Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - "So, do you have a real bicycle?"

Today was my first single-speed "half-century." I did fairly well, though I was tired near the end, especially after a long hill climb. I was ahead of the pack of Seattle Bicycle Club riders a few times. On the flats we were doing around 18mph. I can't spin the cranks enough for more than 19-20mph, and so in downhill situations I do get dropped. Still, I find myself climbing a lot faster than I used to, having to keep up my inertia to stop from stalling.

It's a bit of a surprise to other riders that I ride single speed. I was asked "So, do you have a real bicycle?" by one rider who had a carbon fiber bicycle and Dura-Ace components, a high-end wheel set, and color-coordinated bike kit. It's interesting that a lot of people think this way about bicycles without gearing: I did not buy a toy!

go look in the mirror and admit to yourself that you did.

was the guy with the moneysuit faster than you? ask if he'd like to trade and see if he can keep up without a "real bike"

... I was asked "So, do you have a real bicycle?" by one rider who had a carbon fiber bicycle and Dura-Ace components, a high-end wheel set, and color-coordinated bike kit...

well he was just jealous/feeling inferior? perhaps just joking?

anyway now I want to make a sticker for my bike that says "This is a real bicycle"

I get this a lot when I ride with new people... they usually makes positive comments on the fixed gear while telling me that is must be hard to climb hills with only one gear.

I usually dispel their silly notions on the first climb.

You guys just need to get over yourselves and get a road bike.

I happened to be following behind a guy riding a fixed gear Raleigh last week on my favorite MUP. I see them all over Chicago streets but I can't recall ever seeing, or at least noticing one, on the trail. He was keeping a good pace but slowed over every incline and really bogged down when he climbed an overpass. Waiting at a red light I commented on his nice pace to which he replied that he wished he had his other bike out for the trail ride.

The "real bicycle" comment was out of line but was probably just a reflection of inquiring if you had a better tool for the job at hand, that being a bike with a range of gears available for a hilly half-century ride.

Ask the guy if his bike has a "real rider".

Ask the guy if his bike has a "real rider".

Well he sounds like a Real Cyclist®

Challenge him to a track pursuit race and THEN see how he does.

We're superheros because we can do these same rides on a fixed gear. :p :D

"My other bike has gears"

You guys just need to get over yourselves and get a road bike.

+1

well he was just jealous/feeling inferior? perhaps just joking?

anyway now I want to make a sticker for my bike that says "This is a real bicycle"

I'm in w/ you on this...if you get some made, i want!

The funniest part in this thread is the "half century".

You guys just need to get over yourselves and get a road bike.

I have a few geared bikes too.

They're all real bikes.

You guys just need to get over yourselves and get a road bike.

yeah, i did a ride yesterday. no way i could've kept up with my track bike. we were hauling ass.
i threw my bike together and have a single (46T) chainring in the front because that the only spindle i had. i thought that and a 7speed rear would be plenty...i spent alot of time on the 13tooth sprocket on the back. might be time to buy a new BB.

yeah, i did a ride yesterday. no way i could've kept up with my track bike. we were hauling ass.
i threw my bike together and have a single (46T) chainring in the front because that the only spindle i had. i thought that and a 7speed rear would be plenty...i spent alot of time on the 13tooth sprocket on the back. might be time to buy a new BB.

Generally you're supposed to stay in the middle (39-42) ring on long rides. Your freewheel only goes down to 13? Might be time for an 11-25 or 11-21 cassette. Are you using non-indexed shifters?

The "real bicycle" comment was out of line but was probably just a reflection of inquiring if you had a better tool for the job at hand, that being a bike with a range of gears available for a hilly half-century ride.

could be, but at the same time there seems to be an assumption that the OP (or anyone) would rather ride a geared bike instead of SS on such a ride if only they had one of these real bikes.

i sure wish i had a real bike when i rode 30+ miles today on some nasty sd hills. this city sucks fixed sometimes.

Generally you're supposed to stay in the middle (39-42) ring on long rides. Your freewheel only goes down to 13? Might be time for an 11-25 or 11-21 cassette. Are you using non-indexed shifters?

it's old shimano 7speed hub. the chainline from the crank pretty much runs down to the middle of the freewheel. indexed downtube shifters, it actually shifts right (to my surprise)...

i'm just going to find the right spindle and put the second chainring on the cranks and put the front der. on it.

nobody was in their small ring up front the whole ride. it was a tuffy.

Sometimes a real bicycle does make a lot of sense and more practical for certain type of rides......but we choose not to use them! :beer:

It's rare that I have ridden my fixed gear road bike and thought "this sucks" but over the past few weeks we've experienced some really high winds and pushing 77 gear inches into a 40 mph headwind really does suck.

Thankfully...I have a number of geared bikes and a few other fixed gear bikes that are well suited for nasty riding conditions.

it's old shimano 7speed hub. the chainline from the crank pretty much runs down to the middle of the freewheel. indexed downtube shifters, it actually shifts right (to my surprise)...

i'm just going to find the right spindle and put the second chainring on the cranks and put the front der. on it.

nobody was in their small ring up front the whole ride. it was a tuffy.

How do you keep the chain from falling off the chainring? I really need to know.

How do you keep the chain from falling off the chainring? I really need to know.

i don't know. it just stays on.

