The new black?
Is it true, that which I've been hearing for a while now? The 26" singlespeed is dead?! Given that no one offers a complete cheap 26er singlespeed these days I suppose it may be true for now, at least as far as manufacturers are concerned. Why is it, then, that I keep searching for a cheap Surly 1x1 frame and fork? It's not some burning desire to go against the grain, that's for damn sure. It's just that when I think of some of my most enjoyable bikes my 26" singlespeeds, rigid or hardtail, top the list.
To be sure, all signs point to the slow demise of this little corner of the mountain bike world that gave so many a whole new reason to justify yet another bike. I seriously hope it doesn't die some slow, whimpering death and that Jim Grimley's move to 29ers wasn't the last nail in the coffin.
Don't get me wrong, I love my Sinister 29er, and 650b wheels are pretty damn zippy to boot. I'm not against any wheel size per se. I'm just lamenting the slow extinction of a simple style of bike that made regular old riding cool and challenging again, at least for a brief moment, before being co-opted and exploited by everyone and their brother. In a sense the singlespeed 26er represents all "niches" that have been hyped and left to wither in the mountain bike market over the last 10 to 15 years. It's too bad. I'm hoping it makes a comeback and that someone, somewhere, includes a complete production 26" ss bike in their lineup for 2010.
Maybe 26" singlespeeds will become so uncool as to be cool again, in demand even. Sort of like the immaculate, and overpriced, junkbox road bikes no one really liked riding 25 years ago (hence their immediate attic storage) that seem to breed on Craigslist and hipster neighborhoods the world over.
Speaking of hipster hoods; Stacy and I went to Brooklyn this past weekend to see the Slackers and friends. The weekend was long, and snowy, but lots of fun all the same. But it really all started with Noah's birthday.
Ladies, he's taken. Sorry.
The Cake Slayer:
The Slackers 12/19:
The Slackers:
The Slackers:
The trudge home from the show:
The Solstice:
Labels: Slackfest 2009, Solstice winter 2009, The Slackers
posted by Brendan at
9:16 PM
3 Comments:
Well, I have been doing some looking... and I haven't come up with anything yet. Save for the Chameleon, but that's not really in the inexpensive bracket.
On the other extreme, companies now offer such outrageousness as this: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=47549&eid=4342&menuItemId=9247
And Bianchi now only seems to offer 4 mountain bikes in their line and they're all crapola.
Though, I will have you know that Surly does still offer the 1x1. QBP even has them in stock. And it's still black...
I think if you get one you need to set it up with Power Straps, Cantis, and a flat bar.
IF you're going to go back, you mine as well go all the way.
12:58 PM
The 1x1 is one of the few out there, as a frameset anyways. That Specialized is about as necessary as the Fisher, holy bank account Batman!
I do dig nice wide flat bars with anything between 11 - 17 deg of back sweep so I guess all I need is some Power Straps. I know Mark keeps buying them so I ought to swing by P bike for a pair.
3:58 PM
Don't forget to pick up some bike pajamas while you're there.
10:47 PM
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