Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > General Cycling Discussion
Reload this Page >

Single speed or geared bikes better ?

Notices
General Cycling Discussion Have a cycling related question or comment that doesn't fit in one of the other specialty forums? Drop on in and post in here! When possible, please select the forum above that most fits your post!

Single speed or geared bikes better ?

Old 04-28-21, 03:15 AM
  #26  
Lazyass
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Minas Ithil
Posts: 9,337
Mentioned: 66 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2432 Post(s)
Liked 638 Times in 395 Posts
I've become so in love with one gear that I'm thinking about converting my carbon '17 Diamondback Podium Disc with a Paul chain tensioner, SRAM Force 1x crank and S500 road levers because I never ride the bike anymore. That would probably be a 15-16lb bike. It has the block off plates for an electronic group so it would look really clean.
Lazyass is offline  
Old 04-30-21, 12:54 PM
  #27  
Dubinthedam
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 17
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 6 Times in 5 Posts
I love my Cinelli Vigorelli and for sure they make great bikes. But. You will be paying a fair chunk for the brand and they're plenty of other brands that offer better value in the fixie world. Single speed is great on a city bike. But. Bikes with gears are better because, well, they have gears! Personally I wouldn't recommend fixie for starting out or getting back into riding. A single speed city bike, sure, but even then 3 or 7 speeds come in real handy. I love my fixie more than my geared bikes but I'd still say, start with gears.
Dubinthedam is offline  
Old 05-01-21, 07:18 AM
  #28  
Speedway2
Senior Member
 
Speedway2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Thornhill, Canada
Posts: 747

Bikes: United Motocross BMX, Specialized Langster, Giant OCR, Marin Muirwoods, Globe Roll2, VROD:)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 236 Post(s)
Liked 400 Times in 242 Posts
Have you considered a Folding bike?
Speedway2 is offline  
Old 05-01-21, 02:54 PM
  #29  
fredlord
Full Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 226
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 144 Post(s)
Liked 119 Times in 70 Posts
I love the look and idea of single-speeds and used to ride one in the early days of my cycling rebirth, but I'm a little worried about my knees. Sometimes I experiment on rides where I do more more mashing than spinning, getting out of the saddle more. The next day my 60-year old knees feel like they have a few more twinges and niggles than usual, but I may be imagining it.

I have a belt-drive bike (probably my favourite for multiple reasons) with a Nexus 8-speed IGH. It feels like 8 different single-speeds rolled into one bike. Feels great.
fredlord is offline  
Old 05-01-21, 03:06 PM
  #30  
cxwrench
Senior Member
 
cxwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Nor-Cal
Posts: 3,767

Bikes: lots

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1958 Post(s)
Liked 2,932 Times in 1,489 Posts
Originally Posted by daoswald

In a velodrome track you'll see single speed bikes with steep gearing, but you won't see hills, and the whole race is over pretty quickly. Gear changes would slow them down.
That has nothing to due w/ track racing, and it's obvious you don't have any experience with it at all.
cxwrench is offline  
Old 05-01-21, 03:31 PM
  #31  
70sSanO
Senior Member
 
70sSanO's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Mission Viejo
Posts: 5,772

Bikes: 1986 Cannondale SR400 (Flat bar commuter), 1988 Cannondale Criterium XTR, 1992 Serotta T-Max, 1995 Trek 970

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1935 Post(s)
Liked 2,150 Times in 1,313 Posts
I would one day like to setup a 1x3. Single chainring with 3 cogs in back. Friction shifting with wide spacing. Only concern is being able to set hi and low with such a narrow cassette. It would be absolute no brainer shifting and you could easily swap out whatever gearing you wanted.

John
70sSanO is offline  
Old 05-01-21, 07:05 PM
  #32  
ofajen
Cheerfully low end
 
ofajen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,965
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 642 Post(s)
Liked 1,040 Times in 663 Posts
Originally Posted by 70sSanO
I would one day like to setup a 1x3. Single chainring with 3 cogs in back. Friction shifting with wide spacing. Only concern is being able to set hi and low with such a narrow cassette. It would be absolute no brainer shifting and you could easily swap out whatever gearing you wanted.

John
I seem to recall running 1x4 and 1x5 within the last couple of years, though more typically I’d just run a 12-28 7 speed cluster and only use the 16 and 21. That’s what I did the previous winter and spring before going SS again last summer.

I’d definitely want to find a very light vintage derailleur (like one from the 5-speed era) in good shape. I could see maybe 42/14-16-18. Or maybe 13-16-20. Only a middle shift would require any skill.

Otto
ofajen is offline  
Old 05-01-21, 07:14 PM
  #33  
ofajen
Cheerfully low end
 
ofajen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,965
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 642 Post(s)
Liked 1,040 Times in 663 Posts
Originally Posted by fredlord
I love the look and idea of single-speeds and used to ride one in the early days of my cycling rebirth, but I'm a little worried about my knees. Sometimes I experiment on rides where I do more more mashing than spinning, getting out of the saddle more. The next day my 60-year old knees feel like they have a few more twinges and niggles than usual, but I may be imagining it.
I’m almost that age, and what seems to help me a lot is to drop my heels when I’m pedaling slower, whether standing or seated. It reduces the angle of knee bend at the top of the pedal stroke, and that seems to protect my knees. My knees seem to be at least as happy as they were with multi-gear setups. YMMV.

