An old guy newbie to single speed?
#1
bironi
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 266
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 98 Post(s)
Liked 291 Times
in
118 Posts
An old guy newbie to single speed?
I have been riding fixed for over 10 year for most of every season.
I have installed a White Industries single speed freewheel on my winter bike.
It sure seems to be faster and less effort, although I may have slightly too low of gear inches.
Does this ring true to you?
Thanks,
By
I have installed a White Industries single speed freewheel on my winter bike.
It sure seems to be faster and less effort, although I may have slightly too low of gear inches.
Does this ring true to you?
Thanks,
By
Last edited by bironi; 09-26-23 at 10:12 PM. Reason: stupidity
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Valley Forge: Birthplace of Freedom
Posts: 1,299
Bikes: Novara Safari, CAAD9, WABI Classic, WABI Thunder
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 366 Post(s)
Liked 457 Times
in
240 Posts
My freewheel is faster than fixed. Both are fun, though this year I've been riding the freewheel much more than fixed.
__________________
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
#3
buy my bikes
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1,800
Bikes: my very own customized GUNNAR CrossHairs
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 519 Post(s)
Liked 428 Times
in
249 Posts
it's only been the last few months I've attempted riding roads (mostly dirt) on a fixed gear. So far the overall ride is probably slower as I'm still learning how to approach intersections at speed and stop quickly... with my foot in the right position to kick off smoothly again.
And then there's downhills - I am definitely faster freewheeling downhill. I think, due to : 1. confidence; 2. coasting over bumps & holes in the road with my weight off the seat; 3. leg speed; 4. and that confidence to stop quickly
only the last 2 weeks or so did i start figuring out the whole - lock the rear wheel thing - by kind of weighting forward a bit and pushing pretty hard with the feet in the wrong direction. Usually only on the loose dirt, I'm not looking to trash a tire.
cheers.
ps: i'm having a harder time track standing fixed. with a freewheel, i'm used to being able to back pedal and NOT go anywhere! now it's fixed, ..... i'm not used to it yet.
And then there's downhills - I am definitely faster freewheeling downhill. I think, due to : 1. confidence; 2. coasting over bumps & holes in the road with my weight off the seat; 3. leg speed; 4. and that confidence to stop quickly
only the last 2 weeks or so did i start figuring out the whole - lock the rear wheel thing - by kind of weighting forward a bit and pushing pretty hard with the feet in the wrong direction. Usually only on the loose dirt, I'm not looking to trash a tire.
cheers.
ps: i'm having a harder time track standing fixed. with a freewheel, i'm used to being able to back pedal and NOT go anywhere! now it's fixed, ..... i'm not used to it yet.
#5
Cheerfully low end
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,978
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 646 Post(s)
Liked 1,044 Times
in
667 Posts
Fixed gear requires that you do the “overhead” of spinning your legs, feet and pedals at some speed when going downhill unless you are deliberately forcing the bike to move your feet and legs to brake. Either way there is an energy cost.
Single speed doesn’t require this overhead so you can coast and not pedal. So there is more total work involved riding fixed gear, at least on routes with some downhill part.
Otto
Single speed doesn’t require this overhead so you can coast and not pedal. So there is more total work involved riding fixed gear, at least on routes with some downhill part.
Otto
Last edited by ofajen; 10-09-23 at 06:57 AM.
Likes For ofajen:
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 3,843
Bikes: Trek Domane SL6 Gen 3, Soma Fog Cutter, Focus Mares AL, Detroit Bikes Sparrow FG, Volae Team, Nimbus MUni
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 896 Post(s)
Liked 2,065 Times
in
1,081 Posts
I can't imagine any terrain or distance where fixed would be faster. On a short flat or uphill route there should be no difference. Other than that, SS should be faster. Faster on a steep downhill, easier to give your rear a short break on a long ride.
Having said that, on a local flat 100km route, my PR is on fixed not geared. Never tried it SS though. Maybe I should; by the end I'm really wanting to stand up and stretch for even just a moment.
Having said that, on a local flat 100km route, my PR is on fixed not geared. Never tried it SS though. Maybe I should; by the end I'm really wanting to stand up and stretch for even just a moment.
Likes For downtube42:
#7
bironi
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 266
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 98 Post(s)
Liked 291 Times
in
118 Posts
I can't imagine any terrain or distance where fixed would be faster. On a short flat or uphill route there should be no difference. Other than that, SS should be faster. Faster on a steep downhill, easier to give your rear a short break on a long ride.
Having said that, on a local flat 100km route, my PR is on fixed not geared. Never tried it SS though. Maybe I should; by the end I'm really wanting to stand up and stretch for even just a moment.
Having said that, on a local flat 100km route, my PR is on fixed not geared. Never tried it SS though. Maybe I should; by the end I'm really wanting to stand up and stretch for even just a moment.
#8
bironi
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 266
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 98 Post(s)
Liked 291 Times
in
118 Posts
it's only been the last few months I've attempted riding roads (mostly dirt) on a fixed gear. So far the overall ride is probably slower as I'm still learning how to approach intersections at speed and stop quickly... with my foot in the right position to kick off smoothly again.
