Single Speed MTB
- Thread starter jh504
- Start date
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
I have a Rig. Nice enough for what it cost. The 29er SS thing is a beautiful pairing. The larger wheels love momentum and the SS aspect forces you to maximize that momentum.
The only thing about the Rig that blows....big time blows....is the eccentric bottom bracket. Those things were designed for tandems and such and really don't hold up well to the riggers of single speeding. Aside from that, it can goof up your BB to ground drop if you'r not careful where you position the BB in the eccentric range of adjustment. The wheels are actually pretty nice on that bike in my opinion, but I did relace my rear with a little heavier duty spoke.
If I were to recommend one single speed, I'd probably suggest a Spot Longboard with the new Poly Drive belt system. That would be killer.
The only thing about the Rig that blows....big time blows....is the eccentric bottom bracket. Those things were designed for tandems and such and really don't hold up well to the riggers of single speeding. Aside from that, it can goof up your BB to ground drop if you'r not careful where you position the BB in the eccentric range of adjustment. The wheels are actually pretty nice on that bike in my opinion, but I did relace my rear with a little heavier duty spoke.
If I were to recommend one single speed, I'd probably suggest a Spot Longboard with the new Poly Drive belt system. That would be killer.
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
SOAZ,
I'm really hooked on the 29erSS. Helplessly hooked. It's been a fun education as those bikes really are different. My humble advice would be to shop carefully for a bike with a short set of stays and extra stiff hoops. I'd also suggest hitting the core muscle routine asap as a SS really puts the whammy on your abs, back and even your elbows. I logged about 12 hours on my SS last week and my elbows were killing me from yanking on the bars.
I've got a good buddy up here in Prescott that is the guru for all things SS and 29er. He has a little shop off the town square. Cool dude. Has a Sportsmobile and a KTM 950. Very ExPo, if you know what I mean. I bet he'd help set you up with a sweet rig. He sells Surly, Spot, Soulcraft, Ventana, Yeti and a few others. Those new Spots are a crazy good deal at $1600 for a complete belt drive bike with hydro brakes, etc. Ed can usually build up something like a Surly Karate Monkey for around a grand. Everything he builds usually has hand built wheels, King headset, and so on. Nice stuff.
Come up and ride with us!
www.ravensingletrack.com
I'm really hooked on the 29erSS. Helplessly hooked. It's been a fun education as those bikes really are different. My humble advice would be to shop carefully for a bike with a short set of stays and extra stiff hoops. I'd also suggest hitting the core muscle routine asap as a SS really puts the whammy on your abs, back and even your elbows. I logged about 12 hours on my SS last week and my elbows were killing me from yanking on the bars.
I've got a good buddy up here in Prescott that is the guru for all things SS and 29er. He has a little shop off the town square. Cool dude. Has a Sportsmobile and a KTM 950. Very ExPo, if you know what I mean. I bet he'd help set you up with a sweet rig. He sells Surly, Spot, Soulcraft, Ventana, Yeti and a few others. Those new Spots are a crazy good deal at $1600 for a complete belt drive bike with hydro brakes, etc. Ed can usually build up something like a Surly Karate Monkey for around a grand. Everything he builds usually has hand built wheels, King headset, and so on. Nice stuff.
Come up and ride with us!
www.ravensingletrack.com
Last edited:
dieselcruiserhead
16 Years on ExPo. Whoa!!
I have two single speeds currently that were both geared bikes. There is an alternative to the Rennen tensioner that is much cheaper, the DMR STS tensioner. Carried by 1 million and two bike shops and anyone should be able to order it in provided they are in stock (they sell like hotcakes)...
http://www.dmrbikes.com/?Section=pr...ry=3&CategoryName=Chain Devices&itemid=CDSTS\
The complete kit with spacers and a 16 tooth cog (hardly usable for anything singlespeed) converts any wheeled hub nicely... Here are some pics of my S-Works hardtail townie to a single speed using the tensioner. In the end I found the "magic gear.."
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=343035
I now use the tensioner on my Gary Fisher trail bike (soon to be replaced with a frame from a new local company called Edwin)... I rode the Fisher hard this weekend for the first time all season... Was hung over and badly out of bike shape so singlespeed was not the best idea I suppose but my only working bikes currently... That said I hung decently and am proud of myself and could get the hang of it decently enough eventually so I look forward to more rides on it
My goal is to make my biking and general pedal pushing much stronger, from a "spinner" (low geared) to a "masher" (higher geared) and I figure training on a single speed is the best method for this.. . I geared reasonably slow, 32/21 but we have big mountains here... I am actually liking the gearing a lot but as I get stronger I will increase the speed. The best part about using a geared frame with tensioner is cog changes in about 5 minutes, and you can always go back to geared.. The new frame I'm getting has Paragon sliders so it is the best of all worlds
http://www.dmrbikes.com/?Section=pr...ry=3&CategoryName=Chain Devices&itemid=CDSTS\
The complete kit with spacers and a 16 tooth cog (hardly usable for anything singlespeed) converts any wheeled hub nicely... Here are some pics of my S-Works hardtail townie to a single speed using the tensioner. In the end I found the "magic gear.."
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=343035
I now use the tensioner on my Gary Fisher trail bike (soon to be replaced with a frame from a new local company called Edwin)... I rode the Fisher hard this weekend for the first time all season... Was hung over and badly out of bike shape so singlespeed was not the best idea I suppose but my only working bikes currently... That said I hung decently and am proud of myself and could get the hang of it decently enough eventually so I look forward to more rides on it
My goal is to make my biking and general pedal pushing much stronger, from a "spinner" (low geared) to a "masher" (higher geared) and I figure training on a single speed is the best method for this.. . I geared reasonably slow, 32/21 but we have big mountains here... I am actually liking the gearing a lot but as I get stronger I will increase the speed. The best part about using a geared frame with tensioner is cog changes in about 5 minutes, and you can always go back to geared.. The new frame I'm getting has Paragon sliders so it is the best of all worlds
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Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
I hope this isn't inappropriate, but I just got a new frame and fork so I'm going to be selling my current frame and fork. Maybe it would fit what some of you are looking for. It is a Gary Fisher Rig, 19". This is single speed specific with 29er wheels. A great combi. It has an eccentric bottom bracket so you can use standard rear hubs. The fork is a Rock Shox Reba SL. I'm selling it with Cane Creek headset and the original seat post. Before I send it to eBay, I'll see if any ExPo riders can use it. I bought it 11 months ago so it's relatively new. Mechanically, everything is primo. I recently had the fork rebuilt for the spring. The frame has the usual signs of use but they're minor.
I'm thinking $500, but I'm flexy.
Forgive me if this is inappropriate. I'd rather it go to an ExPo rider than some schmoe on eBay.
I'm thinking $500, but I'm flexy.
Forgive me if this is inappropriate. I'd rather it go to an ExPo rider than some schmoe on eBay.