Single Speed for 11mile commute.

bear_bearson

I have been dreaming of getting a fixed / single speed number for my commute (City to Richmond) for some time now.

Its a good hour on the bike and comfort is very important, but I cannot seem to decide what is best.

My head says get a hardtail MTB with a rigid fork, gears and fit some skinny tires and bash that around on the embankment, whilst my heart says get a slick single speed and fit a riser bar.

Can someone please talk me out of my single gear obsession.

el_presidente

go for it
within a week you will be wondering why on earth you ever needed all those gears

bear_bearson

oh crap thats not the answer I wanted to see!!!

attica

Can't do that BB

My commute is 15 miles and I find my Kona Paddywagon very comfortable, also have a friend who swears by his Specialized Langster.

Go check them out at a bike shop.

spen666

forget the single speed - go fixed gear instead

bear_bearson

you lot are absolute barstewards!

I've just called Evans to try the Paddy Wagon as I have been eyeing up this bike for a while...

Oh well I'll have to go to Pearson now too and try their Touche....

TheBoyBilly

Or there's the Charge bikes, Pinnacle Bachelor andTricross Single...........oh dear, I think we've snagged him!! :twisted:

BentMikey

Why a slicked up MTB for riding on the road? I think you'd find a single speed or fixed gear road bike much more appropriate for that sort of use. The low maintenance is awesome, and you'd go slightly faster on a road bike because of the better aerodynamics.

I swap between riding my recumbent and a fixed wheel langster from Biggin Hill to the West End, and I have some beasts of hills enroute. Fixed is actually better for going up these than a previous geared upright I had.

Jamey

What's the difference between single speed and fixed gear? I thought they were the same thing.

bear_bearson

Why a slicked up MTB for riding on the road?

Not sure really, it seemed like quite a sensible option to me.

I ride quite hard and my current hybrid is creaking all over the place, which doesn't fill me with confidence when riding out of the saddle or going at pace.

I thought MTB bike would be quite tough, but may be a bit OTT.

I suppose on a single gear there is less to go wrong too.

TheBoyBilly

"Fixed is actually better for going up these than a previous geared upright I had"...

....summat to do with the forward momentum keeping the peddles turning so I'm led to understand, saving a bit of your energy on climbs.

TheBoyBilly

My Langster has a flip-flop hub which means I can run "Fixed" where the peddles turn all the time, or can run on the other cog and freewheel, or coast.

bear_bearson

Jamey wrote:

What's the difference between single speed and fixed gear? I thought they were the same thing.

Single speed = you can freewheel / coast.

Fixed = you cannot coast and your legs have to keep spinning the pedals.

BentMikey

TheBoyBilly wrote:

"Fixed is actually better for going up these than a previous geared upright I had"...

....summat to do with the forward momentum keeping the peddles turning so I'm led to understand, saving a bit of your energy on climbs.

Yes, I'm somewhat doubtful of that common theory. You still have to do x amount of work to lift yourself and the bike uphill. I reckon it probably comes down to better drivetrain efficiency, and the mental effect of fixed.

BentMikey

bear_bearson wrote:

Why a slicked up MTB for riding on the road?

Not sure really, it seemed like quite a sensible option to me.

I ride quite hard and my current hybrid is creaking all over the place, which doesn't fill me with confidence when riding out of the saddle or going at pace.

I thought MTB bike would be quite tough, but may be a bit OTT.

I suppose on a single gear there is less to go wrong too.

This is something that never makes sense to me personally. MTBs are designed for offroad use, and is never going to be as good as a road bike on the road. Most road bikes are way more than tough enough to deal with potholes and kerbs.

2wheelzgood

bear_bearson wrote:

Can someone please talk me out of my single gear obsession.

Nope, sorry can't do that either!

I've just converted my hybrid to a ss and even in uneven Leeds (not mega hilly but defo not flat.. and the direct commute is 4 miles) it's been fab this first week.

I guess I'm going about as fast on the flat but any downhill and I'm coasting with this gear. I reckon it's spot on for Leeds though as the steeper roads home push me and you just have to cane it up the hills!

somehow it's very liberating on a ss with road tyres..

I had a creaky hybrid before but swapped the stem, pedals and tyres and drive chain.. just brakes to do now and I'm well pleased. It's cost a bit but no where near teh 500+ for a new branded ss.

DIY* FTW!

*bought bits and LBS fitted some of them!

BentMikey

I would also suggest going fixed rather than singlespeed, and on a smaller gear. SS won't teach you how to pedal well in the way fixed can. The smaller gear is better because anyone can build muscle to brute-force a big gear and look hard, but only skill will enable you to pedal smoothly and well at high rpm.

georgee

or a old road bike from a jumble sales, an on one single speed kit and a spare set of wheels and bosh, you have what you need,

bear_bearson

TheBoyBilly wrote:

My Langster has a flip-flop hub which means I can run "Fixed" where the peddles turn all the time, or can run on the other cog and freewheel, or coast.

I will have to get a flip flop hub. I think the paddy wagon has one. Infact I think most of these modern single speeders have one now.

attica

Indeed the Paddywagon does have a flip flop hub

The merits of riding fixed can rapidly be outweighed by inexperience of riding fixed.
You'd be amazed at how much energy you put into stopping your legs when you try to coast.

On a fixed that energy catapults you upward with scary results.

Start on SS, get used to fixed on QUIET roads, not on your commute!

bear_bearson

Attica wrote:

Indeed the Paddywagon does have a flip flop hub

The merits of riding fixed can rapidly be outweighed by inexperience of riding fixed.
You'd be amazed at how much energy you put into stopping your legs when you try to coast.

On a fixed that energy catapults you upward with scary results.

Start on SS, get used to fixed on QUIET roads, not on your commute!

