This is a continuation of my earlier review of the Salsa Mamasita …  or perhaps just another step forward in my quest for the ideal single speed (for the way I ride).  After I bought a  2009 Salsa Dos Niner frame and built it up as my regular-rider 29er trail bike,  I decided to convert the Mama to a one gear bike to see how it would do.  After several weeks of riding it, I believe I’d summarize it in two words – RACE BIKE.

"Race Bike!" The Mama drops some gears to show off its true lightness of being.

I borrowed all the components from my Redline Flight rigid SS, and then I installed an 80mm Rock Shox Reba up front.

At one time, Salsa did offer this frame as a dedicated single speed frame and called it the Selma. However, it was discontinued along with the Mamasita. Rumor has it Salsa is bringing back a version of the Mamasita, maybe the Selma will make a reappearance too.
The first ride of this frame built in this configuration was destined to be at the Candlers/Liberty Mountain trail system, my local playground. Candlers has almost everything you could want except large rock gardens.

My very first impression was that I under geared it even though I used the same ratio. It is that responsive to pedal input. When I pedal, it leaps forward. This frame puts the power to the ground and that trait is even more noticeable when it’s set up as a SS. No wasted effort here! I think the only thing that might be better is a full carbon frame.

If this might appeal to your inner racer or you are just desiring a responsive single speed it seems eBay or Craigslist  might be your only choice in building up a mean SS race machine from the Salsa Mamasita.

© 2011 Big Mountain Riding

Review and photo by: Scott Schekman

This is a long term review of my first 29er (of hopefully many), the Redline Monocog Flight 29er. This “Mono-cog deluxe” is not to be confused with the straight Redline Monocog. The Flight upgrades the quality of the cromoly frame, adds disc brakes, and sports a better set of wheels than a Plain Jane Monocog.

I bought my Monocog Flight as a complete rigid single speed in early 2008 for only $800. This was the retail price from my LBS, not an internet special. What I got for that price is a 4.75 pound (2.15 KG)  Sanko cromoly steel frame and fork, Ritchey Pro riser bar and seat post, Avid BB5 mechanical brakes, a decent (although heavy) set of wheels, a FSA Alphadrive singlespeed crank set, and a pair of Maxxis Ignitor folding bead tires. A pretty fair deal, I thought.

Clean lines and sturdy welds mark the simple fun of the Flight

For those still on the fence about the big wheel revolution (or the zealous converted looking for a quick ‘Amen’ line) let me begin with a little history of how I came to drink the 29er Kool-Aid before I get to the bike itself. I was riding pretty regularly with a friend who had been on wagon wheel bikes for some time and he had been telling me I should try one. I was somewhat resistant to the idea of these big wheelers since I had heard all the usual complaints; they handled like trucks, they were plagued by slow acceleration, etc. My friend kept after me, and he finally talked me into trying his wife’s 2007 Redline Flight rigid 29er singlespeed. I tried it out at our local trails on Lynchburg, VA’s Candler’s / Liberty Mountain. There were four of us meeting for that fateful afternoon ride. I was blown away and riding on a rigid at that! At that time I was planning on buying a Fisher Hifi demo bike, but it never happened once I had ridden the Redline. Two weeks after riding that Redline I had one of my own. Then I sold both of my 26ers and also bought a Salsa Mamasita frame, which I built up with gears and a Reba fork to go in the quiver with the Flight SS.

I have found the Redline Monocog Flight 29er to be an extremely versatile bike. I have ridden it configured as a rigid single speed, a geared rigid, and have softened up a bit with a Reba suspension fork. Right now it is back in rigid SS mode. The flexible Flight’s next use will probably be with taller gearing and shoed with cyclocross tires for some paved and gravel roads excursions. A pretty flexible cycle, wouldn’t you agree?

The Monocog Flight's sliding dropouts

Piloting the Flight on single track, the first thing that I noticed was the accurate steering (with a rigid fork) and the good ride for no suspension. Pedaling responsiveness is good – not as good as the Salsa Mamasita, but the Redline is not advertised as a race bike. I did race it once when it had gears and a Reba and it carried itself quite well. For most of its life my Monocog Flight has been set up as a rigid SS, and that seems to suit it well. I switched to a tubeless wheelset and a fatter front tire so I could run lower air pressures for some cushion, but I am 54 years old and not as flexible as I used to be. The Monocog Flight frame uses sliders on the chain stays instead of an eccentric bottom bracket to tension the chain. They’ve worked well, and I have not had them slip since new.

Tight trail switchbacks? No problem. Fast sweeping turns? The Flight’s got ‘em. Rooty, rocky trails? If you remember this is full rigid and line choice is critical to keeping momentum, the Redline Monocog Flight will back up its BMX heritage in its bombproofness. Every time I rode this bike for the first year I was always smiling because it’s just that fun.

I think for a budget single speed 29er it is a tremendous deal; it does everything it should and does it all well. In the market for a 29er single speed? The Redline Flight deserves a serious look.

© 2010 Big Mountain Riding

Eight hours into the gnarly technicality of the Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race, I’m feeling battered and bounced into oblivion. My Gary Fisher HiFi boasts almost 5-inches of suspension front and back to “float” over the rocks and roots, and I have 27 gears to get me up those steep trails. Yet, inside, I’m begging for mercy. Then some dude on a single-speed bike with no suspension passes me on the next climb. Actually, that would be inaccurate. Most of those singlespeed riders passed me on the first nasty climb of the race. I’ll only see them back at the finish when they’re collecting prizes for taking most of the top spots overall.

How can a single-speeder be faster?

-Momentum: Single-speed riders rely on momentum to move quickly. Because of their one gear, restarting requires a lot of energy, and may take more time than someone with a working drive train. So SSers like to keep rolling once they’re on pace. This is even more true when paired with 29″ wheels, as many SS bikes are. On climbs, the SSer has incentive to keep the hammer down and maintain his momentum. This is easier the faster he pedals. Think of riding in your big chain ring up front. Geared riders often slow down and try to spin in an easier gear on prolonged climbs. Single-speeders will pass them on these climbs if they are rideable. “Momentum’s key for a single-speeder in other ways; keep your momentum on the rolling hills, especially the short steep ones. And truly I’m only working half the time compared to the geared guys. I work on climbs, but every where else I’m drafting off of them and recovering,” says single-speed champion Fuzzy Mylne.

-It’s not the shoes: In Michael Jordan’s heyday, Nike used to run commercials quipping “It’s gotta be the shoes.” Well, those single-speeders that are rocking their way to the podium would be really fast on geared bikes too. Additionally, riding a single-speed bike all day takes a special form of tolerance for discomfort. So does marathon racing. So the SSers are suited to the event.

-The Law of Averages: Successful single-speed riders try to maintain momentum and pace, to make their riding easier. So, if their gearing is higher than the average of your gear switching, and they push that gear to a consistent max, they will outpace you. SSers don’t lose time on shifting, they get up to speed and try to stay at speed. Better single-speed riders adjust their gearing to be as efficient as possible depending on their strengths (spinning versus stomping).

Poor conditions are a chance to gear down to pass up SSers

How to beat single-speeders in an epic event:

-Big Ring – Play to your advantages. One of your biggest is that large chain ring up front. Every chance you have, level trail, slight descent, downhill … run the big ring and crank it hard. Every turn you make in the big ring is an advantage over the single-speeders with their smaller gearing. To win in the battle of average speed, you have to up your average. Pedal in the big ring past the point of pain. If you need inspiration to keep going, look back and see how far back the nearest single-speeder is.

-Granny Gear - Sense a theme? On those long technical climbs, leverage your easier gears to make ground on the single-speeders. Any section that disallows a steady pace (i.e. rock gardens, tight switching climbs, roots) is where you can whip out your granny gear and flog the SSers with it. Soft ground or poor conditions are another place where you can gear down and keep pedaling while the single-speeders walk. This only makes sense if you can up your average speed over the SSers. If you’re spinning away like a mad hamster, and they’re keeping up with you on foot, then you’re not heeding our final tip on beating Single-speed riders:

-Efficiency – Learning to spin efficiently will mean you’re getting the most out of your +20 gears. Shifting at the optimal time leads to less gear grinding and chances for the dreaded chain suck. Keep your drive train in prime condition with lots of TLC. Improve your strength and style so you can push a harder gear on the climbs and save that Granny Gear for super technical and steep stuff.

Thoughts for the trail: Put in the miles, pushing bigger gears and mastering your shifting. Boost your technical skills and stop and start riding skills to take advantage of trail sections that will disrupt SSers momentum. Be ready that local single-speeders will know the trail better than you and will be ready to compensate for the momentum loss. Watch and learn from how they tackle those sections. You can apply it to your riding. Remember, we’re all part of the mountain biking culture, and we all succeed or fail together. So, if you haven’t tried one, get on a single-speed and see what it’s like. SSers, keep pushing the envelope of what we can do on one-geared cycles. I know I’ll continue to see mono-coggers on the podium at epic race events.

©2010 Big Mountain Riding