Discussion
Seen a few threads and websites suggesting single speed road bikes. Surely that will just make my 25 mile round trip to work very tiring, no?
I'm doing the commute on a Rockhopper MTB at the minute and I change gears a good few times depending on the ground surface, uphill/downhill and wind etc...
So, why a single speed road bike and what makes them popular?
I'm doing the commute on a Rockhopper MTB at the minute and I change gears a good few times depending on the ground surface, uphill/downhill and wind etc...
So, why a single speed road bike and what makes them popular?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-speed_bicycle
Cant see it myself, saw one the other day in bike shop, has a fabric ribbed drive chain instead of a chain, but for a decent ride to work, personally I would go for one with gears, some new ones do have hub gears, which are less hassle than derailer gears.
Dont forget the helmet, good luck, cycling is good for keeping the weight off, and enjoyable as well.
Cant see it myself, saw one the other day in bike shop, has a fabric ribbed drive chain instead of a chain, but for a decent ride to work, personally I would go for one with gears, some new ones do have hub gears, which are less hassle than derailer gears.
Dont forget the helmet, good luck, cycling is good for keeping the weight off, and enjoyable as well.
Cheers Vipers. I've been doing the ride to work for about 9 weeks now and done the North Pennine Cylceway a few weeks ago so I've done a fair bit of riding recently.
I think I'll just save up for a few month and get an Allez Road Bike now.
Always wear the helmet and high-viz jacket, there's some clowns on the roads ( cars aswell as bikes ).
I think I'll just save up for a few month and get an Allez Road Bike now.
Always wear the helmet and high-viz jacket, there's some clowns on the roads ( cars aswell as bikes ).
McFsC said:
Cheers Vipers. I've been doing the ride to work for about 9 weeks now and done the North Pennine Cylceway a few weeks ago so I've done a fair bit of riding recently.
I think I'll just save up for a few month and get an Allez Road Bike now.
Always wear the helmet and high-viz jacket, there's some clowns on the roads ( cars aswell as bikes ).
Penine ride sounds good, retired now but really look forward to a hard 10 Miles every morning, a good way to wake up, get a sweat on and keep the lbs off. Good weather use the racing bike, bad weather the Giant MTB.I think I'll just save up for a few month and get an Allez Road Bike now.
Always wear the helmet and high-viz jacket, there's some clowns on the roads ( cars aswell as bikes ).
The Allez Road bike is a good choice by the way.
A Rockhopper with MTB tyres is what I started with last summer. Av speed was way down due to the rolling resistance so that one reason you are up and down the gears.
A single will give you a real workout on the hills so if your legs are not up to it its prob not worth it, if they are I'm sure its a great way to get even fitter
A single will give you a real workout on the hills so if your legs are not up to it its prob not worth it, if they are I'm sure its a great way to get even fitter
Rocksteadyeddie said:
A fixed wheel - rather than a single speed - will make you a technically better rider, as well as fitter and stronger. Does take a bit of getting used to though.
I commute 16 miles per day on a Langster fixed wheel. Best decision I ever made. Quicker and neater now than ever I was on geared bikesI went singlespeed for the commute a few years ago and haven't looked back. There are two big reasons for me:
1) Maintenance. Particularly for the bike which lives at Paddington, the lack of any gear-related gubbins means much less hassle in replacing and tweaking bits and pieces.
2) Fitness. The fact that you can't simply drop a few cogs makes a massive difference to your fitness, very quickly. Since going singlespeed for what are effectively my training rides to and from work, I find that my MTB climbing is hugely improved.
1) Maintenance. Particularly for the bike which lives at Paddington, the lack of any gear-related gubbins means much less hassle in replacing and tweaking bits and pieces.
2) Fitness. The fact that you can't simply drop a few cogs makes a massive difference to your fitness, very quickly. Since going singlespeed for what are effectively my training rides to and from work, I find that my MTB climbing is hugely improved.
McFsC said:
Seen a few threads and websites suggesting single speed road bikes. Surely that will just make my 25 mile round trip to work very tiring, no?
I'm doing the commute on a Rockhopper MTB at the minute and I change gears a good few times depending on the ground surface, uphill/downhill and wind etc...
So, why a single speed road bike and what makes them popular?
Singlespeed or fixed wheel road bikes bikes have had a revival primarily due to fashion: the whole messenger/hipster thing.I'm doing the commute on a Rockhopper MTB at the minute and I change gears a good few times depending on the ground surface, uphill/downhill and wind etc...
So, why a single speed road bike and what makes them popular?
However, that aside, SS bikes do have their uses. As has been said they're low(er) maintenance: you just need to wipe and reoil the chain every now and then, with no cables, mechs etc to worry about. You have to keep an eye on chain tension, mind, and it can be fiddly (even with chain tugs) getting it (and wheel alignment) right.
If set up right, it's quieter, smoother and a teeny, tiny bit more efficient (the latter from a numbers POV: as a rider, you wouldn't notice unless your geared bike was *really* bad!).
It's also good for training. It's not better than gears nor any worse. Just different. You have to get used to high cadance for speed, and low cadance for climbing, with potential benefits for fitness and strength. You also learn to just "get on with it" so come the time you get back on a geared bike, you're not up/down the gears anywhere near as much (thanks to dicipline, fitness and strength as already mentioned).
HOWEVER, it's not a substitute for training in a geared bike. With a geared bike you can use the gears to mix things up: higher cadences yet at the same time big efforts (boosting power/sprinting/TT'ings etc), sustained efforts, spinning for hills etc, etc.
I ride 13 miles a day on a SS, 48T front 16T rear, so I rarely spin out. My fitness and leg strength went right up after a few weeks. I have two geared road bikes in the garage, they never get ridden now.
I stand up as I pull away so that my knees don't suffer, then sit back down once up to speed. It's always funny listening to the lycra-clad roadbiker behind me, smashing his way through the gears trying to keep up to no avail!
As someone else said, they are pretty much zero maintainance too, in the winter when it's filthy it gets a quick jet wash and wipe of the chain.
They are perfect city bikes, but I wouldn't fancy riding up any major hills on mine! Go for it, a decent SS bike doesn't cost much, and they sell quite quickly on ebay for decent money if you really can't stand it......
I stand up as I pull away so that my knees don't suffer, then sit back down once up to speed. It's always funny listening to the lycra-clad roadbiker behind me, smashing his way through the gears trying to keep up to no avail!
As someone else said, they are pretty much zero maintainance too, in the winter when it's filthy it gets a quick jet wash and wipe of the chain.
They are perfect city bikes, but I wouldn't fancy riding up any major hills on mine! Go for it, a decent SS bike doesn't cost much, and they sell quite quickly on ebay for decent money if you really can't stand it......
I think I will still get the Allez for now, then eventually get a SS for the ride to work and use the road bike on weekends for longer rides.
If I get the SS for now then that limits me on weekends really as there are some great climbs around here ( N.Yorks Moors, Clay/Carlton and Leven banks ).
If I get the SS for now then that limits me on weekends really as there are some great climbs around here ( N.Yorks Moors, Clay/Carlton and Leven banks ).
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