There're quite a few cyclists in here, so I thought you might appreciate my new Zion singlespeed. Jenson sells the frame for $250 (w/ tax & shipping it comes out to right around $300).

It's a 21" steel (4130 double butted chromo) frame w/ a huge 7" headtube, so I had to do a little playing around w/ the cockpit. I turned the Thomson stem upside down (it's only a 5 degree rise, so it doesn't look too weird), and that seemed to do the trick. It's comfy, and it handles fairly well- I'll just have to get used to it being quicker than my full-suspension rig.
[img][375:500]http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/2677/6600ug4.jpg[/img] Check out the old-school Race Face XY seatpost!

I sussed out my commute route today, and I'll be able to ride the railroad tracks all the way in to work. 8) I wouldn't normally ride the SS to work, but the obstacles on the way will slow me down enough so I won't spin out (gearing is 19x34). Tubes are Slimed- there are lots of goatheads along the way, along with broken glass and various metal shards. And bums and threatening ne'er-do-wells. Guess I'll have to start packing heat.

Any other single speeders in here?

fp

I need to start riding my bike more often.

i don't even know what this thread's about. i guess i need to wikipedia Goatheads.

What is your full suspension rig? Your new ride looks pretty smooth.

Thanks! My FS is a Special ed Enduro. It's a couple years old, but still works great, especially since I put that Fox (butter) fork on it.

Whatchoo ride?

I've been looking into a Santa Cruz Blur or Superlight since like March. I get real gung ho about buying one and then something comes up which causes me to forget I wanted one. In the end though, it's probably dropping 3 plus Gs that is deterring me. I still rock a late 90's Klein hardtail that is desperately in need of retirement.

And yes, Fox can't be faded. My bro and friend rock them.

Mountain Bike Action really likes the Superlight. Editor Richard Cunningham sez, "The new Superlight is one of the best handling mid-travel trailbikes I have tested in a while."

"...something comes up which causes me to forget I wanted one." You need to focus.

The Zion looks good. I haven't set up a singlespeeder yet. I've got a couple of bikes: a Kona Dog Supreme and a Fisher Mt Tam 29. I love the 29" wheels. That's all I'm going to buy from now on. I've got an old lugged steel Trek frame that I'm going to build up into a singlespeed. I'm also thinking of experimenting with a 29" front wheel on that bike by running a suspension-corrected 26" rigid fork.

Give me some specs on the your setup here. How are you tensioning the chain? What did the whole build cost? I'm either going to build the Trek on the cheap or go all out. The easiest thing to do would get a chain tensioner but I'd really like to get an ENO eccentric rear hub.

I don't normally commute to work but I did last Friday for national "ride your bike to work day". Everyone looked at me like I had three heads. It was fun though.

what's the advantage of a singlespeed? Other then simplicity / less maintenance?

For me, it's the challenge. SS is harder (uphill is a bitch, downhills are crazy 'cause you'll spin out, pedaling like a 10 year old on a Stingray), but the simplicity is paramount (speaking of Schwinn ). There's a lifestyle thing there, too. Singlespeeders are a different breed of people. I'm not there yet, but it calls to me.

My SS still takes a lot of maintenance, so don't get fooled there. Not as much as a full suspension rig, but... Sometimes it seems like all you need to do is lube the chain & ride, and sometimes, you feel like damn! Can't I just ride??? without having to worry about all this shit?

Not much help, I'm sure.

A lot of people I know are doing the 29" thang. There must be something to it! I've been semi-wanting to do it, but don't have the cash. Good on you for commuting- is it something you're going to do more of in the future?

I built this bike up from another SS (On-One) frame I had that was too small, so I can't give you a build cost with parts $$. The bike shop charged me $100 to build it from my parts, and I had to pay another $75 to have a longer steerer tube put on my Marzocchi fork, because the new frame was too big for the old steerer tube.

The On-One had an EBB that was a bit difficult to adjust- you had to remove a crank and try to get in there w/ a long allen wrench. This frame has two Allen screws on the bottom of the bb shell that make for easy access/adjustment.

