Zen and the Art of Singlespeed

Lovin' the single-speed mountain bike. Rode some trails at Olson Park for a couple hours last night. The single-speed is just what I was looking for. It's bombproof. It's simple. No thinking "am I in the right gear?" -- perhaps because you're always in the wrong gear?

Dropped the ratio to 31-18 and replaced the lousy ACS "beer can full of rocks" rear freewheel for a White Industries freewheel. There's a reason these things cost 4x what the low-end ones do. They work. Quiet, smooth, and clearly indestructible. The gear ratio's a little low for on-road, but not terrible. But it's great for trails, including some moderate hills.

Really was able to get into the riding groove. Funny, it was like being a kid on a BMX bike tearing through the woods again. Of course this BMX bike has 29" wheels that roll over EVERYTHING and disc brakes that would stop a freight train.

It's taken a little work and tweaking -- which is odd considering it's supposed to be a simple bike. But, the results are worth it. Now I can just ride it. That is until I decide it needs a Chris King headset, or carbon fiber bars...

-Sean-