# High end single speeds fading away?



## asmallsol (Sep 20, 2007)

It seems like more and more companies are dropping their high end single speeds. Cannondale did probably 5 years ago, specialized dropped the S-works stumpjumper SS, then this year dropped the non S-works Version all together. Trek dropped their Carbon SS a few years ago (although that might have been because the issues with their dropouts). Giant did a very limited run on some Aluminum frame CX bikes, but has not done any MTBs in at least the past decade. 

What's left out there thats not custom? Niners RDO SS is pretty freaking sweet as is the Pivot LES. On the mid level, Treks new update Rig looks great. Specialized has the Carve SL SS which is okay. The Kona Unit is also a nice cheaper bike.

Besides that, the only ones I can think of are a few off the shelf Ti bikes (Salsa, and Kona both have one) which ride great but I find to be a bit flexy and then custom. 

Are Single Speed bikes such a niche that we're a dying breed?



*edit, added the pivot LES


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## JeffL (Jan 25, 2009)

asmallsol said:


> What's left out there that's not custom?


Lynskey Pro29 SL


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

Soma Juice 29, voodoo wanga one, canfield nimble 9, spot rocker, surly karate monkey

not positive but i think all of those are all current

i'm pretty sure there are more aluminum models out there, i just don't know em


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## SSChameleon (Feb 2, 2006)

Market forces at work. Above a certain price point many SS riders may be going to custom builds. At the other end of the spectrum you have SS riders who are looking for low cost and retrofit old geared bikes to SS. 

The ones in the middle gravitate toward the Niner/Crave/Unit bikes and there isn't a large enough market left over for high end SS by big name manufacturers.


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## Raleighguy29 (Jan 7, 2014)

Spot makes a few sweet ss bikes Canfield nimble 9 which I almost got. But I think most are going to steel frames. 


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## dirtbyte (Aug 23, 2011)

Just get a Vassago and be done with it. Jabberwocky, Ver Hauen, Optimus Ti...


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## Gemini11 (Feb 22, 2015)

Spot Honey Badger (lovin' mine), Raleigh XXIX.


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

asmallsol said:


> It seems like more and more companies are dropping their high end single speeds....
> 
> Are Single Speed bikes such a niche that we're a dying breed?...


Nup. The problem is that the bikes don't wear out. Particularly if you ride rigid. Singlespeeds are bad for the business model of the bike industry.

There's no consumables like derailleurs, cassettes etc to replace with the latest bling annually.

Eventually everyone who wants a singlespeed has one and with no maintenance costs singlespeeders have plenty money for beer instead.

About the only consumables are tyres and chains.

The only hope of the industry is to convince singlespeeders they need suspension, then they can sell us high end forks with lots of lovely quick wearing components. Then perhaps encourage us to jump off big drops and bend our bikes.

Or maybe the bike industry should just diversify into breweries...


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## have2ride2day (Nov 7, 2009)

I'm enjoying the current offerings.


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## asmallsol (Sep 20, 2007)

BENKD29 said:


> Soma Juice 29, voodoo wanga one, canfield nimble 9, spot rocker, surly karate monkey
> 
> i'm pretty sure there are more aluminum models out there, i just don't know em


Soma Juice and the Canfield both are nice bikes, and are a bit more than your typical SS frame, but I'm talking more high end on the race side. There are plenty of lust worthy single speeds out there like Black Cat, Black Sheep, etc, but they are not a true high end race steed. Using a both a car and a bike analogy here, a bentley while super powerful and drool worthy, is not going to tear up any auto cross course, just as a vanilia custom show bike is a dream bike of mine and is a high end bike, its not going to be the ideal crit bike.

As for the Surly...for a high end bike?



dirtbyte said:


> Just get a Vassago and be done with it. Jabberwocky, Ver Hauen, Optimus Ti...


The optimus Ti is a nice frame, the other two are boat anchors compared to even mid level frames like the Santa Cruz Highball AL or the Niner Air1


Velobike said:


> Nup. The problem is that the bikes don't wear out. Particularly if you ride rigid. Singlespeeds are bad for the business model of the bike industry.
> ...
> Eventually everyone who wants a singlespeed has one and with no maintenance costs singlespeeders have plenty money for beer instead.....


