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Ok, I've decided to go singlespeed for the "winter" here in Florida. Can anyone help me with a parts list for the conversion? Coming from SRAM 11 speed on my Bearclaw Beaux Jaxon (boost spacing, no horizontal drops). Going to go with 32/18 as I've been cruising at that ratio lately and it feels fine for everything I ride off road here and can get me up the lowercase hills without issue. Chainring, cog, spacers, tensioner? Any specific brands/recs for them?
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Nov 21, 2022 08:53
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| # ? May 23, 2024 18:58 |
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Moab is still fun. It still beats the crap out of you. Camping in 15 deg temps is also still fun....mostly. Never seen my dog want to get into the tent more in his life.
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Nov 21, 2022 19:06
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Bottom Liner posted:Ok, I've decided to go singlespeed for the "winter" here in Florida. Can anyone help me with a parts list for the conversion? Coming from SRAM 11 speed on my Bearclaw Beaux Jaxon (boost spacing, no horizontal drops). Going to go with 32/18 as I've been cruising at that ratio lately and it feels fine for everything I ride off road here and can get me up the lowercase hills without issue. I've done two single speed conversion wheels by getting an ebay spacer kit and pulling the right size cog off a spare cassette I've had. Last time I used a "fancy" SSK-2 from wheels manufacturing. This is a different one that tries to have chain guide shrouds to keep the chain on the cog. https://www.ebay.com/itm/394318351898 Still used my own cog and had enough extra spacer to make up for it being 3/32" cog instead of 1/8". No experience with tensioners, though.
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Nov 21, 2022 19:28
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Clipless pedal questions incoming Ok so, long time rider always flats. I have origin8 slimline pedals on both bikes, which are really thin and have actually been great. Shoes are freeriders and freerider pros. So i thought i should try clips, got some used XT pedals, the ones without any platform, and 5.10 kestrel lace shoes. Only been a few rides, but my observations so far: It feels like im riding on my toes, like a ballerina. ive got the cleats all the way back, which is better, but still. Also, the height of my shoes/pedals must be way more than that of the flat setup, because i had to raise my seatpost about half a inch. It also feels like my bike got smaller when im standing and riding in an aggressive position, and i feel very much on top of the bike rather than between the wheels. On the side of the positives, being able to just keep pedaling through chunky stuff, either uphill or downhill, thats pretty nuts. Huge capability gained there. Some caveats, ive used the bike and setup for a long time, and i ride alot, so anything different really stands out. Im sure once im on it for a while itll feel much more natural, just since it wont be new. And i wonder if ive just been spoiled by such thin pedals and stuff, or is there another clipless setup that wouldnt put me so high up above the pedal spindles? Would it help to use a pedal with a platform like Mallets or something, so i didnt feel like i was putting all my weight through a postage stamp sized contact patch? I think i may just have to experiment a bunch to find out the answers here. It is getting to be winter here though, so im kinda thinking about shelving the project till spring. I think that theres really diminishing gains to clips in the snow and ice. And those shoes are cold, i could feel an intensely cold spot right where the pedal was on the bottom of my shoe this morning.
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Nov 22, 2022 01:59
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Get very rigid soled shoes for the pressure situation. I use some Giro whatevers with a really stiff insole and vibram outsole and I don't notice that sort of pressure. Also I use Shimano pedals with a bit of a platform which is advantageous if you don't quite clip in or slip out and maybe provide more surface. I don't think you're ever gonna get that low to the spindles feeling, but stiffer shoes may help you feel more in tune with the bike. Also any big, protruding cleat is gonna be a pain in the rear end while walking on rough terrain, so I think it's just one of the tradeoffs of a small, recessed cleat putting you slightly higher. And yeah, those shoes do get cold.
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Nov 22, 2022 02:33
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Go back to flats!
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Nov 22, 2022 02:34
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Not only are your feet farther off the pedal, you're also pedaling closer to your ball than your arch, so you're gonna need the seat higher
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Nov 22, 2022 02:37
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Eejit posted:Get very rigid soled shoes for the pressure situation. I use some Giro whatevers with a really stiff insole and vibram outsole and I don't notice that sort of pressure. Also I use Shimano pedals with a bit of a platform which is advantageous if you don't quite clip in or slip out and maybe provide more surface. i know that theyre not like carbon soled XC shoes, but the kestrels feel really drat stiff to me, and i think if i need stiffer than that, ill just use flats. That is also a thing i noticed, that the cleat was recessed enough to not be scraping everywhere. I think the platform must make some kind of difference for distributing pressure. However, if theres too much contact between shoe and pedal, wont that make it really hard to unclip? n8r posted:Go back to flats! thats exactly what im doing, going to go switch them right now for tomorrow mornings ride. I want to try them again in the spring though, so im hoping to come up with some new things to try that are more likely to be good. I just cant shake the idea that the huge percentage of riders that use clips cant all be wrong. Theres clearly benefits to be had, but i guess im realizing now how comfortable my flat pedal setup has been. feelix posted:Not only are your feet farther off the pedal, you're also pedaling closer to your ball than your arch, so you're gonna need the seat higher And thanks everyone for the input! Torbo fucked around with this message at 02:52 on Nov 22, 2022 |
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Nov 22, 2022 02:49
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I had all the same issues with clips if that's any comfort. I'm not racing and don't do long uphill rides so I'm fine with flats. My 215lbs with five tens and proper pedals might as well be clips anyways in terms of my foot not moving on the pedal.
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Nov 22, 2022 03:02
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+1, descending with clips never feels quite as good and in the bike as it does on flats. I just can’t get my foot in that sweet spot even with the cleats all the way back. Also can’t replicate the feeling of the contact patch on a wide flat pedal, no matter the size of the platform on a clipless pedal. There are other tradeoffs though, and the last few years I’ve been riding flats in the winter and spring and clips the rest of the year. I prefer clips for long days, and for going fast through tech. Anyone telling you that one or the other is *better* is wrong, and I hate the way that mountain bike media frames it. They’re just pedals.
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Nov 22, 2022 03:36
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You can also learn good technique with clips too if you practice it
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Nov 22, 2022 04:00
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On the flip side, I tried flats earlier this year and they felt awful in every way. Technical climbing and descending. Granted, probably didn't have a good enough flat setup and probably didn't spend enough time with them. Apparently it's hard to change when you've been riding SPDs for almost 20 years.
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Nov 22, 2022 04:16
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They do kinda suck for technical climbing other than being able to bail more easily but that’s also an opinion coming from years of clipped in riding as well
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Nov 22, 2022 04:19
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Road cyclist here who went to mtb a few years ago, started riding mtb using SPDs because I've been riding clipless on road and track bikes for nearly 10 years. Rode SPD on the mtb for ~2 years before my partner convinced me to try flat pedals for a while as I was learning bad techniques always having my feet attached to the pedals. Took me a little while to get used to the flats, particularly having my feet not come off the pedals when getting air and bunny hopping but now I'm probably more comfortable on the flats than I was using SPDs before switching. I assume if you're going from flats to SPD it will probably take you months if not a year to really get comfortable with it, it's a pretty big switch particularly if you were used to having the pedal in the middle of your foot. I think going the other way (SPD to flats) is almost easier as I was already used to having the ball of my foot over the pedal and so I just do the same thing with my flats. One thing that I definitely find easier with flats is starting again after stopping just before a really gnarly bit of a trail, I crashed on a techy downhill once because I didn't get my foot clipped in before dropping in and you get zero grip between an SPD shoe and pedal...
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Nov 22, 2022 07:24
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I think that is the ultimate curse of clipless. Can't count how many times I've taken a tumble because I couldn't clip in
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Nov 22, 2022 18:36
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My worst crash was because of clipless pedals and of course it was going 0mph. I still love them though but you do really have to commit through techy jank.
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Nov 22, 2022 19:15
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The wider "trail" pedals help a bit even if I can't get clipped back in right away, but yeah you can't get real far with it especially uphill
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Nov 22, 2022 19:22
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I've never had a problem bailing out of my clipless shoes, it seems they're more dangerous for you the closer to 0 your speed gets. I'm not going back now, I'm too used to them after a decade+ of riding.
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Nov 22, 2022 19:26
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I mean, I think most EWS riders all ride clipless pedals except Sam Hill. There are certainly benefits to them. But flats are good too, so ultimately it's what works best for you and your riding conditions! I do like switching back and forth but am more partial to clipless. Even after switching back to flats for a few months I find myself pedal striking more somehow and missing the ability to utilize the pedal connection in certain climbing/tech situations. Also like that when I clip in my feet are where I want them, rather than trying to hunt for the spot I really want on flat pedals
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Nov 22, 2022 19:31
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Why are they called clipless if you clip your shoes in? Shouldn't flats be called clipless?
