[JHESEE]

I tool up SSing this season for 3 reasons [1FG]

1. The asthetic appealed to me
2. I figured it'd be slower - most of the guys I ride with are in poor shape
3. I was sick of all the mechanical issues associated with a geared bike

I still like the idea of it. My crew is still in crappy shape but I find I am not much slower on the SS. So that one has been a bit of a bust. But by far the biggest disapointment has been on the mechanical side. The AVID discs have needed constant tweaking and I have had nothing but trouble with the BB - [EEB]. It creaks everytime I get out of the saddle, now it is thumping too. I was looking forward to a season without constant visits to the LBS. Not the case. It has been in almost after every ride. I am going ot bring it in to a better shop and see if they can address the problems. But....I've recently started fantasizing about buying a new geared bike.

I am still in the fold but I expected to be a fanatic by now.

Thoughts? Advice?

 

[striker]

I tool up SSing this season for 3 reasons [1FG]

1. The asthetic appealed to me
2. I figured it'd be slower - most of the guys I ride with are in poor shape
3. I was sick of all the mechanical issues associated with a geared bike

I still like the idea of it. My crew is still in crappy shape but I find I am not much slower on the SS. So that one has been a bit of a bust. But by far the biggest disapointment has been on the mechanical side. The AVID discs have needed constant tweaking and I have had nothing but trouble with the BB - [EEB]. It creaks everytime I get out of the saddle, now it is thumping too. I was looking forward to a season without constant visits to the LBS. Not the case. It has been in almost after every ride. I am going ot bring it in to a better shop and see if they can address the problems. But....I've recently started fantasizing about buying a new geared bike.

I am still in the fold but I expected to be a fanatic by now.

Thoughts? Advice?

The one IFG that I've ridden with is plagued with creaking EBB/BB. Seems to be a common problem with the Cannondale EBBs.

For number two? Well that is relative IMO. Sometimes SS'ing isn't for everyone. Don't sweat it and ride whatever you want to ride. It's all good.

 

[a nice cake]

1. If you don't know how already, take the time to learn to do all of your own maintenance and repair (w/ some exceptions, e.g. wheel truing and headset removal.) This is especially easy on a singlespeed and you'll save money, time and earn piece of mind. You'll also be able to diagnose and treat any hiccups in your personal setup on the fly, and potentially avoid being stranded 5 or 10 miles from the trailhead.
2. Avid Discs are the holy grail of low/easy maintenance brakes. There are always exceptions, but for you to have constant issue with them leads me to believe that something is going quite wrong. Why do they need constant tweaking? for rubbing? power? lever pull? Could your rotor(s) be warped? Do you know the proper procedure for using the caliper positioning system?
3. I have no personal experience with EBBs, but have heard of creaking, slippage, and bolt breakage. I'm a fan of track ends myself.

Keep in mind, most any technical problems you encounter on an SS, pale in comparison to those of a geared drivetrain and suspension. If your brakes aren't properly tuned, they won't perform regardless of the number of gears you have. On my last geary, my BB creaked to no end (which has a lot to do with why I run 3-piece cranks now...)

My advice is to find a more experienced SSer in your area and beg his/her tutelage. Many shops are painfully inexperienced when it comes to the quirks of SS frames and parts and most any long time gearless rider will likely be very friendly and know the right direction in which to point you.

To give you a ray of hope, I'll leave you with my list of bike labor since may:

- lubed chain and pedals, once.
- turned front brake barrel adjuster, once.
- added pressure to rear tire, once.
- retightened mission critical bolts, thrice.

 

[JHESEE]

More detail

1. The Avids seem to rub alot. And it changes over time. Sometimes it is in the back and I have to wind open the adjuster on the outside all the way. Sometimes in front. No real ryme or reason that I can see

2. RE doing my own work. Ur of course right. Most of the stuff I can figure out - including truing wheels. I have found the disc brakes intimidating though. I'll have to get over that.

3. There is a shop around where two of the people own 1FGs, so I'll probably head over there. And see if they can get me over the hump on the brakes and the EEB.

Tks for the support

 

[Ken in KC]

A couple thoughts....

1. The Avids seem to rub alot. And it changes over time. Sometimes it is in the back and I have to wind open the adjuster on the outside all the way. Sometimes in front. No real ryme or reason that I can see

2. RE doing my own work. Ur of course right. Most of the stuff I can figure out - including truing wheels. I have found the disc brakes intimidating though. I'll have to get over that.