Dude was probably just messing with you. It's nothing to get in a tizzy about.

i don't know. it just stays on.
Do you have anything on the front to keep it on the chainring, like a front derailer or one of those "magic eye" things?

It's rare that I have ridden my fixed gear road bike and thought "this sucks"....

Actually, on one big ride this summer I regretted using my fixed gear. During lunch break at the middle of the ride I had wished I had at least brought my singlespeed bike instead or had installed a freecog on the flip side.

I'm still waiting for an answer.

on that ride surely people were on their little front rings some but everytime i looked they were on the big ones...



Do you have anything on the front to keep it on the chainring, like a front derailer or one of those "magic eye" things?

no. actually one of the other riders was looking at my bike and said "whoa, you don't have a front der. to keep your chain on?!?!"
i just put it all together with the mindset that if it works it works, if it doesn't i'll get a correct BB and run two rings up front and a front der., but it works fine.

How do you keep the chain from falling off the chainring? I really need to know.

Why would their chain fall off? My friend and I run a single ring up front on our road bikes, and we have no issues. Ramped and pinned rings too.

Why would their chain fall off? My friend and I run a single ring up front on our road bikes, and we have no issues. Ramped and pinned rings too.

It may fall off because the chainline in some positions is such as to increase the likelyhood to, either fall onto a sprocket next to the one it's on, or just off the cassette. It is the same system as the functioning of the derailer.

I don't know you and your friend have no problems. I am sure that for every single-chainring-without-a-front-derailer-but-no-problem person, there is at least one single-chainring-without-a-front-derailer-with-occasional-problems. I belong to the latter category.

It may fall off because the chainline in some positions is such as to increase the likelyhood to, either fall onto a sprocket next to the one it's on, or just off the cassette. It is the same system as the functioning of the derailer.

I don't know you and your friend have no problems. I am sure that for every single-chainring-without-a-front-derailer-but-no-problem person, there is at least one single-chainring-without-a-front-derailer-with-occasional-problems. I belong to the latter category.

my luck may have to do with the fact that the 3 cogs i usually ride in are the 3 that offer me the straightest chainline.

It may fall off because the chainline in some positions is such as to increase the likelyhood to, either fall onto a sprocket next to the one it's on, or just off the cassette. It is the same system as the functioning of the derailer.

I don't know you and your friend have no problems. I am sure that for every single-chainring-without-a-front-derailer-but-no-problem person, there is at least one single-chainring-without-a-front-derailer-with-occasional-problems. I belong to the latter category.

You should try 1) adjusting your chain length, 2) using a tighter cassette (to reduce chain length), or 3) getting a track chainring (higher profile teeth).

Good luck!

edit-How many gears in your cassette? Also, different chains must have different aptitudes for shifting easily. Maybe get a chain that's more stationary?

my luck may have to do with the fact that the 3 cogs i usually ride in are the 3 that offer me the straightest chainline.

Well, of course, having a chainline as close to straight as possible, would be beneficial.

How often do you think you use the smallest and largest sprockets?

You should try using a tighter cassette (to reduce chain length)

This one never occured to me, but it sounds like an improvement I could look into.

To answer your question: 7.

And the chain issue is something I've been thinking about, too. I noticed how some chains are laterally more flexible than others. A big "hmmmm" to that.

I have a 1x7 on my "road" bike. I don't run a FD or anything for my chain ring and it is ramped. I will occasionally have chain dropping issues when I hit a large bump, or when I shift quickly from 6-7 for some reason. It's not bad enough that I want to worry about putting a FD on. I think part of it too is that it would look ugly.

How often do you think you use the smallest and largest sprockets?

i use all of them without any problems. it shifts fine and actually doesn't even make any abnormal noise and the index shifter works fine.
i think my cassette is 13-24, 7 cogs. my chain is as short as i could get it.

i use all of them without any problems. it shifts fine and actually doesn't even make any abnormal noise and the index shifter works fine.
i think my cassette is 13-24, 7 cogs. my chain is as short as i could get it.

Me too, I keep mine as short as possible while still maintaining a bend in my RD. I've always figured that with a 1x_ setup, the shorter the chain the more likely it is to stay on.

Dude was probably just messing with you. It's nothing to get in a tizzy about.

Said rider wasn't being snotty at all, but I think just chose the wrong words by mistake. Most people were surprised but encouraging. I myself am surprised I can go long distance without gearing, whereas my road bike has a 10-speed rear cassette and compact double.

A lot of the club rides (put on by the Seattle Bicycle Club, Cascade Bicycle Club) I go on are with riders on average around 20 years my senior, and most with more money than they know what to do with. I probably should be hanging out with other riders in the 20-25 mph range, doing pacelines and whatnot. But I like to go to scenic places and put in long distance instead.

The younger bike club is "Point 83", which has a reputation of combining cycling with inebriation, which may have been my thing if I were still in college. I've been thinking of joining them sometime to see.

I don't have a "real bike".

They're way too expensive.

having an accurate interpretation of the other riders intent is not really important. having fodder for posting a thread is the primary objective. carry on.

Me too, I keep mine as short as possible while still maintaining a bend in my RD. I've always figured that with a 1x_ setup, the shorter the chain the more likely it is to stay on.

I figured that too, maybe there's a sweet spot though. I don't know who would know that.

i'm thinking of selling my real bike.