I briefly tried singlespeeding when at Uni a few years back when in hilly Bradford, was great fun. Managing to get up some steep, techy climbs and then have to do 200rpm to keep any sort of torque in the chain on easy descents. My back didn’t like it though.
But with my back issues behind me (touch wood), me switching up my training and Kielder100 on the near horizon thought it was about time to give it another go. I read in numerous places SSing is good for strength, which I will quite easily go along with. Some cases going down to 40rpm it’s almost a weight resistance session rather than a ride! As someone who usually likes to spin his gears and stay seated (blatantly a Wiggo in the making), SSing is pretty much the opposite to what I’m used to so in theory should make good training. I guess.
I didn’t go the whole hog though, part ‘only want it for training purposes’, part (mainly) ‘I’m too lazy’ that I didn’t actually alter my geared 29er. I just played with the limiting screws 🙂
This chucked up a bit of a dilemma. A normal ratio for a 29er SS is 32:18. My cassette didn’t have a 18 sprocket. Was either going to be a 17t or a 20t. Hmm. ‘for training purposes’. 17t chosen.
So rolling out the car park at hilly Hamsterley with plenty of torque in my chain on the flat forest road, a little bit of doubt entered my mind. Might have slightly over geared my bike for this ride…
But 2hours later, every climb was climbed on the bike, many times having almost pure disbelief when cresting the summit that I’d made it up, albeit at silly slow pace on some occasions. All good though, really enjoyable when realise that usually, on some of the climbs you’re in almost the easiest granny gear you’ve got. Awesome.
Mega sore today mind, which I’ll take as a positive. Nuts to the gym, singlespeeding is the only session you need to make you strong!
Or to destroy your knees.
Naff Riding 