3. There is a shop around where two of the people own 1FGs, so I'll probably head over there. And see if they can get me over the hump on the brakes and the EEB.

Tks for the support

Brakes
Not sure what the problem would be. I'm assuming that all your bolts are tight, etc. Are you removing the wheels a lot? My thought is that perhaps you're not getting them in the drops the same way every time. I've run Hayes Hyd., Hayes Mechanical and Avid Mechanical brakes. The one that that I really like about all the systems is that once they're set up properly, they are very low maintenance.

Maintenance
Not sure why disc brakes would intimidate you if you're comfortable with wheels. Have you read the instruction manual that comes with the brakes? That may help.

Creaking EBB's
I had this same problem. Someone on this board suggested using teflon plumber's tape to fix thhe creak. I pulled the EBB out, wrapped it in pulmber's tape and carefully reinserted the EBB in to the BB shell. Since then, no creaking from the EBB. Give that a try and see if it helps.

Going Slow on a SS
Hah! One of the myths about SSing (by riders who have never ridden with only one gear) is that they are slow. I've not found this to be the case. I've found that SS bikes have a tempo all their own that in many cases dictates that you ride faster because you're carrying more momentum. You certainly climb faster on a SS than on a geared bike. You may not descend as fast, but gravity has a way of helping you whenn you're pointed down.

Last, But Not Least
If you don't dig it, don't sweat it. Ride what you like, like what you ride. just ride.

Ken

 

[aosty]

To give you a ray of hope, I'll leave you with my list of bike labor since may:

- lubed chain and pedals, once.
- turned front brake barrel adjuster, once.
- added pressure to rear tire, once.
- retightened mission critical bolts, thrice.

You've lubed your chain once since May?

 

[scanjok]

I have the same problem with my 1FG. I have been trying to track it down (the creaking).
1- I tried wrapping the EEB with thin layer of teflon tap, lasted about 2 rides, then it started creaking again.
These are all ideas I have heard of trying from previous post of the 1FG:
1- Try Anti-Seize spray on the EBB (can buy it at an auto store)
2- Take off the crank bolts and try anit-seize
3- Flip the EBB to the other side
4- I will sell it and take out a loan for the SS I reallly want or sell crack to afford it.

 

[aka brad]

"Never give up; never ever give up"

I tool up SSing this season for 3 reasons [1FG]

1. The asthetic appealed to me
2. I figured it'd be slower - most of the guys I ride with are in poor shape
3. I was sick of all the mechanical issues associated with a geared bike

I still like the idea of it. My crew is still in crappy shape but I find I am not much slower on the SS. So that one has been a bit of a bust. But by far the biggest disapointment has been on the mechanical side. The AVID discs have needed constant tweaking and I have had nothing but trouble with the BB - [EEB]. It creaks everytime I get out of the saddle, now it is thumping too. I was looking forward to a season without constant visits to the LBS. Not the case. It has been in almost after every ride. I am going ot bring it in to a better shop and see if they can address the problems. But....I've recently started fantasizing about buying a new geared bike.

I am still in the fold but I expected to be a fanatic by now.

Thoughts? Advice?

Winston Churchill...

Your reasons for switching to SS are telling. Nowhere does it say looking for a new challenge and wanting to kick @ss. As far as "mechanical issues" I differ with those who rave about the Avid mechanicals. I have a set of Shimano Deore 555 hydro's and I have not touched them since their inital set-up (except to replace or clean the pads). Without exception I have never ridden with someone with Avid mechanicals that didn't fiddle with that red knob at least once. As far as your EBB, my Rocklobster has the split housing version and it works without problems. But as Ken says ride what you like. Maybe you just need a little time away from the SS experience and you'll come running back. If not, hey it's about having fun, ride what you want.

1G1G, Brad

P.S. I really liked your "list" of reasons for riding a SS. I think it will generate some good posts.

 

[Sparticus]

...Without exception I have never ridden with someone with Avid mechanicals that didn't fiddle with that red knob at least once...

Me. You've ridden with me, Brad. In addition to a zillion epic rides, I've done the Cream Puff 100 mile race three times on bikes equipped with Avid mechanical discs and I don't think I've had to adjust the brakes during the race. Even if I had to do so a couple times in three CCP's, that's 100+ miles between red knob spins...



