Single speed - why?

efish

What's the point of a single speed bike?

I'm not taking the p*ss I'd like to know.
I feel that I need all the help I can get to slog up (and sometimes down) those trails, and if I only had the one gear I'd be either heaving on the pedals to get up the hills or spinning them like the Tasmanian Devil to get down.

I have a mate who loves his single speed but he lives in an area resembling a billiard table.

However they seem to be getting more and more popular. Am I missing a trick?

singlespeedexplosif

I have a mate who loves his single speed but he lives in an area resembling a billiard table.
now I really can't see the point in that. They're at their best in hilly areas.

TheNorthernTrain

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

I have a mate who loves his single speed but he lives in an area resembling a billiard table.
now I really can't see the point in that. They're at their best in hilly areas.

care to expand? I'm new and this is all confusing me too. Surely gears are better in hilly areas so you don't need to exert yourself so much going up and can produce more pace going down?

Im not doubting you, thats just what i always assumed and would love to know the theory behind it all.

Sarnian

It's one of those, don't knock It until you have tried It things. I have had a single speed bike as one of my collection for years they are good fun, I would not want to have It as a main ride, but that's just me. My commuter bike Is always a single speed (up to 6 months ago It was a fixie) but try It you might like It, you might not.

scale20

I have done a lot of looking into building a singlespeed bike for a project next year however due to having knee problems I think it's best to knock the idea on the head

_Ferret_

Wow, it's been at least one week since the last SS thread...shall we get into this again?

From what I've picked up so far:
- It depends on where you ride, single speeds do have their limitations regardless of what some will say - you can't ride up any hill on a SS
- If you want low maintainance then they are great! less gears, less faffing
- If you like a minimalist look they are also great.
- If you have really strong knees they are for you - dodgy knees and a low cadence up hills aint a good idea

Have I missed some points from the last time?

Northwind

Weighs nothing and very simple to run, seems to be the big attraction. Also, they're a never ending excuse for not being able to get to the top of the hill, or being the last to get to the bottom

I'm told by a singlespeed mate that it really pushed up his fitness, since he lost the option of being lazy. That could be good for some of us.

TheNorthernTrain

are you able to change the ring size on em? just if your unfit like me would you want to start small and then increase the size of the ring?

Might be something i look at when i win the euromillions tonight.

Northwind

Yup, you can.

singlespeedexplosif

It depends on where you ride, single speeds do have their limitations regardless of what some will say - you can't ride up any hill on a SS

indeed it does depend on where you ride. It's very dull on the flat. But I've yet to find a hill I can ride on my geared bike that I can't on my ss.

- If you have really strong knees they are for you - dodgy knees and a low cadence up hills aint a good idea
if you've got dodgy knees ss is a great way to strengthen them. I know of nobody who rides ss who has developed knee problems as a result, but I know of many who had knee problems and now don't...



Oh and as to the original question 'why'? because it's fun

Northwind

I guess it depends what flavour of hill/climb, like the short explosive bursts of McMoab at Kirroughtree really favour gears, as do its fairly short, very steep climbs and rock features. But then I always end up in the wrong gear anyway

You can recreate some of the joys of singlespeed with gears of course, just don't use them. Or restrict them, decide "I'm only using the middle ring" or similiar for a ride. Obviously you don't get the benefits, just the disadvantages but then singlespeeding is all about the disadvantages

The bottom line is all mountain biking is about making things unneccesarily difficult for yourself. Why ride that log when you can avoid it? Why go off road at all when you own a car? Why use gears when you could just not?

John Moore

1) It makes you a better rider
2) It makes you a fitter rider
3) It makes you a better climber
4) If it doesn't kill you it will do 1, 2 & 3

But most importantly at this time of the year

5) Just throw it in the shed after a ride.
6) Before the next ride brush the dirt off the chain and just lube it.

_Ferret_

I understand points 2 and 3. I guess being restricted in what gear you have would mean you have no choice but to grind up the climbs with what you've got. But what do you mean with "better rider"? Genuine question - is this an offshoot of the better climbing point? I can't see how it would make you a better downhiller...

BTW - I do points 5 and 6 with my geared bike now I haven't had any problems with the transmission as yet...

Northwind

I don't believe it does at all, it restricts what you can ride and forces you into riding other stuff in a less than ideal manner, I don't see anyone learning from that.

tlw1

John Moore wrote:

1) It makes you a better rider
2) It makes you a fitter rider
3) It makes you a better climber
4) If it doesn't kill you it will do 1, 2 & 3

But most importantly at this time of the year

5) Just throw it in the shed after a ride.
6) Before the next ride brush the dirt off the chain and just lube it.

Agree

Mine has made me a better rider because you have to think more as you have to keep it flowing, also mine is rigid - so adds another side to it!

carbonfiend

I used to ask exactly the same question to myself - why have one gear when you can have more? Anyway after a couple of yrs riding with 2 guys with single speeds its all starting to make sense especially during the winter. I can at some point see myself gravitating towards owning a SS as the costs of maintaining so many bikes and upgrades etc is getting too much plus with 3 growing kids time is limited. A single speed bike I can just jump on with low maintenance etc is starting to appeal to me. BTW anybody raced against a fit SS rider, I have and he left me for dead!

