Short, Slack, & Steel

New plans are being put into motion here at the Guitar Ted Headquarters for new rigs in the future. Some old things will be put out to pasture, and new things are coming that will take their places. First up though is something I've been intrigued by since I first rode another bike like to it.

Singular Cycles Buzzard

I got a chance to test ride a Diamondback Mason HT earlier this year. I was very interested in just how such a bike would do here in the Mid-West. Would the short stays be good or bad? Would the slacker, longer front end be a detriment in tight single track and on steeps?

While the way the Mason was set up wasn't perfect for this area, I saw potential for fun. The bike steered well, it climbed reasonably well, and you could make what we have for technical areas a laughing stock, since the bike was so capable and stable.

So, the Mason ended up going back to its home after the test, but I still was thinking about this sort of set up and here comes a frame that might just do a similar trick for me, namely, the Singular Buzzard. Sam at Singular likes steel, and he has a great eye for classic looking aesthetic design, even if it is applied across a very new, rakish sort of bicycle. These are things that appeal to me greatly and why I already own a Singular Gryphon. Additionally, Sam did his homework here and made the Buzzard with a feature set that should prove versatile and "future-proof" for a while. 44mm head tube for both straight and tapered steer tubes, ISCG tabs, and a dropper post friendly seat tube diameter are all here.

I have a lot of parts to finish this frame out already. I just have to decide how I am going to go about it. Wheels and tires, brakes, dropper post, stem, cranks, derailleurs, and just about everything is here. But I may want to try some alternatives. Like 1 X 10 gearing, or really wide bars, or a different stem that I may not have.

But I've got time to think it over. I just pulled the trigger on this, so it will be awhile before I see it here. Stay tuned for updates on the Buzzard and more on some other projects coming soon.