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ss fun at the tourne

1K views 18 replies 8 participants last post by  mergs 
#1 ·
snuck out of work yesterday for a quick singlespeed ride with my buddy chris.

to rewind a sec: we both built up our old hardtails into singlespeeds recently. my first ride was a test run on patriots path out and back, just to prepare myself for the pain i'd encounter, and more importantly to make sure the build up i did was working. i not only did the ss thing, but i stripped off all the old low end crap that was on the bike and put on all the stuff from my other rig, a sc superlight. this included some drivetrain comps, the avid v's, the fork, a sid 80mm race fork, the xtr wheelset that was not disc comp. this all went onto a '98 trek 930, my very first bike. what i took off? hahahaha... shimano rc junk and some old old old sram shifters, and... a rockshock indy fork (what a pos, i'd rather have rigid than that focking thing). so, the ppath ride was a test run, and the bike was smooth as buttah. we had a blast. the bike is so quiet, light and nimble. i actually like throwing it around more than i thought i would.

so back to the present: we hit tourne yesterday which is not as easy as ppath but a tad less hilly than say lewis morris. but there are hills, they are easy on the fs gearie, but ss it, and fo' me, its a challenge. we did a 1.5 hour loop in there at full speed and we had a hoot of a time. riding a ss in that place totally makes it more fun and challenging, and what's cool is i can get a workout on the ss in 1.5 hours which feels about the same as a workout on fs rig that lasts about 3. that's time well spent.

that said, a few rides at the tourne a month for fun should do me good. i am really impressed by people that race at ringwood on a ss and win stuff. climbing some of the hills at 2:1 or 1.8:1 ratio (mine) would be a *****. one day....

i am not giving up the fs rig... i cannot ss at places like mooch and ringwood and i shudder to think how my body would handle skyline or srock on a hardtail, but ss is frickin cool.

and i now have a 4th arrow in my quiver (ht ss, fs xc, fr/dh bike and road). the sweetest part about this 4th tool in my shed is that it cost me nothing to build it and before last sat, the hardtail hung on a hook in my basement for 3 years. now... its new life for my hardtail, new life!!! :)
 
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#2 ·
Welcome to the club ! Before you know it you'll be riding only one bike ;)

I too thought I'd keep the FS for the gnarly stuff and all, well...

Pretty soon you'll throw away the suspension fork for a "real" one and think Lewis Morris is for sissies :D You'll get used to hovering over the rocks while still pedaling and maintaining control; you can't believe how much more control a solid fork gives you (and a much stronger grip). I reserve the suspension fork for racing; picking lines is becoming second nature which is very useful no matter what.

Let me know when you're ready to hit Skyline Drive :) And BTW don't bother with 2:1, it's impossible in NJ. I stopped at 33x18 with 180mm cranks a while ago.

Maurice
 
#3 ·
Maurice said:
Welcome to the club ! Before you know it you'll be riding only one bike ;)

I too thought I'd keep the FS for the gnarly stuff and all, well...

Pretty soon you'll throw away the suspension fork for a "real" one and think Lewis Morris is for sissies :D You'll get used to hovering over the rocks while still pedaling and maintaining control; you can't believe how much more control a solid fork gives you (and a much stronger grip). I reserve the suspension fork for racing; picking lines is becoming second nature which is very useful no matter what.

Let me know when you're ready to hit Skyline Drive :) And BTW don't bother with 2:1, it's impossible in NJ. I stopped at 33x18 with 180mm cranks a while ago.

Maurice

thanks for all that M. i swear to all that is holy, for a split second, as i was rolling my bike back into the house yesterday, after the ride, i thought to myself: "why did i ever hang this bike up on a hook and spend on that dough on a FS rig". i giggled at the thought.

i'm at 32:18 right now. hopefully i gain some leg strength enough to get that up hills. on one climd, i swear i was pressing so hard on the pedals and trying torque the bars upward so hard i thought i'd either:

a) break the pedal off and put my foot 6 inches into the trail
b) pull the handlebar and stem clean off the steerer tube, hit myself in the forehead and knock myself unconcious.

haha.

then i bonked, and got off the bike for a sec. my legs were shaking. fun stuff ! :D
 
#4 ·
Now that you mention it...

I never fell going uphill before going SS. One day I was hammering a rocky climb pretty good (just rock, you know...) and my foot unclipped and ended up smashing the rock across the bike. Did a stylish over-the-bars you wouldn't believe. Most damage was on one of my knees when I rolled on that soft carpet of broken rock, I swear I put a dent on it. After a few minutes of creative cursing I got up and finished my ride (d@mn it!), then getting into the car I hit the steering column with "that" knee... Another five minutes of spirited swearing.

Yesterday I did a nice figure too: going uphill at a decent pace (read: climbing like a raped ape. Seems I go faster uphill than downhill nowadays) in a switchback section my front wheel caught a root judiciously hidden under leaves and that made my hands slip from the bars. The funny thing is I kept going for a couple seconds, steering with my chest on the stem until my momentum faded and my extended arms could finally soften my landing in... mud.

Oh, and I would religiously inspect that chain after every ride if I were you.

Maurice
 
#5 ·
Maurice said:
Now that you mention it...

I never fell going uphill before going SS. One day I was hammering a rocky climb pretty good (just rock, you know...) and my foot unclipped and ended up smashing the rock across the bike. Did a stylish over-the-bars you wouldn't believe. Most damage was on one of my knees when I rolled on that soft carpet of broken rock, I swear I put a dent on it. After a few minutes of creative cursing I got up and finished my ride (d@mn it!), then getting into the car I hit the steering column with "that" knee... Another five minutes of spirited swearing.

Yesterday I did a nice figure too: going uphill at a decent pace (read: climbing like a raped ape. Seems I go faster uphill than downhill nowadays) in a switchback section my front wheel caught a root judiciously hidden under leaves and that made my hands slip from the bars. The funny thing is I kept going for a couple seconds, steering with my chest on the stem until my momentum faded and my extended arms could finally soften my landing in... mud.

Oh, and I would religiously inspect that chain after every ride if I were you.

Maurice
hahahaha. you got me laughin out loud at the "steering with your chest" comment. if i was drinking something it would be on my computer screen now.

great stories!!! :D

great tip on the chain... i forgot, the torque must be incredible at times. what chain you use by the way? i've always used sram pc-59 on my fs rig. should the ss rig be using higher quality chains? my god, i think the chain on there now is the original chain... from '98. :eek:
 
#7 · (Edited)
now you did it

Hey Mergs and Maurice,
You have started the ball rolling. SS here we go. I've been a lurker on the Singlespeed board for quite some time now. They all just seem to have spectacular experiences running one gear. NO fuss/noise, just simple back to the roots riding. In May I purchased a hardtail (horizontal dropouts) just for the hope one day I will run SS. Haven't really been serious on the trails this season, but want to convert to SS, ride and get strong for next season. It was hard enough riding with you guys with gears and made me think of purchasing a FS again.. BUT NO!!! I have to get this SS thing a try! I gathered from the SS-board that many or most of the SS guys/girls sell off their prized FS bikes and only ride their one speed rigs. Perhaps we can have NJ SS rides.

\ Maurice, I remember riding with you at Allamchy and you kicked my butt on your SS.
Even if I had a engine attached to my bike I don't think I can keep up :D

Later!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
 
#9 ·
Mergs,

I preventively replaced my chain twice this year already. They tend to stretch fast. Never had one snap yet (PC49 and PC69), now I'm jinxed. 9 speed chains are fine, I even use the SRAM quick-links without a problem. The torque is indeed impressive. Watch those chainring bolts too, I snapped a couple ones while riding (a first too...). Watch that drivetrain, your wife will be thankful :)

Daddy2, that chameleon should make a nice SS bike, with very few mods. It will kick your butt first rides out, I guarantee it, but if you ride regularly you will improve very fast.

I'll most likely be at the Round Valley south lot 9:00 AM if anyone's interested (black 1x1 no suspension).

Happy holidays !!

Maurice
 
#10 ·
SS in NJ

Wow, singlespeeders in NJ. I thought I was the only one. I live a mile from the Tourne so I ride there often, but Splitrock is where I ride most. I ride a Fat City Cycles Ti Fat (set up as a SS with an ENO ecc hub) with a rigid fork. Pedals are BMX flats, Weirwolf tires at 20 psi. 32/20.
I've been riding SS for years and have NEVER ridden with another SS. I've never even seen another one while riding, just heard rumors from friends that they exist in NJ. Is there ever any SS rides in northern NJ? That would be fun.
bruce
 
#11 ·
didn't know!

Until I saw this SS post from Mergs, I didn't know that The Tourne was biker friendly. I haven't been there since the early 90's. I thought it closed just like South Mountain in west orange. How are the trails? From what I can remember there were gravel roads with lots of dog walkers and a singletrack that goes in a big circle. Would be a great place to start SSing. :eek:
Please enlighten me, thanks
 
#12 ·
SS at the Tourne

The Morris County part of the Tourne was never closed to mountain biking, but the Mountain Lakes side was. There are still a few Mtn. Lakes trails that are closed, including one of the best singletracks that was probably part of the loop you remember, but most of the park is legal.

There is a lot more than the loop and the gravel roads. There's some really good SS singletrack in the main section. There is the sled hill loop that is fun. If you climb up one of the two gravel roads that go to the top of the tourne you can come back down on either of two steep, technical singletrack trails. One of the singletrack trails is doable going up on a gearie, but not on a SS. The other is too steep even for a gearie to climb.

A lot of the Tourne is fairly easy, not steep or very technical. If you do the big climbs to the tourne overlook and take the singletrack down, that's steep and technical. The gravel roads up to the overlook are just doable for me with a 32/20 gear. It's a tough workout and the trails back down are great.

I think the Tourne is an excellent small park (500 acres) for singlespeeding. Splitrock is just a few miles away and is A LOT more challenging. It has tons of steep technical stuff, but if you connect the trails properly it's excellent for SS. There are a couple of less steep trails that climb from the valley to the ridge that are 100% doable on SS, and then you get to come back down on the steep, technical stuff.

Anyway, if anyone wants to singlespeed ride the Tourne I can be there almost any day at 1pm. I just need to know a day ahead to adjust my schedule. Gearie is OK too, as I'll be inviting a gearie friend. I do think the Tourne is a lot more fun on a SS.
bruce
 
#13 · (Edited)
Rigid said:
Wow, singlespeeders in NJ. I thought I was the only one. I live a mile from the Tourne so I ride there often, but Splitrock is where I ride most. I ride a Fat City Cycles Ti Fat (set up as a SS with an ENO ecc hub) with a rigid fork. Pedals are BMX flats, Weirwolf tires at 20 psi. 32/20.
I've been riding SS for years and have NEVER ridden with another SS. I've never even seen another one while riding, just heard rumors from friends that they exist in NJ. Is there ever any SS rides in northern NJ? That would be fun.
bruce

i'm too new to ss... i would not be able to ride ss at split rock at this point. maybe next year. that climb up to the hawkwatch... that would break me.

how are the trails at sr? i steered clear due to the hunters, and i was supposed to ride there today (sun) but it poured. i love s/r. maybe we can get in a ride there sometime before the snow flies... i'll pm you next time i head over.

 
#15 ·
Rigid said:
The Morris County part of the Tourne was never closed to mountain biking, but the Mountain Lakes side was. There are still a few Mtn. Lakes trails that are closed, including one of the best singletracks that was probably part of the loop you remember, but most of the park is legal.

There is a lot more than the loop and the gravel roads. There's some really good SS singletrack in the main section. There is the sled hill loop that is fun. If you climb up one of the two gravel roads that go to the top of the tourne you can come back down on either of two steep, technical singletrack trails. One of the singletrack trails is doable going up on a gearie, but not on a SS. The other is too steep even for a gearie to climb.

A lot of the Tourne is fairly easy, not steep or very technical. If you do the big climbs to the tourne overlook and take the singletrack down, that's steep and technical. The gravel roads up to the overlook are just doable for me with a 32/20 gear. It's a tough workout and the trails back down are great.

I think the Tourne is an excellent small park (500 acres) for singlespeeding. Splitrock is just a few miles away and is A LOT more challenging. It has tons of steep technical stuff, but if you connect the trails properly it's excellent for SS. There are a couple of less steep trails that climb from the valley to the ridge that are 100% doable on SS, and then you get to come back down on the steep, technical stuff.

Anyway, if anyone wants to singlespeed ride the Tourne I can be there almost any day at 1pm. I just need to know a day ahead to adjust my schedule. Gearie is OK too, as I'll be inviting a gearie friend. I do think the Tourne is a lot more fun on a SS.
bruce


:cool: i'll keep that 1pm ride in mind... i can sometimes blow out of work mid-day and tourne is about 35 mins from my work, 30 mins from home.

maybe some day this week or next... hmmm... tue weather is looking good. will let ya know.

and i agree... i've ridden tourne on my gearie, and tourne is much more fun on ss...

 
#16 ·
Hey Bruce, I've been SS at the tourne for the past two years when I moved to Lake Hiawatha. I leave my apartment and ride through boonton to the Tourne, fun riding on the tourne and a good workout climbing to the overlook in 32-18. I ride a gray Bianchi, maybe I'll bump into you one day? I was up there saturday afternoon, only saw one rider and a butt load of people playing football in the field.
 
#17 ·
SS fun at the Tourne

Everyone,
We should hook up sometime for a SS ride. Looks like there would be at least 4 of us. I can do it at 1 during the week, or most weekends. I was just at the Tourne for a quick SS ride. Didn't see anyone else, on a bicycle or on foot on any of the trails. I'm a bit out of shape at the moment, and riding a SS really lets you know it.
bruce
 
#18 ·
Count me among the NJ SSer's

I actually ran into another SSer in Hartshorne this evening- riding a really nice soulcraft SS. Was that any of you guys by chance?

Hey Rigid I am out of shape as well- with a pregnant wife at home I have been doing my part by adding on the "sympathy pounds." ;)

Other great NJ rides for SS is Mahlon Dickerson, Hartshorne, Huber Woods, Clayton, Lewis Morris, Chimmney Rock and the Ringwood race course. Keep in mind my gearing is set up to tackle most hills at 32x20.

I think we need a roll call for all SSer's in NJ. I live near Princeton, but am willing to travel north...
 
#19 ·
Molasses said:
I actually ran into another SSer in Hartshorne this evening- riding a really nice soulcraft SS. Was that any of you guys by chance?

Hey Rigid I am out of shape as well- with a pregnant wife at home I have been doing my part by adding on the "sympathy pounds." ;)

Other great NJ rides for SS is Mahlon Dickerson, Hartshorne, Huber Woods, Clayton, Lewis Morris, Chimmney Rock and the Ringwood race course. Keep in mind my gearing is set up to tackle most hills at 32x20.

I think we need a roll call for all SSer's in NJ. I live near Princeton, but am willing to travel north...
roll call.. good idea.
 
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