Singlespeed times Vs geared?
jam1e
Posts: 1,068
Being "relatively new" (2 rides in baby, yeah! 
) to this roadieing lark is there any accepted method of equating geared times to singlespeed? I've just done a 35 minute 10 miler mostly into strong headwind on my Langster which was either slogging away or recovering from slogging away - if this had been done on a geared bike how much faster would it have been in the same conditions?
Oh yeah, should point out that this wasn't a balls out attempt but a kinda benchmark setting for future reference - I aint that slow
And also... if I wanted to enter events/timetrials etc in future is there normally a singlespeed category?
) to this roadieing lark is there any accepted method of equating geared times to singlespeed? I've just done a 35 minute 10 miler mostly into strong headwind on my Langster which was either slogging away or recovering from slogging away - if this had been done on a geared bike how much faster would it have been in the same conditions?Oh yeah, should point out that this wasn't a balls out attempt but a kinda benchmark setting for future reference - I aint that slow
And also... if I wanted to enter events/timetrials etc in future is there normally a singlespeed category?
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Depends on the gearing I suppose but I ride a 42x17 fixed bike over the winter - that's a fairly low gear so I tend to spin a lot but I don't think it's particularly slower than gears - there are just times when my legs can't go as fast as my heart would like 'em too!
There is no singlespeed category in any road events I'm aware of although some time trials are open to certain size fixed gears - but that's almost as weird as riding a trike IMO :?0 -
Very difficult to answer this. Been riding a fixed for first time this year and been surprised that makes relatively little difference in terms of average speed on most routes. Only time really becomes a factor is when hills start to get so steep you have difficulty turning over the gear on the up and keeping up with it on the down.Martin S. Newbury RC0
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Horses for courses, look at Chris Boardmans times for a 10 mile TT on a fixed wheel bike.0
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I have to agree with Bahzob. It's the sharp uphills and downhills that slow you down on a fixed. I have a regular hilly loop that i do on both fixed and geared and the geared is significantly quicker. It may be that the weather comes into play as i do it on the fixed in winter and geared in summer.
I find the most difficult part of riding fixed is selecting the most appropriate gear for the terrain. I mostly use 48/18. 48/20 and my legs are spinning like crazy on steep downhills and to be honest i feel like i'm losing control and any less than 18 would make some of the steep uphills impossible.
Ultimately, it's down to the quality of the rider - I think Graham Obree set a few records on a fixed with some ridiculous gearing (for normal cyclists) and many hill climbing wins have been on fixed.0 -
Are we talking fixed or single-speed? Completely different situation. For the OP, I'd ask why you'd want to do a TT on a single-speed? Racing on fixed is another matter - it's far from being rare or new for good time triallists to race on fixed - that's what everyone did in the 'old days'. There are some significant efficiency benefits with respect to the chain line, lack of rear mech and jocky wheels, not to mention the fly-wheel effect. Once someone has got used to the physiological demands of racing (flattish) TTs on fixed there's no reason to believe that they will go any slower - and there's a good possibility they will go faster because they're on fixed.
Ruth0 -
The reason I'm thinking of doing time trials on a singlespeed (not fixed) is basically because thats the kind of bike I have! And having bought a new mtb and the langster in about a month, thats the way its gotta stay. For now...
Its (apparantly) running 48/16 - fine for flat etc which is what you get in east yorks but its not as much fun on the windy coast!0 -
My fixed wheel is as fast as a geared bike uphill, and only loses it on the downhill - as I cant keep the gear turning. I could improve this by getting a bigger gear, but then I'd struggle more on the uphills.
If you race a single gear - you'd really want to put a higher one on than the one you train on I think.0 -
Ah, I see. Well there's no reason not to, but, to answer your original question, I think you'll be at a significant disadvantage compared to someone on gears or on fixed. If you just want to give time trials a go, there'd be no harm in trying though.jam1e wrote:The reason I'm thinking of doing time trials on a singlespeed (not fixed) is basically because thats the kind of bike I have!
Ruth0 -
Um, can't the langster be used as a fixed wheel by you buying a fixed wheel sprocket and turning the wheel around?0
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It can but as the OP is still pretty new to road riding maybe, get the hang of it first before diving into the murky world of riding fixed.chrisw12 wrote:Um, can't the langster be used as a fixed wheel by you buying a fixed wheel sprocket and turning the wheel around? 0
