# Fat guy on a single speed



## njbiker66 (Oct 23, 2005)

I just had to say it I love riding single speed. I built up a Van Dessel ramble tamble ss and I am loving every minute of it. At 6'2" and 300lbs I was not a bad climber on a geared bike. I would drop in to Granny gear and pedal up and how every long it took it did and I guess I would not attack to hard. After going to a custom ti 29er this year I have had one of the best riding season in 3 years. I noticed climbing got a little easier and my buddies started saying I got faster over all in riding. Now after riding the 29 ss climbing is a tuff ,but only having one gear makes you attack and just get my fat mass out of the saddle while climbing. I rode this past weekend with my buddies and I was able to drop a couple of them on the climbs It dose not get any better then that.:thumbsup:


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## 1x1clyde (Oct 5, 2005)

Nicely done!
I am 6ft and weigh 240lbs and love riding SS.
I have had a few different ones- Lynskey Ti 26er, Surly 1x1, Bianchi PUSS, Salsa El Mariachi, but my fav is my steel Retrotec 29er!
It is amazing the stuff you can clear on a SS and its only icing on the cake when you can drop some buddies in the process:thumbsup:


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## moto0013 (Apr 14, 2006)

I am starting from out of shape big boy (6'5" 240) this week. I have a 29er Kelly SS that I am in love with. Looking to ride a couple of times a week .Hope it works as well for me as it did you guys.


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## donalson (Apr 13, 2004)

...i keep thinking how fun and simple a SS would be... I rode "my" new trail (moving and have a trail close by ... i kept riding it and honestly think it would be a great SSer trail... has me considering it thats for sure...

side note... i hadn't ridden on a trail for prob 2 months... in those 2 months i've lost about 10 lbs and a few % of body fat... i was amazed at how well i rode and how 1/2 way though i didn't feel like i was going to keel over and die from breathing so hard ...


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## tribune (Feb 21, 2006)

215lbs + average of 20lbs of water and gear, plus an XL steel frame with beefy (read heavy) components. All in all I'm about a 265lb machine on the trail.

I managed to stay in front almost the whole time of a big group ride with 3-4K of climbing recently, even with a couple featherlight riders that couldn't weigh more than 130lbs, or half my weight.

I think your strength as a single speeder has a lot to do with it. A lot of us bigger guys have lots of strength, which is not taken advantage of when you sit and spin in your granny gear. If you think about it, you're pushing the same amount of weight up the hill regardless of whether you are geared or single speed.

The key for me (as I am finding out because I just started SSing) is to increase my cardio capacity by riding more so I can maintain high energy output for a longer period of time to help on the climbs. I love climbing, and my favorite thing about SSing is that climbing is even more fun, not to mention challenging being a bigger rider.

Single speeding doesn't have to be for just the lightweights!


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

The key to SS riding - or any riding - for me, is riding at my own pace: solo, guiding others, or just otherwise relaxed rides.

(I suppose it helps that I don't have long climbs. I can hit the uphills hard and finish the panting at the top.)


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## haaki (Sep 15, 2008)

*I love SS's*

sadly I love my knees better
I ride a geared bike like a SS, every Clyde does
all about keeping up momentum and flow


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## njbiker66 (Oct 23, 2005)

I'm hoping to ride the SS this weekend at wissahickon park just out side of philly this weekend its got some kick a$$ down hills and some leg burning climbs with plenty of rocks to make a rigid bike fun to ride.

Tom


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

Just one rule, to protect your knees:

as soon as it gets a bit hard to keep turning the cranks, climbing or otherwise, stand up and pedal out of the saddle. Turning a hard gear seated tends to kill knees. Standing is different.


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## Doggity (Mar 27, 2007)

perttime said:


> Just one rule, to protect your knees:
> 
> as soon as it gets a bit hard to keep turning the cranks, climbing or otherwise, stand up and pedal out of the saddle. Turning a hard gear seated tends to kill knees. Standing is different.


Word...I used to have knee probs, I don't anymore since riding thusly....:thumbsup:


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## njbiker66 (Oct 23, 2005)

*Van Dessel*

This is my new ride as of a few months ago just posting it now.
Chris king hubs with Halo freedom disc rims
king 18 tooth cog 
salsa gold skewers
maxxis ignitor tires
hope mono mini 185 floating rotors
Race face Atlus 180 cranks
xtr pedals
Sram pc1 chian
Thomson seat post and stem
wtb saddel
sycros flat bars with large sweep
brooks bar tape brown leather
cane creek bar ends
surly karate monkeyfork
soon to be added boone cog 18t just got, Boone 32t 104 chain ring, and niner rigid that will be painted white.

oh yeah I had to grind down the rear brake caliper to fit with the 185 rotor opps.


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## One_Speed (Aug 3, 2007)

nice ride!!!


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## ImaKlyde (Sep 6, 2004)

I like the performance of the Hopes, but man those "floating" rotors can create some fittment hassles. Nice rig.

Love SS'ing.

Brock...


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## zuk88 (Feb 16, 2005)

I just went SS last month and I'm loving it. My local trail was getting a little boring so I pulled off the gears and found that I had the leg strength to pull the hills I never thought I could ride SS. It has given me more desire to ride and hopefully I can de-clyde myself before my 40th next August.


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