Guys,

 After deliberating with regards to upgrading my frame to get a newer Stumpy or just go Single Speed specific, I jumped on the Steel Single Speed bandwagon.  All I have to say is I am in heaven.  I bought it already built up with dics and the On One Mary bars and carbon fork.  I rode it stock about a half dozen times and decided that the Mary bars and the rigid had to go.  The fork had to go because the majority of the people I ride with have FS gearies.  So, I would like to keep up on the downhill parts and I like to do the occassional three footer.  I ended up with a Magura Menja 130 mm, sweet fork.  I wanted to ask this question though:

What is the benefit of the Mary bar?  I couldn't get comfortable with it at all.

Those Marys look like a fashion thing to me. They put your hands much further back, so it's necessary to run a goofy-long stem to get a position equivalent to normal bars. Must be someting in them though - Haro named their SS 29er after them, and fitted them as standard to it!

Glad you like the Inbred - designed here in England. I've just bought the 29er version of the On One carbon fork, for a new 29er bike project. Not as light as Pace, but they do look good and have tested well in the mags.

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"Gears are like eyes or testicles. Having more than one is an unnecessary luxury." Elvis A. Presley

ok good.... I thought it was just me

Yes the Inbred is of excellent English design, unlike your typical English automobile electrical systems..... sorry I had to make that dig

I have another question, I have this wicked creak coming from either the bottom bracket (Truvativ Firex GXP BB) or from the rear.  Could it be the chain tugs that come standard?  Any hints with the external bottom bracket ( they are new to me)?

I thought that the idea behind the Mary bars is that the hand position is more natural (i.e. with the thumb facing slightly forwards) but the the arm position was supposed to be very similar to normal bars. This appealed to me as I sometimes get sore writs when riding and so I have from time to time considered getting some. Sounds like this is not the case though.

Any idea why 99% of all MTB handle bars have very little sweep (i.e., have knuckles facing more or less forward)? Drop bars have two positions that are more "natural". Is it because one has better leverage and this more control?   

As far as the noise is concerned - have you isolated it? Does it only happen when pedalling? Only happen when seated? etc. I have found most of my creaks have been remedied by cleaning and applying a light coating of Copaslip to my seat post. Bike frames seem to be specifically design to resonate in a way that makes it sound like creaks are coming from any area other than the originating one :-)

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ThreeSpeed ...
Sit, stand and push

Actually, it only happens when I pedal under very high loads. For example, uphill either seated or standing.  That is why I figured it is either the bottom bracket or the rear wheel.  Plus, I feel the creak through the pedals, which leads me to believe if I can feel it that much that it is really bad.

As far as the Mary bar, it actually put more of a strain on my wrists. I think it is because my shoulders are probably wider than where the grips are placed.  So it felt like my hands were on my thighs when I was riding.

Sounds like BB.

I have a good riding buddy who is now on his third set of external bearings in about six months, but we do ride regularly in the wet. I think his set-up is Truvative. I prefer to stick to good old-fashioned square taper. Every crank/BB interface system has positives and negatives. I still maintain that square taper, on balance, has less negative aspects than any other system. A Shimano UN72 BB will outlast almost anything, and you'll have no trouble with the crank tapers if you check the crank-bolt torque occasionally. I had a go at being modern a year or so ago, and tried an expensive titanium ISIS BB and CNC crank. The RH arm came loose out in the woods (even though the bolts had certainly not been neglected), with the result that the crank splines opened up and were ruined. I've never, ever had a single problem with square taper, so I'm sticking to that for off-road.

Conventional bars aren't all of a similar shallow bend. Salsa do some flat bars with a crazy 17 degree backsweep. These are, apparently, popular for 29ers. Then you've got the totally mad Jones 'H bar', which is supposed to be very good - if you beieve what magazine testers write. Anyone ridden the 'H bar'?

 

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"Gears are like eyes or testicles. Having more than one is an unnecessary luxury." Elvis A. Presley

Thanks again for all the information.

In addition to my creaking problem, yesterday I managed to bend my seat post and broke a pedal.  The pedal just had a lot of miles on it and it had enough, I just need to hike up my skirt and get a new set.  But any of you have had any problems with the On One Twelfty?

I'd like to put my £0.02 in and say that in my experience the gigapipe bottom bracket is very poor, the bearings have pathetic seals and fail very quickly. I had three sets under warranty before giving up, getting a credit and buying Shimano. 

 

Thinking about it, I've had more problems with Truvativ bbs (particularly ISIS) than any other brand...

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She who succeeds in gaining the mastery of the bicycle will gain the mastery of life.
– Frances E. Willard, How I Learned To Ride The Bicycle, 1895


The follower of singlespeeding
is at one with his bike.

Looks like I found the creak.....  after the rear skewer broke.  That's right it broke.  I put on my trusty xt skewer and now there no creak.  Last thing I would of expected to break.