# Single speed for a beginner?



## Stereo (19 Aug 2009)

A little over a week ago I purchased a Carrera Subway LTD, but I had to take it back 3 times due to the gears not changing correctly. The third time they gave me my money back, offering no reason why it couldn't be fixed or what was wrong with it. I have not ridden for many years and it has really put me off getting into cycling.

I'm hunting for a new bike, and this one has taken my fancy:

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/urban/product/centrum-sport-08-28151

but it's a single speed bike, and my Dad thinks I'm mad for even considering a bike without gears. Is it madness for a beginner to buy a single speed bike? Any advice would be great.


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## chris667 (19 Aug 2009)

I love singlespeeds, they work really, really well and they almost never go wrong.

But the new ones are silly expensive. Better to make your own from a geared bike to save some cash.

If you look at the For Sale section of this forum, you'll see I'm selling one.


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## RedBike (19 Aug 2009)

Your experiance of Halfords seems to be all too commen. If you search around this forum you'll find several people who've brought and returned bikes to Halfords because they were never built properly in the first place. 

I think the bike you've picked is a bit of an odd one. 
It weighes a ton (well 26.3-lb), 
It's got hints of MTB styling, yet it's clearly going to be next to useless off-road.

As for if its suitable or not all depends on where you plan to ride it? I wouldn't let your experiance with Halfords put you off cycling/gears. You just need to purchase your bike from a proper cycle shop, get it set up correctly in the first place then serviced after a few weeks use. 

I also ride single speed and I can't see any reason why a beginner can't ride single speed. However, until you get fit enough to cope with the lack of gears you could well end up pushing a lot. 

I would recommend you go to your nearest PROPER cycle shop and ask about their road bike range. (I assume you intend to ride soley on the road).


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## MajorMantra (19 Aug 2009)

How fit are you already and how hilly is it where you live? You may struggle a bit at first though it's probably doable.

Have you seen this by the way?

Personally I prefer proper road style SS/FG frames though. Here's a relatively cheap one although it's a bit heavy for what it is. If you buy used you can get an old road bike and convert to single speed for under £100 easily - probably much less actually. Or you can get a bike with a frame specifically designed for SS/FG used for £150-300.

Matthew


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## jack the lad (19 Aug 2009)

Hi Stereo, Hi Stereo

Singlespeed is great depending on where you live and how far you plan to ride. In the Vale of York where I am, gears are just not necessary for local journeys, but if you live anywhere hilly you will want gears. Even in the flat lands, depending on how fit you are, gears can be useful if there is any wind about. Also don't forget that if singlespeed is OK where you live, you might go on hols somewhere hilly and want to take your bike with you...

Just think it through, or buy 2 bikes!


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## Globalti (19 Aug 2009)

Stereo said:


> my Dad thinks I'm mad for even considering a bike without gears. Is it madness for a beginner to buy a single speed bike? Any advice would be great.



Your dad is right, give him some credit for the years he's lived. Mountain bikes with wide gear ranges are fantastic for amateur riders and have driven the whole massive revival now happening at the lower end of the bicycle market. Go and find a couple of decent bike shops and explain what you want so that they can show you the appropriate bike. Don't be a fashion victim, get something suitable for UK conditions that you can actually ride and enjoy. 

Come back on here with your shortlist and you will get good advice.


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## Stereo (19 Aug 2009)

The reasoning behind the Specialized Centrum Sport was price (£199), good brand, disc brakes, looks good, but alas a single speed.

It's for mostly roads, and some bike trails. So many different bikes to choose from, it's tough for a beginner. I think the signle speed is probably a bad idea, it's not that flat here (Essex) and I'm not what you would call fit (replace the 'i' with an 'a' and you have the picture). I'll take a look at some LBS, thanks for the advice.


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## Stereo (19 Aug 2009)

Rigid Raider said:


> Come back on here with your shortlist and you will get good advice.



After I got a refund from Halfords I did pop next door (Thurrock Lakeside) to Decathlon, who appeared very helpful and knowing (a very different experience from Halfords), and they recommended the Rockrider 5 XC http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/rockrider-5-xc-disc-34964379/ which is about £100 over budget, but appears to be a good spec with hydraulic disc brakes and sram x5 shifters. Is this any good?


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## Globalti (19 Aug 2009)

Yes, that looks like a very respectable first bike. Buy it, ride it, but start saving up for your first really expensive bike! You'll be wanting to upgrade within a year as anybody on here will tell you!


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## MajorMantra (19 Aug 2009)

Stereo said:


> The reasoning behind the Specialized Centrum Sport was price (£199), good brand, disc brakes, looks good, but alas a single speed.
> 
> It's for mostly roads, and some bike trails. So many different bikes to choose from, it's tough for a beginner. I think the signle speed is probably a bad idea, it's not that flat here (Essex) and I'm not what you would call fit (replace the 'i' with an 'a' and you have the picture). I'll take a look at some LBS, thanks for the advice.



Define "trails". Are we talking rough and rocky or smooth? If the latter then a hybrid or even a road bike is a better choice - a mountain bike will slow you down on the roads where you say you'll mostly be riding.

I would also recommend avoiding suspension as cheap suspension isn't really worth the money. Also, cheap forks may not have lockout which you'll want to avoid wasting energy on the road.