Right because frames never break or people don't lust for something better/lighter/more modern technology. As for the latter, that would be true if the N+1 equation wasn't true. Young blood is coming in to cycling every year. People decide they want a change and buy a new bike. (I said I'd never buy a fat bike yet I just got back from a fatbike ride)



have2ride2day said:


> I'm enjoying the current offerings.


That's what I'm talking about. Probably the one bike I would ditch my Stumpjumper carbon SS for.

Maybe I should amend my original post to say high end, Race SS. Geared bikes get lighter every year. There are frames under 900 grams now and get stiffer with each model year. An Optimus Ti or Kona Rajien may be an acceptable bike in terms of everything you need for a 100 miler NUE race, but for an hour XC race, stiffness and weight really does matter.

I had a Carver 420, built up with nice everything. It was a blast, but it was heavy by comparison, and way too flexy for xc racing.


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## iowamtb (May 17, 2014)

Build your own. I prefer to pick out my components anyways.


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## asmallsol (Sep 20, 2007)

iowamtb said:


> Build your own. I prefer to pick out my components anyways.


Unless I learn to make my own carbon frame, that's not really an option. Again, that's the point. Right now there are only 2 carbon Single Speed frames available unless you go with a beer Bottom bracket which, while it works, (I have one on my SS cross bike) its not the most ideal solution.


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## Raleighguy29 (Jan 7, 2014)

I just built a chromag rootdown as a single speed with a 130 fork.









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## febikes (Jan 28, 2011)

asmallsol said:


> .....I'm talking more high end on the race side. There are plenty of lust worthy single speeds out there like Black Cat, Black Sheep, etc, but they are not a true high end race steed....


I think you are wrong on this point. Plenty of the high end handmade bikes are "true high end race steeds". Ti bikes like the Black Sheep can be super light. With Reynolds 853 and other steel tubes a builder can create a bike light weight and great stiffness. Using steel a builder can tune the stiffness of the bike and adjust the geometry to make the bike "racy". I always enjoy racing my steel bikes...

In local racing for my area I have never felt that a steel bike is somehow slower. The big marketing that gets behind carbon may have people thinking it is the fastest stuff around but I don't buy it. We have a local time trial in Raleigh on single track where the fastest guy overall was single speed (and a steel frame). People have their carbon geared bikes but really it is the motor not the bike that wins races.

Also, on NUE top level races I have seen riders with steel frames on the single speed podium....

I am not a carbon hater but really the idea that handmade bikes can't be race bikes is silly. The bike is about style and race bikes can be made in just about any quality material.


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## asmallsol (Sep 20, 2007)

I will agree with many/most of your points. I finished 6th in the NUE series back in 2011 on a Kona Unit. I went back and forth the following year racing both my carver and my kona unit, and although heavier it was stiffer and I liked the a bit better and felt faster. However, weight really does make a different. Just switching from my SID WC fork (not a heavy fork by any means) to my Niner Rigid fork. Its amazing how the 1-2 lbs feels on climbs. I've had fastest times of the day for XC races for certain segments (everyone uses strava around here so comparing is easy).

I assume your correct that you can get a high end steel or ti frame near the same stiffness of a carbon bike at near the same weight, but although I can appreciate the value in that frame, a carbon frame can be had for a lot less. Yes, it doesn't have the lust that a hand built bike is going to have, but a custom frame is going to cost you 3 grand if not more.


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## febikes (Jan 28, 2011)

asmallsol said:


> I will agree with many/most of your points. I finished 6th in the NUE series back in 2011 on a Kona Unit. I went back and forth the following year racing both my carver and my kona unit, and although heavier it was stiffer and I liked the a bit better and felt faster. However, weight really does make a different. Just switching from my SID WC fork (not a heavy fork by any means) to my Niner Rigid fork. Its amazing how the 1-2 lbs feels on climbs. I've had fastest times of the day for XC races for certain segments (everyone uses strava around here so comparing is easy).
> 
> I assume your correct that you can get a high end steel or ti frame near the same stiffness of a carbon bike at near the same weight, but although I can appreciate the value in that frame, a carbon frame can be had for a lot less. Yes, it doesn't have the lust that a hand built bike is going to have, but a custom frame is going to cost you 3 grand if not more.