Otto

Last edited by ofajen; 05-01-21 at 08:55 PM.
ofajen is offline  
Likes For ofajen:
Old 05-01-21, 07:19 PM
  #34  
jack pot 
Fxxxxr
 
jack pot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: falfurrias texas
Posts: 993

Bikes: wabi classic (stolen & recovered)

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2668 Post(s)
Liked 1,144 Times in 869 Posts
All City SS (40 x 18)
__________________
Nothing is true---everything is permitted
jack pot is offline  
Likes For jack pot:
Old 05-01-21, 07:48 PM
  #35  
70sSanO
Senior Member
 
70sSanO's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Mission Viejo
Posts: 5,772

Bikes: 1986 Cannondale SR400 (Flat bar commuter), 1988 Cannondale Criterium XTR, 1992 Serotta T-Max, 1995 Trek 970

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1935 Post(s)
Liked 2,150 Times in 1,313 Posts
Originally Posted by ofajen
I seem to recall running 1x4 and 1x5 within the last couple of years, though more typically I’d just run a 12-28 7 speed cluster and only use the 16 and 21. That’s what I did the previous winter and spring before going SS again last summer.

I’d definitely want to find a very light vintage derailleur (like one from the 5-speed era) in good shape. I could see maybe 42/14-16-18. Or maybe 13-16-20. Only a middle shift would require any skill.

Otto
I’m thinking 46/12-20-32

Someone could even run a 6 speed thumb shifter if finding the middle cog with 5.5mm ctc required “too-much-skill” ... lol.

John
70sSanO is offline  
Old 05-02-21, 03:22 AM
  #36  
Lazyass
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Minas Ithil
Posts: 9,337
Mentioned: 66 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2432 Post(s)
Liked 638 Times in 395 Posts
Originally Posted by 70sSanO
I would one day like to setup a 1x3. Single chainring with 3 cogs in back. Friction shifting with wide spacing. Only concern is being able to set hi and low with such a narrow cassette. It would be absolute no brainer shifting and you could easily swap out whatever gearing you wanted.

John
Someone needs to make an old school setup where you have a few cogs in the rear. You manually put the chain on the cog and adjust chain tension with a lever.

Geno Bartali won the '38 TDF on this four speed bike:

Lazyass is offline  
Old 05-02-21, 08:22 AM
  #37  
70sSanO
Senior Member
 
70sSanO's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Mission Viejo
Posts: 5,772

Bikes: 1986 Cannondale SR400 (Flat bar commuter), 1988 Cannondale Criterium XTR, 1992 Serotta T-Max, 1995 Trek 970

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1935 Post(s)
Liked 2,150 Times in 1,313 Posts
I’d want a dropped seatpost to get to the lever... lol!

The idea for 3 speed came about because a neighbor rode a single speed mtb. He said he got tired of fiddling with the RD. The only issue he has is not enough top end and occasionally having to run up a steep climb carrying his bike. The guy is a beast.

I told him if he ever wanted to try it, I could see if I could set the limit screws to run 3 cogs with friction shifting. He would need to get a hanger setup for his single speed. It never happened, but it was a project I always wanted to try.

John
70sSanO is offline  
Old 05-02-21, 10:24 AM
  #38  
Lazyass
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Minas Ithil
Posts: 9,337
Mentioned: 66 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2432 Post(s)
Liked 638 Times in 395 Posts
You can get a dual cog freewheel. Only one short of three.

Bikeman White Industries DOS ENO Freewheel, 16/18
Lazyass is offline  
Old 05-04-21, 12:09 AM
  #39  
bwilli88 
Not lost wanderer.
 
bwilli88's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Lititz, Pa
Posts: 3,361

Bikes: In USA; 73 Raleigh Super Course dingle speed, 72 Raleigh Gran Sport SS, 72 Geoffry Butler, 81 Centurion Pro-Tour, 74 Gugie Grandier Sportier

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 885 Post(s)
Liked 979 Times in 514 Posts
You could go with a Dingle speed.
I have a 17-21 2 speed freewheel using it with a 49x45 Chainset gives 2 nice GI ranges of 80 and 59.5,
or with 46x42 which gives 75 and 55.5 GI. the nice thing about this is the chain length is the same for both settings. I also have a Surly double fixed cog with 17-21 teeth.
bwilli88 is offline  
Old 05-04-21, 09:48 AM
  #40  
remlapnonrev
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 9
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
It depends on your riding situation. I live in a city on a hill. I could never survive on a single speed.
remlapnonrev is offline  
Old 05-04-21, 06:45 PM
  #41  
50PlusCycling
Senior Member
 
50PlusCycling's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,079
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 526 Post(s)
Liked 723 Times in 381 Posts
There was a time when cars and trucks came with only a single speed. This was okay for flat city streets crowded with pedestrians, horses, and stray dogs, and when it was not necessary to go more than 15 mph. But why buy a car or truck which can go no faster than a horse or horse-drawn conveyance? Especially when these could climb inclines and hills better? Adding gears to cars and trucks increased speeds, and made hills easier, this was called "innovation" and "progress." As decades passed, more and more gears were added, and modern cars have a much larger number of gears than they did a generation ago. This wider range of gearing greatly improves efficiency, mileage, and reduces emissions. Where I live in Tokyo, there are some pretty good hills, and you will often seen young men (and women) walking their single-speed bikes up these hills are they are incapable of climbing them. The Keirin racers here in japan have training facilities which include a small hill, and part the training is to accelerate over a flat surface for a certain distance and then climb as far up the hill as they can. Many racers are not able to get to the top of the hill, which any high school kid in a multi-speed bike could climb without breaking a sweat.
50PlusCycling is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.