Am I "getting too old for this?"
 

As many of you may know, I work at a bike coop. Recently we've taken on a few more staff and I've been slightly disappointed with the decisions they're making about how to fix bikes.

Mainly, they're taking perfectly functioning double or triple crank bikes and turning them into 1x setups. Often times these bikes only have 6 or 7 speeds in the back. I know that the 1x setup is the "fad" right now but seriously... all they're doing is making the bikes LESS functional. Even more annoying is that often they're using classic bikes for their experiments. Nice old Peugeots or old 80s Treks, bikes that would be great in their own respect with just their stock parts.

For those of us who are mountain bikers, you'll know that a 1x setup is usually reserved for very STRONG riders, and that's only when it's paired with a 10 or 11 speed wide range cassette. I just don't get it. Am I getting too old for this or should I stop meddling?

Have you been disappointed with any of the bike fads throughout the years?

Is this a shift in management strategy to take bikes in this direction? If so, were you part of the discussions and able to provide your input as to why you disagree with the strategy? Or is this due to individual mechanics working with owners and guiding them into a 1x setup based on current trends?

Unfortunately, there's a social tendency to rapidly go towards new fads, technology, etc. because of what's been published in a magazine or read on a website without much thought to the whys and whens of the fads. The 1x does make sense for seasoned, strong riders when paired with the proper cassettes, and, IMO, doesn't make any sense for noobs, weak riders, etc. or bikes where the cassettes aren't being changed out either.

If it's the individual mechanics, have you talked to them to understand their reasoning and explained your position? If it's a strategic decision, have you asked about their reasoning and explained your position?

I'm curious about this too. Is the fad driven by a desire for simplicity, reduction in weight or other. It does seem odd to me; though I do like it when I'm spinning up a steep hill and pass a 20's something person walking his/her fixie up the incline. :)

It's the millennials. I don't know what's up with them. This bike just popped up for sale. An '87 that was touched by Tom Ritchey (he welded the rear triangles on the Ascent) and it's turned into a 1x7. It just makes no sense.

https://images.craigslist.org/00g0g_...5_1200x900.jpg

Every generation feels the need to reinvent the world about them. We (I'm 61) did this with out ten speeds and long hair. But the OP is talking about a product that is presented to a "customer", a whole different matter then where their tattoos are. One would hope that the coop management has a model/mission statement/guiding hand in how the work that represents their business is done. If the management isn't aware of the goings on then they need to be made known of this. Then it's up to them to decide what is right or wrong. Andy.

makes no sense --- but that fine machine is worth putting the triple back on there for sure --- nice

I made my girlfriends commuter a 1x7. It's an 85 Peugeot PH11. She never used the big ring and it and the shifting apparatus was getting in the way. Added a Deore long cage rear and she's extremely happy with the 39x32 big gear. It's also a flat bar conversion (GASP!!!) She's also not the type that hammers away down hills or on flats, so it suits her just fine. Now, I certainly wouldn't make a habit of going 1x on most bikes, but when I was a more casual rider , I don't think I was in the big ring very much

I'm 57, where I live in Flatlandia, 1X? make sense. Even with strong headwinds that do fine. Now I can see the concern when the rear gearing is not adjusted to the area. Does bring up the limiting use of the bike to a certain geographic area. Fish out of water syndrome.

I think a lot of the drive was caused by indexing front shifters which are always a pain. That said, I like the 1x setup for off road and city bike setups. With 10 and 11 speed wide range cassettes, you can cover the same range as a traditional double, often with just as many ratios, because there's no overlap.

The fact of the matter is that a lot of doubles have 1) overlapping gear ratios and 2) more range than most casual riders need, especially at the top end. 1x is more approachable for novice riders. It's takes more mental energy than I have to think about front shifting during a cyclocross race.

http://i.imgur.com/VbGU8jCh.jpg

Now, what I really don't understand is the newest trend toward 1x11 roadbikes. Some Allez's won't accept a FD even if you want to use one.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...eec3c82f01.jpg

I'm toward the younger end of the scale here I think and completely agree. 1x only makes sense if the full package and gear range meets the rider's needs. Taking a stock double/triple and turning it into a 1x with no other changes only limits the potential customer(and loses the original configuration). If someone who owns the bike makes the decision, fine, and you'd hope they'd understand the limitations. Making that decision for some unknown customer who may or may not understand the limitations is not an improvement imo. Gear range is a very personal decision.

I don't really care as long as someone doesn't do something stupid like sawing off the derailleur hanger. But if you never use the big ring, why remove it? To save weight? Does the shifter really get in the way? Just leave it be so it doesn't look stupid. And single speed conversions. I mean if you want only one gear then don't shift. Don't go and geek the bike out.

I respectably agree with the drew comment.

I respectably disagree with you on the gear choices. I will follow my own dictates when it comes to my bikes.

I look at that and think "crosswinds".

Whatever floats your boat. I see that the OP is from Bozeman (MT?) For getting around town, why not? But it ain't Kansas.

My '73 Raleigh Grand Sports has a 5 speed IGH, perfect for my commute, and low maintenance. A 1X would give me smaller changes between shifts, nothing wrong with that.