I am not neutral in this and I have bias as a framebuilder but I really think you overstate the performance of carbon.... Speed comes from the rider far more then from the material. There are plenty of high end builders that create quality frames at prices that are not out of this world. High end hand build frames from various builders are in the range of around $1500 and up.... The Pivot frame is $1999 so really it's not like the handmade frames are ultra expensive. Complete bikes from small builders can be competitive on price and performance.

In terms of performance, I don't know all the results but I can share mine. Also, my friend Bob riding one of my frames was 3rd last year at NUE Fools Gold single speed. I was 5th at Fools Gold 2012. I am not saying that hand made bikes are faster but the idea that they are not race worthy is silly. The fast bike is the one that you find rides well and matches your style. A handmade bike can also be a fast one.

Some people like carbon and that is fine but it's not like it will make them faster.


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## asmallsol (Sep 20, 2007)

More of what I'm getting at is the fact that there is no one left but your artisan builders. It used to be specialized, felt,biachi, trek, cannondale all had at least one if not several single speeds to choose from, many times they were some cool options. Now everyone is dropping theirs or reducing their offering.


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## Furrydogs (Apr 29, 2007)

have2ride2day said:


> I'm enjoying the current offerings.


Everything about that picture is awesome.


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## boostin (Apr 21, 2008)

Lenz makes a squishy SS 29er. The Milkmoney it is called and it looks freakin sweet.


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## frank daleview (Jan 23, 2004)

This is what I love about the SS market, there are those that do it well like Niner, Pivot, and let's not forget about Ibis...and the rest just don't do it at all. I love my niner RDO!


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## have2ride2day (Nov 7, 2009)

Furrydogs said:


> Everything about that picture is awesome.


Thanks. One of the few rides where I had my cell phone with me.


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## Cotharyus (Jun 21, 2012)

I strongly suspect that entry level SS sell better than high end. Largely, in my opinion, that is because people like me look at a "low end" SS and aren't satisfied with the parts spec on it, for all the obvious reasons. But if it's a first SS, it's easier to swallow the "unsatisfactory components" to find out if "this SS thing is for real" at a low, low price. But once that bike has had it (lets face it, if you pay $400 for a bike you ride the heck out of for 2.5 years, it owes you exactly nothing) you're hooked. So you look at the steel frame bikes that have carbon forks and ultra-light XC wheels (because only skinny super fast kids ride SS, right?) that would never hold up to my weight, and next thing you know, it's just cheaper and easier to buy a frame, and build it with components that will work for ME, not half of me.

So yeah, I don't think the high end SS market is really much of a thing. It doesn't mean there aren't a lot of high end SS out there, just that they're built up by the riders, not sold ready to ride in the stores.


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## mattbyke (Jan 14, 2015)

I love crushing 5000$ + geared race rigs on my modest nice , fun as fun Inbred . I don't win but I finish well. I ride a 5000$+ full squish machine and it's just pure sex. So I guess I'm gonna go for the high end Uni cycle next ! A Carbon wheel. Yay , I'm gonna be high end!


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## iowamtb (May 17, 2014)

Cotharyus said:


> I strongly suspect that entry level SS sell better than high end. Largely, in my opinion, that is because people like me look at a "low end" SS and aren't satisfied with the parts spec on it, for all the obvious reasons. But if it's a first SS, it's easier to swallow the "unsatisfactory components" to find out if "this SS thing is for real" at a low, low price. But once that bike has had it (lets face it, if you pay $400 for a bike you ride the heck out of for 2.5 years, it owes you exactly nothing) you're hooked. So you look at the steel frame bikes that have carbon forks and ultra-light XC wheels (because only skinny super fast kids ride SS, right?) that would never hold up to my weight, and next thing you know, it's just cheaper and easier to buy a frame, and build it with components that will work for ME, not half of me.
> 
> So yeah, I don't think the high end SS market is really much of a thing. It doesn't mean there aren't a lot of high end SS out there, just that they're built up by the riders, not sold ready to ride in the stores.


