ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
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- voodoo_simon
- Posts: 4072
- Joined: Fri Apr 26, 2013 9:05 pm
Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
Another El Mariachi fanboy 8 years done on mine, about 2 or 3 with gears and the rest as SS. Fargo forks to match, brilliant bike.
Not sure why Salsa stopped making it
Not sure why Salsa stopped making it
Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
Not sure didn't they have some snap at chainstay? The timberjack just doesn't look as nicevoodoo_simon wrote: ↑Sat May 08, 2021 7:27 pm Another El Mariachi fanboy 8 years done on mine, about 2 or 3 with gears and the rest as SS. Fargo forks to match, brilliant bike.
Not sure why Salsa stopped making it
Think it's Alu?
Trying to ride bikes.
Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
Good reason too. Closest thing you’ll get to a Selma.
*sighs*
Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
Mine did, I had it welded and sold it dirt cheap. Think it's still going tho.jay91 wrote: ↑Sat May 08, 2021 7:53 pmNot sure didn't they have some snap at chainstay? The timberjack just doesn't look as nicevoodoo_simon wrote: ↑Sat May 08, 2021 7:27 pm Another El Mariachi fanboy 8 years done on mine, about 2 or 3 with gears and the rest as SS. Fargo forks to match, brilliant bike.
Not sure why Salsa stopped making it
Think it's Alu?
Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
Nice to see how many like an El Mar on here. Mine’s about 10 years old and only ever been singlespeed. I’ve had a handful of steel singlespeeds over the years and the El Mar is by far the best.
I like a bike that does it’s job without drama and lets me get on with the ride without having to engage much of my brain (one of the reasons that SS works for me). The El Mar does that brilliantly. It’s pretty neutral and handles whatever I throw it at. I like the dropouts too.
It does need a respray though, any recommendations?
I like a bike that does it’s job without drama and lets me get on with the ride without having to engage much of my brain (one of the reasons that SS works for me). The El Mar does that brilliantly. It’s pretty neutral and handles whatever I throw it at. I like the dropouts too.
It does need a respray though, any recommendations?
- fatbikephil
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Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
I would say that a Krampus is a bit of a cult singlespeed bike. Whilst I like the Jones and it works very well SS, the Kramp is a hoot SS, particularly with a short stem and Surly Sunrise bars - defo a modern Klunker.
- ledburner
- Posts: 2035
- Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2020 8:47 am
- Location: The worsted place in West Yorkshire,
Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
I used to think SSers were overgrown BMXERS.
NOW HOWs about Fixed off road?
NOW HOWs about Fixed off road?
I hope you think you know, what I might of exactly meant.
Warning - may contain value odded typos & ither mythspellings..
Warning - may contain value odded typos & ither mythspellings..
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Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
I owned two El Mariachis previously (one rigid that ended up singlespeed, and a full bike I got for a very good price). They were sold when I had my Stooge phase, then I went to Jones. My Orbea became top bike, so the Jones went singlespeed but I couldn’t justify leaving it anywhere at all so wanted a cheaper singlespeed built from spares.
I managed that with the Swift I had for a very short period of time, but the ride wasn’t for me, so I saw an El Mar for a great price and I’m back on them. The best part is the colour match with my Warbird. I believe the orange makes it a 2015, which had some subtle geometry changes compared to the 2013 and 2014 I had.
I do wonder if I’d spent more time nailing the setup first time round whether I’d have gone through so many bikes. Salsa sold them with 100mm stems and 700mm bars. Mine has a 45mm stem and 785mm bars.
I managed that with the Swift I had for a very short period of time, but the ride wasn’t for me, so I saw an El Mar for a great price and I’m back on them. The best part is the colour match with my Warbird. I believe the orange makes it a 2015, which had some subtle geometry changes compared to the 2013 and 2014 I had.
I do wonder if I’d spent more time nailing the setup first time round whether I’d have gone through so many bikes. Salsa sold them with 100mm stems and 700mm bars. Mine has a 45mm stem and 785mm bars.
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Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
I saw a frame only for £450 today. I’m sure I paid £400 for frame and headset in 2013
Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
Trying to ride bikes.
Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
they seem to hold there money wellAlasdairMc wrote: ↑Sat May 08, 2021 11:36 pmI saw a frame only for £450 today. I’m sure I paid £400 for frame and headset in 2013
Trying to ride bikes.
- fatbikephil
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Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
There was a chap at SSUK in 2019 running fixed - he had it off to a fine art (pretty rocky trails in places). The nearest I've got to this is a fixed gravel bike, definitely a good laugh as you end up in all sorts of trouble. I've yet to do the 'freewheeling' trick though....
Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
wayne - EDS bikes and this years organier where you will be defending your title I assume.
Followed him for a lap/chatting away as it was hilarious to watch
liked it when he had pedal srikes and lifted the whole bike up as he just kept going
Did not tempt me to try it,
Followed him for a lap/chatting away as it was hilarious to watch
liked it when he had pedal srikes and lifted the whole bike up as he just kept going
Did not tempt me to try it,
- fatbikephil
- Posts: 6541
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Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
I switched from winter single speed mode to gears on my Krampus for some upcoming loaded trips.
It's way more fun to ride single speed.....but it is relatively flat around here.
It's way more fun to ride single speed.....but it is relatively flat around here.
Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
I sold my SS El Mar on here a couple of years ago. That was a cracking bike
- voodoo_simon
- Posts: 4072
- Joined: Fri Apr 26, 2013 9:05 pm
Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
Save the kittens!
Blatantly ripped off from the interweb
Blatantly ripped off from the interweb
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Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
I've been back on Singlespeed for about 3 weeks I think. Things I have re-learned so far,
- its hard work, I am on 34/22 as my current frame limits me to a 34t front ring (not smaller when SS) and on the edge of the peak district, its reet hilly.
- I recall how rewarding it is when it goes right and you manage to keep momentum.
- shorter rides feel like longer rides, so presumably I will get stronger
Postie is due to drop me off a frame with a little more range in the chainring choice, current intention is 30/20 or 30/19. Probably the former whilst I get more used to it.
- its hard work, I am on 34/22 as my current frame limits me to a 34t front ring (not smaller when SS) and on the edge of the peak district, its reet hilly.
- I recall how rewarding it is when it goes right and you manage to keep momentum.
- shorter rides feel like longer rides, so presumably I will get stronger
Postie is due to drop me off a frame with a little more range in the chainring choice, current intention is 30/20 or 30/19. Probably the former whilst I get more used to it.
Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
Yes the winter transition to the SS is always a tad harsh but I do bloody love mine.
Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
If wishes were being granted, no chance would I be wasting them on the ability to ride single speed
Re: ever wish you were strong enough to ride single speed ?
If you can ride a bike you can ride SS but , like gears , the question is what ratio and how far