I have a geared gravel bike (trek checkpoint) that I would like to run SS on. How do people deal with their cables and levers on the right/rear...do you tape the cable away somewhere, take it off completely (including at the levers somehow given they are bar-taped), do the levers still work fine without that part cabled, etc? I have a shimano setup right now fwiw. I just want an easy option to run SS for fun/ease, but really can't get any info on how you deal with the front end...
just unbolt and remove everything. you can just pull the shifter cables through the lever and remove them (you'll have to peal back the rubber to access the cable ends).
I do have to ask why? I've done SS and FG for years and I guess its great for simplicity (and a little lighter). But, I kinda like gears. One of the biggest benefits is having a straight flat chainline - but of course you need horizontal drop outs to get rid of an idler pulley. Puts you in a different class when racing too, lol.
Putting it all back is a bit more work than taking it apart of course.
I did have a cable break on my derailleur at the beginning of a fast (20-30mph) fast road ride, effectively making it a single speed. It worked surprisingly well running with 1+ gears (yah, over 30, I needed the big ring), but as I recall I was running ~90 gear inches which is what my track bike is set at. Forced me to practice some good technique on hills, but I got lucky the gearing was right on. I sure wouldn't want to run 90 gear inches solo.
thanks for the info. It sounds like the cable removal is easier than I would have expected but re-install might require some rewrapping. I guess I am just looking to do something different for fun, nothing more. I think I will start on my mtb which seems even easier given the shifters and external routing of cables and horizontal dropouts...seemed like it might be nice during the sloppy seasons as well, but more just to learn how and have some fun and see if I enjoy it or not.
I rode my MTB as SS for 10+ years. I love the simplicity of it. It didn't matter the mileage or duration of the ride, I always showed up on my SS. It was great fun and not much to think about. Just clip in, pedal, enjoy. On the gravel, I definitely prefer gears. Heck, I slapped gears on the MTB last November in anticipation for a 70+ mile ride with lots of climbing. Thought I'd save my knees. Now, almost 50, I stuck with gears. I ride to enjoy it and have fun now. I don't ride for PRs or anything like that anymore. SS is great fun and if I get another MTB in the future, I'll probably go back to SS on the old one.
If you decided to stick with SS on the gravel, you can always pick up some Tektro or similar brake levers so you have just brakes and no chance of moving the lever on a steep downhill. That might be easier. I run these with some MTB BB7s and use down-tube friction shifters. It works well for easy gravel riding but when the going gets tough, I definitely miss the lever shifting.
I strictly ride SS. I'm 50 y/o and I guess my knees are just fine. I currently have a Viathon G1 gravel bike that has 425mm chainstays. This let's me run a 42/15 setup without any sort of tensioner and I've trained on it enough that I can pretty much make make any climb here in SE Michigan.
On most gravel rides I can average 18.5 mph +/- solo with over 40 miles with 2,000 ft. of elevation plus or minus.
Today, I put on my road wheels and averaged 19.8 mph for 51 miles and 1,800'
I'm not trying to brag, but just trying to convey the point that gearing is critical to your enjoyment for SS. With the right gears and training you can pretty much keep up with 85% of the other riders in a race or your local ride. However, if your gears are too high or low, you are going to suffer and potentially not have any fun. So, keep that in mind when you switch over. Also, the conversion is pretty easy enough by just removing the derailleur and shifter cable and it looks like the Checkpoint has some sort of adjustable tensioner in the back so you can pretty much ride any ratio you want.
Zerort wrote:I strictly ride SS. I'm 50 y/o and I guess my knees are just fine. I currently have a Viathon G1 gravel bike that has 425mm chainstays. This let's me run a 42/15 setup without any sort of tensioner and I've trained on it enough that I can pretty much make make any climb here in SE Michigan.
On most gravel rides I can average 18.5 mph +/- solo with over 40 miles with 2,000 ft. of elevation plus or minus.
Funny, I think I wrote exactly that 5-10 years ago. Except I was running FG and 42-16. Well, certainly SE MI is easy enough on a light single speed - just keep the speeds above 15mph on those climbs.
"With the right gears and training you can pretty much keep up with 85% of the other riders in a race or your local ride. However, if your gears are too high or low, you are going to suffer and potentially not have any fun." True. I did go down hill once in a group ride and after hitting 180rpm I asked the group to stop and let me flip over to SS though. ;-) Realistically, though, I can keep up with any downhill paceline drafting (SS).