You elaborated exactly what I said earlier. Nice way to put it. :thumbsup: I bought my Jamis a year ago and rode it a very short while and started putting better stuff on it. Why? Because I could so I did. I put a better stem, bars, cranks, chainring, BB, and then got the itch to try SS so I bought tensioners and gave it a try. Then I got the itch to build a "proper" SS. So winter hit and I bought a Soma steel frame and started building it piece by piece. All I have left is a seat, pedals, tires and tubeless kit, and a chain. Once I started on this I converted my Jamis back to a 1x8 and left all the better upgrades on.

What's my point? Well why should I waste my money buying something someone else built with their own picked parts when I know I am going to want different parts anyways? I am building a bike for ME. Not you or you or him or her but ME. And think of all the experience and fun I have gained along the way.


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## bikeny (Feb 26, 2004)

Singlespeeds are a niche, high end singlespeeds are an even smaller niche. The volume just isn't there for the bike players, so they are dropping out. That is all good with me, it leaves the smaller manufacturers who really understand singlespeeds to sell more. Companies like IBIS, Niner, Pivot, etc. As already mentioned, a lot of people looking for a high end SS want to spec every part, not buy an off the shelf build.

Just wait 5 to 10 years and fatbikes will go through the same thing!


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## hoolie (Sep 17, 2010)

*Yeah, I love to build just the way I want.*


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## erichwic (Mar 3, 2004)

I asked the same question last year because I too wanted the S-Works SS frameset. As everyone else said, I settled on the Crave SL and upgraded everything to get my ideal bike. Again, it's not carbon and the BEER components EBB limits your crank options. If I had unlimited resources I'd get an S-Works HT frameset, buy the BEER EBB, and throw on an XTR crankset. That setup is NOT cheap though.


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## asmallsol (Sep 20, 2007)

Cotharyus said:


> I strongly suspect that entry level SS sell better than high end. Largely, in my opinion, that is because people like me look at a "low end" SS and aren't satisfied with the parts spec on it, for all the obvious reasons. But if it's a first SS, it's easier to swallow the "unsatisfactory components" to find out if "this SS thing is for real" at a low, low price. But once that bike has had it (lets face it, if you pay $400 for a bike you ride the heck out of for 2.5 years, it owes you exactly nothing) you're hooked. So you look at the steel frame bikes that have carbon forks and ultra-light XC wheels (because only skinny super fast kids ride SS, right?) that would never hold up to my weight, and next thing you know, it's just cheaper and easier to buy a frame, and build it with components that will work for ME, not half of me.
> 
> So yeah, I don't think the high end SS market is really much of a thing. It doesn't mean there aren't a lot of high end SS out there, just that they're built up by the riders, not sold ready to ride in the stores.


A lot of bikes are like that. I bought my first Road bike for $400, put probally 3-4000 miles on the thing before doing a super upgrade to a higher end race bike. For my first single speed, it was a $500 KHS Solo One (non SE) which I rode for 2 or 3 years, and put a ton of miles on it. Later upgraded to a Kona Unit and loved the thing (still have it) then upgraded to a Specialized Carbon SJ SS. Its a progression.

As others have said, yes, when you get to a certain level of bike (truely any bike, be it road, geared MTB, SS etc) building up alot of times is a better way to go, and selling a $5000 prebuilt SS isn't going to sell, but in the past, Specialized and GF/Trek both sold their high end SS bikes as frames only/frame modules. If companies did that more often, I guarantee you that they would sell a modest amount.

I was hoping with so many belt drive concept bikes, we would have started seeing more actually make it to market, but a lot of the time, they end up dropping it. Really, if companies just started making drop outs like pivot or other adjustable ones, they could offer bikes that can be geared or SS. Makes everyone happy. Makes the bike slightly more future proof, you can run what ever you want, through axle, SS, geared, etc. Specialized did that for a while on their normal aluminum Stump jumper. Bring it back


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## Rod (Oct 17, 2007)

I started with a extremely cheap SS that weighs a lot and I am already hooked. It's a simple beater and it's a blast to ride. I have already started upgrading and once I have everything upgraded, I will then move onto a new frame. Then I will have a very nice SS on a budget.


