Single Speed road bike vs cruiser on timed run
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Single Speed road bike vs cruiser on timed run
So, I'm a 67 year old cancer survivor with a bad right knee. My bike is a cheapo Thruster Fixie by Kent I believe. It's a flat baf road bike with C700 tires. Weight, as ridden (with a seat post rack, water bottle bracket on the handlebar, and an extendable baton on the rack for emergency dog protection) is about 31 pounds. I ride a 2.5 mile course every day, with a number of hills. The last half mild is so has 6 hills, the steepest I get down to very slow speeds, but I always clear all of them. Yesterday, I fixed a flat on my 39 year old daughter's Huffy Cranbrook cruiser bike, also single speed with coaster brakes. My bike has rim brakes all around. Fixed the flat, wired up the tires and lined the chain on the cruiser. I had done my ride in the am, and decided I'd read my run on the cruise to compare. The gearing on my bike is 2.66 gear ratio, don't know on the cruiser bike. Felt roughly the same. Weighed the cruiser in at about 37:2 pounds as ridden, so about 6.2 pounds heavier. Yesterday I set a time record for me on my bike of 11.01. When I began this about 3 weeks ago, I was at about 12:40 or so. Do, the 11:01 time run, everything went smoothly. Didn't have to stop or slow for cars, etc. So, the run with the heavier cruiser bike came in at a whopping 12:45. Due to the weight, and possibly s difference in gearing, rolling resistance etc, etc, and maybe I wasn't as strong after doing my morning run 3-4 hours earlier, though I did make all the hills, I was just generally slower. I know I can Gey my Thruster going faster in general. Is the cruiser rideable? Sure. Would I want to go on much longer rides with more hills? Not at this time. I should point out that, the knee is an obvious hindrance, but the two years of cancer treatment ending in October of 2018, really knocked my strength and stamina for a loop. I am working to gain back what I can. The daily ride, a daily walk, followed by some weight work right after the walk, and it seems to be helping some as shown by my improved times on my ride when riding MY bike anyway.
The Huffy has a steel frame, but so does my Thruster. I am considering getting s bike with some gears as I would like to do some longer rides for practical errands. Those rides would start at 15 miles or so, and if I can build myself back up to riding to Hilo and back, with a bit of running around there, that would be around 30 miles round trip. I had been doing rides like those on the Thruster about 6-7 years ago before blowing my knee up, but don't know if I'll be able to do it on a single speed bike again. I have read about bikes like my Thruster, with a weight of 21 pounds or so, and that would help. I won't buy a cruiser, I don't think. Think I'll stick with something lighter with skinny tires. I,'m looking at the Priority Classic, an internal hub 3 speed, 25 pound bike with belt dive, and one built to fight rust in general. It's about $700 shipped to me in Hawaii though. My current bike is super easy to work on, which I love.
The Huffy has a steel frame, but so does my Thruster. I am considering getting s bike with some gears as I would like to do some longer rides for practical errands. Those rides would start at 15 miles or so, and if I can build myself back up to riding to Hilo and back, with a bit of running around there, that would be around 30 miles round trip. I had been doing rides like those on the Thruster about 6-7 years ago before blowing my knee up, but don't know if I'll be able to do it on a single speed bike again. I have read about bikes like my Thruster, with a weight of 21 pounds or so, and that would help. I won't buy a cruiser, I don't think. Think I'll stick with something lighter with skinny tires. I,'m looking at the Priority Classic, an internal hub 3 speed, 25 pound bike with belt dive, and one built to fight rust in general. It's about $700 shipped to me in Hawaii though. My current bike is super easy to work on, which I love.
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#2
Super-duper Genius
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There are several reasons why you are faster on your bike than your daughter's. These may include the overall weight, weight of the wheels and tires (especially when you're going up the hills), tire rolling resistance, resistance of bearings in the hubs and drivetrain, and aerodynamic drag. There might also be some major inefficiencies related to bike fit (it's hard to ride well on a bike that is too big or too small for your body). I suspect your bike is better on every one of these points. There may not be big differences in some of them, but every little bit adds up.
#3
Rhapsodic Laviathan
I think Cranbrooks have a 40t crank. when I finish my single speed, I might try this test myself. My LaJolla has a 48t crank and a freewheel vs a coaster. Both bikes will have a 48/17, both aren't that heavy, LaJollas are pretty light, probably the lightest walmart bike.
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I finally got down to 11:00 flat about a couple weeks back. Then a run of a bit over, but very close to that number. Getting a good time depends largely on cars. Today, I did my morning run, with not having to slow or stop for any cars. It didn't feel like I was going particularly fast, but my leg strength is improving. So, I was a bit surprised that I smashed my 11:00 record with a 10:47. I was expecting right around 11:00. When I first started this, it was well over 12 minutes, with some around 12:40. I am having fun, getting good exercise, and am going to keep it up. I go in Get my six month PSA test early next month. Hoping it dropped down to the "less than .06" level it had been at for the last three years. At worst, I hope it held at the .08 from my last test. If it rises, it could mean the cancer is returning. I think if it goes up, I won't be buying another bike.
#5
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By my calculation, your 10:47 minutes for 2.5 miles is nearly a 14 mph average, which is excellent for a heavy bike on a hilly course. Good luck with your PSA results.
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
today, I had a smooth ride with no car interference, and took 8 seconds off my record. I did my circuit in 10.23 on the 2.5 mile route. I've also lost over 12 pounds and am down to 192.6 this morning. I'd love to get down to 175. I'm not starving either. My weight in high school was 155, but I have shrunk n height down to about 5'8". Two years of cancer treatment (lupron and 40 radiation treatments) put the weight on me and destroyed much of my strength and stamina. That and my bad right knee have been obstacles. My daily ride and afternoon walk followed by some barbell work are helping. The ride is fun, but the home stretch hills are tough for me.