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It's been a fairly crap year - illness, event cancellation and now redundancy. My training is pretty time limited and I feel utterly meh about racing atm.
It would be a help to have something to aim for but I'm not keen to be trying to mix it at the sharp end this winter. Injury would be a disaster and my slide in results depressing.
I'm toying with the idea of racing SS for the brass monkeys. It would be more me against the course and allow me to keep my eye in.
Comments?
Racing ss is surprisingly good fun, go for it.
Not as hard as people seem to think it is, having one gear is an excellent 'automatic pacing device'
I don't know anything about the brass monkeys but recommend SSes in general.
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If you don't already have an ss convert your geared bike to see if you like it - pick a sprocket, say 17/18/19 tooth, pad out the freewheel with the spacers from old cassettes which everyone has lurking in the toolbox. Remove the shifters, leave the resr mech in place and twiddle the adjusting screws until it is in the right place to act as a tensioner. If you don't already have a single ring you can get shorter chainring bolts for about a fiver, job done.
I train on a very light rigid SS. Just never raced it.
I did a local DH a couple of years ago on a SS HT. I wasn't the slowest (adult) there...
I race the Brass Monkey series SS ([cough]defending champ..[/cough] :wink:) and the courses are great for it. Never any long sloggy hills, a few flat spinny sections, but whachagonnado...
Maybe see you there?
DrP
I was going to race the brass monkeys ss, but I seemed to have ruined myself doing a silly dance and haven't been able to ride without pain for a few weeks now. But right now I am in the waiting room at the physio , so fingers crossed I'll be able to ride something. All a bit annoying as I thought I was getting some reasonable (for me anyway) ss fitness going. Anyway the courses will be fine on a ss.
Yes, do it. I occasionally race SS at CX races. I usually start as the very last person and make my way up the field from there. Unless your aiming to podium, its just you against you.
[img][url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4436/36975931766_3ce90cbc1d_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4436/36975931766_3ce90cbc1d_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/YkrjhW ]2017-09-11_02-12-44[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/martinddd/ ]martinddd[/url], on Flickr[/img]
qwerty, where was that pic taken? It looks very much like a section of the course for the race I organise, Weaver Valley, Northwich race of the North West CX league. Not this year though as we didn't get any of the Lazer sponsor tape. And there's grass, not much of that evident after this year!
where was that pic taken?
Gloucester.
Only ever raced Brass Monkeys SS and finished top third but never top 10. It's great fun. Courses reward fitness, particularly going uphill where on a SS you only really have one option (fast). Watch out for cramp near the end of the race.
Unless your aiming to podium, its just you against you.
Was going to say "hmm..disagree.." but i suppose you're right.. You need to have fitness and strength (and manly looks, and a sturdy beard, and be irresistable to the opposite sex etc etc) to 'do well' singlespeed...
But other than that, it's fun!
DrP
My only thought reading that would be less about racing the SS, and more about if you are sure you want to race. You need to be sure that racing without fitness for midfield mediocrity is going to sit OK with you.My training is pretty time limited and I feel utterly meh about racing atm.It would be a help to have something to aim for but I'm not keen to be trying to mix it at the sharp end this winter.
Assuming the answer is yes, then hell yes race the SS for a bit of fun.
a sturdy beard, and be irresistable to the opposite sex etc etc) to 'do well' singlespeed
damn, this is clearly the reason for my mid-field mediocrity 🙂
OP - just do it for the hell of it. You'll do just fine on the BM courses.
Me - [pre-race excuses ahoy], well I have a hamstring tear, and a glute/nerve issue. I'll be building up to riding around lightly on a geared bike I reckon. Say hi as all you non-racing-but-racing-to-win(DrP)/racing-for-the-hell-of-it singlespeeders power by.
You need to be sure that racing without fitness for midfield mediocrity is going to sit OK with you.
Midfield is where all the best battles take place 😉
Go for it OP, it'll be fun, and it'll give you something to aim towards. Make sure you adjust your mindset first though, go into it racing 'for you' not for a position, and have a bit of a laugh, I can thoroughly recommend making 'braaap braaaaap' style motorbike noises in time with your cadence whenever you come up behind another rider to pass the time 😀
Sounds positve. I'd have been aiming for GV podiums but the way things have gone I'd be down on last year and I'd rather not be racing for places with all the risk that entails.
It's refreshing racing something different. I love racing single speed, I find it very pure and efficient. It's great not to have to think about gear selection and just concentrate on riding well and smoothly.
Disagree about not being able to podium on a ss. I tend to do a touch better on the ss than the geared bikes whether MTB or CX. Have podiumed on both.
So now what gearing 
this could now run for many pages....
32:18 - 29er.
I took part in a singlespeed “race”.
They had a beer & pork scratchings stop.
It was bloody ace.
Racing mtb ss at the old cheddar challenge brings good memories