[img][375:500]http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/7825/bb500cv7.jpg[/img]

I also have an older Cannondale that I had set up w/ a tensioner just to make sure I'd like the whole SS thing. It was cool, but it skipped a bit under load. Apparently, this is not uncommon. See the SS forum of MTBR.com for more details.

That 29" wheel on the Trek sounds cool. I guess Travis Brown rides one like that, designing his own bike & everything. Must be nice!

i need to get a new bike before it starts getting too warm...i want to hit up some trails

Yeah, I'd like to commute more but my place of business really isn't set up for it. The ride itself is no big deal but I sweat my ass off here in Florida and we don't have anything resembling a shower or place to scrub up, not to mention change into proper work clothes. I think I'll do it more when it cools off again.

I'll post my custom Trek 69er here when I get it done.

i didn't want to clog up the random thread with bike talk and i don't like making new threads, but the bike talk in there reminded me to post the custom build i completed in april:



surly steamroller frame (56cm), selle italia saddle, crank brothers seatpost, velocity deep v rims, gatorskin tires, pake crankset (170x46), shimano brake. i was a little disappointed that the blues didn't all match up, but that's what i get for piecemealing. i still think it looks fine. it's an excellent ride, though i still don't use it for everyday commuting to/from work.

That's a good-looking ride. I got a new job since my last post and I regularly commute by bike now. I'll post some picks of my quiver later, including my semi-fat singlespeed sand bike.

I just bought a new bike myself- Felt Z85

loving it (and bib shorts) so far.

I just scooped up a 29" Trek Gary Fischer Mamba..

Worth every penny to get me off my beer drinking ass. I had a 26" Trek with no suspension back in the day, this is light years ahead..The 29" wheels make a huge difference.

I'm rocking a Salsa Casseroll singlespeed for my commuting and road riding. It's a sweet bike. I cobbled together some used parts and a Salsa Enabler fork to put a 4" Surly Endomorph tire on the front of my Fisher Mt Tam 29 for trail riding. It's now a singlespeed too. Both are sweet rides.

We've gotten a few bikes since this thread.



My daily ride is this Trek Belleville. 3 speed internal rear, genny front hub, and I swapped the stock saddle for a Brooks springer. It is an excellent kid-hauler / grocery getter / beer mule.






Back in Madison when I visit I have this SE Draft single to ride around on. It's shitloads of fun... so light and simple. Wish the cranks/front cog weren't one piece, but the price was so very right.

Please tell me the kid isn't in there.

i think i might get this SE Lager, hopefully before the summer is over.

Wow- lots of sweet new rigs in here! I'll have to post up a pic of my latest- a Special ed SS 29er. It fookin' rawks.

Kyle, at what point are you hauling too much stuff for a bike? Just curious as I both admire your dedication to this lifestyle and find it humorous.

I don't own a bike and don't plan on buying one. But if I did, that belleville is the coolest bike I've seen.

(serious answer) When the tires are properly inflated and yet they are straining to keep their shape, or when you over-tax a rack mounting point or something. The bike talks to you - when it's got a few beer cases on it it groans when you pedal, the tires rasp on the ground everytime you turn the wheel, and the brakes get hot and smell when you're braking downhill. You know when you're pushing it.

And it is kinda funny, the whole lifestyle bit. I chuckle too. I tend to look at it like a challenge, because I'm in it one way or another, so why not. When you don't have a car to get lazy and use, then you either 1) see how much you CAN fit on the bike, 2) you rent a zipcar (a pain in the ass relative to just hopping on a bike), or 3) you just don't get to do shit. And when you do manage to carry a huge amount of shit on the bike, it feels good. In this case (that photo) it's all cardboard boxes and packing paper / dunnage. It looked Beverly Hillbillies huge, but it weighed like 30 pounds total... it was nothing.

Oh and there was room for the kid, but no I didn't bring her.