commuting on a single speed?
 

Hey guys, I've come across a Bianchi Roger for a great price. I haven't ridden a single speed in years, and I'm thinking about commuting a few miles to and from the train. I also would like to get the walky dog attachment to take my 2 dogs (75 lbs, 95 lbs) on short runs. Anyhow, I'm a big guy - 210 lbs. Do you think this bike would be a good choice? I realize I may have to upgrade the wheels down the road, but they should work for a bit. I'd really like a steel, disc brake, and single speed - although I'm not totally against geared. If you have any other suggestions - I'd love to hear! ~$600 is about my limit!

Thanks for the advice!

Tyler

If you can get one within your budget then I'd say go for it. It's a nice ride for sure.

Thanks for the reply! Any concerns about my weight? Also, sometimes carrying 15-20 lbs backpack. My last ride was a Redline Conquest Pro Disc. Seems those wheels took less than a month to go out of true with a 10 mi HILLY round trip commute.

You recognized the only concern with your weight - you may potentially have to upgrade wheels, though wait to see if you need to. You will probably be just fine.

I mostly commute on my dumpster fixies wearing a 30 pound pack (I weigh 200 lbs) and my bikes hold up fine. Sure I bend/break chainrings maybe once a year but then I'm using 20 year old cranks and chainrings that came from average grade multi-geared bikes that weren't designed to handle the stresses of a fixed gear drive-train.

As for the Bianchi Roger itself, I remember it having good strong WTB hubs and SX24 rims so just as long as the wheels were properly built, they should be strong and able to handle your weight and hard riding.

Awesome! Thanks! Any other cross, disc, single speed/geared combo suggestions? Pro's/con's of single speed for upwards of ~5 mi commute on mostly flat terrain? Also, how difficult would it be to switch the Roger to geared in the future?

Thanks again!

Tyler

Dedicated s/s frame. No deraileur hanger.

...from what the original owner said, they do make bolt on derailleur hangers? I have no experience with this, but I would like the option in case I find SS isn't for me.

If you want gears and are worried about your wheel strength on a commuter, forget about derailleurs and get a rear wheel with a Shimano Alfine 8 internal gear hub. This eliminates wheel dish from the rear sprockets, less maintenance and it accepts disc breaks, plus with those horizontal dropouts on the Bianchi you won't have to use a fugly chain tensioner. It's a win/win. Great bike, BTW.

I think Harris Cyclery sells those rear wheels pre-built.

Sounds to me like the spokes are undertensioned. Bicycle wheels are incredibly strong, but that have to be built correctly to live up to their potential strength. The Bianchi Roger wheels should hold you with no problems and last many years without going out of true if you make sure the spokes are stress-relieved and properly tensioned by a competent wheel mechanic before you start riding it.

^+1^

Internal gear hub if the single speed gets to hard.
I ride a single speed bike commuting to work and also use it on the weekends pulling my two boys around in a trailer. If you’re worried about the strength of you wheels I would just keep an eye on them and after each ride just check them for trueness. Good Luck!

+1. I'd have to agree with the others as well. The modern IGHs I've ridden (though just a handful) are very smooth shifting, have good ratios and IMHO are a much more appealing option regarding function and aesthetics over externally geared hubs.

Thanks for all of your reply's. It makes me feel better about the purchase, being a full doctoral student living on loans! LOL One more wrench to throw into the mix - if I could get my hands on a similarly set up Salsa La Cruz single speed w/discs at the same price although with a tensioner - which would be the better deal? More bang for the buck? Best resale value in case I would need to sell for unseen reasons?

Thanks so much for all of your help!

Really? You think there are IGHs that function--meaning shift--better than EGHs? That's awesome to hear! I really wanted to buy a Burley Runabout a few years ago, but simply couldn't live with the unresponsive SRAM IGH; it was slow shifting at best, and wouldn't shift at all under load. I hammer too much to deal with that kind of crap. And it was heavy.

Anyway, if it's true that IGHs rival EGH hubs in function nowadays, I need to check one out! I love the idea of having weatherproof shifting!

total weight load more likely to affect how you gear the bike more than the bike's durability