Single Speed Project

When I first read about the Single Speed movement, I scoffed. Why would anyone want to ride a bike with just ONE gear when we have the technology to have 27? Just read the message boards; everyone wants to be on the bleeding edge of drivetrain parts. Sure, you have the Magura Cult, which is all about converting people into using Magura brake products, but the drivetrain is what most people salivate over. So why would people strip their bikes of the most expensive and technological parts? Why would gearheads just lose all sense and carve hundreds of dollars off their bikes?

Because its fun.

Everything I read about these Single Speed bikes made them seem like the coolest thing in the world. I had never read any group so passionate about anything before in my life. So I thought I would give it a try. My wife had just allowed me to buy a new aluminum mountain bike, so I had an old, red, steel, Specialized Rockhopper sitting around. I collected knowledge and parts all Winter so I could transform this "gearie" come Spring.

The first thing I noticed was the burgeoning of Single Speed market. This is a subculture in its infancy, yet there are already several companies fabricating components that are Single Speed specific. From hubs, frames, cogs, and cranksets up to the entire frame, there are companies that have "jumped on the bandwagon." The first company I read about was SofaKing. These bikes are made at a shop in Little Rock, Arkansas called Chainwheel. I read a review of the SofaKing Cool bike in an issue of Dirt Rag Magazine. I didn't really get the entire "Single Speed" way of thought, so I thought their website would be a good place to start.

It started off by explaining the frame and introduced me to "horizontal dropouts." This is what the single speeder thrives. If a frame has horizontal dropouts, there is no need for a chain tensioner. I originally thought the reason this was important lied in the quest for minimal weight. While valid, the weight argument is low on the priority list for a single speeder. If there is not enough chain tension on a bike, the chain could get thrown while under stress. As with any bike, throwing a chain is never a good thing.

The article went on to explain why SofaKing bikes are superior, but I wanted to know more about the conversion of a gearie into a single speed. A quick jaunt over to the MTBR.com website led me to the message boards.

A wealth of information can be had by reading any board on the MTBR.com site. However, I found the Single Speed board to be the best place to go if you ever have questions about anything. Those who frequent this board are very knowledgeable about all aspects of cycling, whether it be mountain biking, trials, road cycling, BMX, and even unicycling. Not only do these riders have vast knowledge on the subject, they are also very personable. I guess as personable as a computer can let you display. They answer any question you might have, aren't condescending (mostly), and give you other resources to check. They are also very into the culture of biking.

While other cycling message boards are just chatter, this message board actually brings people together. Races are discussed, rides are planned, and anyone is welcome. Often times there are post-race discussions congratulating riders, offering advice for the next race, lending support to those who didn't do as well as planned, and the obligatory story of passing a gearie on a hill, much to the gearie's chagrin. There truly is a culture here. And this culture doesn't discriminate. You can be a gearie, fixed gear rider, free rider, road rider, BMX punk... Heck, you can even ride one of those scooters and you won't be insulted. The only time there are negative posts on this board they address one of three things: rants about inconsiderate trail riders, rants about poor components/customer service, or someone attempting to slam single speeding, the latter being the only material subjected to snarls from the regulars.

After reading for several days and finally feeling comfortable, I posted a query about how to go about constructing a single speed. I was given several sites to consider, and wished well in my endeavor.

Sheldon Brown, who runs sheldonbrown.com, has to be THE authority when it comes to human powered vehicles. This guy knows everything about everything when it comes to velos. Sheldon has an extensive page dedicated to the construction/conversion of single speed and fixed geared bikes. I found his site to be the definitive single speed conversion resource. He even carries all sorts of single speed components. Sheldonbrown.com is your one-stop-shop for all things single speed.

A yahoo.com search pulled a few resources for single speeding. Any of the following can help you out. I found BBP's Single Speed Mountain Bike Page site to be particularly helpful. The newly-created Single Speed Outlaw has many articles and links.