Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - 08 Rush Hour or cheaper 07 one way

I am looking for a single-speed bike to commute to school, work and the grocery store on. My car is breaking and I am starting to think I don't want another one. I could get the rush hour for about $550 or the older one way for $499.

I am new to this, i've been riding an old Centurion Dave Scott Iron man that is slightly too big for me. I want something simpler, something that fits me, something relatively light and something that I can find out whether or not I want to ride fixed-gear on.

My concerns are:

The tires, are the wider tires on the One way really that much slower or that big of a concern? I am riding on 700 x 28 tires and am comfortable with these, how much difference will the different tires make?

The ugly raleigh decals on the 07 one way, can i remove them?

The geometry. I am confused as to what exactly track geometry means as opposed to road geometry. On the iron man I am leaning pretty far forward since it is too big for me but I find it pretty comfortable other that in my wrists. Or stopping and starting when the standover height becomes an issue.

Are the components on these bikes decent? I was looking into a redline 925 but the guy at my lbs suggested these two bikes as being an upgrade (they sell both brands so I assume there was no bias). Though he did seem to be biased toward the look of the rush hour, he mentioned that Redline hadn't been in the game long enough to know what a bike should look like.

I was also wondering if there are racks available that I could attach to the rush hour since I plan to abandon my car.

Anything you could tell me would help. I am just getting into this and looked at the cheaper offerings on Bikesdirect but it seems like these would be a step up.

Thanks

The gearing on the Rush hour also may be an issue. My town is flat but I'm pretty new to this. Is that going to be a problem for me I need to correct?

I own a 925 and I love it. And last time I checked Redline has been making bikes since the 80's so I'm pretty sure they got the whole look of a bike down pat. Buy what you like and what works best for you.

The One Way is a great commuter bike.

You can switch to smaller tires, if you need to, but the bigger tires should not slow you down if you're riding for purposes other than racing.

The One Way has fenders and, I believe, eyelets for rack mounting. The Rush Hour has neither.

The decals on the 2007 One Way is under the clear coat, so you cannot remove it. The 2008 Rush Hour is clean with no decals, and you can carefully remove the plastic-metal piece from the top tube with a pair of pliers.

Track geometry means that the bike frame (and often fork) is built in a way that allows the front and back wheels to be closer together. Relaxed geometry allows the wheels to spread more apart. (You can draw a wild comparison between a Harley Davidson and a Sport bike -- the former is more comfortable while the latter more responsive.) The One Way has a relaxed geometry (comfortable) while the Rush Hour a track (responsive). As far as reach on either bike, a simple change in the length of the handlebar stem often places you into a position that you prefer.

I own the Rush Hour, but I have it set up for both short commutes and for the track. I love it, but when I commute longer and for groceries, etc., I prefer my other fixed-gear bike with a slightly more relaxed geometry.

If you can live with the decal, and for your intended purpose of commuting carless, then I recommend the One Way over the Rush Hour.

The gearing on either bike can be changed by switching out the rear cog to one that might be more suitable to you, and can cost anywhere from $11 to $24. Not a big deal here.

Good luck. I admire that you're considering going without a car.

I bought one of the remaining '07 Rush Hour's from my LBS and got a good discounted price. I use it as my commuter exclusively (25 miles a day) and enjoy it verily. The One Way was pretty, but I don't need all the marketable "commuter gear" like fenders et al. Also, the gearing was too low for me. I will actually be increasing mine soon.

No experience with how this will work for you as an errand goer - my city is simply not laid out to accommodate a 100% car-less lifestyle. Having a family and a 200lb mastiff also complicates that a bit - lol.

if you are shooting for car free i would suggest getting the one way as that is what it is meant to accommodate better, the rush hour is meant to be more of a racing style.

I have a Rush Hour and love it, but it sounds like the One Way is the better bike for you. Did they have an 08 One Way? Those are pretty bikes (several changes from the 07) and might be worth the extra money.

For about the same price as the One Way, you can also look into the Bianchi San Jose. Another great commuter bike! (I have the Rush Hour, but for a commuter I am very, very tempted by both the One Way and the San Jose.)

Ended of with the One Way. Other than the decal under the clear coat I love it. Thanks.

...and a 200lb mastiff also complicates that a bit - lol.

200lb mastiff = lots of slobber lol :lol: