Single speeds are all the rage these days; I finally gave in and decided to build one out of my old purple Trek hardtail. It’s been imprisoned in a trainer in the basement since I put a fatal bend in the derailleur hanger three years ago. Now it’s being reborn with a cheap conversion project.
It’s nice to be able to wrench on a bike again, and fun stripping off all the “extraneous” shifters and chainrings. It was also a welcome excuse to buy more tools and parts. Shopping for single speed bits is a real grab bag, too: all kinds of things have evolved in the varied single speed ecosystem. When it’s done, it should be a fun ride for more mellow trails and for messier winter weather.
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