A question for all of you SS people......

[kdog4130]

How bad did it suck, and how long did it take before you were comfy riding all of your local spots. I have wanted to make the leap, and prove to myself that I can ride practically anywhere with just one speed. I know it's possible, because I know people who do it! Just wondering......

[dutch]

simple way to try it, pick a gear then put tape all over your shifters. SS without the hassle of building a new bike!

[kdog4130]

Originally Posted by dutch

simple way to try it, pick a gear then put tape all over your shifters. SS without the hassle of building a new bike!

That's like telling an alcaholic to keep a few beers in his fridge, to remind him he's better off without them! Plus this is much nicer....

[foofighter]

try it, it'll only make you stronger...seriously your geared riding will improve greatly

[mtnbikerfred]

Ken,

You've ridden my SSCX bike haven't you? Jump in!! The kool-aid is great!!

[autoduel]

Depends what gears you normally run. If you middle ring everything already, SS is not that much harder.

[dutch]

yeah ken I don't know that 22 on the front and a 34 tooth cog on the back is going to be that practical

[jcampbell]

Thats a good question. My best advice would be to buy a couple different gears and change them out accordingly to your ride of the day. For example, there is no way I could climb Holy Jim with a 32:20 on my 29er. Its either 21 or 22. So I have to make the change.

[Endo Verendo]

Depending on which trail... 3 days to 3 weeks.

[TrojanInsomniac]

Originally Posted by foofighter

try it, it'll only make you stronger...seriously your geared riding will improve greatly

Agree 100%

[Bryguy17]

i tried it for the first time and was quite comfortable. It was my friend's bike, but it still wasn't too bad at all. Granted, I was used to bombing around everywhere on my BMX and spinning out the 36/13 ratio going up hills, but who knows if that made a difference

I'd agree with the taping off the shifters things. while being heavier, its a good way to see what kind of pain you'll be in for, and show you friends how badass you are

[el_d00der1n0]

glug glug glug glug

loved it from day one.

[RacinJason]

My Juan Solo is my only XC bike right now and I love it. I am way faster on it.

[thephat]

It is easier than you think. it will make you a better rider. it promotes cool simplistic values.

[Abui]

Originally Posted by kdog4130

How bad did it suck, and how long did it take before you were comfy riding all of your local spots. I have wanted to make the leap, and prove to myself that I can ride practically anywhere with just one speed. I know it's possible, because I know people who do it! Just wondering......

It never sucked. I knew from day one that I would get better every day. Once you can ride everything it's time to change gears.

[Upchuck]

I started with the local trails that have easy to moderate climbs. Even on those trails I had my moments when I had to stop at the top of the climb and rest my burning lungs and quivering legs. These were typically around 10 mile rides.

Once I understood how to pace myself on the climbs, I went out looking for longer climbs. Still avoided the crazy steep stuff though. Once those became easier, I tried to find anything that seemed out of my reach. At this point I was still doing short 10-15 mile rides on the SS.

It probably took me a month or two to finally develop enough fitness to recover from long climbs, steep climbs, and the dreaded steep, long climbs with loose techie features. 20-30 mile rides with 3500 ft of elevation is the norm. Now it's just a matter of waiting for the gearies.

In retrospect, it was more mental than physical conditioning. You have to get your head straight before the climbs, be willing to leave your comfort zone, and know your limitations so you don't blow your wad half-way through the ride.

[mtnbikej]

It took me a couple of different times to get into it. I tried it a few years back and it was fun. It was a backup bike that I only rode once in a while. I sold it because I had not yet got the bug. Tried again on a 26" wheel bike and liked it again, but only rode it on select easy trails. Again, sold the bike because I was not riding it that much.

Last year, bought a $400 Monocog 29er. Rode it everywhere. Didn't matter where we rode. First ride was Blackstar to Beeks. 2 Weeks later rode MapleSprings to the Peak. Aliso, Whiting, Fullerton Loop, Harding, Old Camp, Trabuccco......didn't matter. Sucked it up and rode it. Had tons of fun on it. Made more of the climbs than I thought. Those that I didn't make at first, were eventually cleaned on later rides. Santiago Oaks was the only place that I had problems with.....never could clear the 3 B's. Rode the SS almost exclusively for a year. Knee problems caused me to stop. So I sold it.

[Pain Freak]

My ss is probably my favorite bike. What I've found out though if I don't ride it almost exclusively I tend to lose ground. After a while I climb my local stuff very well and get a lot faster, but then for some reason I go back to a geared bike and then when I return back to my ss I've lost ground, I'm not as fast nor is it as easy as it once was. If it wasn't for the suspensoin I think I'd ride the ss all the time.

[hellboundheroic]

Originally Posted by autoduel

Depends what gears you normally run. If you middle ring everything already, SS is not that much harder.

I agree! Starting out I was switching the gears way too often. One day the light bulb goes off and I've narrowed every ride down to 4-5 gears max. It's helped my endurance, it's easier on the bike and much less thought. Give it a try!