No Cost Single Speed Conversion

[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.

[northshore]

Less weight, simplicity, low maintenance, just plain looks nice. Yeah you could leave a multi-speed bike in one gear but I get more pleasure out of building another one. Different strokes for different folks. To each their own...

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.

"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."

A fixed geared bike is more painful

One of those is not in my future plans.

[Seat Sniffer]

I agree, and as a matter of fact, who needs 2 wheels anyway? Just get a nice light carbon frame and run around with it sandwiched between your legs. Besides, the wheel is such an archaic device, it was developed millions of years ago and hasn't changed much since, why is it still round? Cmon people this is the modern age, where you can order groceries online and get divorced by text message! Get with it!

PS, that surly steamroller fixie looks like fun! Didn't you guys ever see quicksilver with Kevin Bacon???

[Fired Yo Momma]

Originally Posted by DeeZee

"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."

A fixed geared bike is more painful

One of those is not in my future plans.

If you want a challenge you we can put some pegs on your bike and I can ride on the back or I can sit on your handlebars.

Originally Posted by Fired Yo Momma

If you want a challenge you we can put some pegs on your bike and I can ride on the back or I can sit on your handlebars.

you just ride on my kid's hook-on-bike

[COLEKO]

My whole reason for me building a single speed was that I wanted a second bike and I wanted to do it on a budget. I wanted to show people that they can bring some life back into that old bike sitting in the garage and try somthing different.

I love riding my hardtail with the gears but with my rigid single speed that will be done soon I can challenge myself even more.

[2wheel_lee]

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, you're missing something, but it's not easy to understand, and riding a singlespeed is not for everyone.

I've known many mediocre riders who became very good riders thanks to riding a singlespeed. Then they didn't like it any longer and went back to being mediocre riders. That's ok. I've known some very good riders who rode them but never liked them. That's ok, too.

I rode a 1x9 for a couple years (not my only bike), and found myself only leaving it in one gear, so I decided to try a singlespeed. Thinking the same as you do, I initially questioned some of the logic, but I was pleasantly rewarded with many benefits; some of which are obvious, and some that were not so obvious.

No one should talk you into riding a singlespeed. You have to want to try it to really experience the benefits on your own. The explanations just don't do it justice.

Keep in mind that I ride multiple bikes for different conditions, but for many conditions, my singlespeed is the bike I have the most fun on.

29ers on the other hand...those guys can have em'! I'm not interested. I have not heard of any benefits that interest me.

[foofighter]

well put dude...and not to get existential about it but it is truly an experience that's zen like becuase it is pure not frills (if you're going full rigid) riding.

[PacMan]

Originally Posted by UR2KLOS

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.

Somebody already beat you to it.

[2wheel_lee]

I so want a trials bike...Seriously.

[mtnbikerfred]

Originally Posted by UR2KLOS

Am I mising something here?

Yes.

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.

Perfect gift for the ultimate "weight-weenie"

[slowSSer]

Originally Posted by UR2KLOS

Take current bike. Put it into desired gear. Then never shift.

Am I mising something here?

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?

[chauvinist_youth]

wanna know what's next? Two words .... square rims

[foofighter]

needs to evolve to square wheels...it has to go to octagon first

[slowSSer]

Originally Posted by chauvinist_youth

wanna know what's next? Two words .... square rims

I've ridden a bike with squared rims (not fully flat but close)

it was bumpy.

[chauvinist_youth]

Originally Posted by foofighter

needs to evolve to square wheels...it has to go to octagon first

that's for people taking baby steps like those with 1x9 setups instead of 1x1

Originally Posted by slowSSer

I've ridden a bike with squared rims (not fully flat but close)

it was bumpy.

hardcore though right?

[slowSSer]

Originally Posted by chauvinist_youth

hardcore though right?

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.

[2wheel_lee]

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?

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.

[chauvinist_youth]

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.

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