Single Speed Bikes

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Anonymous's picture
Anonymous

What type of rider is well suited to a single speed bike? I am looking to pick up a second road bike and my bike shop has recommended a single speed bike by Specialized. It's a great value (<$500) and a comfortable ride, but I am not sure I am a good enough rider to give up derailleurs....

I am not sure how best to describe my riding skills. I don't race, but I like to do long rides that are physically challenging. I am not a gear-head and don't know very much about bike mechanics. This second bike will be used for summer weekends in the Hamptons where there aren't many hills to contend with (but usually wind).

Any thoughts will be appreciated.

Anonymous's picture
Paul Elkouss (remove the NOSPAM from the email address) (not verified)

The langster is very popular. I ride a fixed, and as long as the gearing is right, any fitness is sufficient. I ride a 42x16 gear on my bike. It is in the middle for difficulty.

Anonymous's picture
Yogi (not verified)
One Gear



If you want to try a single speed bike, just pick a gear and don’t shift the next time you’re on your RB.

If your want to ride a fixed gear, that’s a whole different & somewhat terrifying experience.

Anonymous's picture
Paul Elkouss (remove the NOSPAM from the email address) (not verified)

"I disagree with ""terrifying"". It is merely different. If the bike has brakes, as a single speed should, then what could be terrifying? If fixed gear is not to ones liking, there are always freewheels."

Anonymous's picture
David Regen (not verified)
fixed gear

Riding a fixer gear will make you a better rider, and very few bikes can really say that. You learn, whether you mean to or not, to develop a really smooth spin that might otherwise take years to develop.

The problem with riding a nomal bike in only one gear is that you can coast; you get some of the benefit, but not all. It's very strange at first, but I would say that by the time you're used to it, you'll be a noticably smoother and better rider.

Anonymous's picture
Fixer (not verified)
More...

David's right. But besides developing a pro-worthy, smooth pedaling style, there are other benefits to riding fixed gear.

You will definitely improve your bike handling skills - you have to pedal through the turns, and you can't coast with level pedals over potholes and rough spots. You'll learn to pedal through anything that comes your way, compensating with subtle weight shifts; and to modulate your speed with your legs, although I would recommend having a brake in addition, out on the road.

You'll get a power workout going up hills, and a spin workout going down. All of which makes you a much more versatile rider. You won't find yourself depending on the shift levers to offset every wind change, or rise and fall in the road. You'll be able to ride comfortably and smoothly over a wide range of RPMs.

One more benefit. You'll get respect. Really, even though I'm not all that fast, I've noticed that guys that I know to be Cat 1's & 2's always say hello when I'm out on my fixed. On my geared bike, forget it, they just blow by without a glance. On the fixed, you're something beyond the ordinary.

If you're at all curious, by all means try it. You can build up an inexpensive fixed gear for less than the cost of a HRM, or the latest 125 gram carbon seatpost. And gosh, the benefits you'll reap, compared to those other so-called upgrades... it's just incomparable.

Anonymous's picture
Joao (not verified)

I recently converted my daily comuter bike to a fixed gear. The bike has both brakes in good working order. Since the conversion, I only had one minor scare (I tried to coast while going down a steep hill). other than that one little scare, I've been very happy with the whole conversion. The bike is lighter, and the excercise I get is nearly double of that on a freewheeled bike. And the bike forces me to keep a perfect spin. If my spin is sloppy, the bike's motion becomes sloppy and I get pushed up and down from the saddle. And once I'm at speed, I must keep on a perfect spin at high cadence, which is a great skill to master no matter what kind of riding you do. Its very easy to slack off on your technique when riding a freewheeled bike. Its nearly impossible to keep 100% focus on your spin. But on the fixed gear, you must keep your focus. Eventually, smooth, fast and constant spinning becomes second nature.

I usually try to do the backpedal motion to slow down. But when I need to brake for real, I just go for the brake levers. No danger there.

And don't forget that fixed and single gears are lighter, cost less, are more reliable, don't need any adjustment other than the first time you put it on, and are much easier to maintain than multi-gear bikes.

Cheers.

Anonymous's picture
HUH? (not verified)

Um, the original poster asked as to whether he should purchase a single-speed bike (not a fixed gear) to ride around the Hamptons over the summer.

If I were you, given that you have a road bike, I would buy something comfortable with fat tires and at least three gears. But heed this warning: Cat 1 racers may not acknowledge you.

Anonymous's picture
Joao (not verified)

">
> Um, the original poster asked as to whether he should
> purchase a single-speed bike (not a fixed gear) to ride
> around the Hamptons over the summer.

