No Cost Single Speed Conversion

[slowSSer]

Originally Posted by 2wheel_lee

Screw you! Your mama rides a full squishy gearie.

How's that for MTBR speak?

One of the other many cool things is that the bike rides silently: no chain slap and no pulley noise. My knees tend to creek a bit more, though.

Best of all...you're never attack an obstacle in the wrong gear. You never have to worry about how much effort it will take because you don't know what gear you're in. You never worry about not making the gear change in time, and you're never worried about even thinking it will get easier or harder with a different gear. You [always] simply stand and attack everything: hills, rocks, ruts, jumps, etc.

Of course, you're never in the right gear, either.

thou speaketh the truth on all accounts. I'm also glad you got the emptybeer reference.

the funny part of now riding a geared bike is remembering to shift- I just wanna stand up and mash it!

[2wheel_lee]

Originally Posted by slowSSer

well, it was at a bicycle theme park in Japan. there were other odd bicycle related things there- a pedal powered roller coaster was quite awesome.

This was in a department store in Japan (Tokyu Hands - my favorite place). Note the three shocks that are part of the wheel.

[2wheel_lee]

Originally Posted by slowSSer

the funny part of now riding a geared bike is remembering to shift- I just wanna stand up and mash it!

I do the same thing!

That's really true about your mama? I'm so sorry to hear that.

[slowSSer]

Originally Posted by chauvinist_youth

That sounds awesome. So it was like a bike on a track? got any pictures?

no, it was like a matterhorn style coaster (read: enclosed) where you sit recumbent and pedal.

zero pics- will have to go dig- this was back in the late 80's.

[UR2KLOS]

Originally Posted by slowSSer

mods: this doesn't feel like a STR thread- this really isn't "us". yes, we bash each other (especially Iron Horses), but it's all fun usually. This thread is rather troll-ish if you ask me, but I did bite the bait and went for it, now didn't i?

I'm not a troll. I admit I'm being silly but at least this thread is related to biking. I have never tried a SS because I'm not a strong enough rider. It is impressive to get passed by a SS when I'm in my granny gear wishing I had an even lower gear (can you make a gear with a single tooth?). I was certainly not bashing anyone.

[chauvinist_youth]

disk brakes and a shock, I can only imagine how painful stopping would be as your face hits the cement.

Actually that bike would probably be fun (assuming it's slighty practical) to ride in the LA marathon.

[DeeZee]

Originally Posted by slowSSer

yes. well, you've gained something here over a ss. what's that, you ask? friction.

friction from your chain having to wrap over two small cogs. friction from having to bend thru all your gears.

what else? flex. most SS chains are much thicker granting more efficiency. therefore, better power transfer.

additionally?

weight.

remove:
7/8ths or 8/9ths of a cassette,
two dérailleurs,
a big and a small chain ring with 4-5 bolts there,
all the shifty cables and housing,
shifters,
and a serious chunk of a chain (easily more weight than the difference between a gearie chain and a SS chain).

Please go remove all of that and please let me know how much lighter your bike is.

simplicity: less to work on, less to worry about, most likely a lighter bike, which is easier to get up a hill.

fine- I may be a little biased, but i like the kool-ade and I have for many years now.

does that mean i only have single speeds? hells no. two are, but the latest bike is a full squish with gears. if i keep the road bike, it'll be a SS soon (I said SS, not fixed- I'm not that nuts)

but, a question: you ever tried it?


mods: this doesn't feel like a STR thread- this really isn't "us". yes, we bash each other (especially Iron Horses), but it's all fun usually. This thread is rather troll-ish if you ask me, but I did bite the bait and went for it, now didn't i?

what else? flex. most SS chains are much thicker granting more efficiency. therefore, better power transfer.

I want to rant about my hate for 9 speed stuff...ahhhh........broke a chain this weekend...ahhhh.........I hate 9 speed stuff.......

[2wheel_lee]

Originally Posted by UR2KLOS

I'm not a troll. I admit I'm being silly but at least this thread is related to biking. I have never tried a SS because I'm not a strong enough rider. It is impressive to get passed by a SS when I'm in my granny gear wishing I had an even lower gear (can you make a gear with a single tooth?). I was certainly not bashing anyone.

It's a valid question, and a good one to ask.