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Nov 23, 2022 06:14
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Slavvy posted:Why are they called clipless if you clip your shoes in? Shouldn't flats be called clipless? The term seems totally backwards without that context, but it makes sense when you realize there's a third style of pedal you just never see anymore.
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Nov 23, 2022 06:38
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wolrah posted:The clip that term refers to is a toe clip, where the pedal has a thing coming off the front that actually wraps around your shoe. Kinda like the straps you might find on an exercise bike. Right that makes sense
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Nov 23, 2022 06:38
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And you clip in, which is even more confusing when it's called clipless. Maybe us old farts should just say "toe-clipless" to be super pedantic.
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Nov 23, 2022 14:52
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A lot of the people I ride with around Pisgah within the last year or two are starting to call them clips. Cause it’s what they loving are.
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Nov 23, 2022 15:41
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I think sweet fixie bros and broettes still use straps, but I haven't seen cages or toe clips in the wild for... years.
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Nov 23, 2022 15:52
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dema posted:I think sweet fixie bros and broettes still use straps, but I haven't seen cages or toe clips in the wild for... years. My girlfriend still uses clips. Her bike is also an 80s touring bike, so they look sort of period appropriate. She has shoes and clipless pedals on her spin bike, but hasn't gotten the courage up to use them outside.
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Nov 23, 2022 16:49
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Bicycles are like boats in that all the slang is incredibly stupid
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Nov 23, 2022 16:58
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Slavvy posted:Bicycles are like boats in that all the slang is incredibly stupid And they're both huge money sinks, too.
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Nov 24, 2022 00:55
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At least with a bike you can usually be confident that if it's in working order you can turn your back on it for a longish period of time and it won't somehow mysteriously break itself just sitting there.
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Nov 25, 2022 05:12
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No such thing as a free boat but I have seen fully functional free bikes happen to other people
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Nov 25, 2022 05:21
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Any thoughts on cramping quads when pushing hard on the mtb? The last two times I've gone out to the local mtb park I've ended up with really bad quad cramps. Both times I was pushing maximum effort on the climbs and out of the saddle a bunch when descending. I don't think it's from dehydration as I was drinking water constantly, I guess it could be an electrolyte thing but I doubt it? Other options could be just pushing way too hard when my muscles aren't really strong enough for it (haven't been riding much lately) or maybe my saddle is too low or too far forward?
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Nov 26, 2022 04:45
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Likely not forward saddle position but could be too low. Every time I've cramped in any sport it's been either extreme prior muscle fatigue or lack of electrolytes
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Nov 26, 2022 04:47
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Blackhawk posted:Any thoughts on cramping quads when pushing hard on the mtb? The last two times I've gone out to the local mtb park I've ended up with really bad quad cramps. Both times I was pushing maximum effort on the climbs and out of the saddle a bunch when descending. I don't think it's from dehydration as I was drinking water constantly, I guess it could be an electrolyte thing but I doubt it? Other options could be just pushing way too hard when my muscles aren't really strong enough for it (haven't been riding much lately) or maybe my saddle is too low or too far forward? Quad-primary pain to me always means too much stomping, not enough spinning. Shift and pedal, see if that helps.
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Nov 26, 2022 05:07
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Nutrition, fitness levels, and not warming up/stretching are the three biggest causes of muscle cramps.
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Nov 26, 2022 06:32
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Cheers, I haven't moved the saddle since going from SPD to flats and the flat shoes I use probably have significantly thicker soles than what I had before, so I should see if the saddle needs to go up slightly. Also not stretching or warming up properly is definitely something I'm bad at. I'm normally a 'spinner' so my cadence is already quite high but the cramps really kicked in when I was out of the saddle on descents pumping berms, jumping etc. which I guess is probably equivalent to mashing too low of a gear when pedaling. Ultimately I was probably just pushing harder than my muscles could really cope with.
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Nov 26, 2022 07:06
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Was slipping off the pedals sometimes as I went over the top of hills so I got some of those pedals with screws. Haven't been able to try them yet because of all the storms 
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Nov 27, 2022 02:37
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Love some pedals with screws.
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Nov 27, 2022 02:45
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Your feet will love it your shins will hate you
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Nov 27, 2022 02:50
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Levitate posted:Your feet will love it your shins will hate you This post triggered my PTSD Forgetting to put your RD clutch on: not even once
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Nov 27, 2022 03:14
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You've been on flats and haven't had ones with posts???
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Nov 27, 2022 05:10
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