Yes, but the conversation sorta veered off towards ""fixed gears are a scary ride"" or something like that.

By the way, my fixed gear bike is a no-name 1970's ex-10-speed klunker with baskets all around and the ugliests paint job ever. It weights in at 40Lbs (after the conversion), and I've been parking it on the streets for 13 years without ever worrying about it getting stolen :)"

Anonymous's picture
Paul Elkouss (remove the NOSPAM from the email address) (not verified)

The original poster did say that any thoughts would be appreciated.

Anonymous's picture
Yogi (not verified)
clarification

"Thanks for posting the Sheldon Brown Page. Maybe his website could be a permanent link on the NYCC site.

Joao writes-

>Yes, but the conversation sorta veered off towards ""fixed gears are a scary ride"" or something like that.

If you’re going to ""quote"" someone (me) –Please take the time (less than 10 sec) to scroll up to copy and paste.

I was surprised to find so many different misinterpretations of what I thought was a simple comment.

I wrote-

""If your want to ride a fixed gear, that’s a whole different & somewhat terrifying experience.""

PE writes:

""If the bike has brakes, as a single speed should, then what could be terrifying?""

–I’m talking about a fixed gear.

My opinion is that it could be frightening the first time you go flying down a hill and you have to slow down for any reason. Even with brakes, the sensation of being launched by your pedals is, how could I put it, - ""Terrifying""

HUH writes-

""Cat 1 racers may not acknowledge you.""

-And guys on big MTBs with pizza tray / baskets might laugh at you for your missing derailleurs.

Heath:

The minimum cost is $75-$125 depending what you need. Dave at Bikeworks does this conversion frequently.

"

Anonymous's picture
Paul Elkouss (remove the NOSPAM from the email address) (not verified)

If the fellow is buying a specialized single speed, it would have brakes. And thus the fixed gear version would have brakes.

Anonymous's picture
<a href="http://www.OhReallyOreilly.com">Peter O'Reilly</a> (not verified)
S.B.

"Maybe his website could be a permanent link on the NYCC site.

You mean this guy?



It has been for quite a while now under the Resources section (more links). :-) See the recent ""need reasonably priced, used bike"" thread. Oh nevermind...

"

Anonymous's picture
Carol Wood (not verified)
Training question

Are there any training benefits at all to riding a single speed?

I just bought one (48-16) that can be converted to a fixed gear. Which I may or may not do someday.

As it is, it's a lot of fun to ride and really moves in traffic. Has front and rear brakes, which I find useful on the car-clogged streets. Perhaps just having a bike you like to ride regularly is the greatest benefit.

Anonymous's picture
Mordecai Silver (not verified)
Training question

"Carol Wood wrote:

""Are there any training benefits at all to riding a single speed?""

It makes life more interesting, you know, to ride different kinds of bikes. But you can't beat a fixed-gear for fun.

""Has front and rear brakes, which I find useful on the car-clogged streets.""

If it's not a fixed-gear, you need both brakes just as much as on a multi-speed."

Anonymous's picture
don montalvo (not verified)

brakeless single speed bikes are dangerous for your average joe...that's why weekend riders put brakes on single speed bikes. i did messenger work as a kid on a single speed with no brakes and i never had an accident (unless you count the time i hit a cabbie on the head with my messenger bag for trying to cut me off...but i digress).

;)
don

Anonymous's picture
heath (not verified)
fixed gear

Any idea on the cost of conversion from a road bike to a fixed gear? I have a bicycle where the 8 speed sti shifters have decided they are done shifting when I want them to. And this thread has me thinking converting to a fixed gear will be cheaper than upgrading to 9 speed.

Anonymous's picture
Paul Elkouss (remove the NOSPAM from the email address) (not verified)

It depends on your dropouts. Checkout : http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html

Anonymous's picture
Newbie (not verified)
fixed gear v single speed

What is the difference between a fixed gear bike and a single speed bike?

Anonymous's picture
Paul Elkouss (remove the NOSPAM from the email address) (not verified)

fixed gear = no coasting

Anonymous's picture
Evan Marks (not verified)

"All fixies are singlespeeds, but not all singlespeeds are fixies.

Joking aside (truth said in jest) singlespeed = coasting, fixed gear = no coasting; can actually be ridden forwards or backwards. There's a gut-level simplicity to riding a fixie (I think of it as ""primal cycling"") that a singlespeed approaches but doesn't quite reach. Yes, that sounds like mystical mumbo-jumbo, can't be helped - there's just no good way to describe it.

Check out what Sheldon Brown sez:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed/index.html

(you too, Carol)

and then go look at a few hundred photos:

www.fixedgeargallery.com"

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