Miah2008

Hi im new to single speed and im wondering what is a good mountain singlespeed bike around a thousand dollars and does front shoxs matter a lot?

MadMan2k

There are probably a few complete singlespeeds for about that much. Bianchi has a few that should work. There's also the Hardrock SS from Specialized, but I think it's only about half your budget. You could use the rest to get a nicer wheelset and fork, though - the MZ or whatever comes on it is not the greatest.

And check out On-One, they have a lot of singlespeed frames and I think they sell completes.

And to answer your question about suspension forks, that's kind of personal preference. If you ride rough trails a lot, a suspension fork would probably let you relax a little more and control the bike better.

pinkrobe

You can check out Misfit Psycles. Cool guy, good gear. I [very] occasionally ride a full-rigid SS, and unless you have a gigantic front tire, it will tend to beat the crap out of you if your trails are rooty and rocky. I'm thinking about getting a suspended front fork, maybe a 3" travel - just to take the edge off. That said, if you can ride full rigid, it's a lot of fun. It takes more skill, and trails that were kind of boring on a regular geared/suspended bike can become very interesting very quickly.

Miah2008

what about surlys i think im leaning into one of those or a bianchi which one, im thinkin surly someone help me out aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh?

MattBeaty

Here is the mountain single speed that I just finished building. All together it cost a just a bit over the price range you are looking at. You just have to shop around for bargains. So far I am really liking it. Riding single speed is definitely going to take some getting used to, but the simplicity and lack of maintenance is awesome.

Miah2008

I think im going to get a karate Monkey from Surly. Are these good? and i have a Trek 8000 thats like 6 years old so right now im banging the heck out of it but to get used to ss what would the gear ratio be on a geared bike?

MattBeaty

On my SS I run a 32:16 or 2:1 ratio. This seems to be the norm for running off road on average terrain. Depending on the geography of the land you ride on, it might be necessary to adjust the ratio slightly. To answer your question, it all depends on the number of teeth on your front sprockets and on the cassette, chances are that there might be more than one combination of gears on your bike that would get you close to the 2:1 ratio. Just count the teeth on your sprockets and on the cassette and see what you come up with.

jz19

There are many good options. You will need to decide if you want a steel frame or not. Same with disks and front suspension. Many of these decisions are difficult to figure out without trying things out. I got a Kona Unit at a good price tried it rigid and with the stock V brakes and decided that I wanted a suspension and disks so am adding those now. Some folks will only ride rigid SS. It really depends on what you like. I like the Unit but would probably also love a Bianchi or a Jamis SS and I can appreciate the value for money of a Redline.

Miah2008

Does anyone have a Karate Monkey picture?

WannaGetGood

I don't think that a single speed would be good for the mountian, beucase if you need to get into a lower or higher gear, it is not avaible.

Miah2008

ss are for men and geared are for girls, thats the bottom line. Singlespeed seperates then men from the women.

eyefloater

Okay, so ... wait a second. Does that mean if:



rode singlespeed, I'd have a crush on a guy?

Damn, that's a fine lookin' man.

concernicus

i ride a lemon lime surly 1x1. great bike. get one

SpiderMike

Specialized stopped making the Hardrock in a Single speed configuration.

Got a Surly 1x1, with the rigid fork. Loving it.

never

But are the elevation changes in Iowa actually significant enough to do any separating?

Miah2008

Yeah on the eastern side were i live. I mean its no Colorado hill but thier big. Have your ever rode ragbri.

Miah2008

I live right next to the Mississippi

Miah2008

another thing i dont like ss track bikes, just thought id tell you do you dont put any pictures. Im not a road bike man. I ride like a phsyco and live like a maniac, road bikes to me dont fit in that.

Snuffleupagus

So...in short:

You drink too much, can't appreciate the beauty of a track bike and don't know how to spell RAGBRAI? Doing well so far

But, I kid...

If I were still living in IA, I'd go with a 2:1 rig. SS'ing isn't terribly complex - so buy what you can afford and like. You're not going to go wrong with a Surly or Bianchi.

Miah2008

I dont drink at all im a runner and i can run 3.1 miles or a 5k in 17:02 and im only a junior in highschool so if anyone thinks that they can beak me a running race call me up

pinkrobe

Ah, that's part of the magic [and the entire point of SS]! To go up a steep hill requires a lot of effort. There's grunting, twisting up of faces and such. On the downhill, you learn to pick smoother lines and stay off the brakes. On the flats, you spin like a dervish!

pinkrobe

Blazinall91

HEY LETS RACE, if I can ride my bike? You can run.

Blazinall91

oh wow, yeah gears are for girls, that why pros use gears, so you're telling me if I don't buy a singlespeed and walk up the hills the ratio I have won't allow me to pedal up, I might as well tuck it between my legs permanently and start wearing make-up?

It's all preference and necessity, I know a large handfull of people that ride gears and could destroy you on your new personal god making single speed

Step down off your pedestal and realize you're just another biker trying to enjoy the sport

Ludovico

You inhaled a lot of diesel fumes in your childhood, didn't you?