WHY? Taking all but one of the gears off your bike, or even specially going out and buying a 1-speed machine may seem like an odd thing to do, but it has it’s advantages: low weight, less clutter, fewer mechanical problems, quieter, less affected by mud, cheaper way to build a hack bike, looks cool, no noisy chain slap, and your brain is less occupied with changing gears, and more focused on the actual riding.

For some people, nothing can beat the super-responsive & reliable feel of a single-speed, and while the one gear may lead to some frenzied pedal spinning when trying to keep up on flat tarmac, the inevitably aggressive climbing style required may make you first to the top of every hill.

IS IT FOR ME? Admittedly the strain of getting up those hills may not be suitable for people with problematic knees or backs, so think twice if you’ve had a problem here.  However, if you think the pros outweigh the cons and would like to give single-speeding a go, but don’t want to spend a lot of money, follow our D.I.Y. guide to going singlespeed.

CONVERTING TO SINGLESPEED

First, think about how you’re going to un-gear your bike. Read through all the steps, decide on your chain-tensioning method, and work out what gear to run – most riders go for a 2:1 ratio, e.g. 32 teeth chain-ring and 16 teeth rear sprocket. Remove those subversive shifters, derailleur, cables, cassette and other superfluous gear from your bike. Now follow the next 3 steps – either doing it properly, or if finances are tight (or you are) and you might want to change back to gears when your knees give out, use the bodge it (B) guide.

TOP TIP: Get a SS specific chain e.g. BMX chain which are also tougher and stretch less.

01A: Chainring (Proper)

A popular add on is a bash-guard to protect the chainring. It allows the use of regular chainring bolts and also attempts more ambitious log-crossings without tooth-loss misery.

NOTE: Many singlespeeds are set up with longer-than-normal crank arms (e.g. 180mm instead of usual 175mm) for improved leverage for climbing.

01B: Chainring (Bodge)

Remove the front chainrings, and replace with a single ring. Profiled teeth and shifting ramps aren’t really any good, so go for a chainring with plain teeth.

NOTE: You’ll usually need shorter (BMX) chainring bolts or you could file down the ‘female’ side (shown on the right hand side of the picture) of a set of regular bolts.

02A: HUB / FREEWHEEL (Proper)

Use a screw-on hub that will accept a singlespeed BMX style freewheel. There are many hubs designed for singlespeed MTBs available.

Alternatively, use an old BMX or road hub, rebuilding it with a MTB axle and spacing it to be compatible with the 135mm dropout spacing of a MTB. Some manufacturers offer singlespeed cassette hubs, which have superior seals and freewheel mechanisms (but at a price).

02B: HUB / FREEWHEEL (Bodge)

The most popular option for hubs (usually involving the least investment) is to use a Shimano style cassette hub and a single sprocket with spacers. This can be obtained in a kit from single-speed friendly manufacturers – use a cassette lockring to hold it in place.

Alternatively use the spacers from old cassettes, file the heads off the rivets on the back and pull apart, or try using some plastic piping e.g. a drain pipe of the right diameter. Now line up the rear sprocket with the front chainring – this gives a good chainline to keep things running smoothly and quietly.

03A: CHAIN TENSIONING (Proper)

Horizontal BMX-style track ends / drop-outs allow the wheel to be slid back to tighten the chain, and so do some old frames with forward-facing dropouts. If wheel slippage is a problem, try using chain tugs or tapping a thread into the axle and using bolts instead of a quick release.

Elliptical bottom brackets do away with the ‘faff’ of moving the wheel in the drop-outs.

03B: CHAIN TENSIONING (Bodge)

If you have a regular bike with vertical drop-outs you cannot tension the chain by moving the wheel forwards of backwards. If you’re lucky, you may be able to get the chain to the right length, otherwise, use a chain tensioner or an old rear mech – use the ‘H’ screw or put a small bit of cable in the mech and adjust with the barrel adjuster to adjust the jockey wheels.

TOP TIP: The key to riding in mud (and other terrain where the traction is poor) is to make smooth pedal strokes, so the rear wheel doesn’t lose traction and spin.

Mud:

Something that you will be very familiar with, living in the UK. It sticks to the tyres, is slippery and causes loss of control, makes you dirty and cold, and clogs the rear derailleur, V-brakes and clipless pedals. It will also take a lot more effort to pedal than normal.

Sloppy mud can make changing direction difficult so approach on a line that avoids having to steer whilst in it – if steering is necessary try not to turn the bars, instead use your upper body to lean the bike.

Approach as fast as is safe, so your momentum carries you through the mud; aim for existing tracks as these will be slightly compacted, and firmer to ride.

Change down a couple of gears in anticipation; the gears are less likely to slip on a larger cog as the chain is in contact with more teeth and load on the drivetrain is reduced. Also being in too high a gear may lead you to stall and get a muddy foot.

Keep your weight back, de-weight or lift the front wheel slightly to avoid front wheel drag (which would slow it down more than the rear and could send you over the bars).

Be ready to pedal in smooth, powerful strokes once in the mud. Slow down, move your weight back and ease up on the front end, then push the pedals down firmly and smoothly, while pushing forwards (not down) on the handlebars, and before the next pedal stroke, gently move back again ready for the next surge.

