|   That's it -- I'm sold (SS content) | Paul B
Aug 11, 2002 8:29 AM | | As some of you may remember, I built myself a ghetto-style single speed a few months ago. I used a frame from pedalAZ, lots of spare parts, and just a very few judicious upgrades for actual cash money. The whole thing has cost less than $100.
I've been curious about the singlespeed thing for months. My mountain biking hero, Brian Siebert, is a long-time mutant singlespeeder from well before they were hip to ride. This guy is notorious for his multi-day epics up and down mountain ranges, riding across the state, and so on. Anyway, Brian's awe-inspiring skill, power, and endurance inspired me to try it myself.
After a lot of fussing, I settled on a 34:18 gear ratio -- a pretty tall gear, and actually taller than what Brian runs. But it exactly fits my chainstays, and being able to run a SS without a tensioner makes a measurable difference.
I've been riding South Mountain Park on the ghetto bike for months now. The first three months were torture, but I think I nearly doubled my strength on my "real" mountain bike -- every granny climb had become a middle-ring climb. Took it up on the National, once.
Over and over again, I was completely surprised at how fast I could go on it (in most cases way faster than my suspended, geared bike) and how do-able the climbs were. Slowly, I started thinking about the ghetto bike less as a training tool and more as a viable alternative bike.
My first out of town experience on the singlespeed was at Granite Basin in Prescott. I had done the ride with fat-tire and his posse a couple days prior (on the "real" bike), and the climbs and descents didn't feel too deadly. A couple days later, I went up with another friend, but this time I brought the singlespeed.
And beat my time on the same ride by something like 40 minutes.
Surprised and delighted, but still convinced the ghetto bike would be too hard to ride on a more serious trip, I committed to hit Mount Elden in Flagstaff on the singlespeed.
Which I did yesterday.
My route started at the Schultz Creek trailhead. The climb up Schultz Creek is a sweet, smooth, hard-packed and not too steep brown ribbon under a pine canopy, a perfect singlespeed climb that let me blow by about a dozen geared bikes. Got to the next trailhead, Sunset, and felt like a million bucks.
The real test came on the climb up the Sunset Trail. This one's like a muscle-bound Schultz Creek -- just as sweet and hardpacked, but the climbs are suddenly steeper, and the trail sometimes seems to turn straight up.
As expected, I had to walk some of the very steepest pitches, especially one near the top that is not only fairly steep but meanders through a rock garden through a field of yellow flowers.
But in the end, despite having to walk here and there, I had climbed from the Schultz Creek trailhead to the "first top" of the Sunset Trail (before it drops and then climbs again through the Hobbit Forest) in one hour.
The rational thing to do would have been to turn around, rail down Sunset, cash in my check at Schultz Creek and call it a day. But I was high on endorphins and accomplishment, your honor. Please, I beg your indulgence. I dropped down the back side of the ridge and hit Little Bear.
Little Bear is a smooth, fast descent down the back of Mount Elden that switches back and forth through the forest as it steadily descends to the base of the mountain. The super-tight switchbacks, which had consistently boggled me in the past, were effortless on this cheap-ass bike.
Unfortunately, you overdraw your account on Little Bear and end up too low. You have to climb, again, up Little Elden Trail to get back to the Sunset trailhead and then you get to hit Schultz Creek.
The climb up Little Elden was slightly steeper and more relentless than Schultz Creek, but not as radical as Sunset. Sort of a happy medium. After only getting kicked off the bike twice on steep pitches, I hit Schultz Creek and whizzed to the bottom in record time.
The whole ride took less than 3 hours, which for me is like waking up one day and beating the Posties in the Alps.
So now I'm sold, absolutely and without question, on getting a real, live performance singlespeed. My hero, Brian (who now works at Sinagua Cycles in Flagstaff) is pushing me to get a Kona Unit. The minute money allows, I'm in.
Hey, it's what my hero rides.
p. |
| wow that's a hellofa ride | brianc
Aug 11, 2002 9:08 AM | | on a SS. I had flashbacks of AZSFIII. I couldn't even begin to think about SS Mt. Elden. Although I did get chicked going up Little Elden (i think) by a girl on a SS. I need to get back over to Flagstaff.
BTW, I just checked out you site and downloaded the free chapter. Will you PLEASE write a book for New Mexico? The "best" guide book we have is Sarah Bennett's Guide to New Mexico fire roads. That's not really the name but it should be.
