Single speed or not????

[stabaliser]

thanks for all your advice. i'll post up whatever i go for....
all the best.

 

[RedBike]

There once was a hub where you could have up to four ratios. Two sprockets on each side

There's nothing special about that hub. You can fit two sprockets each side of most flip flop track hubs.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Surly-Dingle-...8|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50

The trouble is you also have to run 2 chainrings at the front so that when you swap to a larger sprocket at the rear you also swap to a smaller chainring at the front. This means the chain length approximately the same and more importantly the chainline remains correct.

Most people just make do with two sprockets of slightly different ratios either side of a flip flop hub. One fixed the other freewheel.

 

[jimboalee]

There's nothing special about that hub. You can fit two sprockets each side of most flip flop track hubs.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Surly-Dingle-...8|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50

The trouble is you also have to run 2 chainrings at the front so that when you swap to a larger sprocket at the rear you also swap to a smaller chainring at the front. This means the chain length approximately the same and more importantly the chainline remains correct.

Most people just make do with two sprockets of slightly different ratios either side of a flip flop hub. One fixed the other freewheel.

Another variation on the theme.

Did I say it was 'special'? I saw one once.
Thank you for confirming its continuing availability.


I suppose it would have been fun at first getting off and changing the wheel round at the bottom and top of a hill. Then it would start getting tedious.

Thank the Lord, Sturmey Archer alleviated the tedium.

 

[SimonC]

Why would you want flip-flop hubs, 2 sprokets on each side, two chainwheels, etc etc.

Seems like a lot of effort to get different gears, why not just fit normal Ergo/STI gears and have done with it, and which generally require v.little maintenance and work spot-on.

Dont really get the low maintenance argument for SS, how much time do you spend maintaining gears, v.little in my experience on a bike used for year round commutes, and road racing, and they work perfectly (Campag of course!)

 

[trio25]

I have a SS mtb and yes it makes a big difference for maintainance, cleaning and so on. But then I am riding gritty off-road trails!

 

[RedBike]

I've been commuting on a single speed for about a week now. I think i'm slowing getting used to it.

The hills are easier and i'm slowly becoming content to let myself spin out and freewheel on the downs.

Still got every intention of turning it into a fixed wheel though.

 

[tyred]

I have a SS road bike bike and I've covered about 800 miles on it this year so far. I like it and never ceased to be amzed at the hills I can climb on it without any real difficulty. I actually find it less tiring to ride than my geared slick tyred MTB. It's good fun too. If you want to go harder pedal faster, want to go slower, pedal slower, need to climb a really steep hill, stand up. You never need to think about what gear you should be in. It's like being a child on a cheap BMX all over again.

 

[jimboalee]

A suggestion here is to buy an old used bike out of the local rag, strip it down and install a SS.
Then if you find you don't like it, you can reassemble and put it back in the local rag.

 

[swee'pea99]

A suggestion here is to buy an old used bike out of the local rag, strip it down and install a SS.
Then if you find you don't like it, you can reassemble and put it back in the local rag.

Absolutely. Tho' you can find a better selection on ebay, and if you're smart and patient you can get yourself a bargain. This, eg, will probably go for not a lot, and it is a seriously sweet bit of kit. I know because I used to have one. I only let it go because it was too small for me, and three friends in succession have raved about it, the latest saying just the other day 'I almost killed myself on that damn bike of yours - I had no idea bikes could go so *fast*!'

 

[jimboalee]

[quote name='swee'pea99']Absolutely. Tho' you can find a better selection on ebay, and if you're smart and patient you can get yourself a bargain. This, eg, will probably go for not a lot, and it is a seriously sweet bit of kit. I know because I used to have one. I only let it go because it was too small for me, and three friends in succession have raved about it, the latest saying just the other day 'I almost killed myself on that damn bike of yours - I had no idea bikes could go so *fast*!'[/quote]

Just the job for a 6 footer.

 

[tyred]

[quote name='swee'pea99']Absolutely. Tho' you can find a better selection on ebay, and if you're smart and patient you can get yourself a bargain. This, eg, will probably go for not a lot, and it is a seriously sweet bit of kit. I know because I used to have one. I only let it go because it was too small for me, and three friends in succession have raved about it, the latest saying just the other day 'I almost killed myself on that damn bike of yours - I had no idea bikes could go so *fast*!'[/quote]

The same frame as mine I believe. Definitely a very good bike.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

A suggestion here is to buy an old used bike out of the local rag, strip it down and install a SS.
Then if you find you don't like it, you can reassemble and put it back in the local rag.

splendid suggestion though I'd recommend going for a retro (pre '95) quality steel framed rigid forked MTB to convert rather than an old road bike as then you can have some sublime times on it off road.

If starting on a commute the ramp method works well

first week do it one day
second week do it two days
third week do it three days
etc..
etc..

plunging headlong into a 5 day a week commute over a couple of miles long will probably put you off especially as it takes a while for your legs to adapt to any climbs, and the adaptation happens when you rest not when you are riding.