tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15336507.post1660903910402005416..comments2023-06-10T04:47:58.319-08:00Comments on Bicycles and Icicles: Walk on the wild sideTimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13230350513417318151noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15336507.post-3532921184829025252009-01-16T03:48:00.000-09:002009-01-16T03:48:00.000-09:00Enjoy your "Walk on the Wildside" Tim. You'll love...Enjoy your "Walk on the Wildside" Tim. You'll love the simplicity!<BR/>I'm heading up to northern Minnesota today for a couple days of winter fun. I'll be on my old Stumperjumper<BR/>single speed. I love it!Vitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01277306434031774094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15336507.post-78754304152147822672009-01-15T14:48:00.000-09:002009-01-15T14:48:00.000-09:00Due to a broken freewheel, my single-speed winter ...Due to a broken freewheel, my single-speed winter bike temporarily became a fixed-gear bike...plamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13926880362592320071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15336507.post-42500459577819680162009-01-13T15:39:00.000-09:002009-01-13T15:39:00.000-09:00You're not missing anything with the fixed gear fa...You're not missing anything with the fixed gear faction. My fixie is sitting in pieces between the garage and the shed. However, it will be resurrected for the ice crit at the end of January. If there's one thing my fixie's good for, its blending in with the freak show that is the Frigid Bits.<BR/><BR/>By the way, thanks for the write up a few posts back.<BR/><BR/>Robjeezyraubgeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10676121675319064284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15336507.post-67817078144521886902009-01-13T12:49:00.000-09:002009-01-13T12:49:00.000-09:00No, Amber. Manny didn't build this bike, I did. So...No, Amber. Manny didn't build this bike, I did. So it actually <I>works</I>!Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13230350513417318151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15336507.post-76072919657095515452009-01-13T12:44:00.000-09:002009-01-13T12:44:00.000-09:00So does this mean that your also going to be parti...So does this mean that your also going to be participating in the bike tossing events? <BR/>That is what happens to SS Addicts...Amberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12026234748205465490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15336507.post-36951840327559161932009-01-13T06:21:00.000-09:002009-01-13T06:21:00.000-09:00I rode a fixed gear bike every winter when I lived...I rode a fixed gear bike every winter when I lived in New England where the hills were short and small. Here in the mountains of Colorado, I cannot even imagine riding a SS or a fixie... but a few people do it. For me, one reason that I can't even try it is that my spine is already falling apart - and lugging a single gear would be bad news.<BR/><BR/>Good luck with your experiment. I hear that it's not too hilly where you are so you may love it!KBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15336507.post-45979425642824946392009-01-12T15:12:00.000-09:002009-01-12T15:12:00.000-09:00Jordy, the bike is my old 1996 M2 Stumpjumper fram...Jordy, the bike is my old 1996 M2 Stumpjumper frame, which has had every part except the seatpost collar replaced two or three times by now. It’s a commuter and ice bike, so I dumped the front suspension and I’m running a Surly Instigator fork so that I don’t have to worry about cracking seals at -20.<BR/><BR/>The crank is a Shimano triple I’ve been using for a couple of years. I just removed the granny gear and big ring. I’m running a 32-tooth Salsa ring up front, and an 18T in the rear on a SS conversion kit I picked up at Paramount (I can’t remember the brand). Once I loosened a tight link on the new chain, and reversed the Surly Singleator to push up instead of down to create chain tension, the thing ran like a dream.<BR/><BR/>I’m open to enjoying one bike as a singlespeed – especially on my flat commute -- but there’s no way I’ll give up gears for trail riding. Gears work. It’s that simple. I disagree with anyone who says they require too much maintenance. <BR/><BR/>As for singlespeeds being the gateway drug to fixies, Gemils, I’m 45 years old and have too much invested in surgical knee repair to ever start screwing around with fixed gears. That’s for the younger guys (who will also end up with shitty knees at 45).Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13230350513417318151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15336507.post-88549590985971384172009-01-12T14:48:00.000-09:002009-01-12T14:48:00.000-09:00Be careful ... you start out by dabbling with the ...Be careful ... you start out by dabbling with the single speed, and then one of your friends asks if you want to try some fixie.<BR/><BR/>"Sure," you'll think to yourself, "I will just try it for a few turns of the crank. I can always go back to coasting afterwards."<BR/><BR/>And then you will try it. And then you will be hooked.<BR/><BR/>I am just saying, in case you didn't already know it ... single speeds are the gateway drug! Be forewarned!gemilshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06300991770349232572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15336507.post-48521992950229297552009-01-12T14:27:00.000-09:002009-01-12T14:27:00.000-09:00What bike and gearing are you running? Looks like ...What bike and gearing are you running? Looks like an 18t out back? What parts did you use to convert to SS? Still having fun on my SS!EscortRacerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04537098102889408151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15336507.post-22837083246904402932009-01-12T13:16:00.000-09:002009-01-12T13:16:00.000-09:00"...what could be more ancient and fundamental tha...<I>"...what could be more ancient and fundamental than a bike with only one gear?"</I><BR/><BR/>Well there's the <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandy_horse" REL="nofollow">Dandy Horse</A> if you want to be really silly, or the <A HREF="http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2008/11/penny-ante-ordinary-trend-moves-up.html" REL="nofollow">p-far</A> for the more discerning.lemmiwinkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12897071451229534159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15336507.post-12524350860304376752009-01-12T10:21:00.000-09:002009-01-12T10:21:00.000-09:00Hey, if it's good enough for Sarah ...Hey, if it's good enough for Sarah ...Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13230350513417318151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15336507.post-35534663312838009432009-01-12T10:01:00.000-09:002009-01-12T10:01:00.000-09:00as long as you don't start speaking in tongues or ...as long as you don't start speaking in tongues or playing with snakes...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03707312160893238672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15336507.post-35963963056630816482009-01-12T07:56:00.000-09:002009-01-12T07:56:00.000-09:00I, myself, love fixed-gear mountain biking. It's ...I, myself, love fixed-gear mountain biking. It's slow, particularly on the downhills, when compared to freewheeling but there is something perversely entertaining about it as well.Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15336507.post-12650519860938742662009-01-12T06:54:00.000-09:002009-01-12T06:54:00.000-09:00Oh, yeah. Fixies. When I said I was interested in ...Oh, yeah. Fixies. When I said I was interested in ALL the factions, I was forgetting those crazies.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13230350513417318151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15336507.post-62843113025896911012009-01-12T05:59:00.000-09:002009-01-12T05:59:00.000-09:00For winter commuting I did the same thing for eeri...For winter commuting I did the same thing for eerily similar reasons. And I think I am going to keep the mountain bike as a single speed. <BR/><BR/>But here in Minneapolis we have like 7 hills. So a single speed isn't ever going to be a serious problem.<BR/><BR/>Now the folks on the fixies...Bujiatanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03747891881546117689noreply@blogger.com