Swap a 187mm threaded tandem axle into any Shimano hub, put a track nut on the left side, and you’re set. After enduring years of bent hangers I made the conversion - it’s bombproof.

SRAM makes a nice one. 7 speeds and all… and since it’s obvious weight isn’t a concern by the frame you’ve chosen, the weight penalty doesn’t matter one bit.

Most beginners and weekend warriors would probably be starting out on a hardtail. Rigid, like singlespeed, seems to be something people progress to. It would also be interesting to see which affordable, yet bombproof trail fork makes the cut.

I know, I know. I should just start my own project rather than pick at someone else’s. Great web site by the way.

But as Fritz and James mentioned and I discussed some in the post, the rear derailleur is just more practical for the beginner rider.

I’ve seen more and more discussion and prototypes of the internal gear system and know it’s being used on some commuter bikes already to save the mess of chains and grease, however as far as I know, there currently aren’t any reliable, inexpensive options for off roading yet.

Single speeds, well built and with proper chainline and tension, are bullet-proof. However, I’ve ridden with a number of single speeders whose chainline or tension was less than ideal, leading to a lot of frustrating trailside repairs. Although, one can make the same argument about a mis-adjusted geared bike as well.