Singlespeed Cynic
It must be nearly winter, I’m singlespeeding a bike.
Despite common misconception not everyone at Singletrack rides a singlespeed. To be honest I’m not a big fan. Mr Shimano and Mr SRAM make fantastic products that make riding a bike easier and faster even in muddy horrible conditions. I don’t mind the extra weight and can live with a few mis-shifts here and there for the ability to drag myself up a hill without having to resort to pushing. My back likes my approach to gears too. The last time I rode a singlespeed I felt crippled for two weeks with a back that would seize at any opportunity.
However, despite all that, even I’m not going to dismiss a bike that can be ridden in hub deep mud and just put back in the cellar till it’s next outing for a whole winter, with any luck.
So, my Dialled Bikes Prince Albert is now a singlespeed. Well, it will be when I find a spacer kit and a new chain, and maybe a tensioner…
Hang on I thought singlespeeds were supposed to be simple? Hm.