single speed advantages?

Just for the record Norm, my Brother gave me his full suspension bike. If he was giving away his road bike I'd take that too. And just for the record, I'm a Single Speeder. The Specialized needs a rear shock, handlbars and a whole lot ya. I don't ride it but I'm psyched to use it when I want to encorporate very long SLOW rides into my routine like Nelson suggested. The extra weight will help build character. If you go too slow on a SS you're walking and I want to stay in the saddle as much as possible for long slow training rides. The geared bike is a good training tool. Now that I ride the SS it would be hard to go back to a geared bike. I'd have to travel way farther to get the same workout I get now uness I kept the geared bike in one hard gear, but then why have the geared bike? Hills I used to cop out on by downshifting I have to man up now and it rocks.
 
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my take

My take on the SS is this:

Ride mud with no fuss

Deal with the gear you have

spin to win

ride smoother on climbs and the traction never is lost

My bike ends up quite a bit lighter

I never miss shift and have my knee thrown into the stem

Going back to the hardtail made me re-think trails that became easy on the Dual Sus bike.


There are some hiller spots that the SS isn't that fun but in general I ride the simplest bike I own the most.

It isn't a fad or better than gears. It just becomes a natural choice.


*note* I ride with a rotor q-ring on my SS and it is honestly a different experience than with a round chainrings. I would never go back to round. I have tried on occasion when swapping bikes with other people and it just feels tough on my knees and less efficient.

If you haven't tried it you should at least read about it

Most everyone I SS with has them and feels the same way.

http://www.rotorbike.com/2006/index.htm


I was as skeptical about these as i was about 29" wheels until I tried them. Now I won't ride without either.

j
 
Hey jdog...wazu here. pleased to meet ya. in your own words, what differences do you personally feel with the q rings? My interest is definately peaked here. Please elaborate as much as possible and also does the q ring affect the amount of teeth you normally use in the front and/or rear? Thank You. :)
 
Wazu said:
Hey jdog...wazu here. pleased to meet ya. in your own words, what differences do you personally feel with the q rings? My interest is definately peaked here. Please elaborate as much as possible and also does the q ring affect the amount of teeth you normally use in the front and/or rear? Thank You. :)
Click to expand...

You don't have to fight the bike so much during initial accelertion or when pushing up big climbs.

My overall spin feels smoother and less jerky.

It isn't a motor. You still need to pedal.

You don't really notice that much of a change at fiirst but you really notice it when you try a round ring and it feels awkward.

I run a 34t rotor ring with a 20t White industires freewheel.

In the past i rode a 33 surly round ring.

With the q-ring I am able to run one gear harder which helped the top end speed but I still feel ok on the big climbs.

On some days and at some riding spots I have thought I could go for a 19t but I have just stayed with the 20.

For 26"ers this wold be about an 18. Most people agree that the 29er needs a 2 tooth jump for the same feel,
 
Thanks a lot J dog. I'm gonna investigate now. Have a great day too! btw we should ride so I can check this ring out in action.
 
Wazu said:
Thanks a lot J dog. I'm gonna investigate now. Have a great day too! btw we should ride so I can check this ring out in action.
Click to expand...

There is at least 5 other people who post here who ride them. Maybe they will chime in too??


btw.. The chain does get tighter and looser on the ss but not enough to drop the chain.


j-
 
warcricket said:
what are the advatages of riding ss bikes?
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Here is another good thing about SS -- I ride my SS when I have time for only a quick bike ride, as it is less efficient and makes you work harder. Therefore, it is a harder workout for less time.

Also, I ride my SS when I ride with slower riders. It gives you a great workout without pushing those folks too hard. I ride my SS when I take my younger nephews out for a ride.

From my SS experience, I have learned the following:

1. No way in hell would I want the SS as my primary bike. :) After riding my SS, I really appreciate my full suspension bike.
2. The SS has taught me how to climb hills better -- charge them!
3. The SS has re-taught me that standing on a bike is good for quick power and looks kind of cool. :)
4. The SS is fun and it is great for muddy conditions & winter riding.
5. When riding with geared bikes, try to be the first up the hill. If you get stuck behind someone spinning slowly up the hill, you'll be hurting!

Enjoy!

One note, though -- be careful what gearing you choose. Riding the SS can be hard on the knees!
 
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