As an example of how "great" this book is, when she gets reviews Cedro. A local hot spot for ABQ, she lists a 5.7 mile fire road loop. As a footnote she does mention the fact that there is some sigle track from the peak area. Umm, so you know there is over 50 miles of sweet single track at Cedro.
b |
| So... | Pirate Girl
Aug 11, 2002 10:59 AM | | Does this mean we'll be seeing you doing the 100 mile Soul Ride in Oracle in October on the SS? You know, just to see how "sold" you really are ;-)
Brian must be part of the same family as Rudy, the Tucson counterpart. I bought my CX bike from Rudy, because, as he put it "it had too many gears." His only MTB is a fully rigid SS. He commutes everywhere, rides everywhere on it. He'll start rides from his house (central Tucson), do at least a 50 mile ride, then ride home. All on two 20 oz bottles of water in the dead of summer with no Gu or Powerbars. One of his most famous rides is riding from his house on the road to Oracle, up the Mt. Lemmon control road, down the gnarliest Catalina Mountain trails, and back to his house. All on his trusty little rigid SS. We've determined Rudy has alien DNA.
Even if you get a new bike, keep the ghetto bike. It's got style.
P-) |
| Money willing, yes | Paul B
Aug 11, 2002 11:03 AM | | If I've got the cash, I'm doing the Soul Ride on my rigid singlespeed ghetto bike. I'm doing the Tour of the White Mountains on it, for sure, but it's only 63 miles.
That Rudy is a monster. And a cross-dresser, but who's holding that against him? ;-)
p. |
| That's made me think | Pirate Girl
Aug 11, 2002 11:21 AM | | Perhaps I should sign up for the 30 miler Soul Ride and do it all on my CX bike. I don't want to look like a loser with a hardtail MTB that has gears. The CX bike has gears, but only one gets used on the trail, since there is no granny gear.
It all depends on what the course looks like, and how technical it is. I'll probably hit one of their training rides, when it gets closer to the date, and decide from that.
P-) |
| Let me know about training rides! | Paul B
Aug 11, 2002 11:36 AM | | I haven't seen any hint of the final course yet, and I'm DYING to find out where it's going. Please keep me informed!
Hilarious how these deadly epics become circuses for crazy nontraditional mountain bikes. Isn't it validation enough just to finish on your normal bike? I guess not -- I wouldn't dream of of doing the Soul Ride on the Cannondale. Doing the 30 miler on a CX bike would kick ass!
p. |
| So... | prankquean
Aug 11, 2002 6:54 PM | | So, Okedohkey, Looks like the Prankquean can hear the buzzing in his ears of corn. I mean, jeez, I never looked on "Passion" before and some Pirate Girl bespeakin me givin name. And invoking the alien DNA bit. Thanks for the giggle. Glad to see your putting the CX bike to good use.
Rudy |
| :-D | Pirate Girl
Aug 11, 2002 7:11 PM | | Just moonlighting as a bard spreading famous Tucson legends. I'll keep the handle in mind for future spinning of tales, and not use thy given name.
The CX bike opened up a whole new world. I'm totally in love with it (don't tell Zac), and it's happy to see the dirt trails once again. We've had many wonderful adventures together, and I'm sure we have a long future together filled with many more. Thanks again for the treasure!
P-) |
| :-D | prankquean
Aug 11, 2002 7:28 PM | | Not to worry about the given name bit. I do enjoy seeing prankquean in text. I do in honor of James Joyce and a little passage I remember. I recite it to unsuspecting riders up long climbs or when I am just feeling silly. "Perkuduskurunbarggauryagokgorlaygrommetguhurthundidilifiatbummulnunkunun, and they all drank free" excuse the misspelling of perkudusk... Jeez, these mosquitos are driving me crazy. Pardon. What I really love is that the prankquean has a rather pirate heritage. Thought you'd like that. And, well you have seen me in my tutu, n'est pas?
Rudy |
| Next step | prankquean
Aug 11, 2002 7:57 PM | | BTW M. F. has been egging me on to going fixed gear. Says then I'd be a real single speeder. Check out www.63xc.com Now they are the real thing. As for me, well I am dreaming of a Phil Wood flip flop hub so I can go fixed. I hear once you go fixie you never come back.
scary.
Rudy |
| That IS scary | Pirate Girl
Aug 11, 2002 8:48 PM | | Steep downhills must get very interesting at times with that type of setup. Still...you can pedal backwards and make the bike go backwards. Now THERE would be something to see out on the trail!
As they say, there's always another level to go to. Perhaps there will be a mountain unicycle in your future!
P-) |
| You're my hero now, for resurrecting that piece of @%$^& bike | pedalAZ
Aug 11, 2002 4:52 PM | | It is unbelievable to me that you converted that piece of garbage I was glad to get rid of into a viable mountain climber. I don't know if I should be more impressed with your resourcefulness or your riding skills! Probably both. Shames me for what I've spent on my ride!
Granite Basin/Little granite Mtn next weekend for me - Saturday. |
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