--Sparty

 

[a nice cake]

You've lubed your chain once since May?

yeah, i'm lazy. not too dusty here either.

 

[bitflogger]

Just ride - any bike.

Don't take me wrong because I have 2 single speeds, but they're just bikes and riding or just doing stuff is what's really important. Tweak you mechanical abilities if you're having issues with your geared or disk brake bike or get one of these (below). I don't think I've touched the brake in 16 years, and doubt that it has been touched in 35. Sorry but I get kind of sick of this single speed as religion or politics crap. Ride them if you can, and ride what works when you can't. I think I've been single speeding for 41 years, but some trails just hurt to much if I don't have my 5 inch travel bike. They're great winter bikes for sure. There are wonderful things about single speeds, but same goes for many other objects.

Fantacize about a bike like this. It will solve all of your going to the shop issues. The only time it saw the shop in the past decade plus was stopping in for new tires and chain. It's riding and doing stuff and not really a bike that makes you a fanatic unless your pass time is collecting bikes.

If you're burned out on bikes or your buddies do something else. It's not like g_d will strike you down if you ride gears, or hike or go fishing. You could figure out why I love golf - it keeps a lot of people off of the trails and water.

 

[1FG rider]

I ride a fully rigid 1fg and have had the same complaints with my EBB. Constant creaking and adjustments. But after flipping the EBB around so that the adjusting screw is on the non-drive side, I've been able to really torque down on the screw and it doesn't creak or need adjusting nearly as much as it previously did. I was disappointed in the fact that I was actually doing more maintence to my SS bike then my FS at first, but after flipping the EBB and regreasing it, the problems have since been minimal.

As far as Avid's, I run them on my Blur and have found them to be really easy to adjust and maintain. They are by far the best mechanicals I've used, still not quite on par to hydraulics, but better than any v-brake setup. On my 1FG I have Hayes mechanicals and I don't find them nearly as powerful or have as solid a feel to them. I should've put Avids on the SS too, but the LBS was selling a set of Hayes for only $90.

 

[brant]

after flipping the EBB around so that the adjusting screw is on the non-drive side, I've been able to really torque down on the screw and it doesn't creak or need adjusting nearly as much as it previously did.

All the creaking EBB's I've seen are due to undertightening.

 

[Jungle Jim]

Simple Speed

I use track ends and V-brakes,,I don't see the big need for disc (at least for me) I quit riding in mud years ago (like my trails too much to muck em up) I ride the roads when its wet,,,,,JJ

 

[(Tom)]

How bad are your brakes rubbing?

I've noticed my Avids seem to rub from time to time, then stop rubbing. It seems like the rotor becomes out of true, slightly scraping one of the pads as the wheel turns round until it becomes out of true in a different direction,

The big question is if it's actually rubbing enough to slow you down. If not don't worry about it.

 

[aka brad]

Are you sure...

Me. You've ridden with me, Brad. In addition to a zillion epic rides, I've done the Cream Puff 100 mile race three times on bikes equipped with Avid mechanical discs and I don't think I've had to adjust the brakes during the race. Even if I had to do so a couple times in three CCP's, that's 100+ miles between red knob spins...



--Sparty

..that wasn't you behind the tree fiddling about with your red knob. Okay so maybe your not as anal as most the folks with Avid disc brakes. I think Tom is on to something that when the discs get hot they warp a little. Since the Avids only have one moving pad the tolerences are less then the opposed pistons of most hydros so they tend to rub more. If you leave them alone they'll stop rubbing when they cool off, or your endlessly adjusting them to confinsate for the warping. Okay Tom didn't exactly say that but I'm sure that's what he meant to say; or maybe he didn't and I don't know what I'm talking about.

Miss ya and the Cascades,

1G1G, Brad

 

[ShokFlip]

Cannondale EBBs

A couple of notes about the Cannondale EBB that I've glenned over the months with my 2004 1fg...

Turning the EBB around the other way will put your bottom bracket in backwards where it could unscrew out of the EBB when you pedal.

Cannondale specs a very low torque on the EBB wedge bolt. (60 in-lbs) Really cranking on the bolt only means grief when it's time to get it back out when it's re-lube time. Plus I think I read about a couple of 1fg frame failures on the non-drive side chainstay. If these failures were close to the bottom bracket, I would wonder how hard those wedges were screwed down. (I could be all wrong on this. I don't remember the specfics of the failures.)

Mr. Flip