NSMB - 2020 - Hardtail Thread

Dec. 19, 2020, 4:56 p.m.

Posts: 468

Joined: Feb. 24, 2017

Posted by: RAHrider

Posted by: Vikb

Posted by: skooks

What exactly are the benefits of a single-speed mountain bike? Serious question. I sure don't see any down-side of having gears on my bike but I haven't tried going without them either.

1. lighter

2. simpler

3. more robust

4. weather proof

5. cheaper

I mostly ride geared bikes so I am not suggesting SS is better like it's the holy grail, but it's definitely different and some of the differences are benefits if you care about them. I have also done a bunch of touring on IGH bikes which is sort of the mash up of SS and gears. You get the simple chainline and it's harder to damage that drivetrain, but you lose the simpler/lighter/cheaper part of the equation in exchange for being able to change gears.

When I switched to SS on my Krampus I expected it to be a short-term thing for a laugh and then I'd put gears on that bike. Surprisingly it was a lot of fun and I have done some long 100K rides with a lot of climbing that I thought would be hard and they were enjoyable so I never did put gears on that bike and can't imagine doing so now. That's got me wanting to setup a trail bike SS and do some SS bike touring.

Agree with above and would add that it forces you to ride differently. You have to be more engaged with the nuances of the trail. A hill is no longer a hill, it is a series of steeper sections with rest sections in between. Geared riders will think it is just one long hill all the same grade, but it's not. On ss, you power up the slightly steeper parts and recover when its less steep. Same goes for flats and downhills. You pump everything you can as you don't have a gear hard enough to be able to pedal to keep speed. I am often amazed at how much people pedal. I can often keep up or even pass other riders just working the terrain. Definitely the best way to make you a better rider and make riding even more fun!

Cool thanks. I am going to experiment with hartail bikes this year, but probably not SS.

Dec. 22, 2020, 5:09 p.m.

Vikb

Posts: 2307

Joined: Sept. 10, 2012

We had our first snow today in Victoria so I headed to the trails for first tracks. A lot of carnage just getting to the trails. I didn't see another set of tire tracks the whole morning. Snow conditions were on the tougher side for pedaling, but as long as I kept churning I was able to ride a surprising amount. I should have brought my saw with me though. Leaving that at home was silly.

Hopefully I can get out there for another snow ride before it's all gone. Happy hardtailing into 2021 NSMB-people! :-)

Last edited by: Vikb on Dec. 22, 2020, 5:12 p.m., edited 1 time in total.

Dec. 23, 2020, 1:53 p.m.

Hollytron

Posts: 16

Joined: Sept. 22, 2019

I just finished this bike with cast off drivetrain parts and wheels while I wait out an XT crank to complete a build for the squishy bike. It has a Works -2° headset and cush core in the tires in an atempt to make it rip. It's pretty fun but I really suck at the rigid shredding probably just too old but being so I love the clean up.

Last edited by: Hollytron on Dec. 24, 2020, 8:54 a.m., edited 2 times in total.

Dec. 23, 2020, 6:57 p.m.

RAHrider

Posts: 1312

Joined: May 11, 2018

Posted by: Hollytron

I just finished this bike with cast off drivetrain parts and wheels while I wait out an XT crank to complete a build for the squishy bike. It has a Works -2° headset and cush core in the tires in an atempt to make it rip. It's pretty fun but I really suck at the rigid shredding probably just too old but being so I love the clean up.

Pics? What bike is it?

Dec. 23, 2020, 9:19 p.m.

reini-wagner

Posts: 17

Joined: Feb. 24, 2017

Posted by: Vikb

We had our first snow today in Victoria so I headed to the trails for first tracks. A lot of carnage just getting to the trails. I didn't see another set of tire tracks the whole morning. Snow conditions were on the tougher side for pedaling, but as long as I kept churning I was able to ride a surprising amount. I should have brought my saw with me though. Leaving that at home was silly.

Hopefully I can get out there for another snow ride before it's all gone. Happy hardtailing into 2021 NSMB-people! :-)

Very nice scenery you had there @vikb! We've had similar conditions a few days back. The valley and towns were covered in thick fog, but the mountaintops were above and provided a breathtaking view:

Ti over the top

Last edited by: reini-wagner on Dec. 23, 2020, 9:20 p.m., edited 1 time in total.

Dec. 24, 2020, 8:56 a.m.

Hollytron

Posts: 16

Joined: Sept. 22, 2019

Posted by: RAHrider

Posted by: Hollytron

I just finished this bike with cast off drivetrain parts and wheels while I wait out an XT crank to complete a build for the squishy bike. It has a Works -2° headset and cush core in the tires in an atempt to make it rip. It's pretty fun but I really suck at the rigid shredding probably just too old but being so I love the clean up.

Pics? What bike is it?

I can't figure out how to post photos here. Sad story.

Dec. 24, 2020, 12:36 p.m.

reini-wagner

Posts: 17

Joined: Feb. 24, 2017

You have to upload it to your account album, then open it in the browser and copy its url to the clip board. Then you can paste that link here, if you add a Pic (button in the menu band right on top of the comment window) to your comment.

Hope this helps.

Dec. 26, 2020, 8:55 a.m.

Vikb

Posts: 2307

Joined: Sept. 10, 2012

I got in one last snow ride this week before the rains wash away the white stuff. It was fun as always and I was surprised that I could still get first tracks on some of the higher trails despite this being day #3 after the storm. I guess people aren't as motivated to ride the fresh stuff as I expected.

I did a lot of fun hardtail riding in 2020. Definitely more HT KMs than FS riding. I expect that to hold true for 2021. I'm going to overhaul my FS bike and plan to ride it next year, but for now my stoke seems to be on my HTs.