Johnny Napalm

I'm now on my fifth week using my ss conversion. I have to admit to being a bit of a doubter in the past, and always thought 'what's the point?' (just like one of my mates at present). Quite a few have said that you may as well use a normal bike, but stay in one gear, and then you don't have to have a stand-alone singlespeed bike. While I understand what they are trying to say, I know that personally I would use an easier gear option if it was available. With a singlespeed the option is not there, so you simply cannot cheat.

However, for the last five weeks, I have been out every Sat & Sun doing 17+ miles each ride, which includes a lot of hills - I have a 2.3mile - 180mtr climb from my house, before I even get to Wharncliffe, for example. So it has deifinitely been a challenge. I have solely been using my ss conversion over the last five weeks in order to up my fitness, and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Climbing hills has always been one of my strengths, and I have seen an improvement in my fitness through using the ss...and the cleaning/maintenance is a doddle.

I didn't think that it would be for me, but from now on, I will always have an ss bike alongside my 27-speed bikes. They're not ideal for all types of riding, but that's to be expected. If you do get the chance to try it, then I'd suggest doing so...you can then decide if it's for you or not.

Torres

It also teaches you to be smoother and carry more speed whilst going down. You cannot peddle out of corners (or you just spin out) so you learn to pick the lines that allow you to keep your speed and momentum up.

The Northern Monkey

theyre different.

John Moore

_Ferret_ wrote:

But what do you mean with "better rider"? Genuine question - is this an offshoot of the better climbing point? I can't see how it would make you a better downhiller...

1) Read the 5 posts above this one, especially about carrying your speed through the downhill corners.
2) Try one for a couple of weeks, if you live in the right (not too seriously hilly) area and you have the right mind set you will never give it up and you'll use it as much as your geared bikes.

Northwind

Torres wrote:

It also teaches you to be smoother and carry more speed whilst going down. You cannot peddle out of corners (or you just spin out) so you learn to pick the lines that allow you to keep your speed and momentum up.

Nothing you can't do with gears.

ravey1981

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

..... But I've yet to find a hill I can ride on my geared bike that I can't on my ss.....

Bollocks! You need to find some proper hills if thats the case... I concider myself to be a pretty strong rider and there are some hills where I live (Yorkshire Dales) that are definitely granny ringers...

Buckled_Rims

I'm a SS convert. I was hesitant at first, but converted an old MTB to 32/16 gearing.

1. It's made me much fitter very quickly.
2. You can't cheat, you need to think ahead.
3. Simple to maintain.
4. very light weight now the gearing is thrown away.
5. Psychologically challenging.

I can actually keep (even accelerate better) up with many of the the other guys on 27 sp gears. My maximum speed is around 16 mph, anything under that then my mates can't keep up with me.

Don't get me wrong, I love my 27 sp XP gears on my other bike which I use on really hilly areas, but I'll never get rid of a single speeder, never.

If you want to be fitter and stronger faster, go SS.

Anonymous

y'know the whole "it makes you a better rider" thing?

do you mean it'll make you better at riding geared bikes or it'll make you better at riding SS bikes?

'cause im gonna be honest with you, it sounds like a bunch of hippy crap to me.

I have never ridden any single speed bike, im sure i said once before that i know i wouldnt like it without trying one. in much the same way as i know i wouldnt enjoy having one foot removed without trying it.

Buckled_Rims

If you don't want to try it, don't!

There's always going to be arguments over many things, manual or automatic gears in cars. Plasma or LCD televisions....etc....

SS is not going to make any rider better in the sense they'll have a Revelation, it just makes a rider come down to a bike and them situation. As the world becomes ever more sophisticated, true ability becomes less apparent.

Why are people so scared to admit they have to get off a bike and push? Using a granny ring isn't going to make you any fitter. A SS is going to do 2 things, make you stronger in the legs and in the mind. Why be scared of that?

Every person who has ridden my MTB bike says two things.

1. It's smooth (ie, straight chainline)
2. I didn't think it was like that.

Northwind

Buckled_Rims wrote:

Using a granny ring isn't going to make you any fitter.

Well, uh, yes it will.

Stronger in the mind, well... Singlespeed being better than just not changing gear is only better in that it stops you cheating. Being stopped from cheating doesn't make you stronger in the mind- resisting cheating does that.

Buckled_Rims

I never said anything about cheating so don't put that in my argument. All bike systems have gears, from single to 33 speeds so your argument is discounted straight away.

Northwind

I have absolutely no idea what that means Mad nonsequitur time!

So, tell me how singlespeed makes you stronger in the mind then? You didn't say anything about cheating, I know that, it was me that was talking about cheating

Valy

Northwind wrote:

I have absolutely no idea what that means Mad nonsequitur time!

So, tell me how singlespeed makes you stronger in the mind then? You didn't say anything about cheating, I know that, it was me that was talking about cheating

Yeah - if you think about it, you can change to a gear where you can just about manage to keep going up - and that ain't easy. Just like you decide when to get off a SS bike. It's up to the person how hard they wanna push.

ChrisMidsUK

efish wrote:

What's the point of a single speed bike?

I get the impression it's for the love of simplicity. Have a read of the first paragragh here...

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html

John Moore

Will all those who haven't tried single speeding for more than a week please either

1) Try it
2) Shut up because you just don't get it do you? :roll:


Why Single Speed
“Why - The three F’s... Fun, Fitness and fficiency".
http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/page43.htm

PS I'm off out on my geared full susser today :oops: