On the metaphorical bike selection screen, I never seem to choose my old hardtail anymore.
Don’t get me wrong, my Sync’r Pro is quite capable, it has good parts on it, and it fits
my riding style perfectly.
It’s just overshadowed now by fancier, higher end bikes.
It’s time for a change.
Today, I’m going to reconfigure my sync’r with different parts and radical changes that
emphasize fun, and bad ideas.
I want to ride this bike in jeans and a hoodie, with no particular place to go.
So I polled my YouTube audience about making the Sync’r a single speed, and less than
a third of respondents thought that was a good idea.
That confirmed that this was in fact, a terrible idea.
So I proceeded to remove my drivetrain and set up a wheel for single speed.
I removed the 11 speed cassette from this Raceface wheel, and used this conversion kit
to install a 16 tooth cog.
For a rear tire I used this fast rolling WTB trail boss, which was all I could find on
Christmas eve.
It wasn’t my first choice, but it ended up working out.
With a Maxxis Minion DHF up front, I’d have the best of both worlds.
There was only one problem—the rear wheel was the wrong width.
So, the Sync’r would be getting this carbon wheelset instead—I’m fine with that.
Switching the tire over wasn’t messy in the least.
To convert any bike to singlespeed you need a way of putting tension on the chain to keep
it from popping off.
I ordered this bottom bracket mounted mounted chain tensioner for this very purpose.
It was the wrong size.
On Sunday, on Christmas eve.
In an act of desperation I tried to get the tension right without it.
I call this a unicorn gear, and I didn’t do it intentionally.
The spacing and cog sizes just worked out perfectly with no tensioner at all.
This almost never happens, and so I knew it was meant to be.
Look at how pure and simple it looks without a chain tensioner!
Time to throw a 150mm fork on this beast.
That would make the geometry even slacker, and more aggressive.
I also installed these Box carbon handlebars, and some other goodies.
Just a few finishing touches, and my belligerent hardtail was ready to do its dirt.
Time for a weigh in.
25.5 pounds, or 11.5 kilograms.
Not bad for a nearly indestructible bike.
Except that most mishaps occur on the work stand.
I had overtightened a brake lever and put a pretty big dent in my carbon bar, and had
to replace it.
Bummer.
I should have used a torque wrench, but I was excited.
Feast your eyes on what is, for now, my new favorite bike.
I named it the murder machine because it looks evil and brooding.
Against the advice of my instagram followers I left the dropper post on it.
It just fits so perfectly and doesn’t add that much complexity.
This is my bike and I’m doing things my way.
How do you know someone rides singlespeed?
Oh they’ll tell you.
Singlespeeders are a passionate bunch, but even they have trouble explaining why you
would choose to eliminate all but one gear.
But on a singlespeed you never need to worry about being in the right gear—because you’re
never in the right gear.
Suck it up though and you can still climb just about anything.
Well maybe you can, not me.
I guess that’s what getting stronger is for.
And hiking, there’s always hiking.
Okay so the Murder Machine is not the best for climbing, but I like this gear ratio because
it allows me to sprint predictably without getting caught in too low a gear.
Let me demonstrate.
With a smaller rear tire, a carbon rim, and most notably the loss of the cassette, the
rear feels noticeably easier to throw around.
And how a bike feels can have a profound influence on how you ride it.
It can also influence where you ride it.
Another lesser known benefit of single speed is the ability to ride backwards without the
risk of the drivetrain binding up—for what it’s worth.
Could I do most of these things on an 11 speed?
Of course!
But there’s always a chance of busting a derailleur hanger.
Having fewer gears, less chain, less on your bars, less on your mind, and less to break,
can have a big effect on your mentality.
I’m well aware that these changes can make a bike less capable, but I don’t care.
It’s fun.
So why are single speeders so passionate?
You may never know until you get on one.
All I know is that I can’t stop riding the murder machine.
It makes me feel like a kid again without a worry in the world.
If I could only have one bike it would most definitely not be this one.
It would be my 11 speed full suspension trail bike.
But while that bike is great for almost everything, the Murder Machine fills a long standing void
in my stable.
It’s for days when I’m trying something new, learning, or just acting on bad ideas.
I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of it.
Thanks for riding with me today, and I’ll see you next time.