OT:bicycle Q's..experiance with 29" MTB? Singlespeed fans?, anyone make thier own frame? (weld or braze) Options

[Mueller]

Noticed I am getting fat again..time to excersise and about the only thing I really like to do it ride bikes...not a fan of the typical road bike, I currently have a GT RTS 1 full suspension bike that is old and heavy, but it works.....

Upon looking at parts to do a tune-up to my neglected GT, I found out that 29" rims are a new (at least new to me) addition to moutain bikes and BMX style cruisers instead of the 26" rims and tires.

Anyone have real world experiance with the larger diameter rims and tires??

The bad influence that caught my eye was the minimalistic approach of converting my 21 speed(?) bike to a single speed (with freewheel, not gluton for too much punishment)...the bike trails and streets in and around my area are not too steep I think for something like that...famous last words as I'm walking my bike up the "little" hill, hahaha

Also, the (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) in me got excited when I found these 2 websites:

A Brief Introduction to Brazing Steel Bicycle Frames

and

The Paterek Manual for Bicycle Framebuilders

[Ferg]

Mike,

First, i'd like to invite you (and anyone else) to Red Rocks in Moab this fall for A SS Mtn ride. It would be great to have a small group ride during the event I've said i'd bring my bike the last two years, but it never happened and I ended up running instead.

Second as a avid SS rider, and a cheap ass who used to get all his bike gear for free and now has to pay for it. I vote you convert your own bike before dropping big $ on anything new. I've got two Mountain Singles, one for off road, (my old Litespeed team bike converted) and my Schwinn homegrown commuter 1.5 slicks, 90psi, 38x13 gearing. It's my cheapest bike (like 250 invested) but my favorite.

I like the idea of doing your own welding horizontal drops as well, but as little $ as a singleulator is, buy one of those first and see what you think.

Ferg