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Not exactly a first world problem but, I'd like a second bike as an adverse weather/back up/odd commute duty type thing. I ride a 29er Xc full suss which I'd like to look after during the wet months ahead. Also had a few down times due to repairs etc so a back up would be great.
Really can't make up my mind to go singlespeed for simplicity etc or a normal geared front suss hardtail. Any other folk had this indescision?
Yeah I did this,bought a 29er Scandal to ride SS with rigid forks on,but then liked it so much I stuck some Reba's & 1x9 gears on it....The Anthem is in the garage gathering dust now !
I'm running an on one 29er, with a 1 x 10 gearing and Rebas.
I sold my full sus and just ride this now, got a reasonably fast rolling pair of tyres on so it's fine on road but is more than adequate for trail center usage in mucky conditions.
rigid ss here, but then where I live it's flat and VERY muddy so was a no-brainer really
Save the maintenance of just the rear sus with one, or have a bike that rarely needs more than a bit of chain oil with the other. SS rigid may do more for your fitness and handling skills by spring time too.
Rigid, fixed
Singlespeed, Rigid Stooge for me this winter.....And some Fatbike Fun
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Rigid Singlespeed for me! Just prepare for your 'Summer bike' to be retired altogether!
Any excuse:
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I ended up with both - the HT hasn't turned a wheel since I built the rigid SS.
Rigid, fixed
This. It will make you a better rider and is absolutely hilarious.
I find gears and suspension forks useful summer or winter
Single speed CX bike
I bought a genesis fortitude race last autumn, it got hammered over winter and is way more capable than I first thought. Rigid with 1x10
Depends on a few things
Where do you live?
What do you ride?
Are there proper hills and proper rough bits?
Do you insist on riding through hub deep slop rather than going somewhere that handles bad weather?
No Hills, No Rough stuff & Perversion for hub deep slop then probably rigid singlespeed will be easy to carry...
Rigid singlespeed, and just gear it according to where you live and ride, and prepare for the most addictive ride you've had in a long while.
Ok. Live in Bedfordshire so not hilly really. Just got a 2014 Charge Cooker SS reduced end of season, fingers crossed it goes well. Thanks for all the comments people.
Rigid is a lot of fun and forks cost a fortune, so that's a good idea. Single speed is also cheaper and easier if your knees can take it!
Ps if you're going to go rigid give 2.4" Nobby Nics a go, I love them
rigid 29er SS, is probably a good shout, have run 26 ss all winter before in rigid and HT guises but last year I mostly rode fs with gears and didn't notice my drivechain/suspension exploding.
single pivot with end of life parts on it tho.
great for my flat commute but since I stuck gears on mine in spring I'm actually reluctant to go SS again, CX bikes can ride almost anything, ssing it kinda gimps that. With 63" gearing you struggle to climb xc and spin out on road, but if you're mostly riding flattish trails and road they're pretty cool. (sure some superfit/masochist types manage [url= http://www.63xc.com/ ]63xc[/url] YMMV)Single speed CX bike
I love my Rigid SS winter bike, but I also understand SS isn't for everyone, how about a cheap 1x10, rigid setup?
I've found the TT ring and a lack of mechs or chain devices really help stop the crap accumulating, around the BB/chainset area on my HT, having a few gears for spinning out of winter slop might be a nice bonus, and rigid forks to save your bouncy ones just make sense IMO...
[url= http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pinnacle/ramin-one-2014-29er-mountain-bike-ec055206#features ]This[/url] would make a great winter MTB, ride it as it comes this winter, grind the Drivetrain to bits, then scour the sales and fit a TT ring and 1x10 drive, and lose the guide over summer...
Live in Bedfordshire so not hilly really.
Race to the top of K2 then Hugh.
Spence....no 🙂 Done it once, never again oooofff.
Singlespeed (although I am a fraud and it's got suspension forks).
Rigid Geared Karate Monkey was supposed to be my winter bike but I have barely ridden my bike with suspension since i got it in January. It's 2x10 at the moment but i think a move to 1x10 will happen when i wear out the current chainrings.
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Now I have discovered a crack on the bike with suspension I don't even have a choice!
if you want a winter specific bike then it needs to be ali frame (non-corrosive) no gears and no moving parts on the forks
because you have a 29er full suss I'd say stick with big wheels but it doesn't matter much
Fortitude SS rigid. Chunky monkey up front (29").
No going back for me unless the knees pack in.
Great ride, fun and minimal hassle.
As you already ride thwe wagon wheels i'd go with a rigid 29er hardtail for winter riding, ideally one which you can fit big volume tyres on. Either SS or 1x10, both are easy to maintain, choice depending on whether your locals climbs will be rideable or not with gear only (particularly in the wet where smooth torque becomes more important).
SS, rigid.
I've just moved and with my new trails (bigger, steeper hills), I've converted my winter rigid SS to a 1x hardtail as I'd hate riding the SS around here. I don't see any major issues with longevity though clearly SS drivetrain will last longer or at least be cheaper but the benefits of gears round here makes up for that.
YMMV depending on fitness, what and how you ride.
Gears in winter. (Although I'm mostly gears all the time now)
Never liked grinding the crap out of myself even on 32:18 gear in winter. Feels slow and hard when I should be taking it slightly easier.
Depending upon the mileage of the kit I run the chain and cassette into the ground over winter and replace in Spring and repeat.
Just built up a rigid 29er with 1x10 gears.
I spent a bit over 500 building it up. But its all brand new except the frame and the chain, cassette, and cranks which came off my full sus when I upgraded them.
I have ridden my full sus once since getting the rigid and thats only because it was mid headset swap. I went to pick the car up from the garage. Hasnt been out again since.
I've been taking it down dh tracks an everything I normally ride the fs on. Might as well sell it!
I've been riding SS for the past 10 years from November to March. Main reasons were to simplify mechanicals, ease of post ride cleaning and the development of on bike strength.
I've tried rigid but found on Exmoor,Dartmoor and Quantocks where I do most of my riding it was really hard work. Just kept on bouncing off rocky stuff that is obscured in leaves or mud.
Rigid SS would certainly work in less technical terrain.29er version would be my choice if starting from scratch.
Now ride Trek 69er SS as my main bike for winter.Works fine.