A quick phone snap of the bike so far.
Hi Folks,

Firstly a big hello! I've just joined this forum after reading loads of really helpful posts and advice over the last few weeks! Thanks for curating such a great resource

I wanted to ask for a little help and advice please as I'm pretty new to the SS world! I just got hold of a Genesis Flyer single speed, having spent some time on a good friend's SS road bike and absolutely loved it! I'd never properly ridden a fixie or SS before and fell in love with the simplicity and fun of it all

As someone whos always loved to service and tinker with things (my ADHD therapy of choice), I've been slowly upgrading and improving bits here and there and already it's made such a big difference. Some simple upgrades including TRP HY/RDs calipers, Jagwire compressionless cables, Ice Tech Rotors, better resin pads, Deda carbon setback seatpost and a longer Deda stem, as well as SPD XT T8000 trecking pedals make it feel like the ride quality is WAY better, it really feels like a much sturdier and safer ride.

The main problem I have is that I've a really long torso but much shorter legs. I've never really noticed this when I was younger on past MTBs, but as I get a little older (I'm 41 now) you can definitely feel things a lot more! I tried out MyVeloFit online and have had great sucess already, finding a MUCH better saddle position and a longer stem which has practically got rid of all the little pains and niggles I was feeling so I'm really happy so far. I can't help but feel though that the last adjustment I need to make is a slightly shorter crank length. I'm feeling that going down from the 170mm cranks to 165mm will make a big difference for me. I should say I'm pretty fit with lots of swimming, cycling and gym, and in (relatively!) good shape around 67kg and about 5' 8" tall on a small frame size.

I was looking for advice specifically about the best options for replacement cranks and gearing please? With 165mm crank length in mind, what would folks recommend gearing wise for cycling in a hilly city and sometimes beyond? I live in Edinburgh, Scotland which is anything but flat! The hills and inclines aren't very long but they are frequent, and range mostly around 7-8%, with a few big ones in the city centre at aroud 9-10+%, albeit quite short in length once you've crested the hill.

At the moment I'm running the stock 42T/170mm Samox AF13 crankset, Dicta LMA-A 17t freewheel and 700x37 WTB tyres, and phyiscally I do really well most of the time. It's a workout for sure but I really enjoy it overall. I can feel tired though after a longer and tougher ride, and was thinking about maybe making it a little easier for myself and my knees! Or at least to experiment with different chainring and cog options here in Edinburgh to see how it feels, particuarly having not had a lot of experience with SS bikes before.

I would love to try the option of a White Industries DOS ENO double freewheel with some Surly Tuggnuts? I was hoping it could give me a couple of gearing options built in, maybe one for easier or flatter rides, and one for when I'm feeling a bit tired or for when I know I'm facing a lot of tougher gradients. I was thinking about going with the WI DOS 17t/19t option, and then replacing my crankset with something like a Miche Graff One 165mm in 42T or 44T maybe? I had also looked at SS cranksets like the SRAM Courier S300 or Dura Ace, but with starting sizes at around 48t I was worried these options might be a bit hard for me with all the hills and gradients?

PS: I should say for any possible suggestions, price isn't necessarily the limiting factor. Whilst it's lovely to keep costs down, I'll happily pop on something more expensive if it's of way better quality, lasts longer and/or is lighter and easier to use etc.

I'd love to hear any ideas and suggestions you have, and many thanks in advance for any help you can give me! It's much appreciated

Best wishes,
Gavin