SingleSpeed World Championships, Belgium.

[godivatrailrider]

SSWC 2022 has been a long time waiting. The 'vid caused it's postponement from 2020.
I've known the organisers, Singlespeed Belgique, since 2010 and they'll put on a great event.
It's being held at the start of September in the Ardennes which is anything but flat so I expect a lot of walking.
Time to get the Jones out the shed and give it a fettle.

[fatbikephil]

Bugger, I'd have liked to go to that.
I keep forgetting about SSUK too which must be coming up.
Next year mebbes...

[RIP]

Baffled why 'Single Speed' and not 'Single Gear'.... a single speed doesn't seem wildly useful somehow.... never mind being presumably quite challenging to maintain... is that really the aim?

Percy Pedant

[fatbikephil]

*sigh*
It's 'cos when we were kids we all used to go on about having a 3 speed grifter, or a 5 speed racer, so if you have one gear its got one speed, or single speed.
Obvious to any dedicated singlespeeder as we are all big kids really. Well I am. Or at least I try to be.....
You'll need to try it Reg - free your mind from all those gear changes and focus on the beauty of the ride
(awaits pasting from other forum members...)

[RIP]

*sigh*

Friday....

its got one speed

What? The bike relative to the ground? The chain? The 'gear'? Nah, we've got to sort this out.

all big kids really

Amen!

focus on the beauty of the ride

Aye, big thumbs up for that! . People often lose track of it amidst all the mumbo-jumbo detail .

[fatbikephil]

What? The bike relative to the ground? The chain? The 'gear'? Nah, we've got to sort this out.

No no, the bike relative to your state of mind, the phase of the moon, the birds in the trees and the depth of the tussock. Obviously....

[Lazarus]

I keep forgetting about SSUK too which must be coming up.

If they ever bothered to contact me l about it it would mean attending was so more likely - Llandgela this year and sold out as i discovered a few days ago

[RIP]

Obviously...

Steady Phil.... steady... we need you around to keep a veneer of sanity on the proceedings... leave the ravings to us experts in that field

[Raggedstone]

I seem to have lots of gears but only a single speed !

[fatbikephil]

Obviously...

Steady Phil.... steady... we need you around to keep a veneer of sanity on the proceedings... leave the ravings to us experts in that field

Errr...

I seem to have lots of gears but only a single speed !

Ooof, so we begin a huge argument about what single speed really means. Quick, call the UCI!

[voodoo_simon]

*sigh*
free your mind from all those gear changes and focus on the beauty of the ride
(awaits pasting from other forum members...)

Zen in the art of singlespeeding

Pretty much sums of singlespeeding for me, works especially well on tight singletrack in forests as it just lets you concentrate on what’s ahead

[psling]

Baffled why 'Single Speed' and not 'Single Gear'.... a single speed doesn't seem wildly useful somehow.... never mind being presumably quite challenging to maintain... is that really the aim?

Percy Pedant

I know, it's crazy isn't it. You can get 10 speed bikes, 11 speed bikes, 12 speed and even now I believe, 13 speed. Of course, some of us are still riding 27 speed...

(Remember doing the event at Maradsous(sp.?) a few years back, got a 4th place if I remember... )

[godivatrailrider]

Bugger, I'd have liked to go to that.
I keep forgetting about SSUK too which must be coming up.
Next year mebbes...

SSUK is in Llandegla (on a special course) this year , being run by Craig of the Godiva Trailriders. We ( the club) hosted it in 2016 and believe it was a success. It's 9th-11th September.

[godivatrailrider]

*sigh*
It's 'cos when we were kids we all used to go on about having a 3 speed grifter, or a 5 speed racer, so if you have one gear its got one speed, or single speed.
Obvious to any dedicated singlespeeder as we are all big kids really. Well I am. Or at least I try to be.....
You'll need to try it Reg - free your mind from all those gear changes and focus on the beauty of the ride
(awaits pasting from other forum members...)

this , 100%
Once you declutter from gears and go singlespeed you realize how much time you analysing your gear choice. SS, you're always in the right/wrong one.
And they're always very lighthearted events.

[godivatrailrider]

Baffled why 'Single Speed' and not 'Single Gear'.... a single speed doesn't seem wildly useful somehow.... never mind being presumably quite challenging to maintain... is that really the aim?

Percy Pedant

I know, it's crazy isn't it. You can get 10 speed bikes, 11 speed bikes, 12 speed and even now I believe, 13 speed. Of course, some of us are still riding 27 speed...

(Remember doing the event at Maradsous(sp.?) a few years back, got a 4th place if I remember... )

That was a great event ! That was the SSEC , European Champs, 2011. It's the same hosts. That was the one Charlie (Bikemonger) rode over.

[godivatrailrider]

I keep forgetting about SSUK too which must be coming up.

If they ever bothered to contact me l about it it would mean attending was so more likely - Llandgela this year and sold out as i discovered a few days ago

or if you bothered to investigate earlier than a month before the event is being held you could have applied in plenty of time. There's been a countdown to registration closure on the Facebook Page for months.

[voodoo_simon]

Llandegla you say?! Might have to pop over to spectate/heckle/cheer

[Lazarus]

if you bothered to investigate earlier than a month before the event is being held you could have applied in plenty of time. There's been a countdown to registration closure on the Facebook Page for months.

Indeed I could make personal effort to check every single year, at various points in the year, if its on or not* and where it is and how to apply or they could just e-mail previous participants about it. Its up to you which you think is the most efficient and better method.
I dont do FB - I try to avoid organisations like that for ethical reasons.
How about next year you drop me a PM as you will know when its on

* Previously I have had e-mails about it - which you know as you lot go in large numbers- not sure i saw you at the scotland one though

[Dyffers]

I like the idea that it's sold out but they should have tried harder to get your entry.

[psling]

That was a great event ! That was the SSEC , European Champs, 2011. It's the same hosts. That was the one Charlie (Bikemonger) rode over.

And Alex (Solitude) too if I remember rightly

It was indeed a most excellent event although the Euros in the FoD in 2010 was of course the best ever

I don't get to anywhere enough of the UK events, I think my last one was Taz's at Cannock (and luckily I had my FE pass key with me ) Same with World's, I think my last one was Aviemore a long, long time ago! Invitations? Always seemed to be who you knew at the time for each event, after all the whole point of SS Champs seemed to be to be surreptitiously organized in a totally shonky way. Shonky - reminds me of the shirts produced by Biff for the Munich Worlds

[godivatrailrider]

Llandegla you say?! Might have to pop over to spectate/heckle/cheer

https://www.facebook.com/SSUK2022

The Singlespeed UK Championships will be based at Llandegla Fisheries, riding exclusive trails in the famous Llandegla forest.

A fun full weekend of riding singlespeed mountain bikes, good food, live music, entertainment and a few trade stands.

Prizes for best fancy dress, least appropriate bike and much more....and maybe even a prize for the winners !

Children welcome and actively encouraged to torment riders !

All proceeds to Mountain Rescue

[godivatrailrider]

if you bothered to investigate earlier than a month before the event is being held you could have applied in plenty of time. There's been a countdown to registration closure on the Facebook Page for months.

Indeed I could make personal effort to check every single year, at various points in the year, if its on or not* and where it is and how to apply or they could just e-mail previous participants about it. Its up to you which you think is the most efficient and better method.
I dont do FB - I try to avoid organisations like that for ethical reasons.
How about next year you drop me a PM as you will know when its on

* Previously I have had e-mails about it - which you know as you lot go in large numbers- not sure i saw you at the scotland one though

It's a different organiser every year... I'm not sure about GDPR & handing out lists of email addresses...
I'm not going this year as it's the weekend after SSWC.
When I hear I'll drop a note on here.

I was at the Scotland one that was STUPIDLY steep and hot... Evanton.

[godivatrailrider]

That was a great event ! That was the SSEC , European Champs, 2011. It's the same hosts. That was the one Charlie (Bikemonger) rode over.

And Alex (Solitude) too if I remember rightly

It was indeed a most excellent event although the Euros in the FoD in 2010 was of course the best ever

I don't get to anywhere enough of the UK events, I think my last one was Taz's at Cannock (and luckily I had my FE pass key with me ) Same with World's, I think my last one was Aviemore a long, long time ago! Invitations? Always seemed to be who you knew at the time for each event, after all the whole point of SS Champs seemed to be to be surreptitiously organized in a totally shonky way. Shonky - reminds me of the shirts produced by Biff for the Munich Worlds

Alex rode with Godiva for a while .. lovely bloke. Not sure he rode with Charlie.
Yeah 2010 was superb , that loafer Sheldon done good !
GT did the year after Cannock.
I did SSWC in Aosta, Italy where Angus beat Dan Treby, who'd come down with me and Sheldon.
I did the Euro's in 2010 - FoD, 2011 - Maredsous, Belgium, 2012- Floresas France, 2013 - Girona, Catalunya, 2014 - Castlewellan, NI, 2016 - Kobarid, Slovenia, 2017 - Scotland, 2018 - Arnhem, Netherlands.... all great events. Covid wrecked it though.

[fatbikephil]

I'll have to give SSUK a miss as I'm down to Wales for the BB300 and once a year trekking down there is enough
Must remember to keep an eye out for next year but also a non-facebook user. The old fat-bike forum used to mention it but between the SS'ers on here someone will hear about it and can pass on to the others.

[Lazarus]

Yes cheers all for agreein to a collective heads up as annoyed to miss it [ though I accept its partly my fault] as i enjoy the crack of the event