Single gear/speed bikes

Factual Questions
1

I’m in the market for a bicycle, something I haven’t bought for about 15 years. Back then it was ALL about mountain bikes and I had a very nice Marin which I loved, but mainly because I was genuinely using it mostly for off-roading.

Fast forward and I’m looking for a commuting bike. Weight is really important as I live in a third floor flat and will need to carry it upstairs in order to store in on my balcony. The obvious choice would seem to be some form of hybrid, although some of those can be quite heavy.

HOWEVER, there seems to be a real trend for single gear bikes around where I live, but I know next to nothing about them and don’t know whether this is just some design fad (which wouldn’t surprise me as I live in hipsterville in East London).

So what are they about? I’ve read sites that suggest they’re lighter, which is good, and I’ll mostly be on flat roads, but if I suddenly decide I want to go biking in the countryside are they no good? What do the teeming millions think are the advantages/disadvantages?

2

The simple fact is they are easier to maintain. Fewer moving parts means fewer problems in the long run. If you are someone who depends on their bike being reliable, such as a courier then it is important. Bike couriers seems to set trends among select hipster types for some reason and they spread in popularity.

In my case I don’t like them. Braking issues, and the fact that I like being able to change gears even for small inclines and the like. I also don’t trust a bike whose original purpose was for the racetrack.

3

Be aware of the difference between a fixed-gear bike and a single-speed. A fixed-gear setup has no free-wheeling feature, it’s a direct connection between the pedals and rear wheel. You can’t coast on one, because the pedals keep turning as long as the bike is in motion. Of course, this means you can also pedal backwards or stand in place by “shuffling” back and forth. Fixed gear bikes are preferred by trick riders and those involved in “trials” riding. Personally, I don’t like them.

A single-speed bike is simply a bike without multiple gears. A cruiser-style single-speed is usually rather heavy and uses a coaster break where the brakes are applied to the rear hub by “standing back” on the pedals. Most other single-speed types use caliper or disc brakes.

My own bike is a Redline Monocog 29er, which is a single-speed mountain bike. I like it so well I’d recommend it to anyone, for just about any purpose. The 29-inch wheels and very good bearings give it the best free-wheeling characteristics of any bike I’ve owned, and the gear ratio is easy enough to take hills without too much strain, but high enough that I can hold a steady 7 mph or slightly better on the level without exerting myself. It’s a medium-weight bike (about 30 lbs) and bullet-proof enough to go anywhere I’m man enough to pedal it.
SS

4

They are lighter (no gears, less equipment) and have less upkeep (no gears, less equipment).

The downside? No gears, less equipment.

Depending on which version is popular where you are*, they may or may not have a full set of brakes. Spiffy if you’re a full-time rider with a mild deathwish, not so good for sane people.

One gear may be fine where you are, but more gears are more efficient. You can go faster with less effort using gears. And yes, if you get out anywhere with some hills, you’ll find that a single gear is … a LOT of work.

Bike messengers are usually at the front of these trends - and their point is usually to prove how studly they (and their bikes) are. Besides which, they ride all day every day and have the legs for it. If you live in Hipsterville, they’re probably following those fads.

I’d recommend borrowing/renting a bike and riding it around for a while. Even if it has gears, just set it in the middle and don’t use the rest. That should give you a fair idea of whether a single-gear bike will work for you in your area.

There are other ways to shed weight besides losing gears (lighter frame, lighter wheels, etc.).

  • Around here, there are one-speeds (true old-school; no gears, coaster brakes), single-speeds (no gears, free-wheel, hand-brakes), and fixed-gears (no gears, no free-wheel, usually sans brakes but sometimes have one wheel braked). Generally single-speeds and fixies are limited to the mucho-macho bike dicks. One-speeds are usually cruisers ridden by people who don’t ride bikes much.
5

People say that fixed gear bikes let you feel much more connected to the road; which is both more fun, and a huge advantage in slippery/sandy/snowy conditions. Which is another reason, aside from mere bike snobbery, that messengers, etc. like them.
I don’t know, myself, since my knees are too banged up to even consider a fixie (on a fixie, there are going to be times when the pedals are pulling your legs around, rather than vice versa. That stresses the knees a lot).

If you haven’t ridden in years, my guess is you probably don’t want and aren’t ready for a fixed-gear.
I’m not sure the weight difference between a single-speed and say ten-speed is really enough to make much difference – the weight of a derailleur, four more sprockets and few extra links of chain isn’t that much, far less than the difference between a moderate road frame and beefy mountain bike frame.

My advice is to get a moderately tough road bike or touring bike or light hybrid or whatever buzzwords are used. Medium-weight frame, moderate gears, no suspension or anything, a rack for carrying things, add fenders if you want.
Big decision is drop handlebars (like a classic ten-speed) or upright, like a classic cruiser or mountain bike. Upright is quicker to get used to, drop-bars are more efficient and much more comfortable as you ride more, because you can change positions.

6

Third floor flat? If I were you I would be looking at a folding bike.

This helps for storage in urban areas and facilitates taking the bike on public transportation - both of which should come into play in London.

Because of the weather there, I would forego a derailleur or single speed setup and instead opt for the internal hub gear - incidentally invented by the British, and for good reason.

I do not own a folder, but I own a 35-year old Raleigh with a Sturmey-Archer hub - I have to oil the thing a couple times a year and that’s about all for maintenance.

7

Yeah, I crave an internal hub gear. I should go check prices again…

I thought of a folding bike, but I thought those ran towards the heavy side. Then again, I haven’t really looked at any in years, so things have probably improved.

