Devils in December

Test road a GT Peace 9r. Single speed 18T fully ridged 29″. I thought it was a bit heavy when I first took it out, but one quickly forgets about specs and numbers when you realize you have spent more time standing than sitting on a casual ride down Blue Sky. It was fun! The 29″ wheels almost make up for the lack of suspension and it is one hell of a work out. I actually was test riding this bike to decide if I was interested in buying it from a friend of a friend. At the half way point I was… at the half way point, not certain one way or the other.

Peace 9r

After about a mile into my return trip it became clear my decision was not important. I was corning and mobbing hard. I was thrilled that the bike could move this fast with only one gear. I cut a blind corner hard and hit a boulder sticking out of the wall. I came unclipped, flew over my handle bars, dusted off. The front wheel was no longer rotating. Ok I bought the bike, at least I didn’t have to worry about that choice. As I walked my new rig down the trail (3 miles from TH) I ran into another single speeder that said you can take a wheel, prop it up on a rock and stand on it to pop it back into place. He said he had only read about it but heard that it works.

Taco - Untaco

The rim was shot, and it was mine at this point, so I gave it a try. Good to know! It works. I bent the rim back into a ride-able shape! Luckily we are talking easy rolling trail for the next couple of miles. How I managed to taco a rim on Blue Sky is a mystery, but then again, I also sheared a nipple in two on Devils the week before.

Sheared Nipple

So, there is no moral about riding. Ride hard, taco happens. What I did learn is that I’m glad I have a fully ridged single speed in my garage daring me to take it out. A co-worker asked me “What is the motivation? You could take out your full suspension and just not shift”. I could but I won’t. The single speed keeps you honest. And because of that you will find that you cover more distance in a shorter period of time. It is also a bike that requires minimal maintenance. I love my full suspension and I love my GT Peace 9r.

Peace