Single speed

[Meis]

I see a lot of talk about single speed bikes and the odd one sold here and there. Now there are even clams to convert a standard freehub body to run single speed.

 

Can someone pleas explain to me what the deal is? Why do you want a single speed and what do you do with it?

 

Any comments, thoughts or reasons appreciated.

Thanks

[MoreTrails]

You can buy conversion kits for a standard freehub body - its a single cog with spacers that allow you to achieve a straight chainline relative to the chainring.

 

For me its a simplicity thing - less maintenance and all you have to do on your bike is pedal. For others it may be a training thing, for some a noise issue thing (one gear so you have to have a tight chain and therefore no slapping of the chain on the frame).

 

You can also do it with a belt drive, but one needs to a specific frame to do this - but it is very nifty. Go to the singlespeed / fixie catagory on the hab and go read up on the Single Speed World champs, also search the net for some very interesting photo's.

 

We are all a special breed us single speeders.... part maniac, part sadist, all fun in the sun!

[GTRacing]

strange but true....

[deanbean]

Meis after cycling for 20 years things were getting a bit stale, so I needed a change, and this was the cheapest, and it's made me much stronger on the hills.

[Procrates]

If you have to ask, you are not ready.

[eggsovereasywithteandtoast]

some say:

 

"singlespeeding, it's about freedom, simplicity, pleasure, history and most of all a sense of childhood, what it's not, is that you don't brag about it, it's not about being a macho, it doesn't make you a stronger rider than others

Edited January 13, 2011 by eggsovereasywithteandtoast

[Meis]

Well, after the comments/explanations I can honestly say that "I still don't get it", I like having more gears when I get to a hill

 

I can however understand how someone could get into it and almost (like MoreTrails and eggsovereasywithteandtoast) leave your wife and run off to a Caribbean island with it.

 

So, thanks for the info and maybe when i've been riding for 20 years (16 years from now) I'll come back and answer the same question?

[EigerSA]

There's nothing wrong with liking more gears, or even less gears, but have you tried riding a single speed? At the end of the day as long as you're cycling, it doesn't matter what you ride, just keep pedaling.

[Li Mu Bai]

Single Speed is just plain fun! bombing through tight technical stuff, cruising on flats and downhill, simple and clean. Hills do take a little more effort. Its slower than racing a normal bike, because you reach max pedal velocity on the flats and downs quickly, climbing can be hard, and slow too.

Its just a different mind set, and till you have tried it you wont get it.

 

Track fixie is a great sprinting tool, very specific training if you are looking to get out of your comfort zone and IMPROVE your cycling.

You dont have to wait 20 years either.