Surly 1×1 Bike Review Frame-set and custom groupo:
Bike ridden for: 7 years / various build kits

Ride and Handling: The best way to describe how a 1×1 rides is: it rides like a bike. There is nothing special about its frame geometry or its intended use, it is meant to be ridden on and off road and can handle just about anything you can put under its wheels. Whether climbing, descending, going fast or riding slow the 1×1 feels at home in just about any condition. If your trails have lots of roots or rocks NO PROBLEM the 1×1 can take up to a 2.7″ tire with room to spare, if you ride the street just mount up some sweet beach cruiser tires and rip up the roads. The frame is stiff enough to fly up the hills but compliant enough to do endurance(35miles +) rides and still feel fresh when you are done. The adaptability of the 1×1 allows it to handle any style of riding imaginable… minus jumping off of buildings and or 50mph World-Cup downhill races.

The GOOD: The Surly 1×1 is a super rad machine. It can handle any trail and any condition. With fancy parts the bike can be built up as light as 20lbs and with regular parts it can easily be built up to be sub 25lbs. The frame is stout, stiff, and simple…everything I would look for in a mountain bike. The 1×1 can be setup using either the supplied Surly 1×1 rigid fork(or any other suspension corrected rigid fork) or a squishy suspension fork with 80mm of travel such as a Rockshox Reba or Sid. The rider also has the option of running either V, Canti, or Disc Brakes on the frame and fork. The frame-set is affordable in comparison to most other single speed frames and frame-sets on the market… the retail price of a 1×1 frame-set is $430 and a complete bike can be built up starting between 750 and a 1000 dollars.

The BAD: What what? I suppose if you want to use gears the 1×1 would not be your cup of tea. The 1×1 can only be setup single speed, though it can be run with an internal hub such as a Shimano Alfine 8speed if you really need to get your gears on. Some might consider the 5lb frame weight as a weakness but the reality is that a 5lb frame is strong, not weak.

Other bikes: Comparable products I have ridden include: Cannondale 1FG, Sano custom mountain bike w/ gears, and a Villin SS.

Build Kit: Surly 1×1 Frame and 1×1 Fork. Mavic 717 Ceramic laced to Paul High Flange front hub/ Mavic 717 laced to Paul WORD single speed rear hub. Paul Motolite V-brakes/ Avid Ultimate Levers. Moots Setback Ti Post. Ritchey WCS stem 90mm/ Answer Protaper 2″ rise bar. Shimano XTR Pedals White Industries ENO Crank-set w/ 34t including matching Ti BB. White Industries 17t freewheel. Topped off with Kenda Smallblock 8 Tires and a
Tioga Spyder saddle. The bike weighs just under 21lbs.

Final Thoughts: If you like to ride… you will like to ride a Surly 1×1. It is very nice.

-supercoolbiker