Short version: what he said. :wink:

8

Or how about a 50’ boat hoist from the balcony?

9

Don’t think I haven’t thought about it (if only for getting groceries up the stairs)!

I’m thinking from what everyone has said that maybe a single-speed is perhaps not the way to go. Maybe a hybrid after all. I’m not very keen on folding bikes – heavy and I don’t plan on taking it on public transport. I do have a love for Marins from my previous experience, and they do a range of what they call ‘city bikes’ which seem lightweight. I like drop handlebars (had an old racer when I was a student), but I guess I get get drop bars fitted if they don’t come as standard. What I’m clueless about if the subtle differences between bikes in close price ranges.

10

There are single speed and gear-hub bikes now available with belt drives instead of chains. This Trek is one example. The advantage is that you won’t get an oily chain on your clothes while hauling the bike in and out of the flat.

11

Oooh niiiice :slight_smile:

12

I use White Lightning Clean Ride. There are several similar products on the market. Goes on wet, dries to a waxy residue that lubes and doesn’t attract dirt and grime.

13

“people” can come up with pretty much any BS rationalization they want to justify their choices. This sounds like the same mostly-elitist stuff that manual-transmission snobs say.

14

Just wondering, have you ever ridden a fixed gear bike? I haven’t, but I’ve had my rear wheel skid on sand and not really been able to tell how much traction I really had; a fixed gear would have definitely made a difference, I think.

I guess I’m really wondering if you think the ‘BS rationalization’ also applies to the choice NOT to ride a fixed gear? Or the ‘sour grapes’ bad-mouthing of something that one either can’t or won’t do?

15

Single and/or fixed gears isn’t just elitist crap - it has some real advantages (and drawbacks, of course). You could do worse than reading what Sheldon Brown had to say on the matter. Fixed gear, single speed. I personally prefer a single gear freehub(not fixed).

I ride a single gear bike myself and I like it a lot. It’s not a fixie, but simply a old light weight steel frame with a single gear freehub (no back-pedal brakes) and brakes on the handlebars (and Biopace chainring!). I was sceptical but I much prefer it over my 3-gear (internal) bike or 21 gear (external) mountain bike. It’s sturdy and robust and very easy to maintain.

If you want the option to switch between fix/non fix you could go for a flip-flop hub.

16

Most advantages of fixies or single speeds seem like rationalizations to me. Yes they can be lighter and no doubt they can be fun (like many impractical things). No doubt they are hip.

I doubt they are much if at all more reliable. Yes derailleurs need adjustment but not usually so badly you can’t still get to work. And derailleur bikes have a chain tensioner that takes up chain slack as the chain wears. Single speeds and fixies don’t: unless you do more maintenance checks than most people actually do, first you find out is when your grubby chain falls off on the way to work. Not fun and yes i’m speaking from experience. Also when the chain does fall off you can’t just flick it back on with the derailleur without stopping.

I don’t understand the traction thing: why would a fixie or single speed give you better feel? When you are pedaling forward they are connected to your wheel exactly as for a geared bike.

17

I don’t think that single speed freehubs are supposed to giving you any better traction or a better feel for the road than any other gearing system. Fixies feel different at least. I’ve only tried a fixed gear bike once or twice and I don’t particularly like it.

IME my single speed bike breaks down a lot less often than either of my other bikes, and I would actually put it the other way around: If you do a lot of maintenance checks on your derailleur bike you’ll get the sort of stability-in-performance that single speeds give.

Oh, and I use a chain tensioner too. This one. I’m not sure how my Biopace chainring would act without one (though Sheldon claims it works just fine).

18

I thought I was the last person on the planet with a Biopace chainring, and I got rid of it about three years ago.

19

Biopace, sweet! We’ve got one of those on the commuter bike. :cool:

I’ve got nothing in particular against singlespeeds and fixies, if you like to ride those. I don’t, but that’s because I’m old, fat, and decrepit. :smiley:

Well, fixies just a bit, because most people riding them seem to be asses, but I think that’s a factor of demographics as much as anything.

I just don’t think they’re good bikes for a relative newbie, unless maybe said newbie is already an accomplished athlete in another area.

SanVito, a hybrid is a good choice. An internal hub would be awesome - no chain, no rings; no muss, no fuss. Swapping bars out should be easy; if you buy from a bike shop, they’ll probably be willing to trade out fairly even. You do want something that you can add fenders to, and probably baskets or racks.

If you really like the road-bike geometry, you might also look at cyclocross bikes. They’re another sort of hybrid, but lean more to the road side than the MTB side.

The price difference that you’re seeing is usually in the components. It’s kind of like the levels in car models. A company will take one frame and deck it out in three or four different sents of components (wheels, gearing, pedals, brakes, seat, etc.) at different price points.

The difference in price between components is generally weight. If you want, you can pay hundreds to shave off that last few ounces. For most folks, I advise them to purchase the low-end components to start with. They are heavier, but they also tend to be a bit sturdier. Then you upgrade as components wear out - and by then you’ll have a better idea of what you prefer. And when I say “heavier”, that’s in bike terms, which thinks in ounces not pounds. If you get a good frame, not big-box-store crud, you’re going to be running fairly light to start with.

Good luck on your quest!

20

Heh. I was given an unused Biopace chainring last year when I built my bike. I thought it would be fun to try it out. I quite like it, but as I ride mostly in the city, I haven’t really put it to the test. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t do any harm…