alcahueteria

So, I'm at this LBS the other day talking to the guy. He's showing me his highlighter yellow bianchi mtb. He tells me he's having trouble getting it to shift, so I told him to get some more gears and a couple shifters. He laughed and then started rambling on about something else. Anyway. I am wondering why people prefer the single-speed. Is it just the simplicity? Because, I mean if I don't shift I too have a single-speed. He tried to tell me that a portion of your brain is dedicated to trying to figure out what the right gear is, but I disagree. I'm not always thinking about what gear I should be in, I can just feel it. If I'm pedaling too fast up shift, too slow, down shift. I was thinking of making my urban assault bike single-speed but that was just so there was less stuff to break. So what's the deal?

trekkie820

There is less stuff to break, there IS a lot of mental power dedicated to the shifting, and the bikes are lighter. I was in awe during my first real single-speed trail ride about how much more I could focus on the trail, and the better ground clearence. There is more. Riding a single-speed, for me, is about not conforming, doing your own thing, and enjoying the ride rather than the equipment. Sure, there is some tinkering involved, but overall you can just clean and change the chain for the life of the bike, and that would be the majority of the maintainence.

mtnbiker66

Its a heck of a workout on the trails. Stuff that I would ride up with no problem is a real workout on a SS.

trekkie820

I love that feeling when you are grinding up a steep hill, then you get to the point where your body will not turn the cranks over, no matter what. You just can not push enough horsepower to turn the pedals.

Shadow_Ryder

I ride a norco havoc, its a single speed with a 16t gear on the back, its in the perfect setup where i can ride fast, but get up hills easily, my friends all have gears, i dont stop riding unless they stop, so im not disadvantaged in anyway, and being a single speed you can focus alot more, it can be more cost effective, the bike is a heck of alot quieter and you can stick a nice thick bmx chain on there for strength, well thats what i have done.

wasabiboys

Yeah but it is lighter, faster, and a better feel.

alcahueteria

Interesting. Maybe I'll give it a shot one day then.

Shadow_Ryder

you get creaky cranks alot faster though...

Hopper

Also I have heard that if you run a SS setup on a DH rig it makes you go faster. As you need the ratio in a way where you can pedal at high speed. This means you have to be smoother through corners so you have the ability to pedal out of them without having to mash the pedals.

trekkie820

You also spend less on cassettes and derailleurs

troie

But a SS's inertia can only go so much right? I mean, isnt there a point when turning the cranks at human speed cant keep up with the rotation of the wheel when travelling at such fast dh speeds?

trekkie820

It's called "spinning out". Another nice aspect of singlespeeding is once you get to a fast enough speed, no more pedaling can happen.

Another thing a lot of people do not realize is that riding a 32x18 singlspeed (the gearing I run) you are more than suited for any trail. It can climb well enough, and it can go fast enough on the flats.

Hopper

Thats why you have to finf the right gear ratio's. DH SS = bigger front smaller rear than other SS applications.

Street/DJ = smaller gear ratio than the DH one.

MadMan2k

39x17 is what my BMX cruiser has, that's real steep for mountain biking. I've been toying with the idea of making my hardrock into single speed, but I think i'll keep the rear derrailuer so I can shift down to 2nd (like 26 teeth) and up to 8th (12) in back.

Eros

It just seems bassackwards to me. Why ignore simple, proven technology that makes pedalling more efficient?

The weight, wear improvement and such just don't hold water with me.

Put streamers on it if you want to be different.

Hopper

Actually, if you are in the correct ratio it is way more efficient than when pedalind and putting the chain through a derailleur. Also it is easier for DJing as it is in a good gear, easier to crank flip and will not come off (if set up correct)

matheprat

If you were running single speed on a DH bike, you'd still need the rear mech (or some form of tensioner like that) as when the sus moves, the length between the BB and rear wheel will change slightly. So it would be just as efficient to have gears on too, as the mech will still be there.

MadMan2k

Not all rear suspension designs change the length of the chainstays when they move. There was a discussion in the single speed forum about this not long ago:
https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/102700-rear-suspension-mtb-single-speed.html

Mtn Mike

The real question is why use gears?. Before I started SSing several years ago, I though SSing was just a passing fad. For the reasons you guys stated in the previous post, I now realize that having just one gear makes the most sense for 75% of the mountain biking I do.

Why use gears Unless 1) you ride in really flat, non-technical areas where you can gear up to go fast (however, after a certain point on has to wonder if this is really mountain biking) or 2) you're riding really steep hills that necessitate a mechanical advantage. Unless those conditions apply, a geared mountain bike is quite a waist.

IMHO, the only reason why mountain bikes are now sold with 27 speeds instead of say 15, is savvy marketing by Shimano, and consumers who think owning the newest *****mano products are cool.

Maelstrom 

Deraileurs are weak, hangers are weak. I run a ss for my dj and urban. I am not a purist, I know there is a point to gearing (try living in a valley of 5 mountains) but they are fun and a very simplistic pleasure.

stric

To seom extent single-speed crowd is a subculture of its own. I guess when I am on my SS I am in a different mind set. I focus more on trail and suroundings. Somehow, it looks that the lack of urge to shift, makes me appreciate nature around me more. I simply pedal. To me SS becomes more aobut the simple joy of biking. It sort of takes you back to the beginning... pedaling. That's it, you pedal and you go. I bet your very first bike was a small children's bike... essentially a SS.
Sure enough, there are some obstacles you can't overcome with a SS... but what the hell... that's not hte point. On the surface it's basically a stripped down, very raw, simple form of biking. But deep inside it's much more than that. Something like punk

seely

Well on my SS's I never have a mis-shift, they never jump a gear, maintenance is about 1/8th of that of a geared bike, and the power transfer on an SS is supposedly signficantly more efficient than on a gearie.

nirvanaschains

It depends on what type of riding you do.
Doing mainly xc, atleast here in chicago would be almost ridiculous with a SS. Going up steep hills, its simple mathematics that tells you you cannot go up the same hills as someone who can drop the gears.
Also, if your just going for a ride for scenery maybe a SS is ok, but if your intent on going your fastest or farthest geared is the only way to go.

trekkie820

Have you ever ridden singlespeed? Be honest...

mtnbiker66

Not to knock where you ride but I ride SS in the north Carolina Mtns and other than a few really steep places I can ride mine where I want. I still ride my FS trail bike a lot but its a fun change to get on the SS with platforms and ride some good single track.How steep can it be around Chicago? I would think you could run a pretty tall gear in a place like that.