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Questions / Interested In a SS

977 Views 14 Replies 11 Participants Last post by  the Inbred, 
C
1) How do they climb?

2) How much on average is a good SS? ($)

3) What is the average weight of a 'light' singlespeed?

4) What are SS most suited for (what type of riding)?
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miSSionary
cmktech said:
1) How do they climb?

2) How much on average is a good SS? ($)

3) What is the average weight of a 'light' singlespeed?

4) What are SS most suited for (what type of riding)?
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1) How do you climb now? It will be more like that. It will make you stronger. Where do you live?

2) Any where from free to $4000.00 +, for your first one I'd try to build a budget bike around the house into a SS (just take two rings off the crank and take the cogs off the rear wheel, get a conversion kit and swap it out, oh and get rid of those funny shifting thingies).

3) From 22-30 lbs, 30 being a huge fat pig, :yikes:

4) I think climbing steady grades or rolling/flowing Singletrack but I guess that is opinion.

Good luck with the build should you deside to come to the dark side (post pics)!! :thumbsup:
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DiRt DeViL
1) How do they climb? The bike doesn't do the climbing, it's all you. In my case I suck @ climbing so I have an easy gear and climb for as long as I can, after that is push bike time.

2) How much on average is a good SS? ($) On a budget ~1K but the sky's the limit. If you convert your ride is a lot cheaper to get started.

3) What is the average weight of a 'light' singlespeed? My steel SS is 24 pounds and doesn't have the lightest components available. I'm fat and heavy so durability is what I look for on parts.

4) What are SS most suited for (what type of riding)? I love it on fast twisty singletrack but ride mine everywhere.

Come on and join us on the dark side, once you go SS you don't go back.
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Curious
miSSionary said:
3) From 22-30 lbs, 30 being a huge fat pig :yikes:
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Hmm, my first converted SS is a huge fat pig, but I still love her. :)

CMK, you could also try the SS FAQ for ideas and inspiration. I converted an old steel beater by breaking the freewheel cassette and making spacers to get the right chainline. Then I hacksawed and ground my cheapie triple crank to make a single up front. Shorten the chain yadda yadda remove shifters and cables yadda yadda remove derailers, et voila! SS paid for by time and sweat. Good luck and most of all, have fun.
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C
well I love singletrack, and I guess the climbs would suck sometimes but I can always push the bike. I also like the idea of no shifters, so nothing can go wrong there. hmm it sounds so tasty I may just have to try it.
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miSSionary
Curious said:
Hmm, my first converted SS is a huge fat pig, but I still love her. :)QUOTE]

Mine's a fat pig too, had to go rigid just to get her light enough to lift over a threshold!! :D
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B
It would really depend on your gearing. You'd be suprised at what you can climb on an SS. I first started out 32x16 and then went to an 18t cog and now am on a 20t cog. I suck at climbing, but once I went to the 20t, I was suprised at what stuff I could climb that I would normally use a granny on. Tough as hell, but pretty cool too.

I took an old geared hardtail and had my friend convert it. Total labor costs and parts were well under $100. Definately not a BLING BLING bike, but it's my SS.

My bike weighs in the <25 pound range.

I'd say that MY SS is more suited to flowy, moderate climbing, non-technical type of riding.
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miSSionary
cmktech said:
well I love singletrack, and I guess the climbs would suck sometimes but I can always push the bike. I also like the idea of no shifters, so nothing can go wrong there. hmm it sounds so tasty I may just have to try it.
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You should give it a go!! The climbs are not bad, give it a week and then it won't feel any different than simply riding a bike. The idea of no shifters is WAY better in practice than theory, wait until a large group ride, you'll just smile as they all make adjustments to the shifters!! Either way, get out there and enjoy!!
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DiRt DeViL
BelaySlave said:
I suck at climbing, but once I went to the 20t, I was suprised at what stuff I could climb that I would normally use a granny on. Tough as hell, but pretty cool too.
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Same story here, I ride a 20 most of the time but have a 18 and 22 just in case.

SSing will teach you how to keep the momentum going and to pick the better lines, you'll improve your riding and will be riding stuff that you never thought you could make before.
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jugdish
Dude, I read your other post about go-cart racing. If SSing is for you you'll soon forget the go-carts and have legs that you can crush your friends with (or the f-ers that screwed up your racing shiot). As others have probably said build a a cheapie first to see if you dig it, at any rate you'll have a campus cruise to impress the ladies with in the fall.:thumbsup:
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D
Ss

First, I must admit that I don't have a SS (yet). I am looking, however. I don't have enough parts to cobble one together. There are used SS out there that should cost you far less than 1k. Hell a new Redline monocog is 550. I am trying to land a Surly 1x1 on a local Craigslist for sale for 200 OBO! I gotta check to see that it isn't stolen first, I don't want that bad karma.

Anyway, I think the cost of a used and even new ss is a lot less than previously stated.

so rock on with your bad SS self.

dkline
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L
easiest way to start is to take your geared bike (ideally a hardtail), put it in a gear (start with a 2:1 ratio, little more gear if you're strong, a little less gear if you're not or you're gonna be climing lots of hills), go for a ride and don't shift for the entire ride. don't wuss out and just shift less than you normally would because you're not gonna have that option if you go through with it.

i know it's difficult but this will give you a good idea of what what to expect if you decide single speeding is right for you. i've known plenty of people that went through the process of building up/buying a SS only to realize they didn't enjoy it. i actually did the same thing, built up an old hardtail that i haddn't used in years, and fortunately wound up falling in love with SS'ing or i would have wasted a few hundred bucks.
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shiggy
cmktech said:
1) How do they climb?
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Like a bike.

2) How much on average is a good SS? ($)
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Same as any other bike

3) What is the average weight of a 'light' singlespeed?
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slightly less than any other bike

4) What are SS most suited for (what type of riding)?
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Pretty much whatever you want to do depending on how you set it up.
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R
cmktech said:
1) How do they climb?
like a goat you'll surprise your self
2) How much on average is a good SS? ($)
i got an almost new redline monocog on ebay for 200 another 500 in upgrades and i love it
3) What is the average weight of a 'light' singlespeed?
low twenties or less
4) What are SS most suited for (what type of riding)?
Click to expand...
whatever you can handle and how ever you build the thing up
JUST DO IT cmon everyone else is just try it just once:arf:
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T
there's always the used option....cough cough.
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