[foofighter]

Originally Posted by UR2KLOS

I'm not a troll. I admit I'm being silly but at least this thread is related to biking. I have never tried a SS because I'm not a strong enough rider. It is impressive to get passed by a SS when I'm in my granny gear wishing I had an even lower gear (can you make a gear with a single tooth?). I was certainly not bashing anyone.

didnt take it as anything other than being humorous...when i first saw SS'ers go by me i thought wow i'm impressed and secretly wanted to grow up and do that too.

[slowSSer]

Originally Posted by UR2KLOS

I'm not a troll. I admit I'm being silly but at least this thread is related to biking. I have never tried a SS because I'm not a strong enough rider. It is impressive to get passed by a SS when I'm in my granny gear wishing I had an even lower gear (can you make a gear with a single tooth?). I was certainly not bashing anyone.

no worries- it just seemed to come off a little harsh.

"i'm not strong enough" is a myth from what I've seen.

SSing is a great way to get back into shape (I'm sure it'll get bashed for that one)

as for ratios, go seek out FooFighter's post about being a new SSer- it's a trial and error thing- honestly, your first few SS rides you do more maintenance changing cogs on your bike, but when it's set, you won't likely do maintenance for a long time- it's just grab and go.

getting passed by SSers while in granny was a big reason for me to switch. i did go all out though- the first SS wasn't a conversion- it was an on-one inbred. steel, heavy, but such a fine ride.

i guess i might be the freak here- if i was to sign up for the VQ today, and had the choice between a gearie HT, a geared squish, and a SS with a squish fork, the SS would win hands down.

Originally Posted by DeeZee

what else? flex. most SS chains are much thicker granting more efficiency. therefore, better power transfer.

I want to rant about my hate for 9 speed stuff...ahhhh........broke a chain this weekend...ahhhh.........I hate 9 speed stuff.......

oh man. here's a funny: with a true ss chain, you've got a better chance to taco a chainring

(been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, twice. chain was fine)
eidt: it's also the same chain that's outlasted 3 bikes. sram pc-7x. no longer made, but i've got a few stashed...

[foofighter]

Originally Posted by slowSSer

oh man. here's a funny: with a true ss chain, you've got a better chance to taco a chainring

(been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, twice. chain was fine)
eidt: it's also the same chain that's outlasted 3 bikes. sram pc-7x. no longer made, but i've got a few stashed...

someone you know did that on his first or second outing on a SS and he annihilated his chainring.

[slowSSer]

Originally Posted by foofighter

someone you know did that on his first or second outing on a SS and he annihilated his chainring.

awesome! I'll have to let him know that he's not alone

edit: SSing can break bikes though. so, we're a little harder on gear.

[Seat Sniffer]

Originally Posted by PacMan

Somebody already beat you to it.

derailleur, no shifter?

[.8down]

Originally Posted by UR2KLOS

Take current bike. Put it into desired gear. Then never shift. Slightly heavier than a real single speed but you can put it into a slightly easier gear than you would use on a real single speed. And if you ever need the lower gears they will be there waiting for you!

Am I mising something here?

When enough of you are riding single speeds someone will come up with something else that makes the ride even more difficult and you will start to do that also. Maybe the next thing is to ride without a seat and seatpost. I will make a fortune selling a conversion kit that plugs up the hole where the seatpost used to go.

this is a bit silly because following that logic we should just ride motorcycles.

everyone has stated the difference between having a fixed geared bike and just keeping a multi geared bike in one gear...but I assume its more of a challenge. I don't ride one myself, but the challenge for me to be strong enough to be able to is motivating...and lastly I think its just most of us like toys so the more toys that do different things we have the more fun it is...

[Abui]

Originally Posted by UR2KLOS

Take current bike. Put it into desired gear. Then never shift. Slightly heavier than a real single speed but you can put it into a slightly easier gear than you would use on a real single speed. And if you ever need the lower gears they will be there waiting for you!

Am I mising something here?

Yes, my singlespeed never ghost-shifts.

My chain never slaps the chainstay.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Seat Sniffer

derailleur, no shifter?

My guess is that its now a impromptu chain tensioner.

[Abui]

Originally Posted by UR2KLOS

I have never tried a SS because I'm not a strong enough rider.

Actually you don't believe you're a strong enough rider.

[COLEKO]

Originally Posted by Seat Sniffer

derailleur, no shifter?

It looks like there is a cable going from the derailleur to a tiny silver knob