Originally Posted by
BassistBiker
-Am I too old to start riding a SS? LOL! (too late, the bike is coming)
No. I'm 65 and most of my riding last year was fixed gear.
-Is there a good gearing place to start? (mine is coming set up 44x16) My city (Madison WI) has some hills, but nothing terrible, if it's too bad I'll get off and push, is 44x16 good gearing for mostly flat(ish) riding?
44/16 ought to be fine. I lived in Madison for about 12 years. There's good riding in that area.
-Is there a reason to consider a bull horn or drop bar instead of the riser bar I'm getting?
Bullhorn only for style points. I like a drop bar because it gives more hand positions than a riser or bullhorn bar; that's a plus for longer rides and headwinds.
-I've got a full set of bike tools with a definite bias towards MTB maintenance & repair, but nothing for SS or Fixie...any tools that are must haves?
A freewheel remover for whatever make/model single freewheel you have. A 15mm wrench for the wheel axle nuts. A chain whip and lockring pliers or spanner, if you decide to try fixed.
-The bike is coming set up with likely the cheapest 700x23 tires available, are there any good 700x25 tire suggestions for just tooling around the city, nothing fancy, just durable and hopefully fast(ish) rolling? Is there a different size I should consider for my weight?
Wear out the original tires first, then I'd get the widest tire that will fit through your frame and fork. Panaracer "Paselas" are probably the best bang for the buck, and are available up to 32mm wide.
-Is there any truth to "SS & Fixies are bad for your knees"? My knees aren't the greatest, I'd hate to damage them further.
Not if you're careful. Pace yourself going up hills; don't try to set any speed records (at least not at first). This means a
really low cadence on some hills. On a hill like that, people will think you're bad-ass enough to ride it on a single speed, regardless of how slow you go.
If you have range-of-motion limitations in your knees, shorter crank arms will help, and also give you more clearance going through corners (more a concern with fixed gear than single-speed).
-Any tips, tricks or pointers for an older dude just trying to have a little fun on his new SS?
Take it easy until you get used to riding with only one gear. It may take a while to keep up on group rides, if that's your thing. If your bike has a fixed/free rear hub, do try riding fixed. I find it more satisfying than single-speed. Make sure you have foot retention if/when you try fixed gear.