Sand:

This is similar to riding in mud, but even worse for the moving parts on bikes; sand is incredibly abrasive. It is therefore not advisable to ride in sand on a regular basis, as it will soon make metal dust of the expensive moving parts of a bike.

Adopt the same tactics as mud riding i.e. straight line, aim for a shallow looking section, keep your momentum, keep the front end light, don’t steer or use your body to do so and make wide turns as the wheel will tend to dig in. If you are stalling or digging-in on a turn, sit back and turn the wheel the other way.

Moving between standing and sitting will give you a balance between power and traction; when wheels grip, put on the power by standing slightly, but keep weight low to keep traction. Also keep your upper body loose and ready, as sand is unpredictable.

Ice and snow:

These conditions will provide some tricky riding conditions, so be aware of what to do and consider the fact that snow can be hiding an obstacle, so keep your weight back off the front wheel. Braking should be forgotten about or done very lightly. Never lock the brakes, as you will lose traction and find it difficult or impossible to get back again. Steer with your body, keep your weight back, and stay on the saddle to keep some of that elusive traction.

Tree Roots:

Roots (especially when wet) are the slipperiest obstacles regularly encountered on the trail. They should be approached square-on (90 degrees) if possible, and every effort should be made to keep weight off the wheel in contact with the root.

To get over large logs, you will probably need to stop and lift the bike, so as not to damage the chainrings. If you feel confident enough however, you can lift the front over as usual, then using your pedals, lift the rear wheel up and surge forwards with your upper body, so that the chainrings clear the log.

NOTE: Don’t try jumping roots if you are not sure you can clear them; if the wheel lands on them, they make for a very tricky (and painful) landing.

Grass:

On a fine dry day, grass will do little more than slow you down, but when it is wet it becomes extremely slippery, making going up and downhill difficult. Stay seated and pedal smoothly and consistently to keep rear wheel traction, and make only small movements when steering (keeping your weight off the front end).

NOTE: Cut grass can invade every part of the drive train, quickly smothering sprockets and seizing jockey wheels, which will stop the bike from shifting or freewheeling. It can be a nightmare to remove, so every effort should be made to avoid it.

Rocks & Gravel:

Rocks usually become pretty slippery when they get wet, and can go from a welcome challenge to an outright menace. Their irregular shape and size requires more body movement than other surfaces, especially downhill – keep your weight back and poise yourself over the bike to soak up any bumps the suspension doesn’t. Brake carefully to avoid locking / skidding the tyres on loose rocks.

NOTE: Speed and momentum will help you over rocky sections, but too much and you risk wiping out onto a hard surface.

Cycling over small stones should not cause too much difficulty, although deep gravel is much like sand in that steering is difficult, as the front wheel likes to dig in, so maintain a straight line and light front wheel. Also, gravel on hard surfaces is like riding on ice or ball bearings, as the stones will slip and slide over the surface giving you little control. Stay off the brakes and keep your weight over the rear wheel, and keep your weight upright – avoid leaning over and hard cornering.

TOP  TIP: Off-camber sections can cause the tyres to lose traction, so try pre-loading/compressing the suspension just beforehand and springing up as you ride over the rocks or roots, to  lighten the weight and hopefully avoid slipping.

Think smooth, steady, round pedal strokes (not stomping up and down) to improve your riding, muscle efficiency, and power. Practice at a slow cadence (revolutions of the pedals per minute), at moderate pressure, in smooth circles, using a relaxed cycling style to avoid any jerkiness. If you have clipless (spd) pedals try cycling one legged; it will feel jerky at first until you smooth it out (advance to a slight uphill slope to perfect it).

The (theoretical) average person achieves peak performance and most efficient use of energy at a steady cadence of 80-90rpm on the flat, and 70-80 on climbs. This may feel like you aren’t pushing hard (that’s the idea) and you aren’t going anywhere, but persist, and you should feel the benefits. Between these speeds you will be exercising aerobically and making the best use of your energy – above 100rpm wastes energy and is unproductive, while below 60rpm uses more muscle strength (an-aerobically) and tires you out more quickly.

Don’t become obsessed with hitting the right cadence, just try and keep a comfortable and steady rate, using your gears to shift down when you are pushing hard or up when your legs start spinning too fast.

Calculate cadence (rpm) by counting the number of times a foot reaches the 6 o’clock position in 15 seconds then multiplying it by 4.

TOP TIP: When riding full suspension bikes standing up, keep your weight forwards and the pedalling action smooth to minimise ‘bob’.

The Pedal Stroke…..

1 – Through the 12 o’clock position, drop the heel and push forward.

2 – Push downward on the pedal with the ball of the foot (foot flat).

3 – At the 6 o’clock position, pull your heel backwards as if you scraping mud off the bottom of your shoe.

4 – At the 9 o’clock position start pulling upwards and forward (as if trying to touch your knees on the handlebars) to even the stroke power. (now go back to step 1 and repeat about 5,000 times per hour).

TOP TIP: Use flat pedals to learn and improve your riding skills. SPD’s can disguise or lead to poor technique. The same goes for the bicycle, as suspension can disguise poor riding technique. Riding a rigid bike (with flat pedals) is a great way to improve your general riding technique – as proved by Steve Peat (downhill champ).