[06E90Rostik]

Originally Posted by dth656

wow, i dont have the legs for 1x9, but i see folks w/ single speeds cranking around Sf all the time. try the forums on www.mtbr.com, i've found a lot of useful info there--because crank length can depend on a lotta things (comfort, geometry, type of terrain, etc). do you have a frame yet?

I am a member for a while now, site is not very noob friendly, a lot of stuff is taken for a common knowledge

So far only browsing through pic galleries helps see what setups people are running

[Red Bread]

I did 1x9 for about a year before deciding just to go single speed. I occasionally run a 1x5 setup (the gears of an XTR cassette on the spider) on my single speed I9 wheels for longer runs, but mostly keep it single speed. I had a lot of chain cross with 1x9 and you'll still want to run something like a bash ring and a chain guide like the n-gear or a front derailler fixed in position.

As for cranks, ideally, run something with a non-ramped ring, since you won't be shifting on the front, this will keep the chain on a little more than if it were ramped. For length, it depends on how tall you are, but I'd really just recommend sticking to 175's. I run 180's on my ss 29er, but 175's on my geared mtb, and 172.5's on the road bike. Good luck, building bikes is fun, I haven't bought a prebuilt bike in ages.

[dth656]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

I did 1x9 for about a year before deciding just to go single speed. I occasionally run a 1x5 setup (the gears of an XTR cassette on the spider) on my single speed I9 wheels for longer runs, but mostly keep it single speed. I had a lot of chain cross with 1x9 and you'll still want to run something like a bash ring and a chain guide like the n-gear or a front derailler fixed in position.

As for cranks, ideally, run something with a non-ramped ring, since you won't be shifting on the front, this will keep the chain on a little more than if it were ramped. For length, it depends on how tall you are, but I'd really just recommend sticking to 175's. I run 180's on my ss 29er, but 175's on my geared mtb, and 172.5's on the road bike. Good luck, building bikes is fun, I haven't bought a prebuilt bike in ages.

Redbread, slightly OT, but where do you goto ride your mtn bike in DFW? i travelled to plano for work, and it all seemed pretty flat to me. is the riding there mostly flat w/ small ups and downs?

back to the OP--for 1k, you should be able to build up a pretty nice hardtail. sometimes, you can get a complete for a good price, because larger companies buy parts in volume, and can negotiate discounts (that is why i bought my santa cruz as a complete--i tried parting it out and couldn't get the same level of kit cheaper)


http://www.pricepoint.com/thumb/3-Pa...Bikes-True.htm

i'm not sure how good the sette frames are, but there are some cheap deals to be had there

[06E90Rostik]

Originally Posted by dth656

Redbread, slightly OT, but where do you goto ride your mtn bike in DFW? i travelled to plano for work, and it all seemed pretty flat to me. is the riding there mostly flat w/ small ups and downs?

back to the OP--for 1k, you should be able to build up a pretty nice hardtail. sometimes, you can get a complete for a good price, because larger companies buy parts in volume, and can negotiate discounts (that is why i bought my santa cruz as a complete--i tried parting it out and couldn't get the same level of kit cheaper)


http://www.pricepoint.com/thumb/3-Pa...Bikes-True.htm

i'm not sure how good the sette frames are, but there are some cheap deals to be had there

Right now I am stuck on choosing a frame. Was almost set on Santa Cruz Chameleon, but I am not sold on that hole where the headset is. It is like two triangles welded together reinforcing top and bottom tubes. But on other components, I am pretty much set.

Can't wait to get whatever it is I choose, so I can start ordering other stuff

[Red Bread]

dth656,

DFW actually has reasonably good trails, check out www.dorba2.com for a listing of area trails. If you're looking for elevation, check out the two trails north of Denton, Isle du Bois and Johnson's Branch, along with Big Cedar, down south of Dallas. There's obviously nothing too crazy in terms of elevation, but they're still fun trails, have fairly long sustained climbs and have great trail stewards. I ride a single speed 29er almost exclusively here and keep the long travel dual suspension for trips to NM, CO, AR and CA.



06E90Rostik,

The Chameleon is a bullet proof, well proven frame, you won't go wrong with one of those. They're not the lightest thing, but they're certainly robust. I'm a big fan of steel hard tails, but considered a Chameleon when I was still riding 26ers. For value, you might also consider the Sette hardtails at Priceline or the Soul Cycles Hooligan.