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## JUNGLEKID5 (May 1, 2006)

I love my xxix. It is steal and rolls fast


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## bvader (Sep 13, 2009)

2014 Raijin 
They even made some changes / upgrades for 2015
Internal Dropper Post Compatable


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## Normbilt (Jan 17, 2004)

I have several Custom Build SS This year I went Fat SS
Surly Frame and Matching Moonlander Fork Canvas Green
Cane Creek 110 Headset
Race Face Turbine Crankset
Hope Fatsno Front Hub
Hope Pro 2 EVO Rear Hub
Sun Ringle Mulefut SL 80 Rims
Double Butted Spokes
45NRTH Dillinger 4.8 Folding 120tpi Front Tire
45NRTH Husker Du 4.0 Folding 120tpi Rear Tire
Easton Carbon Seatpost
Specialized Phenom Saddle Brown
Ritchey Trail WCS Stem 
TruVative NIOR World Cup Carbon H-Bar
32-18 gear
XTR pedals
28lb of Fat Monster
IMG_20150215_123120874 by normbilt, on Flickr

IMG_20150227_134255018 by normbilt, on Flickr


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## beanpolematt (Oct 21, 2011)

erichwic said:


> I asked the same question last year because I too wanted the S-Works SS frameset. As everyone else said, I settled on the Crave SL and upgraded everything to get my ideal bike. Again, it's not carbon and the BEER components EBB limits your crank options. If I had unlimited resources I'd get an S-Works HT frameset, buy the BEER EBB, and throw on an XTR crankset. That setup is NOT cheap though.


Why/how are you running the BEER with an EBB if you have the Crave SL - a bike that comes with a 73mm BSA threaded eccentric. What am I missing?


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## poonamibaxter (Aug 30, 2013)

SSChameleon said:


> Market forces at work. Above a certain price point many SS riders may be going to custom builds. At the other end of the spectrum you have SS riders who are looking for low cost and retrofit old geared bikes to SS.
> 
> The ones in the middle gravitate toward the Niner/Crave/Unit bikes and there isn't a large enough market left over for high end SS by big name manufacturers.


It came down to this for me. I have a nice FS carbon geared bike and with the mtns here I knew if the bike didn't fit me very well it wouldn't get ridden so I went with a custom builder when I saw the price was roughly the same of non custom.


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## mo0se (Jul 31, 2006)

I think the fact that the Kona Yewknit (Which I have with the Reynolds tubeset) is well thought out, spec's are just fine stock, and comes in complete at $1k is a helluva a lot cheaper in the end. If you wanna weight weenie it go ahead, there is budget left to do so. It will never be as light as some because of the frame material, but then again you can't replicate the feel of the frame with composites. Hat's off to Kona for continuing to make a great steel bike that everyone can afford, and back it up with a lifetime warranty. I've had several Redline Monocog Flights in the past as well as the Unit. Redline chose to discontinue the Monocog flight and replace it with aluminum...(scratches head).

The bottom line for high end production bikes is sales volume and nothing more, they were not selling...see previous paragraph as to why.


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## santabooze (Oct 14, 2010)

I get the weight of the carver 420, which is still very close to the Lynskey ridgeline. But flexy? What do you weigh? A 73mm bottom bracket shell,huge ovalized down tube, and literally the shortest chain stays out there . Are you sure it wasn't your wheels flexing? 
I dumped my Ridgeline cause it was flexy look at the specs and you will see why. I also didn't want the infamous crack at the HT. At least Carver has a 3way solid connection, there. 

Seriously dude, I'm not doubting but I am questioning....


