Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Singular Gryphon Flies Again

Back in rotation again after a long absence.
I have had this Singular Gryphon for quite a while now. I was thinking about this when I saw the Pirate Cycling League sticker Cornbread gave me which is on the down tube of this bike. That had to be 2010 or so. Anyway, this bike has been a staple in the stable but it hasn't been a bike I've used a whole lot in recent years.

It isn't because I don't like it, because I really do like it a lot. In fact, you could say that this bike was the reason I never got a Fargo with an Alternator drop out. The Singular has a Phil Wood eccentric bottom bracket which I can use for tensioning a chain, and I've never run this bike with gears. However; if I did, it has that "fail safe" that earlier Fargos did not have. But that isn't why I like it, really.

See, the Gryphon was developed around about the same time as the Fargo- in 2008-'09. The bike wasn't meant to carry a load, or be suspension corrected, so the Gryphon is very unique in that the bike is a drop bar specific rig with lighter weight, more compliant tubing which yields a better ride quality than my Fargos do.

Okay, so that's why I like it, but I never really got around to using it as the single speed, Winter time gravel machine I envisioned it to become after my Karate Monkey was pulled off that duty in about '08 or so. I had busted it out and had done a few rides on it here and there recently, but now I hope to get this the love it deserves.

2 comments:

MICHAEL said...

Copper brooksie ? How you liking the 9lines ?

Guitar Ted said...

@MICHAEL: Yes, a Brooks Special in green. Love it. Ninelines are a really good tire. Very versatile in the same manner as the Nanoraptors are.