Is it possible to be competitive running a single speed?

Are there any pro's ( or really good ams) that I could use as an example?

What gear would be best?

Thanks for the input.

Alex

yes there is. There is a guy from Ontario, Canada who is a single speed CXer. I wouldn't doubt that its tough...

possible- yep...I did it last year. Tough, yep- I got lapped almost every race. I ran 39-20

yes there is. There is a guy from Ontario, Canada who is a single speed CXer. I wouldn't doubt that its tough...


http://www.one-speed.com/ this is the guy, from ottawa, ontario, canada...
here is a good archived thread on SS & cyclocross.... http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=41319

The beauty of the cat system is that with a little training you can be competitive basically no matter what.

The gear will change a lot based on the course.

SS cross racing is something I would really like ot get into.
What is a good SS cross frame? I have an old steel road bike but I cant fit anything bigger than a 28c tire in there. A 30 just barely clears, but would rub with any mud at all. Im lookin for a frame in the 300-400$ range.

sorry for the hijack

SS cross racing is something I would really like ot get into.
What is a good SS cross frame? I have an old steel road bike but I cant fit anything bigger than a 28c tire in there. A 30 just barely clears, but would rub with any mud at all. Im lookin for a frame in the 300-400$ range.

sorry for the hijack

If you are willing to go the old steel road bike route, find something that takes 27" wheels, and you'll have ample clearance for 35s, plus the horizontal dropouts necessary to manage SS chain tension, all for much less than 300. You can run centerpulls, or have a canti posts brazed on for a nominal fee. With an ENO hub, or a tensioner, any frame is SS-able. For modern frames, I think 300 gets you a Rob Roy, 400 gets you into Cross Check range, and 500 would get you a sweet 853 Voodoo Wazoo with sliding dropouts and a Kelly fork off the 'bay. You have many options.

I rode five races last year on a Surly Steamroller. It was my first organized bike racing.

Depending on the course, you might or might not be giving that much up to your geared competitors. There were a couple races that went through technical, steep-ish singletrack that really kicked my ass. Here's a cool article on SS CX:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlecross.html

It's cool when a CX series is big enough to have a singlespeed division, but that's rare AFAIK. Since my local series is pretty tiny, I will be racing on a geared bike this year with the Steamroller in the pit.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i6/heatherandsteve/BirminghamFall2006/IMG_0773.jpg

I rode five races last year on a Surly Steamroller. It was my first organized bike racing.

Depending on the course, you might or might not be giving that much up to your geared competitors. There were a couple races that went through technical, steep-ish singletrack that really kicked my ass. Here's a cool article on SS CX:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlecross.html

It's cool when a CX series is big enough to have a singlespeed division, but that's rare AFAIK. Since my local series is pretty tiny, I will be racing on a geared bike this year with the Steamroller in the pit.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i6/heatherandsteve/BirminghamFall2006/IMG_0773.jpg

awesome. ive raced ss cx on a steamroller as well. love it.

are those cantis on there, and if so...how?

i have calipers on mine and strangely, the only time i have had a problem was with REALLY sticky peanut butter mud.

are those cantis on there, and if so...how?Nashbar "long"-reach calipers. Is all.

Limits tire width, for sure. If I were building it from scratch, I'd go with Cross-Check or IRO Rob Roy. But the frame was a gift, so I use it happily from pavement to singletrack with 32C tires.

I commute to work on my Van Dessel, and I'd like to try out SS cross this fall. I'm not sure what gear to set it up with, and I've got it temporarily at 38/18. It's very slow on the street, and I'm afraid I'll get killed in the flats of the races. I've also got a 16T, 20T, and 22T freewheels and a 42T chainring. I guess the best thing would be to do some local MTB trails that aren't too hilly and see how it goes.

What gear ratio(s) are others running?

eric

All you need is an 80's-90's touring frame with horiz dropouts and canti's. It will work just fine for CX geared or SS. The main difference between touring frames and CX frame is the cable routing otherwise they are very similar.

I commute to work on my Van Dessel, and I'd like to try out SS cross this fall. I'm not sure what gear to set it up with, and I've got it temporarily at 38/18. It's very slow on the street, and I'm afraid I'll get killed in the flats of the races. I've also got a 16T, 20T, and 22T freewheels and a 42T chainring. I guess the best thing would be to do some local MTB trails that aren't too hilly and see how it goes.

What gear ratio(s) are others running?

eric

i'm running 39x17 which i find to be perfect for cross in the NE.

42x18 is pretty close to 39x17. I'll give that a try. After riding fixed for a while the dang ACS freewheels are so loud. They seem like junk but are a lot cheaper than Enos :).

42-18 is pretty good.

Ken Bloomer (http://34x18.blogspot.com/)

I don't know if you'd be competitive against those with gears, but check this out.

From Cyclingnews.com

Singlespeed cyclo-cross worlds to Portland

First there were mountain bike singlespeed world championships. Now cyclo-crossers will get their own version.

The Portland Single Speed Collective announced it will host the inaugural Singlespeed Cyclo-cross World Championships in conjunction with a Cross Crusade event on November 11-12.

Day one will include a qualifying 'cross time trial, a relatively uncommon event although the AVA Cyclo-cross Stage Race has been holding one at the Alkek Velodrome for the past three years. At the Portland event, time bonuses will be given for "sketchy aero bar descending", fastest saddle-less lap, fastest saddle-less lap while on aero bars, fastest steep hill climb, and best six-pack bunny hopping.

Day is the Grand Boucle of Singlespeed 'cross, a 60-minute race around the notorious Estacada Bowl. One woman and one man will be crowned Singlespeed Cyclo-cross World Champion.

For more information, visit www.sscxwc.com.

possible- yep...I did it last year. Tough, yep- I got lapped almost every race. I ran 39-20

that's loooow. I like it!
I just started 'cross, on my ss cross-check. dunno if I'll race since I'm horribly slow. but I was wondering about gearing. I've got 39x16 and after riding it off-road a bit I'm thinking of going down to 39x18. I used to have 42x19 on my fixed gear so it'd be similar to that. hmm...

Singlespeed cyclo-cross worldsIf women could compete with men, there'd be no WNBA.