kenseth03

I am so close to pulling the trigger on a single speed conversion on my beloved Trek mountain bike but I just can't seem to bring myself to do it. Anyone else done this to there mountain bike and any regrets?

allencb

I converted my previous mtb (Klein Pulse, used magic gear) and eventually replaced it with a dedicated SS frame.

I love it. Less maintenance and a different riding experience. Do it. With a conversion kit, it's easy to revert back to geared operation if you don't like it.

I ride in NoVa, Wv, and SW Va, so the terrain is roughly the same as you'll have in Glen Allen.

Chris

PGSteamner

This past weekend I converted my 7 speed folding bike into a single speed.

I did a very basic conversion: took off the derailer and shortened the chain. Nothing else.

I looped the chain over one of the sprockets on the cassette. My bike has vertical dropouts and I was very lucky that the magic gear ratio for the bike fell on the one gear I was using anyways.

Eventually I want to replace the cassette with a single bmx sprocket and spacers but for the time being what I have works fine.

So far no regrets, but I'm in Chicago so there are no hills. The bike feels and looks cleaner. The difference is quietly satisfying instead of hugely astounding. The bike becomes quieter and simpler to ride - you stop thinking about it. Do it.

goody71

I converted my Trek 820 '01 to single speed. I had a cassette wheel so I just added spacers and then a 16t sprocket. I bought the SS conversion kit from Performance bikes for like $20. Looks like it's $21 on the website.

Originally an LBS sold me spacers for $2 a piece. I was pissed when I got the kit which had 11 spacers, lockring, 3 sprockets and a tensioner. Now I'm a little wearing of my LBS's price gouging. Anywho, back to the conversion...

I took off the front and back derailleurs and removed their cabling. I had to buy a new chain because the old one busted on a test run; I had been removing and adding all sorts of links and the chain was 7 years old anyway. I replaced it with a single speed chain for $10 form Performance.

I left all three chainrings on. I may go back and mess with removing the two I'm not using but I've read that the chainbolts will most likely be too long and I'll have to get new ones. So I was fine with just leaving them on there.

The tensioner screws right into to where the rear derailleur was and has worked great. I had a little issue with not springing back into place. I think an hour long commute home in the rain caused that. It's seemed to have fixed itself after awhile though. Also note, that I'm doing all of my riding on the streets of Chicago so I'm not stump jumping or anything. I can't say how the Forte tensioner would work in "real" MTB conditions. There are other one's out there but they cost as much as it cost for me to convert my bike. Maybe even a little more.

One last thing, I love the one speed. It's great. I'm always excited to ride my single speed.

goody71

Ha ha. What's up, Chitown?!

wearyourtruth

i've done it. i love it. no looking back. if you want a decent idea of what it's like, as said a million times before, pick a gear (around 2x1 ratio) go ride, don't change gears. if you like that, it'll only get better when you take all that excess crap off.

lymbzero

Ever since my first conversion I've never regretted it.
There is nothing like riding SS once you've found your favorite gear.
Tweaking is sort of the fun part of the whole process.

Albeit, I ride in the street most of the time, but its the best thing ever.

I had about 4 conversions until I finally just bought a Voodoo Wanga about a year ago.
It's definitely my favorite bike.

Now I only have single speed bikes!

I say JUST DO IT

Hirohsima

Chris King's website has a phrase for SS MTB:­ “Always the wrong gear.”

That said. I ride a SS MTB, love it, and think you should do it. Your cost of entry, as others have said, is ~$25 assuming you do your own wrenching and don't suck at it so that you break something and have to take the bike into the shop :-)

Jerry in So IL

I bought an old Hardrock that was converted. Its my goto bike for anything under ten miles and singletracking! Too much fun on so few gears!

Jerry

OldCruiser

I converted an old Giant Rincon yesterday. I changed out the freewheel with a BMX 18t single. I put about 10 miles on it this morning over the same route I usually ride geared. I had no problems ; it was nice to just pedal and brake and the bike is a lot quieter . I like using a MTB because of the roughness of the MUP I ride in my town . Smaller tires just beat me to death . I need to do something with the extra chainrings . kirby

kenseth03

My local Performance has the ss conversion kit so tomorrow when I get off of work I am going to do it. Thanks for everyone's input!

pyze-guy

Thats the same bike as my wife rides, hers is a s/s as well. Nice solid steel frame.

pyze-guy

I have 1 s/s mtb and 2 fixed gear mtbs right now, and had another fixed mtb stolen. No regrets here.

triplesixer

Do it!

dansjustchillin

Do it because you want to.