Training on single speed

Seeing that the winter/censored weather training bike needs new front/rear mech and cassette, plus cables siezed a bit. I'm thinking of turning it in to a single speed (freewheel)
Does any one here race on geared and train on a single speed? Is it a good or bad thing?
Thanks
Homer J
Does any one here race on geared and train on a single speed? Is it a good or bad thing?
Thanks
Homer J
0
Posts
I'd say it's good for endurance / base miles, and there's other advantages such as easier maintenance and cleaning. It probably helped build my legs up as well.
However, it's not going to give you any magical edge over a geared bike, and I won't be doing the same training after the end of this season.
On balance, I'd say it's a good thing, with the caveat that your fixed/SS miles are part of a structured training plan including intervals, and chaingangs on gears as well. I think where I went wrong is too get obsessed with doing as many miles as possible on a fixed thinking it would make me hard as nails, whereas I actually only got good at riding a bike with no gears quite a long way, relatively slowly
Riding fixed/singlespeed as a training aid is overated in my opinion (I only ride fixed). It's the effort you put in that matters, not the selection of gears you ride on.
It is low maintanance though, which is nice, get a singlespeed converter kit and a chain tensioner and you're sorted.
I agree that's it's overated as a training aid, but they are great for commuting or just general tooling about.
Would agree with the above - riding fixed (NOT singlespeed) may improve your pedalling style and encourages you to force a bigger gear on hills than you would normally, but as to whether it really makes much difference in the long run is doubtful I think. Perhaps more beneficial if you intend to race on the track for that high cadence power you need at the end of races.
I think the low maintenance is the appeal, i'm not a track rider so i'll keep getting in the geared miles when it's not hammering down.
The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
see here: http://software.bareknucklebrigade.com/ ... pplet.html
Bronzie - I live near Wolverhampton, so it's not really flat. My usual training route goes up Himley Road in Dudley, which is quite steep, and Tinkers Castle out towards Bridgnorth, which is also a bit of a sod. I've somehow got used to grinding a massive gear uphill, but like I said it hasn't translated to going any quicker in a race!
Incidentally, are you the same Bronzie organising the Neil Gardner Memorial RR? I grew up in Bedfordshire, so I might pop back for a weekend and enter that one. I did the CC Ashwell race down there last month, and got dropped up the hill on the last lap! Good circuit though.
I commute + do a long ride at the weekend, I don't do any intervals / speed work / hill repeats on the single speed. It's purely for getting the miles in. The lack of maintenance is the big advantage.
follow on
Like the others I think the main advantage is ease of maintenance but it does help develop the ability to ride at high cadence - whether you see that as beneficial or not is another argument.
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
But as fairbaine said, mileage makes champions.
Carbon 456
456 lefty
Pompino
White Inbred
If you keep the same gear you'll stop progressing (or ride at a higher cadence, which is a form of progession I suppose).