Single-Speed-itis.
 

Every MTB I see I vision it as single speed conversion...
I only have 1 bike that I keep the gears on and it’s my State Megalith Fat Tire bike.
is anyone else like this?
I have the “itis”

I don't know about the itis. Seems more like an ism.

I've recently converted this e-stay into a SS (really a 2x2) and am enjoying seeing what I can do with it. Like a big kids bmx.

http://i.imgur.com/Rs5EYXgl.jpg

Sounds fun...until you have to climb a hill.

No itis here.

Should be easy to try out. Just don't shift and see how it goes. If you can't behave yourself, limit the RD with the limit screws.

Conversions
 

so far I’ve converted 4 mtb to 3 single speed and 1 I turned into a fixed gear. It’s an addiction taking gears off the frame.

Call me nutty but I’ve got the same addiction. I’m weird, though, I like to have duplicates of the same bike so I can compare and contrast the two. Like I have two 1989 Specialized Stumpjumpers, one converted to ss and the other geared.
I also have two Iro Mark Vs, one is a flip flop hub and the other has been converted to coaster brake.
Dunno why I do these things...

Single speeding is really where it's at for me. But it wasn't always that way.

But I don't look at bikes and try to interpret them as a single speed. For one thing, full suspension bikes aren't candidates.

There are some suspension designs which can be converted, of course. I have had to restrain myself from obtaining URT frames and bikes that pivot concentric with the bottom bracket and soft tails which flex at the chain stays.

I bet they are fun to ride. Still,.I have to pass, telling myself that having one dedicated full suspension bike in the stable is enough.

I just passed up on a great deal on a track bike. I've only tried fixed for a couple of weeks, and I liked it, but I was riding it on dirt. I think a track bike for street commutes would be a blast. Still I had to pass, because I don't have enough room for more bikes, nor should I be spending on another bike project, albeit one that's complete.

There's a sticker on my bike rack. It says "pedaligamist".

I have 4 SS mountain bikes. Each one vastly different from the other. All I really need is one. But four is better!

I've got a fat bike I use for bike camping, and I'd never think of making a single speed.

I'm tempted to make one MTB bike into a street geared fixed via flip flop hub already on it. But I probably won't.
won't.

There's a gravelly bike in the stable too. It can take fenders, so it'll be in-service this winter.

We've a tandem road bike too. We really don't ride it much like we used to. But it's a keeper. No way I'd think about making that a single speed.

But once many years ago we saw a Steve Potts single speed tandem MTB for sale for cheap at a bike swap. That was long before my wife and I became single speed mountain bike fanatics. We were using tandems for touring back then. And whole we were mostly trail riders, we didn't see the appeal of a tandem SS MTB.

​​​​​​Nowadays I could see is doing that. It would be a lot of hike a bike.

We did eventually get a MTB tandem. It was a novelty. The frame eventually broke and it hangs in the garage on the wall. It was geared and full suspension. It was pretty.

When I think of a full suspension single speed I get the feeling that for most of the time, I would be better off on a hard tail. Only one of my SS bikes has a suspension fork. That's the one i take to chunkier rides.

Yeah I've got single speed-itis.

Nice!
 

we share the same
taste in bikes!

Only saw it now but, yeah, we do lol.
What’s the riding like now over there in San Antonio? Because we just got a slight reprieve in weather but the cold is coming and it’s gonna suck hard. I hate NYC winters during the best of times...

It is a nice change of pace that I got into for a few years, but even then it was never my sole mtb passion. It was good for adding interest to trails I was otherwise getting bored with on my geared FS bike.

One of my single speeds.
 

1985 Specialized Rockhopper
single speed and custom af

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d84449be9.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...706c92a38.jpeg
Got this and a Chris King cog for 40 bucks on offerup!
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c73145a3f.jpeg
Custom paint job I’m not too sure if I’m happy with but oh well...
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5e6b13523.jpeg
Kept shock seatpost that actually works
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f9ec69327.jpeg

Haro V1 SS Conversion
 

I am still going to paint this one and do a few part upgrades.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a9737bf6d.jpeg

Nice!
 

Very nice conversion. I agree with you. It’s like a Big kids BMX.

Flat
 

I thought I had posted this but I think I forgot to hit submit. But San Antonio is for the most part pretty flat. Single speed conversion bikes are great here and the weather is pretty tolerable as far as winters are concerned. The summers can get hot but nothing like Arizona.

“I have 4 SS mountain bikes. Each one vastly different from the other. All I really need is one. But four is better!”

“I've got a fat bike I use for bike camping, and I'd never think of making a single speed.”

When you said that you have 4 single speed mountain bikes and all you really need is one. But 4 is better! I really felt that. Lol. It had me rolling on the floor laughing.

and the fat tire bike I have, State Megalith, actually hit the market first as a single speed. I have the eight gear version. I love having gears on that and I could not imagine it as a single speed. One of the guys on my crew that is the mountain bike specialist gets annoyed with me. Every time he shows me a new bike he gets or a mountain bike he’s working on I tell him, “You know what you should do?” And he says, “What?” I say “ You should totally convert that to a single speed.“ he gets super annoyed. Now he’ll show me a bike he wants to get and it’s a mountain bike he tells me first, “Yeah I know it would be a good single speed!” I just laugh.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f4e87d743.jpeg
But no way I would want this single speed. I actually would see it in the opposite way if it was a single speed.

Should I NOT Convert this Felt MTB to SS?
 

If you’ve read any posts of
mine you will know that I automatically want this converted into a SS. But maybe I shouldn’t. What do y’all think? Possible 1x8?

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9572a24b6.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0430cd9d1.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ee4a698f5.jpeg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3326a631b.jpeg

Coaster brake
 

I get my chops busted about liking coaster brake. I have an IRO and can’t figure out which model it is.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...da9bcecd6.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...90a020777.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e9d6c392f.jpeg

Is it drilled for brakes?

I like that rockhopper a lot.

Rear hub spacing?

It’s aluminum, so a Jamie Roy? Was that the only aluminum bike Iro made? Really can’t recollect.
Funny thing is, I met Tony of Iro bikes back when his operation was on Staten Island. Boy, that was a long time ago.

Thanks!
 

you know I think I think you are right! I believe it is a Jamie Roy. Looks like all the pics online of a Jamie Roy. A couple of suddle differences. But for the most part. I wish it was smaller because if it was I would keep it. It’s a 58cm.

that’s cool you are going to ride in Manhattan. I plan to visit NY at least once before I die. Have
good time!

I think the lineup was the Mark V, Mark V pro, Angus, Rob Roy, Jamie Roy and the Phoenix?
The Angus was the dedicated fixie, I think. I can’t recall which of the others was what, tho. Think the Jamie Roy and maybe the Phoenix were the only aluminum offerings? I really can’t remember.

I wish you had been able to do so before this pandemic mess gutted the city.
But NY will be back, just like after the WTC. Just gonna be a while before it does.
And when it does, hopefully, you can make that visit.
I’ll show you some of the sights!