Pointless Prize: Singlespeed

[drevil]

@jlamb 221381 wrote:

You’ll have to be content with your private smugness. Singlespeed and fixed are lumped together. Most of my singlespeed experience is limited to mtb, where riding fixed is nuts. Although I talked to a bike mechanic at The Bike Lane who sweared by fixed gear on the Laurel Hill trails. I’m not that hard core.

Waaaaaaaaaaay back when, I used to lead fixie mountain bike rides at the Frederick Watershed. I’m too old and a lot wiser to do that anymore… unless there’s interest?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bikecentric/albums/72157622812972246

[Judd]

@drevil 221997 wrote:

It tensions the chain. It’s pushing down on the chain in that configuration.

Thanks for the info. I added some Surly Tuggnuts to my singlespeed last year to keep my chain tensioned after I not so great experience with one of the wheel notes sliding forward while turning through a busy intersection.

[Raymo853]

Dual squishy single speeds are fun as well.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]29485[/ATTACH]

[bmillah]

Okay, obviously I don’t know what I’m doing with my likes / dislikes and elites, but this place looks pretty cool. Wish it wasn’t so far from my house. Here’s mine[ATTACH=CONFIG]29505[/ATTACH]

[jlamb]

@drevil 221998 wrote:

Waaaaaaaaaaay back when, I used to lead fixie mountain bike rides at the Frederick Watershed. I’m too old and a lot wiser to do that anymore… unless there’s interest?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bikecentric/albums/72157622812972246

Maybe I’ll try it just for fun. I have a surly hub on my rear wheel that can easily be converted to fixed.

[jlamb]

@drevil 221998 wrote:

Waaaaaaaaaaay back when, I used to lead fixie mountain bike rides at the Frederick Watershed. I’m too old and a lot wiser to do that anymore… unless there’s interest?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bikecentric/albums/72157622812972246

Maybe I’ll try it just for fun. I have a surly hub on my rear wheel that can easily be converted to fixed.

[jlamb]

@Raymo853 222007 wrote:

Dual squishy single speeds are fun as well.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]29485[/ATTACH]

I’ve never seen a full squish singlespeed. Does it bounce too much when you have to mash up a hill?

[Raymo853]

@jlamb 222077 wrote:

I’ve never seen a full squish singlespeed. Does it bounce too much when you have to mash up a hill?

It seems like everyone is jumping on the dual squishy single speed bandwagon these days.

This Gen 1.1 Salsa Spearfish has flexy chain stays so it is almost effectively a unified rear triangle. Only 80 mm of travel and known to have no pedal induced bob.

I get no perception of rear bob. I only tried this when my old Indy Fab single speed had to be retired when the squishy fork died. I decided to try the Spearfish as a single speed expecting to hate it, but I have not and have been riding it for three years now like this. I like it enough I just upgraded the fork from the pictured 2014 Fox 32 to a 2017 Fox 34.

I keep thinking of buying a Salsa Timberjack or Kona Unit but never find the motivation to replace this single speed.

[jlamb]

https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/opinion/whatever-happened-singlespeed-mountain-bikes/

[drevil]

This thread has inspired me to pull the old, unloved bike polo bike out of the shed, pump up the tires, do a few part swaps and take her for a spin. It wasn’t bad. In fact, it was fun with the bike being so silent and just the constant spinning required of the fixie. I’ll be doing it a bit more.

Milwaukee Bruiser Townie Fixie by bikecentric, on Flickr

[bikesnick]

@drevil 222177 wrote:

… it was fun with the bike being so silent and just the constant spinning required of the fixie. I’ll be doing it a bit more.

Yes! I really enjoy riding my fixed gear after midnight when everything is so quiet.

[Meh]

@bikesnick 222242 wrote:

Yes! I really enjoy riding my fixed gear after midnight when everything is so quiet.

Well, I really can’t talk about quiet with the Kona above, since that tensioning pulley also gives everything a clockwork whirrring noise.

But I can with the Raleigh fixie only I much prefer riding up behind people and saying ‘passing’ just to see if they even heard me – by seeing how far they jump.

[jlamb]

To my surprise, more than one person seems interested in singlespeed. We even have a few people riding singlespeed every day. Given the fabulosity of the prizes at stake, it occurs to me that we may need a tiebreaker rule.

By the power vested in me as sponsor of this PP, I hereby declare that in the event of a number-of-rides tie, the singlespeeder with the most miles shall prevail. And don’t forget–only one ride per day counts.

Happy singlespeeding!

[Steve O]

Yep, 11 players so far. I don’t expect to win, but it’s all about attitude, right?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]29589[/ATTACH]

[drevil]

@jlamb 222340 wrote:

To my surprise, more than one person seems interested in singlespeed. We even have a few people riding singlespeed every day. Given the fabulosity of the prizes at stake, it occurs to me that we may need a tiebreaker rule.

By the power vested in me as sponsor of this PP, I hereby declare that in the event of a number-of-rides tie, the singlespeeder with the most miles shall prevail. And don’t forget–only one ride per day counts.

Happy singlespeeding!

I prolly won’t ride that many miles on the singlespeed/fixie. Why don’t we do a longest trackskid or longest trackstand contest to determine winner?

[Author]

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