"Isnt it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailleur?" -- Henri Desgrange.



I like gears on my city bike, nice for hauling 50# of groceries up the local hill, but for training, singlespeed is indeed zen. It also makes you a much stronger rider. I relized this once again a couple days ago. A small peloton of  3-4 guys on schmancy carbonic Bianciiocolnagos crept up behind me as I was snaking through some peds on the local wetland trail. "On your left!" As I left the thicket and could get up to speed, of course I yielded right...and waited for them to pass. I could hear their annoyingly loud waxed drivetrains, and for three miles, I rode my regular hard pace, on the far right, waiting for them to pass...by mile four, the drivetrain clatter faded and disappeared, by mile five it was just me and my 42X16 and virtual silence save for wind. Ahhhhh.

"Isnt it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailleur?" -- Henri Desgrange.



I like gears on my city bike, nice for hauling 50# of groceries up the local hill, but for training, singlespeed is indeed zen. It also makes you a much stronger rider. I relized this once again a couple days ago. A small peloton of  3-4 guys on schmancy carbonic Bianciiocolnagos crept up behind me as I was snaking through some peds on the local wetland trail. "On your left!" As I left the thicket and could get up to speed, of course I yielded right...and waited for them to pass. I could hear their annoyingly loud waxed drivetrains, and for three miles, I rode my regular hard pace, on the far right, waiting for them to pass...by mile four, the drivetrain clatter faded and disappeared, by mile five it was just me and my 42X16 and virtual silence save for wind. Ahhhhh.

Its going to be cool to try as my frame, (Santa Cruz Chameleon) has the BMXy type dropouts - designed with singlespeed in mind...

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html

For anyone who is interested in SS.

maybe i am just not enough of a hardcore rider but what is the point of single speed?

why not just have gears and dont change them? that is what i do if i want to push myself, and then if i want to take it easy for abit i can.

Quote from: DEViANCE

maybe i am just not enough of a hardcore rider but what is the point of single speed?

why not just have gears and dont change them? that is what i do if i want to push myself, and then if i want to take it easy for abit i can.

1) Weight, if youre nor using them (as i dont), why carry the extra weight?
2) reliability, i dont change much, i usually stick in one gear and spin the cranks, if the drivetrain gets gunked up like it did last week, its a PITA...
3) Using a SS, as max says, teaches you how to ride properly and will make you seriously fit... which is what i want.

but you can get a bit fitter by carrying that extra weight the gears provide  

Single speed kicks your ass and says "NO EXUSES FOR YOU, MISTER!!". The bike or gear is no longer an excuse--it disappears and its all about you and your legs. Climb? You better attack that hill as you cant spin up. Downhill? Better practice a smooth cadence as youll be bouncing if not. Reliability, silence, simplicity, elegance...youll be amazed the amount of brain space is devoted to shifting when you quit.

Im not anti gears, just think that for training every day and riding for fun--they just are fiddly, expensive, and occupy brain space thats better reserved for going "Wheeeeeeeeeeee!".

Max is paying you to say all this isnt he?

OK, convince me!

I noticed today that the deraillier on my peugeot rubs on the spokes when im in a low gear  Seeing as the only time the bike comes out of its very highest is when I want to burn away at the lights, I reckon its a good candidate for getting rid of the blubbery bits.  How much money?  How much effort on an old french non-standard racer?

And given that I usually stick on the biggest front cog and smallest rear cog in flat old cambridge, what should I rid myself of?