ss or gears
 

I have been riding 100% fixed gear for the last 2 years did my first fixed century last sept.Since I have
a trail less than a mile from my house I have decided to give mountain biking a try.I am also planning
a few trips to the mountains this summer to ride trals there.I have rode 2 bikes a gary fisher rig and
trek ex 8 and like them both.I am leaning more to single speed but would like some feed back from
from people with more experience.
I will be 58 in may and I am 5ft 91/2in and 150lb
thanks

I rode fixed gear for a long time also. I also rode mtbs during that time but I prefer a SS bike for what I do. I would give it a shot as long as it is feasible for your location and riding conditions. SS29rFTW

SS is great, as long as where you live is mostly flat. I have done it in louisiana and texas, and its been wonderful. i just run a low ratio (34-20) and coast when i run out of gear. normally i ride with my dog following me, so its pretty laid back.

this summer i have plans to tackle some mountains in north alabama, north georgia and tennessee, and I am putting gears on my bike. there is a chance i might regret the simplicity of a SS rig, but the extra terrain i will be able to conquor will be worth it, as well as a good chance i will be racing this coming fall. for recreational riding, even somewhat fast pace, i love the SS- so much in fact that i have considered tracking down another frame and just building a second bike- as im having to replace most of the parts on my stock bike in order to build the geared version. maybe at a later date, when i get rid of a few extra bikes im not using... but for now im in college, i have the space, and use all of four of them.

I also rode a fixed cross bike on the levee of louisiana because other than the trails, it felt like the safest place to ride where i was. If you are used to riding a fixed, i would look closely into 29ers, because when you ride a SS, its all about carrying as much momentum as you can. It takes a while to learn this, but its a great feeling- knowing when to pedal and when to lay back and pick the good line.

Gears all the way for me. :D