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## NorthernMN (Feb 18, 2013)

I'd like to hear more on the Carver 420 being flexy as well...I'm thinking of buying one so the more info the better


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## asmallsol (Sep 20, 2007)

santabooze said:


> I get the weight of the carver 420, which is still very close to the Lynskey ridgeline. But flexy? What do you weigh? A 73mm bottom bracket shell,huge ovalized down tube, and literally the shortest chain stays out there . Are you sure it wasn't your wheels flexing?
> I dumped my Ridgeline cause it was flexy look at the specs and you will see why. I also didn't want the infamous crack at the HT. At least Carver has a 3way solid connection, there.
> 
> Seriously dude, I'm not doubting but I am questioning....


It's the nature of titanium. Yes, it was the frame. I had the bike built up with some nice carbon wheels that eventually made it to my current bike, a Specialized Stumpjumper SS, which feels much more efficient up climbs. As for my weight, I'm 155lbs. Was it so flexy, that it made it unrideable? No, it was still a great frame. I had a ton of fun on the thing riding it in Moab. However one a 30 minute hammer fest type of single track we have in Michigan, it becomes noticeable.


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## bikeny (Feb 26, 2004)

asmallsol said:


> It's the nature of the design.


There, I fixed it for you. Titanium is not inherently more flexible than aluminum, steel or carbon, it's all in the design. You can make a very stiff or very flexy frame in any material, it all comes down to the design. I have a Carver Gnarvester, so I think I know what you were feeling. My guess is it's the plate setup at the BB/Chainstay junction that's most responsible for the flexy back end feeling. That and the sliding dropouts.


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## santabooze (Oct 14, 2010)

asmallsol said:


> It's the nature of titanium. Yes, it was the frame. I had the bike built up with some nice carbon wheels that eventually made it to my current bike, a Specialized Stumpjumper SS, which feels much more efficient up climbs. As for my weight, I'm 155lbs. Was it so flexy, that it made it unrideable? No, it was still a great frame. I had a ton of fun on the thing riding it in Moab. However one a 30 minute hammer fest type of single track we have in Michigan, it becomes noticeable.


Well I've got 2 Carver 420 Ti's, one SS and one with gears. I weigh 160, and have 3 completed 24 hr races on the geared, with a little over 9000 miles of training and racing on this frame/bike. Most of this riding is done up here in the Canadian Rockies. I don't notice any flex. I ride with Nox carbons as well , I would guess that would isolate flexing more in the frame and I don't notice any. In fact I found this frame much stiffer than my Ridgeline which had better than 14000 miles on it. I was really concerned about the stiffness of the frame when I got it and it took a bit to get used to. . With saying all this.... I've ridden carbon and found it stiffer than my Carver, but not to say the Carver was flexy, just more compliant. Just my 2cents


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## yahsper (May 23, 2006)

A lot of the high end ss buyers switched to Fatbikes to show off their wealth and level of radness. SS was trendy for awhile but now its mostly back to the hardcore guys that have always done it and love it. Like all of you wierdos!


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## jcave216 (Feb 23, 2010)

I have never owned anything but steel hard tail bikes in my past so I wanted to stay with steel. I have had SS fever for some time and I knew when I decided to buy a SS I wanted it to be a Sycip. It's a shame that companies like Trek and Specialized no longer offer single speed bikes.


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## 4SEVEN3 (Aug 12, 2007)

My SS has morphed from a Trek 4300 that was converted to a Surly 1x1, what I consider the Model T of SS. It's a perpetual project in motion and with so few components I doubt I'd ever buy a SS outright from a manufacturer.


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## Crankyone (Dec 8, 2014)

Everyone as old as I am started out on some sort of one gear bike. My graduation gift to myself was Paramount fixed gear track bike.
Years later I returned to SS with a Redline Mono and re-fell in love with one gear. I won't bore you with why because if you are riding an SS you know already. 
I installed a suspension fork on it and upgraded the front brake to disc. I really enjoyed it but went back to rigid fork with the disc and it felt great. 
That winter I had fallen into a bottomless root hole on the 26" front wheel and eaten a pretty good chunk of NW mud that had inspired me to consider 29er's. I had been watching the Trek 69er for a couple of years. When a 69er became available at about the same cost as the Maverick on the front, I grabbed it. It rocks! I wish I had gotten two! 
My kid inherited the Redline and is riding the bejesus out of it. The Mono was simply a lot of bike for the money and re-sold me on the idea of SS.


