Things are moving along quite nicely over our first few weeks since frames arriving. So far we've had frames shipped out to Sweden, the Netherlands, Scotland, Germany and Canada - more framesets sold overseas so far than here in the UK!

Jelle at singlespeed.nl is selling our framesets in the Netherlands, he's able to supply all the bits you might need to put together a complete build as well if you're not keen on doing that yourself. He carries lots of nice 29" and singlespeed stuff so if you're in the Netherlands check him out.

We sent a frame up to the good people at Singletrack (my favourite mountain bike magazine) last week so theywill be putting it through its paces over the coming months - expect to see some updates on their website and possibly a writeup in the mag if we're lucky :) See Chipps' first thoughts here.

I had a great ride in the North Downs on the weekend, caught up with Biff of The Outcast fame and a few others. Unfortunately the french wench (my beleaguered '92 Renault van) was in a bad mood on the way down and after overheating didn't want to start again, so I was late getting there... However we got started not too far behind the rest of the bunch and caught them after a while. Joe was our guide for the day and knows those woods like the back of his hand, so I saw lots of bits I'd not before - wasn't too boggy either which was nice...

Jase with his new steed (French Wench at left)

I was trying a new tyre combo of Maxxis Ignitor front and Bonty XR 1.8 in the rear - fast? yes - traction? surprisingly not bad - flat protection in rock gardens? woeful.... This was the second ride on this setup and I've punctured both times. I think I need to run a bit more rubber, pressure or both until riding some smoother trails...

Sam

So the first framesets have been shipping out over the past couple of weeks and people seem to be happy with them. We've got bikes being tested with a couple of the mags as well, so keep an eye out for some write ups.

The above pic is from Johan in Ontario, Canada. He's had one of our prototypes for a while now and a bunch of guys over there have been giving it a try. Here's a comment from Jeff who gave it a spin..

"Just got back from a mtn ride on your Singular. Took it off road for a few hours and dude, I f**king loved it! I'm totally game for one, I dig it. I can't get over how fun it was and how challenging it was to ride off-road. Wished I had a few more gears but meh, I'd ride one anyday. Total riot. F**k the HiFi, 29ers climb like a dream and roll over s**t real well."

Apologies for the profanity, Jeff gets a little excitable :-)

Singular's first big win!

Rik Allsop plugged his way through the mud of the Strathpuffer 24 hour race to take the win in the pairs category together with Alec Laughlin. Rik's rigid singlespeed set up meant very little to go wrong, and those big 29" wheels just kept on trucking through the mud - of course he has a big engine as well.

A huge congratulations to Rik and Alec.

Well it's all been happening. Frames arrived on our fair shores this Thursday. I'm glad to say it all came through with no problems and no damage.

I'm really pleased with how the finished product has come together - they look fantastic.

There have been a few updates to the website with more coming.

We're now ready to take orders and get frames shipped - so what are you waiting for?! ;)

Sam

Production frames are now making their way across to us on the high seas - exciting times! Scheduled delivery date is January 15th - there were some delays with the painting unfortunately. Anyone who has a deposit down and has been waiting on a frame has my apologies, sympathies - and a free t-shirt with their frame once they get here.

I'm really happy with how they've come together, and hope you are too. Here are a few pics from the factory floor to whet your appetite!

Sam

A group of us headed over to Afan forest in Wales last weekend for some great riding. I had a couple of friends along who've not ridden much before but were loving it as you can see from the smile on Jonesy's face above. I hear a lot of negative comments on these sort of 'trail centres' and while it's not quite the same as getting out into the wilderness, they certainly pack a lot of fantastic trails into a fairly small area. Nice to be able to really let it go without worrying too much about what's coming around the next corner.

Frame production is now underway and we're still looking good for December delivery. Finally went with the same colours as we had on the protos as everyone seemed to like them. Swifts will be in the coppery red colour, while the SS is in blue. They will have metal headbadges, and sterling silver versions will be available at an additional charge. All frames will come with a seat clamp and fully prepped - seat tube reamed, bottom bracket and head tube faced and chased. Get your pre-order in now to ensure you can get the size and type you're after!

Sam

Again it's been a long time between updates, but there's been a lot going on. The full website is finally done at www.singularcycles.com, I'm really happy with how it's turned out. There'll be some more detailed photos and info on parts shortly.

The manufacter has started working on our first batch of frames so that's been keeping us busy. If things go to plan we'll have them through before Christmas. Soon need to make a final decision on colours. I think we'll stick with blue for the SS and the coppery red on the geared version - strong feelings either way anyone?

Been riding my fixed gear a fair bit of late, which is an old early 80's Holdsworth from 531 ST tubes, nice lugs, made for 27" wheels. I've got a canti fork on it and can run 35/43mm tyres with/without mudguards - nice for comfort and traction. It rides really nicely, but I'm looking forward to getting the first Peregrine protos through for a similar sort of use. Bit of commuting, touring, lightish trail riding, probably some cross races through winter.

Enjoy your ride

Sam

Just got back from a fantastic weekend over in Stockholm for the Singlespeed Worlds. Despite complaints from some quarters of a lack of organisation, it all seemed good to me...

Anyhow, how are things going with Singular? Despite a lack of recent updates, all's actually been moving ahead at great pace, the full website is very close to completion and will be up in the next couple of days. Frames will be here before Christmas, and everything's pretty well in our world - lots of riding, designing and getting everything else sorted out. Designs are nearly finalised for our second model - a modern take on something like an old XO-1, a real all-rounder. Singlespeedable, discs, lugs, rack mounts, three bottle mounts, clearance for 29" tyres or big touring/cross tyres with mudguards - should be nice....

I've had a few new prototypes arrive along with a new fork design.

The new frames are looking really nice, these are in a smaller size - 23" ETT, and use thinner stays. This brings the overall frame weight down to a little over four pounds - very decent indeed.

One of these is the first geared specific Singular - this one built up for my girlfriend. I have to say I'm really happy how the colour on this one has turned out - it's a beautiful metallic coppery colour. I think that this one along with the airforce blue could be the colour options offered for production.

The new forks are the real revelation. They're a unicrown design using Reynolds 520 blades. They've got just they right amount of give for a lovely supple ride without being overly flexy under braking. As an added bonus they also look much cleaner and nicer than the original segmented fork.

Sam
sam@singularcycles.com

Here's a pic of Johan on his Singular in Ontario, Canada. He's loving the bike and has also had some good comments back from others who've taken it out for a spin. If you're in his neck of the woods drop me a line and we should be able to sort out a ride.

Next batch of prototypes frames in a smaller size (23" ETT), and some different forks have just landed and are being built up this weekend. They're looking really nice - frame is significantly lighter as are the forks. One of these is a geared version which is in a lovely coppery colour, the others are EBB of a light blue colour which didn't turn out quite as expected, I think we'll stick with the original blue...

More pics of the new frames coming once built.

Sam

sam@singularcycles.com