Sound advice, thanks. Thats what I was going to do.

BentMikey

I have a slightly different approach, in that if I was planning to ride fixed on a particular bike, I would NEVER ride that bike in singlespeed mode.

Why? Because when riding fixed it's really important not to stop pedalling, and it's going to take some time and practice to learn to ride fixed safely. If you then sometimes ride this same bike singlespeed, the chances of a "fixed moment" where you stop pedalling are much higher.

Instead I would do as Attica writes, which is to practice plenty on the fixed on quiet roads and use your current bike until you're ready to commute fixed. In addition, I would use clipless pedals, probably double-sided SPD to keep your feet on the pedals, because these will keep your feet on the pedals when something goes wrong, which is probably safer than having your feet come off the pedals and then crashing as a result. I'd do a lot of practice speeding up, slowing down, and braking. I'd also ride slowly at first, particularly in any even slightly challenging traffic environments. The times when you're most likely to get a fixed moment are when something surprises you and you need to brake, going over bumps in the road, or going at speed.

saveswalking

BentMikey wrote:

TheBoyBilly wrote:

"Fixed is actually better for going up these than a previous geared upright I had"...

....summat to do with the forward momentum keeping the peddles turning so I'm led to understand, saving a bit of your energy on climbs.

Yes, I'm somewhat doubtful of that common theory. You still have to do x amount of work to lift yourself and the bike uphill. I reckon it probably comes down to better drivetrain efficiency, and the mental effect of fixed.

and what about coming down the hill ? :!: 8)

fixed

sw

BentMikey

That's where you learn to pedal! If things are getting too fast, then you can always brake to slow down and keep within your own limits.

I'm assuming you'd be sensible and legal, and actually have brakes on a fixed wheel bike used on the roads.

el_presidente

BentMikey wrote:

I would also suggest going fixed rather than singlespeed, and on a smaller gear. SS won't teach you how to pedal well in the way fixed can. The smaller gear is better because anyone can build muscle to brute-force a big gear and look hard, but only skill will enable you to pedal smoothly and well at high rpm.

I'm doing a fixed conversion at the moment and was thinking 42*16 do you think this is small enough?

I run 42*15 on my 26" ss at the moment which is perfect

BentMikey

I'm guessing that's 69" (oooerrr!!), depending on your wheels and tyres. I'm running 66" via a 48x19, so it's not far different.

jonba

The beauty of singlespeed is the low maintenance. It has an added bonus of being less attractive to thieves (normally, unless you are riding a brand new branded bike).

Depends on the number of hills and climate. Into a headwind it would be murder. I ride singlespeed but my commute is only 5 miles each way, mostly flat. Also the number of starts and stops you'll have to do. Having a gear high enough to cruise is hard to accelerate in.


Over 12 miles I'd probably be tempted not to go singlespeed. For the low maintenance part I would look at a bike running a nexus or alfine hubgear.

If you go fixed use brakes. It's not big and it's not clever. It may have been cool years ago but not anymore.

jonba

The beauty of singlespeed is the low maintenance. It has an added bonus of being less attractive to thieves (normally, unless you are riding a brand new branded bike).

Depends on the number of hills and climate. Into a headwind it would be murder. I ride singlespeed but my commute is only 5 miles each way, mostly flat. Also the number of starts and stops you'll have to do. Having a gear high enough to cruise is hard to accelerate in.


Over 12 miles I'd probably be tempted not to go singlespeed. For the low maintenance part I would look at a bike running a nexus or alfine hubgear.

If you go fixed use brakes. It's not big and it's not clever. It may have been cool years ago but not anymore.

william79

I bought a fixed geared bike with the intention of riding single speed & keeping the fixed gear on the other side of the flip flop hub......but I tried the fixed gear around the local lanes first and became addicted. The drive to the rear wheel is direct and the ride is very quiet.

It's also quick & easy to clean / adjust things. I find it stops very quickly too, when you get used to aplying the pressure to the pedals.

It took me a couple of weeks to build the fitness, but I would not go back to a geared bike for the commute.

bear_bearson

jonba wrote:

The beauty of singlespeed is the low maintenance. It has an added bonus of being less attractive to thieves (normally, unless you are riding a brand new branded bike).

Depends on the number of hills and climate. Into a headwind it would be murder. I ride singlespeed but my commute is only 5 miles each way, mostly flat. Also the number of starts and stops you'll have to do. Having a gear high enough to cruise is hard to accelerate in.


Over 12 miles I'd probably be tempted not to go singlespeed. For the low maintenance part I would look at a bike running a nexus or alfine hubgear.

If you go fixed use brakes. It's not big and it's not clever. It may have been cool years ago but not anymore.

Some very valid points there Jonba, thanks. I have been looking at the Charge Tap too, which runs a Nexus system. I'll try one of those too.

The wind part is a worry :shock: . I have been lashed by the wind cycling down the Enbankment before and its not pleasant. Oh and brakes are a must.

graham_g

georgee wrote:

or a old road bike from a jumble sales, an on one single speed kit and a spare set of wheels and bosh, you have what you need,

I can't believe this is the only suggestion! There are loads of nice old steel frame road bikes about (cheap if you avoid ebay frames for collection only in London and 'fixed' in the description ). No need to spend £450-500 on a brand new one. You can easily do it for less:

Steel frame road bike: £50 odd
single chainring bolts after taking the 52t outer ring off: £5
Neww 110mm BB: £15
Fixed rear wheel: £50-60
Front brake and lever (cause the old ones may be crap): £30
Rear sprocket & lockring: £15
Chain: £5

Use the existing bars, stem, seatpost, front wheel (if that's poor, you can pick one up for £30 odd) etc. it's still under £200.