A SS-rider vs a Geared-rider

[Debian]

They are not... however a SS rider can be faster then a geared rider.

Yes, depending on the comparative fitness and strength of the riders but surely there must come a point where a rider simply cannot spin the legs any faster and hence cannot go any faster.

Conversely there must come a point on a hill climb where a SS rider simply cannot push hard enough to continue, at which point he/she is walking the rest of the way.

Both of the above scenarios can be compensated for by gearing.

Don't get me wrong, I can see the fun factor and the simplicity/greater efficiency of the bike's construction being advantageous and I haven't ridden one (well, not since I was about eight anyway ) so I can't write from experience. It just seems counter-intuitive to me.

 

[tyred]

It's all about having the right gear. I've geared my SS bike to suit the terrain I ride in. If I lived in the Alps, then I would just need a SS with a very low gear.

 

[Debian]

I think you're missing the point, it's more about selecting a bike for purpose. If you need something to do everything then you'll probably need gears. If you are able to run a commute specific bike then low maintenance is a very attractive proposition. Everyone's going to be different in their requirements and what works for them. A year round commuter sporting a double or triple seems like expensive hard work to me.

SS, fixed or hub gears make perfect sense for commuting/workhorse duties, beyond that it's really a matter of preference.

Hub gears I can see being advantageous, I just can't get my head around the overall benefit of a SS.

 

[ianrauk]

Less mechanicals...

(PS I am not a fixie or SS'er)

Hub gears I can see being advantageous, I just can't get my head around the overall benefit of a SS.

 

[Brahan]

If you are able to run a commute specific bike then low maintenance is a very attractive proposition.

I keep hearing about how low maintenence ss/fixed cycles are, but bikes are low maintenace, aren't they? I mean how low maintenance do you want?

 

[MacB]

Hub gears I can see being advantageous, I just can't get my head around the overall benefit of a SS.

I haven't ridden one but have 9 speed(shortly to be sold) and 3 speed hub gears, they work very well for intended purpose. I did try staying in the same gear on my geared bike and managed something around the 300 mile mark, this included a single ride of 115 miles. Obviously I still had all the derailler guff so it wasn't a true SS experience, but I thoroughly enjoyed not considering changing gears.

 

[GrasB]

SS & fixies basically make the rider more flexible & widen their efficient power production range. Beyond that the basic fitness & strength of the rider governs the speed of the bike. As MacB says you may simply want a geared bike for general use but if you've got the strength or don't have a problem with spinning away at lower speeds a single speed can be made to do all things for the general utilitarian cyclist.

I rode fixed all last year, easy enough around Norfolk but it was a struggle keeping up with geared riders on the flat and they absolutely destroyed me downhill. Love it for commuting, have picked up something geared for the weekends though.

There are so many variables, one of the reasons I built my geared road bike was so it was easier to keep the speed down to stay in-group on group rides. Flat & down hill I was fine but on the uphill section I simply wanted to keep the speed up much higher than the geared riders & on rolling undulations I found I kept breaking away because of the whole flywheel effect.

Debian, yes & no... I've climbed a 17% hill on a 80" gear by zig-zagging,, this does however increase the distance travelled & it can be a very noticeable distance increase.

 

[MacB]

I keep hearing about how low maintenence ss/fixed cycles are, but bikes are low maintenace, aren't they? I mean how low maintenance do you want?

That's why I said it varies from person to person, being bike fans there's probably a lot of people that enjoy the maintenance rituals. But there's also a lot that are quite happy to run a bike into the ground and replace bits when totally knackered. Examples:-

Ianrauk - he has a cleaning regime that would seem like a grind to many of us. At the end of a ride a surgeon could probably carry out an unorthodox operation, using parts from Ians bike, with no risk of infection for the patient. But this is his way and he's happy with it.

MacB - his bikes don't get cleaned and the chain gets a wipe with a rag and a bit of oil every couple of weeks. Chains, cogs, cassettes, chainwheels etc will only get replaced when unrideable, or beyond. He's also happy with his choices but recognises that his style is better suited to an inherently low maintenance setup

 

[GrasB]

I keep hearing about how low maintenence ss/fixed cycles are, but bikes are low maintenace, aren't they? I mean how low maintenance do you want?

SS/fixie - Clean chain, measure chain, check sprocket & chainring slack, check tension, oil chain.

Geared bike - clean chain, clean mechs, check & fettle (if required) indexing, clean cables & make sure they're running smoothly (replace if needed), measure chain, check sprokets (there are a lot more to check) & chainring (more to check again) slack, oil chain.

 

[ianrauk]

Edited for you

fixie - Clean chain, measure chain, check sprocket & chainring slack, check tension, oil chain.

SS - clean chain, measure chain, clean cables & make sure they're running smoothly (replace if needed), check sprokets & chainring slack, check tension, oil chain.

Geared bike - clean chain, clean mechs, check & fettle (if required) indexing, clean cables & make sure they're running smoothly (replace if needed), measure chain, check sprokets (there are a lot more to check) & chainring (more to check again) slack, oil chain.

 

[swee'pea99]

no straight answers from the SS types I see

not dissing the SS but gears is quicker, having the range lets you crank on when a SS has run out of legs and accelerate when they're still winding up, I see loads of SS riders on my commute and not seen one yet I didn't pass as the speed increased

of course a good rider rides faster/better but all things equal, gears wins, those TDF types seem to like gears for some reason

Ah, but all things *aren't* equal. The TDF guys like gears 'cos of all those mountains. If I was going up mountains, I'd want gears too. But on my commute, there are no mountains. And at 'commuting' speeds on flat(tish) ground, the FG beats the geared bike every time. In theory the geared bike can go faster - as you say, there's only so fast a body can spin. In practice, my scalp remains firmly intact after 9 months on the mean streets of London Norf.

 

[Debian]

Must admit I'd like to try a SS bike but I'm very dubious as to whether I'd even like it for my commute. I like to ride keeping a nearly constant, fairly fast cadence at whatever speed I'm travelling.

The low maintenance idea is very appealing for a general commuter hack.

 

[GrasB]

ianrauk, exactly what cables does a single speed have that a fixie doesn't? The only addition to a SS you could add is check the freewheel is running smoothly.

 

[ianrauk]

Brake cables squire...

ianrauk, exactly what cables does a single speed have that a fixie doesn't? The only addition to a SS you could add is check the freewheel is running smoothly.

 

[Rob3rt]

I dont know the top speeds of pro road cyclists, but track cyclists hit some pretty grizly speeds (even if its only over a short sprint), so I dont know where the arguement that road bikes allow you to go faster comes from, depends on the gearing of the fixed wheel bike from where im standing. Of course enlighten me if im wrong here.