The bike charity I volunteer at from time to time has a couple of guiding principles...

first the every bike that gets touched has to leave safe and functional, the bike is not accepted for work if this can't be done. As an example a bike came in that was set up as single speed using a freehub and did not have brakes (missed on intake thought it was a fixie). We put brakes on it before it was released.

Second that only work that is needed be done. There is more demand than volunteer hours. There are standard solutions that are functional and save time i.e putting a friction thumb shifter on a bike rather than spending hours trying to get low end indexing shifters working.

It sound to be like your young guys are not following the secon principal, and in an area that is not all flat, reducing the functionality of bikes by goin 1 x

maybe this approach will resonate with the co-op mgr?

I'm sure most do. The First Amendment is a great thing.

I agree with this completely however, there are issues.

One: We don't often find good volunteers who want to stick around for more than a month.
Two: Our general philosophy is to let the people who know how to work on bikes do their thing. We don't want to have to babysit people who don't need babysitting. We are already low on volunteers. We leave it up to their discretion as to WHAT to fix and how to fix it. This has never been a problem in the past.
Three: This is mainly MY concern, but I'm only a volunteer staff member. (We have "volunteers", people who just show up whenever and help, and we have "volunteer staff" who actually have an obligation to be there and run the shop.) Admittedly, I'm the second most senior staff member at the shop (after the old guy who started it) and have spent the most hours there over the past 2 years.

I feel like we don't want to scare away potential good volunteers, but at the same time I personally feel like they're lowering the quality, yet increasing the variety of bikes we have going out of the shop. (Unsurprisingly, the drop bar mountain bike one of them built up still hasn't sold... a year later.)

It sounds like these guys are thinking more about themselves than about the customer. Which makes sense, since they're volunteers and they're there to have fun. But maybe you can have a little discussion about what would actually serve the public well?

That said, to me the big advantage of a 1x would be that it allows you to use a chainguard (hockey stick, or even better, German P-shaped) and keep your pants clean, but I'm betting that's not what your volunteers are thinking about.

I absolutely hate it when repair guys tells you an old bike can't be fixed, parts arent' availble anymore, and rather fit a new one piece crank set and drive on my old Raleigh. It just doesn't look right LOL. I don't think it has anything to do with my age, because I have always been this way, when I was 20, and I'm now 40. I rather have it tuned up with original parts as far as possible, and I happily taken on tracking down the right parts my self. That's one of the reasons I'm working on how to tackle cottered cranks at the moment.

Some times age gives better perspecive, but largely, we tend to go with the flow of the moment, at least we are influenced by it. If we are stubborn and want something else, it's usually because we know of something better, at least something we like bettter. I never benefitted much from 18, 21, or 27 gears, I have actually been just as happy with 12. Even the 7 gear Nexus hub was nice for every day riding. We sort of work in the direction of our own needs and preferances, and age is probably not the main factor in this.

I wouldn't worry too much about the high-tensile steel bikes. They're meant to be cheap. Just watch out for the nice vintage 531 bikes.

Our local co-op took a nice Falcon, NR Campy, I think, and took off the drops to put flat bars on it??? But it did sell.

Other bikes, they strip because the parts are worth more than the bike as a whole.

It is hard to complain too much. The whole place is run like a business. But, I've snagged a few good bargains.

Not sure if this applies, but shouldn't any organization, volunteer or not, have a set of guidelines that are universally followed ??
This will obviously require a brief or not so brief orientation to every volunteer that walks through the doors, but that is the only way to keep everyone on the same page with regard to best serving the public. Whether you are fixing bikes, or making lunches or walking dogs, I would assume its all the same

Wise counsel...

Pursue the serenity to accept the things you cannot change and the courage to change the things you can, if I may paraphrase a well-known prayer.

If the nature of these builds falls within your realm of influence, then by all means get involved. One of the best approaches is to open the discussion with a simple question: Why? When you do this you'll have an understanding of the reasoning behind their efforts and can respond accordingly. They may also be more receptive to your reasons for doing it differently when you've taken the time to hear where they're coming from first.

And who knows? Maybe there's a middle road that neither you nor they have considered, but which will become apparent as all sides are considered thoughtfully.

The other option is to not get involved, in which case you've just gotta accept that they're gonna do their thing and you're gonna do yours. The trick is to avoid "accepting" it while grumbling quietly in a corner and developing a nervous tic. :)

+1 I posted a simple reply on this, but the bike charity I volunteer at from time to time has as bunch of standards and processes including but not limited to

volunteer registration and orientations.

List of quality/safety standards to be checked after a bike is fixed for a customer (paying or not) or put on the floor to be sold (which funds much of the charity work) This check is done by the person who works on the bike first and re-checked by a senior person. Nothing goes out with out this 2 stage quality check.

Bikes coming in for free work get a triage and if accepted (not all are) have that work clearly identified. No additional work is done unless needed for safety.

Bikes coming in for work get a ticket and the owner gets a ticket so the right bike gets back to the right owner.

customers are not allowed in the work area. (early on and still repair clinics are set up where customers, often homeless have access....before this rule, they would "help" and often try to get more stuff done than was oked on the intake ticket)

all of this is so that safety is first and the greatest number of people can be helped with the most important issues.