Bikes Of 2025: Singular Cycles Buzzard

 It's another end-of-year period on the blog. You know what that means? Yep! Another round of my bikes I used in 2025. This round-up will not include some of the bikes I did not use this year much, or at all. I focus only on the bikes that played a big role in my riding during this year.  As always, any changes or future plans for any bike I feature will also be detailed. I hope that you enjoy this year's round-up.

 This bicycle hasn't been featured on this list in years. I had it torn apart and the frame was in mothballs for all this time waiting for someone to buy it. Trouble was the bike was designed during a transition period for 29"ers. 

We were just coming out of the era of "Gen I" geometry for 29"ers and the progression toward slack, low, and long geometry, which we still have today, was just beginning. Furthermore, trail bicycles were all going to through axle rear ends. The Buzzard came out with a QR rear drop out arrangement. You can kind of see where Sam Alison was caught in between changes as the Buzzard does have a bit lower bottom bracket and a bit slacker head tube angle. There was no dropper post routing, or consideration for long-travel droppers as those items were just coming on the scene, or would in a few years after the Buzzard's release. 

So, the Buzzard is an oddball. No one seems to want a bicycle like this, unless..... unless you turn it into a bike packing bike. Then a lot of the geometry makes sense. A quick release rear end is not a big deal, and with the mid-slack head tube angle, it wouldn't handle like a wheelbarrow and it would play nice with a front load. 

The use of a fat bike fork and rear specific hub made this idea unique. 

 I suddenly had a crazy idea. What if I laced up a single speed, quick release or bolt-on hub and used my old Salsa Cycles Enabler front fork for the Buzzard? The idea being if a rear derailleur failed I could swap wheels and have a single speed "bail-out" feature. 

Usually Singular has a single speed option for their models, most commonly in the form of a bottom bracket eccentric. However, this is not the case with the Buzzard. So, I got a Velo Orange eccentric bottom bracket and stuck this in the bike in case of a need to tension a chain for single speed bail-out situations. Although, I have to say I was disappointed in this product and I will likely be packing a Singulator as well just in case the eccentric doesn't work, or in case, (more than likely) I replace the Velo Orange unit. 

Anyway, the idea came together and it was a success overall. I need to square away a few details, but the bike is rideable and handles really well. The big thing here is I actually have to go on a trip. That would probably help.