That's a very valid point Andrew, you can always take some off, but can never put some back on.
Well, for me at least, I greatly prefer it to standard sized tires. That being said, I am a bigger guy at 190lbs sans gear, so that may play into it somewhat. Single speeding to me is a lot like 125cc motocross, it's all about conservation of momentum, and anything you can do to help that will generally yield positive results. The amount of traction on tap means I can carry more speed through corners, and other places I'd be slower on a standard tire. It also means I've cleaned climbs I haven't made on any other SS, especially loose over hardpack or leaf / pine straw littered trails. The big tires and wheels do have more of a gyro effect, so you may work a little harder on quick side to side transitions. But that same thing helps you maintain momentum like crazy. I can't count the number of times I've had to ride the brakes coasting to keep from hitting my buddies in front of me on regular 29er single speeds. The plus tires take the edge of the aluminum frame also. BUT, a good low pressure gauge is key, 1/2lb is a noticeable difference in how the bike rides.
I've read reports that the elevated stay on the Stache in SS mode suffers from some flexxing that will result in chain skipping and popping on smaller rear cogs BTW. I'm running an AB 30t oval, with either a 20t or 21t rear cog and a Shimano HG40 chain, and haven't had any issues.
April 1, 2017, 11:38 a.m. - WNCmotard
That's a very valid point Andrew, you can always take some off, but can never put some back on. Well, for me at least, I greatly prefer it to standard sized tires. That being said, I am a bigger guy at 190lbs sans gear, so that may play into it somewhat. Single speeding to me is a lot like 125cc motocross, it's all about conservation of momentum, and anything you can do to help that will generally yield positive results. The amount of traction on tap means I can carry more speed through corners, and other places I'd be slower on a standard tire. It also means I've cleaned climbs I haven't made on any other SS, especially loose over hardpack or leaf / pine straw littered trails. The big tires and wheels do have more of a gyro effect, so you may work a little harder on quick side to side transitions. But that same thing helps you maintain momentum like crazy. I can't count the number of times I've had to ride the brakes coasting to keep from hitting my buddies in front of me on regular 29er single speeds. The plus tires take the edge of the aluminum frame also. BUT, a good low pressure gauge is key, 1/2lb is a noticeable difference in how the bike rides. I've read reports that the elevated stay on the Stache in SS mode suffers from some flexxing that will result in chain skipping and popping on smaller rear cogs BTW. I'm running an AB 30t oval, with either a 20t or 21t rear cog and a Shimano HG40 chain, and haven't had any issues.