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## Stevob (Feb 27, 2009)

Just throwing this where it belongs

Tranny 29 | Bikes


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

dirtbyte said:


> Just get a Vassago and be done with it. Jabberwocky, Ver Hauen, Optimus Ti...


I would suggest a Jabbersnatch.


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## TampaDave (Mar 20, 2015)

Mass market producers will build a premium ss bike when entry level consumers start demanding entry level singlespeeds. The premium bikes will be part of an upgrade path.

So. Will the market ever demand entry level singlespeeds? Not out of the question in my mind.

Back when I was a kid, people weren't "into" specialized bikes at the entry level, you got a single speed with a coaster brake for Christmas and if you really got into it, you could eventually upgrade to a ten-speed suitable for grinding it out on the road. If you really wanted to get serious about going off-road, you had to build a bike your own self, and I wonder if those creative wrenches out West were saying the same thing back then. "Wonder if Trek will ever produce a decent mountain bike." "Nah, if you're into that kind of thing you're more likely to build it yourself."

Well, they did, but only after people started demanding something other than 10-speeds. But let's be clear about it, people weren't specifically demanding something they could use to huck rocks in Telluride. They were after something more comfortable to ride around town, that they might could take off-road if they ever got the notion.

Meanwhile, us "bikers" are filling our garages with more and more specialized machines. "I can't take this on tour, it's my marathon bike. Gotta buy a touring bike if we're gonna do that kind of stuff." I think for a lot of people, when you get that serious about biking, the sport starts to become a little less about having fun, and a little more about buying stuff. This is a form of insanity, and I think the average consumer is starting to get wise to it. So you have people buying BMX bikes, buying retro-cool beach cruisers, you see them bombing around town on "urban" bikes. Every manufacturer is pushing hybrid or crossover bikes, to suit the people who mainly just want to noodle down the bike path.

People haven't quite let go of the multi-speed concept. "What, this thing only has 27 speeds? Guy down the street is selling one with 30, what's your problem?" But. I think they are close.

My old bike, a 15-year old Tassajara that I converted to a single speed, lived at my daughter's apartment for a year while I was otherwise occupied. Come to find out, she had been working on it. Replaced the crankset, put some new tires on it. She liked that bike, just couldn't make the ergonomics work for her, and pretty much hated the suspension (you go, girl). I think if the lbs had something like a Surly Troll, she would look hard at it, and there's a very high likelihood she would buy it in ss, at least to start.

They don't, and we are probably going to order up a frame from Surly. But I think something might be rising up. Kids who never bombed through the woods on a Schwinn Stingray or rode to school on a 3-speed with books in the basket are looking around at this consumerist, ego-obsessed society their parents built for them, and thinking, there's gotta be something better. Something more authentic.

I don't believe in coincidences; or more precisely, I don't believe they are meaningless. I was cheating on my lbs the other day, shopping for doo-dads at another store, when I heard this 30-something yuppie up at the counter asking, "I'm thinking about getting into single-speeding, do you guys carry the Trek Superfly?" Once they were done talking, I waved him over, took him out to the parking lot, and opened up my hatchback to show him my superfly, fresh off the trail, covered in mud. From what I've been able to gather, he made a beeline for the dealer and bought it on the spot. To my knowledge there were only two of those things sold in my town to date. What are the odds of me running into the guy who bought the third?

Something is happening, I think.

To be clear, the trek offering comes to a very great extent from the parts bin. They engineered a comically complicated slide system with the obvious purpose of compatibility with the same parts they use on all their mountain bikes. Which, the MBA side of my brain thinks is brilliant. This is always what Trek does, they always find the people who are "just getting into it," and give them a bike that _just barely_ exceeds their expectations, and they do it with an amazing degree of creativity with a very limited line of parts. The MBA side of my brain thinks the head of marketing at Trek is a fricken genius.

