Silly question

paulus69

Its a bit quiet in here and I have a question that I am sure will provoke some discussion, whats teh big hoohaa about single speed bikes?

Theres not a huge weight saving getting rid of a few cogs

Its either going to be really hard going uphill or max out on the flat/downhill

Deraillors work quite well (or at least in my experience they do)

So whats the bonus of a single speed?

hatbeard

less bits to maintain. so less likely to break.

dhope

Bit lighter, less maintenance, stops you being lazy. Don't find I really need gears on a flat 6 mile commute.
It's also more enjoyable (if you find SS more enjoyable, which people that find SS more enjoyable do)

But there are plenty of threads that'll rehash the arguments

Jesus rode fixed btw.

pitchshifter

They are "cool".

I like mine as its nippy and easier to negotiate traffic than my road bike.

paulus69

dhope wrote:

Jesus rode fixed btw.

Jesus also rode on pavements and jumped reds

notsoblue

Less to maintain, no mucky dérailleur to get your skinny jeans dirty. Also no shifters or brakes to spoil the clean line of your handlebars. I'd go singlespeed, but I don't like lumberjack shirts, and can't grow a moustache

UndercoverElephant

paulus69 wrote:

dhope wrote:

Jesus rode fixed btw.

Jesus also rode on pavements and jumped reds

Jesus did not do these things, he had no need, he could just cycle down the middle of the canals.

deptfordmarmoset

Personally, I need gears to get me up hills and I need a freewheel so I can get my legs back on the way down, but at a guess I'd think that single speed will give cyclists a greater feeling of terrain so that instead of keeping up a cadence to minimise the effect of an incline, the SSer has to respond more closely, grinding or spinning according to the physical challenge of contours.

SamWise72

It's fun and challenging in a different way to ride a bike with only one gear. Less to think about, nothing to use but your legs. I don't ride fixed, but I do have a single speed, and I love it, for those reasons more than the maintenance (I don't ride it in the winter anyway)

Alphabet

as always, Sheldon says it best:

http://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html

Greg T

Doesn't need cleaning every couple of weeks in winter

and

I can track stand it - going stop start across town - that counts for a lot.

and

Chicks dig it

and

I'm nails and have a ring the size of a Vinyl Album.

rolf_f

Alphabet wrote:

as always, Sheldon says it best:

http://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html

And sensibly doesn't seem to mention the myth of reduced maintenance costs and time. This might apply to a comparison of a modern shifter system with single speed but, old school shifter systems (with maybe 7 or less speeds on the cassette) really need no more maintenance and are probably cheaper to run than single speeds what with the parts costing little and rarely needing replacement. A five speed (single chainring) down tube shifted bike is probably the ultimate balance between function and low maintenance.

You'd have to live out East or on Kirkstall road to run a single speed in Leeds and not be certifiable - quite a few must........

Alphabet

Greg T wrote:

I'm nailed so have a ring the size of a Vinyl Album.

FTFY

/lfgss

Alphabet

Rolf F wrote:

Alphabet wrote:

as always, Sheldon says it best:

http://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html

And sensibly doesn't seem to mention the myth of reduced maintenance costs and time. This might apply to a comparison of a modern shifter system with single speed but, old school shifter systems (with maybe 7 or less speeds on the cassette) really need no more maintenance and are probably cheaper to run than single speeds what with the parts costing little and rarely needing replacement. A five speed (single chainring) down tube shifted bike is probably the ultimate balance between function and low maintenance.

You'd have to live out East or on Kirkstall road to run a single speed in Leeds and not be certifiable - quite a few must........

yeah, massively depends on your route. in london they utterly make sense because it's not really hilly at all in central and 90% of my journey is flat as a pancake. Not so good for cumbria I'd imagine...

il_principe

Rolf F wrote:

Alphabet wrote:

as always, Sheldon says it best:

http://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html

And sensibly doesn't seem to mention the myth of reduced maintenance costs and time. This might apply to a comparison of a modern shifter system with single speed .

There's no ''might' about it.

SimonAH

Rolf F wrote:

Alphabet wrote:

as always, Sheldon says it best:

http://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html

And sensibly doesn't seem to mention the myth of reduced maintenance costs and time. This might apply to a comparison of a modern shifter system with single speed but, old school shifter systems (with maybe 7 or less speeds on the cassette) really need no more maintenance and are probably cheaper to run than single speeds what with the parts costing little and rarely needing replacement. A five speed (single chainring) down tube shifted bike is probably the ultimate balance between function and low maintenance.

You'd have to live out East or on Kirkstall road to run a single speed in Leeds and not be certifiable - quite a few must........

Unless of course you are amongst the enlightened and run a fixed gear with a belt.....maintenance is as close to zero as it is possible to get. My belt tension hasn't drifted noticeably in a thousand miles, and, er, that leaves tyre pressures and one brake caliper.

I cleaned my bike yesterday after a particlualrly filthy ride on canal paths and through parks. Took me sub two minutes with a wet rag - sparkling even under the BB. Betcha jealous now!

asprilla

SimonAH wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

Alphabet wrote:

as always, Sheldon says it best:

http://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html

And sensibly doesn't seem to mention the myth of reduced maintenance costs and time. This might apply to a comparison of a modern shifter system with single speed but, old school shifter systems (with maybe 7 or less speeds on the cassette) really need no more maintenance and are probably cheaper to run than single speeds what with the parts costing little and rarely needing replacement. A five speed (single chainring) down tube shifted bike is probably the ultimate balance between function and low maintenance.

You'd have to live out East or on Kirkstall road to run a single speed in Leeds and not be certifiable - quite a few must........

Unless of course you are amongst the enlightened and run a fixed gear with a belt.....maintenance is as close to zero as it is possible to get. My belt tension hasn't drifted noticeably in a thousand miles, and, er, that leaves tyre pressures and one brake caliper.

I cleaned my bike yesterday after a particlualrly filthy ride on canal paths and through parks. Took me sub two minutes with a wet rag - sparkling even under the BB. Betcha jealous now!

Depends, how about an Alfine with a belt drive?

gtvlusso

In essence:

For both SS and fixed:

Light bike
virtually no maint
quick to maintain if you have to do anything
great eexercise - same gear everywhere in every situation

for fixed:

constantly pedalling

Love it! Great for my (approx) 20 mile a day commute.

Have this same argument with some of the guys in the office. They swear that you can only ride a bike with gears......however, I am the highest miler in the office and beg to differ.