Welcome to SingleSpeed World

You may have seen pages which look very similar to this - the reason is this is yet another Johnny G production....

News

10.10.2000

Wow - anyone out there ride a SS in mud ?? Its rained nearly everyday for the last 3 weeks and the tracks are like swamps... No matter - I'm still riding my SS ! I might change the gearing though - might go to a 32 * 17 just to make it a little easier in the mud, or I might not  - anyone tried this ? got a good double take from someone who didn't realise I was on a SS - the look on his face when he realised ! It makes all the work worthwile.

My Kona rules as a SS, its light enough to be fun, but the geometry is really nice for throwing it about - got more air on it through a section than I normally do with gears !

Respect to Jim - another one of those heroes who only have a SS !

Oops - I haven't added a link to the SingleSpeed Mafia... They sent it to me ages ago... Check it out - its cool, even has a pik of Mondo Mikes real trick SS.

C'ya next time ! 

19.09.2000

This is either an attempt to make up for doing sod all for the last 8 moths on this page, or I've got my enthusiasm back. The good news is I think thats its the latter. The re-design is definetly on the way - I've got some cool graphics in my 3D mind which you'll be able to see here first. I think I should set a date for this, so I've got to do it then. How's the first of Novermber looking for you guys ? Ok pencil in a trip back here to see this site rock. Hang on, pop back more regularly than that - I've got lots of stuff left before then !

Today I've added some more stuff in the building section, added all your hints in the riding section (well worth a look), a couple more stories, collated the figures in the SingleSpeed Survey - talking of which 26 people out 0f 94 riders only have a SingleSpeed ! Wow, way to go !! 

A quick plug here for a Josh Dunning - this is the email he sent me

I just wanted to let you know that On One single speeds now has a US distributor. ME! Well, I wanted to let you know that I've got an information packet I can forward to anyone who's interested. Great frames (Reynolds 853 tubing!), and bikes, at crazy prices. Right now, if you buy a bike through me, you can save around $500 off retail on a complete bike, and $280 on a frame set. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to offer this, I assume, as more shops start selling the line, I'll be restricted to only supplying the stores. But I'd like to see as many people as possible jump on this deal. Thanks for the help! If you find anyone that's interested, have them send me an email, and I'll forward them the info.

For those of you who don't know - On one make some really cool SS frames - here is a link to the UK site 

Click here to email Josh - do me a favour, mention this site if you email him !

Wow ! tuns of stuff ! Sorry for being a pathetic lazy bugger, but now I'm back we'll get this site jumping !

17.09.2000

Oops - how lazy have I been ? Sorry for the distinct lack of updates - after busting the cranks on my SingleSpeed last year I tried all sorts of places to get a new set, but to no avail. Then at the start of June Mondo Mike emailed me saying he had a set of bullseye cranks that I could have - Wow ! anyway, the diameter of the set he sent was approx .2mm bigger than my old set, so they didn't go through the old bearings, so I sorted a new set of bearings out and one of my mates made me up a set of bearing carriers and there I was - back up and running after almost 16 months away... so big Thanks to Mondo Mike and to Dave for the carriers. So that was Tuesday September 5th..

If one single speed wasn't enough... On Saturday 9th September I had a quick look around my shed and decided that the Kona Kula I had would work very well as another SingleSpeed.... A quick call to Pedal Power later sourced a new SS back  wheel and SS Project Two was go... The wheel was built and picked up on Thursday and after a bit of fiddling (well a lot of fiddling) My Kona was now a SingleSpeed. As it has vertical dropouts I had to tension the chain, with a 32*16 the chain was just too tight, if the BB had been about 5mm closer the rear axle I'd have got away with it, but it was not to be. So I made a chain tensioner ! I got an old XTR mech that I'd destroyed the cage on, machined away the bits I didn't want (cage, lower jockey wheel mount, cable guides etc) replaced the lock out screws with longer ones to lock the mech in place tightened the b-screw up and it worked ! First ride showed the tension isn't quite there as it jumps occasionally under heavy load, but nothing to bad, and this is only version 1, more will follow...

Rode it to 7th place overall in our XC series today, which I think is a pretty good result ! Watch out guys I'm back. So now I've got a spare SingleSpeed I'll be lending it out to my mates trying to convert them.

Keep it spinning out there... Johnny G

27.12.99

Big update today - A picture of my Pace was in the Jan 2000 issue of Total Mountain Bike in an article on riding in the Isle of Man, I've scanned it and posted it on the photos page (The picture is copyright Seb Rogers  - please do not copy it) Also I've been sent a sweet picture of Wiley Coyote's bike. Nice looking ride - I take its quite flat where you are with that gearing (a monster 52/20 !)

Also I've posted some riding tips - the best I can say is that they work for me, they may not work for you - if you blow your knees up do not come running to me (mind you you probably couldn't !)

A big reminder about the Message Board - if you have any comments/hints and tips/facts/just want to say hi etc then click on this link - you can talk to the world ! 

We are getting some good traffic - thanks to 1x1 and SingleSpeed anonymous - thanks guys - check them out from the links page.

Thank you for all the responses to the SingleSpeed Questionnaire at the bottom of this page -  four more heroes only have a SS - way to go !

The question I have been asked the most is "Is my Inner tube Y2K compliant ?" and the answer is "Yes provided you have applied the patches supplied by your vender"

On that note - Happy Millennium ! 

21.11.99

Wow - its a long time since I've updated this page - so heres my excuses ! I've been riding lots, changed job, sold my computer, built a new one, had lots of hassle with the new one.

To everyone who sent me in survey replies I apologize most profusely... I lost about a months worth when my machine crashed (before I sold it) - whats worse is that I had been sent a story... and that has gone aswell. What is really annoying is the fact that I had actually backed the .pst files up - but it was corrupt when I went to restore it. Double bugger ! 

The plan for next year is to buy myself a Santa Cruz Chamleon and  build it up for all the XC races. I won this years Sport series so I automatically get bumped up to Expert. So why not make it harder for myself ? I am so jealous of everyone out there with a singlespeed !

Once again - thanks for all your survey entries - I'm back on track and counting them again !

P.S. - Thanks Elmer J Fudd - he rides  single speed !

 25.07.99

For some reason we've just had a sudden surge in visitors - so to say thanks I've finally added the graphics I've been meaning to add for a while ! I've also added some more phtos on the 'Riders Bikes' link below - some nice scenery shots obscured by some ugly bugger on a SingleSpeed !

25.07.99

Thanks for completing the survey, but I've just realised that I've counted wrong... 3 absolute heros only have SingleSpeeds. Respect due guys.. When I first got mine I 'spose I only had a SingleSpeed XC bike- as my other MTB's were a Downhill Bike and a Dual Slalom bike. I've got a multi gear monster going again now though. Wish my SS was running.....

25.07.99

So, what's happening with you guys out there ? I am so jealous of all you guys with singlespeeds... I've got to ride my multigear monster about whilst I try to get some cranks sorted.. Its just not the same - hills are just not a challenge any more... My legs don't quite spin the same - I try to keep the cadence up but my thumb keeps pushing the button and slowing my legs down....

No matter - hopefully it won't be too long now .

On a different note no-one who has completed the form below has so far only owned a singlespeed.

Hey - I've just noticed that my broken crank is sat by my monitor - just by my scanner - hang on.... Yep that's got it - it doesn't look like much but this is one bit of my SingleSpeed !

09.07.99

Well, not much new to tell you - apart from the fact I have broken my SingleSpeed.... I went out for a good ride a couple of weeks ago - 47 miles (25 off road, the rest on) then 3 days later we were just setting off on another hike, accelerated up the road and CLANK, the crank arm snapped....

Bummer ! Anyway the Pace is very old and can only take Bullseye cranks so I'm trying to find another arm to put on them. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. !!

On a much better note the site is getting pretty good traffic - don't forget the message board  - where you can air your thoughts on just about anything (just click on the button below) !

Old News

This site is very much in its infancy. When I first looked around there was very little on the web for SingleSpeeds. So I made this, by now however the online SingleSpeed community is growing - check out the links page for more sites to visit. Most of the things on these pages I've learnt the hard way, or its stuff I've read in mags. It should be easy to tell the difference - anything which makes any sense is nothing to do with me !

What I need most of all is for people to contribute - I only have one riding buddy who has a single speed and we know nothing ! If you have a single speed then please email me - it would be pretty cool to talk to someone from some different part of the globe who singlespeeds !