Regardless of how you feel about marketing people, bear with me here, because they may well deliver what you are asking for. If Trek can sell enough of these SS bikes, watch: next year they will try the concept on an entry level bike, which you can be darn sure will be marketed as a refreshingly-simple, knocking-around-town, carefree-lifestyle, environmentally-friendly option for people who just don't like posers (like my daughter, for instance). Coupla years after that, you'll be able to go down to the lbs and, once again, lust after the bike in the window.


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## party_wagon (Oct 10, 2008)

Single speeders speeders are typically robust and cheap to maintain. The market is now saturated with quality used offerings.


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## thing (Oct 29, 2007)

what about the Ibis Tranny. isn't that single speedable and high end if you ask me.

that being said i love my air 9 carbon


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## esku (Jul 26, 2005)

thing said:


> what about the Ibis Tranny. isn't that single speedable and high end if you ask me.


71' HA... for me it's outdated


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## ohmygato (Mar 8, 2011)

On One Lurcher, or any other Taiwanese carboner are great options.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

jcave216 said:


> It's a shame that companies like Trek and Specialized no longer offer single speed bikes.


Specialized Crave SL
http://m.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/mountain/crave/crave-sl


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## Stevob (Feb 27, 2009)

It is supposed to be a thread about "high end" single speeds. I have a Carve (now Crave), and whilst I love it, I wouldn't call it high end. Specialized dumped the carbon stumpy SS last year. Not sure if Trek ever made a carbon superfly SS.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

I've got a Kona Unit. To me, the Crave is high end.
The Stumpy is an out and out race bike.


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## AK47 (Mar 22, 2004)

Ventana


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## jcave216 (Feb 23, 2010)

NordieBoy said:


> Specialized Crave SL
> Specialized Bicycle Components


I stand corrected, thanks for sharing.


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## Stevob (Feb 27, 2009)

NordieBoy said:


> I've got a Kona Unit. To me, the Crave is high end.
> The Stumpy is an out and out race bike.


I got a Unit too . My Carve frame was only ~$500 AU. That's why I didn't consider it high end. Compared to the Stumpy frame which was ~$2,500 AU when they made it, although that came with a seatpost too.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

I've also got a 2011 Stumpy M5 26" hard tail that I run single speed.


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## idaz (Nov 17, 2007)

Spot, REEB, Vassago, Santa Cruz, Pivot, Niner, Soulcraft (prefabbed), Ibis, Lynskey, Ventana, Carver, Lenz, Breadwinner, are just a few that come to mind. 
Everything from weight weenie race rigs to all mountain hardtails in the mix. 
Some of them blur the lines between stock and custom but that should be expected at those price points and given the nature of the companies.
I'm not missing the offerings of those larger companies the OP referenced, this bunch has all I need.
Cheers,
MK


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## party_wagon (Oct 10, 2008)

I doubt bike shops like ss bikes either. If they are making lots of their profits off of serviCing bikes why would they push bikes that don't need to be serviced?


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## Raleighguy29 (Jan 7, 2014)

My bike shop likes my single speeds. Since I ride franken built ones. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## MTBMILES (Dec 27, 2007)

thing said:


> what about the Ibis Tranny. isn't that single speedable and high end if you ask me.
> 
> that being said i love my air 9 carbon


Great bike, loving mine. Tranny 29.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## rob1035 (Apr 20, 2007)

Stevob said:


> Not sure if Trek ever made a carbon superfly SS.


They did for a couple of years, yes. Available as a frameset in 2012. Trek Bicycle

...although I guess that goes to show the Trek is out of the "high end" SS game for now, since the current Superfly SS is AL

Superfly SS - Trek Bicycle


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## Mojo Man (Sep 1, 2007)

*I think not*

I just built this racer up, a little squish for my tush, loving it


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## NWS (Jun 30, 2010)

If you can buy a high-end bike, you can make it a high-end single-speed.

I've always looked at new bikes as starting points, not finished products.


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## azjonboy (Dec 21, 2006)

Beautiful Black Sheep.


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## JokerSC (Nov 5, 2011)

Hey Mojo, I think I see some dirt on your bike. Better clean it off.....


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