I think he meant that if you're in the wrong gear 100% of the time then you need to exercise more. There should be some points of a ride when your gearing feels right.

I must have misunderstood what he was getting at.

Nat

· #15 · Dec 30, 2021

SingleSpeedSteven said:
I must have misunderstood what he was getting at.

I could be wrong.

VegasSingleSpeed

· #16 · Dec 30, 2021

127.0.0.1 said:
your legs need work if you think any SS is in wrong gear

Not likely.

127.0.0.1

· #17 · Dec 30, 2021

your legs and lungs are the gears....I spent a lot of hours on a stationary flywheel to get my cadence stable at very high rpm....way back when i was a geared roadie. now for SS I practice that to get back 'into' SS mode

I can pedal stable at 180rpm, beyond that to >210 I lose form

but this means at 160 I am very stable and smooth, but can't maintain that long...140 I can maintain at threshold

VegasSingleSpeed

· #18 · Dec 30, 2021

You might be the most epic cyclist I've run across.

Reactions: 1

127.0.0.1

· #19 · Dec 30, 2021

anyone can do it if you practice. hell no way could I do 140 if I didn't go far beyond and very messy attempts at high cadence. but if you practice on a flywheel, and touch above 200 once or twice a week...., you find 140 becomes a cakewalk in relative terms....and you can develop smooth form to accelerate cadence from whatever....60 to 140 and back all day

and I am an old crusty fart too...so there's that. anyone can do it if your bones and hips allow it

flywheel required for me...the flywheel is key I can't do high cadence practice above 160 without that weight to 'guide me' thru the sloppy form

Impetus

· #20 · Dec 30, 2021 (Edited)

I've probably posted this story before; it's about how and why I spent 5 years with only a singlespeed bike, and why my singlespeed is still my favorite bike.

In 2011-2014 I was a pretty hardcore EnduroBro on my 150mm Cannondale Prophet with a 27.5/26 mullet. My few friends and I spent our time on the gnarliest dumbest stuff we could ride. Every ride was South Mountain, Captain Ahab, Hangover high-consequence chunk tech. One by one, everyone I knew got hurt, or simply stopped doing that and I found myself not wanting to ride double black diamond stuff alone. I started 'trail riding' on blue rated stuff, but found that I didn't enjoy pedaling a 35# single-pivot bike on "easy stuff".
I also got tired of spending a lot of money on new rear derailleurs after trashing about 2 a year, and servicing pivots got real tedious real quick.
I found an On-One 'Scandal' 29er (Scandium/Aluminum) hardtail with a 100mm Reba and 32x20 gearing for a couple hundred bucks, and figured I'd slap a 1x10 drivetrain on it and have a light, fun hardtail for a change. I think it weighed like 22.5 lbs.
I picked it up, and had an SLX mini-group ordered form Jenson before I even got home.
The next day I decided I wanted to play with the new toy, so I took it out to a local place with mostly flat trails that had a few punchy medium climbs... like 200' total gain in a mile.
IT WAS A MISSILE!!!! I had so much fun, and could climb those hills so much better than I expected that not only did the Jenson box never even get opened, but I rode my Prophet like one time in the next 6 months. I plain old LOVED riding singlespeed, and as I got fitter, everything just got easier.
(That's a lie, it always hurts, I just got faster)
I stumbled onto a small group of fellow singlespeeders and about 9 months after taking the Scandal home I sold the Prophet, and the Scandal frame and bought a Vassago Jabberwocky which never saw a derailleur. That broke after a year so I bought another steel frame, which was up-traded for a titanium frame last year.
I added a 160/150mm FS enduro bike to the stable becuse...reasons...but if I had to sell one of the two, you'd have to pry my Optimus out of my cold, dead hands.

Bicycle Wheel Tire Bicycles--Equipment and supplies Bicycle wheel rim

I've done 6, 12 and 24 hour races on a singlespeed, and to this day there isnt any trail or feature that I can't or won't ride on it that I would on my FS- it just might be slower and more cautious. Strava says I'm not a lot faster on the FS than the SS.

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