EDIT: I see the bike you've linked to does have lockout but even so, I don't think it's the best choice given the kind of riding you've described.

Matthew


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## RedBike (19 Aug 2009)

> It's for mostly roads, and some bike trails. So many different bikes to choose from, it's tough for a beginner. I think the signle speed is probably a bad idea, it's not that flat here (Essex) and I'm not what you would call fit (replace the 'i' with an 'a' and you have the picture). I'll take a look at some LBS, thanks for the advice.


If I had to name a flat part of the UK Essex would be towards the top of my list!



> After I got a refund from Halfords I did pop next door (Thurrock Lakeside) to Decathlon, who appeared very helpful and knowing (a very different experience from Halfords), and they recommended the Rockrider 5 XC http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/rockri...disc-34964379/ which is about £100 over budget, but appears to be a good spec with hydraulic disc brakes and sram x5 shifters. Is this any good?


It doesn't matter if you're spending £300 or £3000. All mountain bikes are rubbish on the road; but if you want a bike capable of being ridden off-road that the price you've got to pay. There is also arguably no need for disc brakes or suspension on a road bike. 

As MajorM asked, it all depends on what you mean by trails. 
You could be much better off with a hybrid or even a road bike.


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## Stereo (19 Aug 2009)

The guy in Decathlon recommended I not go for the Hybrid, but just swap the tires for skinny ones when needed. Is this good advice?

Your standard gravel bike trail through a park I guess. I took the Subway LTD Hybrid along it and fell off the bike, took alot of skin off my knee. It just skidded on the loose gravel. I blamed the skinny slick hybrid tires and started to wonder if I should have gone the moutain bike route.


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## MajorMantra (19 Aug 2009)

It's true that slicks aren't suitable for gravel. Was that actually a designated cycle path? I only ask because I've never seen a gravel one, they've always been paved.

I'm not trying to be difficult but I can't emphasize too much how much nicer it is to ride a road bike (or even a fast hybrid) on the road compared to a mountain bike. The narrower wheels, slick tyres and more aggressive riding position all add up to a faster and more rewarding experience. You can take a road bike on almost any proper cycle path and you can even ride on dirt tracks as long as it's reasonably smooth and dry.

Matthew


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## RedBike (19 Aug 2009)

The Decathlon salesman is obviously recommending the MTB because thats what you seem to favour AND the MTB will be more stable so you'll stand more chance of staying upright on gravel. But the MTB is complete overkill. 


Without seeing the path in question it's hard to say but i would normally of said the Subway was a better bike for gravel tracks than the Rockrider. 
In fact I would probably of suggested a bike that was even more 'roadie' (Narrower 700c wheels, no discs)than the subway for a park path.


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## Theseus (19 Aug 2009)

<cynic>



RedBike said:


> The Decathlon salesman is obviously recommending the MTB because thats what



... he has in stock.

</cynic>


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## Arch (19 Aug 2009)

MajorMantra said:


> It's true that slicks aren't suitable for gravel. Was that actually a designated cycle path? I only ask because I've never seen a gravel one, they've always been paved.



There's a 2 or 3 mile stretch of route 65 just north of the Humber that would make the average expensive gravel drive look skimpy.... I made it on 25mm tyres, but at about walking pace and with my back end sliding all over the place.

I think some can be a bit gravelly, and the condition may depend on the local recent weather - rain loosening the surface perhaps.... The last leg of the York/Selby bike path is not paved, merely hardpacked - it doesn't tend to be too bad, but there are loose stones.


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## Stereo (19 Aug 2009)

Not sure what to do now! How about two bikes, a road bike and a mountain bike (the mountain bike later, when I can afford it). Something like this:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=37907


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## Randochap (19 Aug 2009)

Stereo said:


> Not sure what to do now! How about two bikes, a road bike and a mountain bike (the mountain bike later, when I can afford it). Something like this:
> 
> http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=37907



Too far in the opposite direction.

Read this ... and this ... and this.

MTBs are not appropriate for riding paved roads.


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## RedBike (19 Aug 2009)

Stereo said:


> Not sure what to do now! How about two bikes, a road bike and a mountain bike (the mountain bike later, when I can afford it). Something like this:
> 
> http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=37907



That bike isn't appropriate for gravel tracks. (Guessing you knew that). However you wont regret having a road bike over a MTB when riding on tarmac. 

I've no experience of the model you've linked to but it looks a lot better than most 'budget' models you tend to get. There are a few tiny niggly little things. 

95% of the bikes in this price range will have Shimano Sora / 2200, Having used both I would pick Xenon over Sora any day. 
However, Campag dropped the Xenon groupset from their lineup at the start of this year and Xenon has been 10speed (not 9) for serval years. Why has this bike got what on the face of it appears to be old parts? 
(Old or not they're still better than the current Shimano offering). 

They've cut a few corners fitting 'no name' parts for the brake calipers, bottom bracket, stem, bars, etc. This isn't a biggey and is pretty much to be expected. 

Have you had a look at any of the 700c wheeled hybrids. 
Just for example like the Kona Smoke?
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/kona/smoke-29-deore-2009-hybrid-bike-ec017266

It's wont be a patch on that chainreaction bike on the road and it wont even come close to the Rockrider off the road. However, it will do both adequately


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