The Ultimate SS Mountain Bike
 

I bought my first SS mountain bike last year. It's a Bianchi SISS, and the bottom line is that I simply love a single speed for the woods. I'm considering swapping the frame for a Kona Explosif, but I haven't done it yet. My other thought is to go all out on a new frame, and replace the rest of the components as they die. I may race the SS this next year, so the lighter the frame the better. My current frame (as well as the Kona) is about 4.5 lbs. Here are a few other requirements:

-Disc brake only frame
-Either horizontal dropouts, or vertical dropouts with and eccentric b/b.
-Steel or Ti frame

Any thoughts? Comments?

ThanX!

Okay, no comments thus far. How about a scandium frame? Does it really ride like steel? How about the Salsa Juan Solo?

Salsa Juan Solo

ThanX!! :)

I really don't think the frame will matter that much. Just get something that will fit you well. With disks your best bet (as far as setup) will be to get a ebb bike. Have you thought of a 29 inch bike? Might be one really nice way to go for a ss. There are a few of them out there though they escape me right now.
Personally, I'd be looking for a nice steel frame. I'd run a disk up front but a v in the rear. You'd get plenty of power out of a rear v and you would have less to worry about with horizontal drops. The front brake is the workhorse anyway. Doing it this way I might even look around for nice high end frames with vertical drops and get an ENO rear wheel. I think the money you'd save on a frame would certainly pay for the wheel.
You have to decide what YOU want. What's important. If disks front and rear are most improtand than you're stuck looking at the ebb bikes that are out there. On-one had some really nice titanium ebb bikes http://www.on-one.co.uk/products/tiinbredebb.shtml You'd have to drop over a grand to get one but.... it'd be a hell of a nice bike.

ThanX for the great reply, Familyman!

I do want discs on both front and rear (in fact, I'm going to swap the disc from my Bianchi), so I think the EBB is the way to go for me. I really love the feel of steel also, so a high-end steel frame would be ideal. However, I'm also considering both Ti and Scandium as both claim to have the "steel feel". I've not ridden either, so it's difficult for me to determine if these materials really have the feel of a steel frame.

I did look @ the On-One stuff, and the frames are really sweet. It would be tough to drop that kind of coin on a Ti frame without @ least some feedback on the true ride charateristics, though.

What about the Surly Karate Monkey 29". It has horizontal drops but I am not sure about the disc only part. Worth the look, in any case: surlybikes.com.

How about a custom thylacine? He is on here and could customize a frame to exactly your needs, and even get in in Ti if you wanted.

http://www.thylacinecycles.com/xc_xcsl.htm

Would take a bit longer to get but then could get exactly what you want.

Ultimate SS mountain bike?
 

:p I've has this 'un for a few months, now.

Only 3 produced. Mine is the only one with a 6-7 2" tandem-rated/bi-ovalized downtube. Frame weight is sub-3lbs. 20" C-C seat tube and 25.4" ACTUAL top tube. Rides like a dream.

Thanks for the plug, Kev.

That SofaKing looks pretty nice. Amazing to see a bike that would actually be too big for me! It's nice to not be the only mutant.

From a personal perspective, if you're going disc only, a Bushnell EBB equipped bike is the only way to go. In steel in a 18", weight would be well under 4lbs, and in ti probably half a pound lighter, maybe more. EBBs arent terribly light though, so keep that in mind.

A lot of the decision depends largely on your wallet. If it was no barrier, you couldnt look past Ti, but if it is, you'll never be disappointed with a nice steel frame. I'd pick steel over Al or Scandum, anyday.

If you want any more info, feel free to drop me a line at info@thylacinecycles.com

Look what you did, I had to hide that pic from my bike-- you gave it a complex. Very nice!

SofaKing
 

If'n Patrick Barron hadn't given me a deal on the Sofa King, I would have never bit. He ran a kinda promotional deal last year, and I jumped at the offer.

Not meaning to beat the drum, but this is perhaps the sweetest frame I have owned in my 20plus years of mountain biking. I'm just a lucky chap!

Should last me a good long time.......

I was just wondering, did your frame break out in a rash having that Surly fork attached to it? *laugh*

;) A bit of rash, yes....but it went away.

Having broken several rigid forks in the past, I went for STRENGTH rather than lightweight on the SK. I had a 1X1 SS previously, and really grew to TRUST the Surly fork! Strong and cheap! Surly/Rhyno wheels, too....8^)

(I'm 6'5" and currently 238lbs of solid eatin' muscle...)