And then there's downhills - I am definitely faster freewheeling downhill. I think, due to : 1. confidence; 2. coasting over bumps & holes in the road with my weight off the seat; 3. leg speed; 4. and that confidence to stop quickly
only the last 2 weeks or so did i start figuring out the whole - lock the rear wheel thing - by kind of weighting forward a bit and pushing pretty hard with the feet in the wrong direction. Usually only on the loose dirt, I'm not looking to trash a tire.
cheers.
ps: i'm having a harder time track standing fixed. with a freewheel, i'm used to being able to back pedal and NOT go anywhere! now it's fixed, ..... i'm not used to it yet.
And then there's downhills - I am definitely faster freewheeling downhill. I think, due to : 1. confidence; 2. coasting over bumps & holes in the road with my weight off the seat; 3. leg speed; 4. and that confidence to stop quickly
only the last 2 weeks or so did i start figuring out the whole - lock the rear wheel thing - by kind of weighting forward a bit and pushing pretty hard with the feet in the wrong direction. Usually only on the loose dirt, I'm not looking to trash a tire.
cheers.
ps: i'm having a harder time track standing fixed. with a freewheel, i'm used to being able to back pedal and NOT go anywhere! now it's fixed, ..... i'm not used to it yet.
Likes For bironi:
#9
Super-duper Genius
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Muskrat Springs, Utah
Posts: 1,713
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 768 Post(s)
Liked 984 Times
in
508 Posts
The kind of terrain you're riding makes a big difference. With a fixed gear or single speed, you will have to make compromises, and will seldom have the perfect gear ratio. (If you were always riding on flat ground with no wind, you could find the ideal ratio and stick with it, but that's not how most people ride.)
I have a fixed gear bike that I use almost exclusively for interval workouts, on a course with some short, moderately steep hills. I believe I ride that course faster on the FG than I would with my 2x11 speed road bike. The reason is that I am forced to sprint hard up the hills. I can't get lazy, shift down, and spin. On the road bike, if I disciplined myself to do it right, I could go around the course just as fast. But the FG gives me no choice but to push hard. It also rewards strong efforts, because it's stiff and light, and it's just really fun to ride hard. It is my favorite bike in many ways, in spite of rating very low in versatility. On the little descents, I'm of course at a disadvantage, but not by much. Not sure how I'd do with a single speed there, probably about the same as the FG.
I have a fixed gear bike that I use almost exclusively for interval workouts, on a course with some short, moderately steep hills. I believe I ride that course faster on the FG than I would with my 2x11 speed road bike. The reason is that I am forced to sprint hard up the hills. I can't get lazy, shift down, and spin. On the road bike, if I disciplined myself to do it right, I could go around the course just as fast. But the FG gives me no choice but to push hard. It also rewards strong efforts, because it's stiff and light, and it's just really fun to ride hard. It is my favorite bike in many ways, in spite of rating very low in versatility. On the little descents, I'm of course at a disadvantage, but not by much. Not sure how I'd do with a single speed there, probably about the same as the FG.
#10
Newbie
You can stand and stretch on a fixed gear bike....
I have done it several times, generally when an emergency stop is required.
It can be quite invigorating..... when the back of the bike kicks up in the air and you land pedalling backwards, that is if you do not crash of course.
Wish someone had videoed a couple of my incidents. Would love to know how high the back wheel of the track bike really got.
I did manage to peel a very expensive tubular once.
The things you do when you are young!
I have done it several times, generally when an emergency stop is required.
It can be quite invigorating..... when the back of the bike kicks up in the air and you land pedalling backwards, that is if you do not crash of course.
Wish someone had videoed a couple of my incidents. Would love to know how high the back wheel of the track bike really got.
I did manage to peel a very expensive tubular once.
The things you do when you are young!
#11
Old fart
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Appleton WI
Posts: 24,790
Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.
Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3590 Post(s)
Liked 3,401 Times
in
1,935 Posts
OTOH, if you keep at it, you will become more comfortable with riding through a broader range of pedal cadences than you would on a derailleur bike; very low rpm going uphill/headwind, very high rpm going downhill/tailwind.
Likes For JohnDThompson:
#12
buy my bikes
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1,800
Bikes: my very own customized GUNNAR CrossHairs
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 519 Post(s)
Liked 428 Times
in
249 Posts
getting comfortable being uncomfortable - my whole biking / camping foundation! .... and now fixed gear dirt road riding.
Likes For mrv:
#13
Full Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 303
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 99 Post(s)
Liked 115 Times
in
78 Posts
I'm an old-ish guy (61) who's been cycling most of my life, and I've had a fixed road bike since about 2007. Fixed is inevitably slower than SS because you can't coast on the steeper downhills: you either need to resist the pedals, or brake, when your knees start to smoke with the spinning.
I've had a freewheel on my bike from time to time, but I just find fixed more rewarding.
I also own a 2 x 10 road bike, and a 2 x 10 gravel bike, but the fixed is the one that I use most.
Whether you choose to ride fixed, or SS, or flip flop, the choice of ratio is always a compromise. That's part of the fun.
I've had a freewheel on my bike from time to time, but I just find fixed more rewarding.
I also own a 2 x 10 road bike, and a 2 x 10 gravel bike, but the fixed is the one that I use most.
Whether you choose to ride fixed, or SS, or flip flop, the choice of ratio is always a compromise. That's part of the fun.
Likes For Mikefule: