Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - But how?!

I have ridden 21 or 24 speed gear bikes all my life and I have never ever ridden on a single speed. Can any of you tell me how uphill and downhill riding is for you guys? I'm actually thinking of getting a Trek 69er and I can't decide whether to go for the single speed or the 24 speed that is 20% heavier.

Pick your gear that is similar to that of the Trek 69er, and have a shot at going up a hill. :)

I climb better on my fixed gear than my geared bike.

The fixed gear guys here all push their bikes up the hills.

Uphill you just get all the momentum you can and pedal hard. Push and pull on the pedals and brace against the handlebars to get that last bit of strength. Now I have hard time riding with people on geared bikes because they slow down so much on hills. They can drop me on flats sometimes though. Don't worry about downhill speed on a mountain bike, just stay off the brakes. You will walk more especially in the begining, but it seems easier to ride a single speed then a geared bike for me now. I don't think there is much of a weight difference. I rode with a guy a few weeks ago with a full suspension Yeti and we couldn't tell a difference in weight between it and my Monocog.

I climb better on my fixed gear than my geared bike.
x2.

Maybe I read wrong but I think the OP was talking about single speed bikes.

SS bikes are a compromise between acceleration and top speed. Your advantage is the reduction in weight. You'll find that you'll always want more top end or find climbing/acceleration is more difficult than with gears.

However with SS climbing you'll find you want to rush up hills sometimes (with the reduction in weight) you'll find your much faster. Another great thing is no chain slap! Downhill is exactly the same.

Riding SS will force you to change your riding style from spinner to sprinter.

Uphill you just get all the momentum you can and pedal hard. Push and pull on the pedals and brace against the handlebars to get that last bit of strength. Now I have hard time riding with people on geared bikes because they slow down so much on hills. .

Heard that before. Never seen it. Pedal hard up that 3 mile hill buddy. Right. Maybe you should go ride in the Tour.

Your advantage is the reduction in weight. .

More BS. My geared bike weights 15.6 pounds, how much does your SSFG weigh?

Most of the SSFG I see here, are 20+ pounds.

DO you guys believe all this stuff, or is it just fun to talk about?

Just spinning along, one of the growing number of Democrats for McCain.

disgusting

I climb better on my fixed gear than my geared bike.

Hopefully you are talking about when you ride somewhere other than Toronto. Because as I remember there are not hills in Toronto.

just ride it up the hill and then ride it down the hill. That simple, really. Unless you are riding some rediculously huge gear ratio, you'll be able to climb hills within your abilites and reason, of course. Downhill, you keep control of your rate of descent by either using them silly brake thingies if you have 'em or resisting. You can even skid off speed going downhill for more fixified fun.

Whats with all the threads denouncing fixed in SS/FG lately?

I'm certainly not denouncing SSFG. I love my 2 SS bikes. But this garbage I read from people in completely flat places how they are sooooooooo much better up hill than a geared bike are just laughable. And they do a major disservice to newbs trying to figure out their gearing. Somewhere here last week a rider from NYC suggested 48-14 as a gear ratio to a guy living in eastern Ky. Have you ever been to eastern Ky.? It is quite hilly. There is a good chance he has a 600 foot climb over 1.5 miles near him. None of you guys are powering over that with your amazing 20 pound conversion in a 48-16.

People are making purchasing decisions based on some of these guys recommendations.

My question to the OP is where in NJ do you live? How much do you weigh?

More BS. My geared bike weights 15.6 pounds, how much does your SSFG weigh?

Most of the SSFG I see here, are 20+ pounds.

DO you guys believe all this stuff, or is it just fun to talk about?

So you're telling me that you're derailers, cassettes, triple chainrings, and shifters weigh less than a single freewheel and chainring? The OP is asking about the same bike in geared vs ss. I don't see how comparing carbon/al road bikes to steel ss bikes is relevant.

So you're telling me that you're derailers, cassettes, triple chainrings, and shifters weigh less than a single freewheel and chainring? The OP is asking about the same bike in geared vs ss. I don't see how comparing carbon/al road bikes to steel ss bikes is relevant.

I don't see where he is aksing that at all. I see that he is asking whether to get a geared or SS bike. To answer that I would need to know more about him, and where he lives.
If he lives in a very flat place, like Toronto, or Miami, a SS might be for him. If he is 6 feet tall, 135 pounds, a SS might be for him. If he lives in western North Carolina, eastern Ky. and is fat like 5'10" 180, then a geared bike would be a better choice.

So you're telling me that you're derailers, cassettes, triple chainrings, and shifters weigh less than a single freewheel and chainring? The OP is asking about the same bike in geared vs ss. I don't see how comparing carbon/al road bikes to steel ss bikes is relevant.

No, he's saying most rode bikes are nice light frames from the modern age.

Most fixed gears are lead/steel retro hunks of weight.

Gears don't matter one way or another when you're running around with a 25 pound frame :roflmao2:

Maybe I see a different post #1 than you guys :rolleyes: . In the one I see, he is deciding whether to get the geared or ss 69er.

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/mountain_hardtail/

^^^^^^Isn't that what I said?


I don't see where he is aksing that at all. I see that he is asking whether to get a geared or SS bike. .

And to answer that question fairly, we need more info

Sorry, I didn't see where you edited your post after rereading the OP.

I don't see where he is aksing that at all. I see that he is asking whether to get a geared or SS bike. To answer that I would need to know more about him, and where he lives.
If he lives in a very flat place, like Toronto, or Miami, a SS might be for him. If he is 6 feet tall, 135 pounds, a SS might be for him. If he lives in western North Carolina, eastern Ky. and is fat like 5'10" 180, then a geared bike would be a better choice.

The OP said the geared bike is 20% heavier, don't be obtuse.

5'10" 180 lbs is fat? You need to hit the gym, Sally.

Hopefully you are talking about when you ride somewhere other than Toronto. Because as I remember there are not hills in Toronto.
Toronto flat? You can't go more than 500m without some sort of an incline. Of course there are no mountains here, but a good portion of the time i am climbing, and i can do it better on my fixed gear.

My question to the OP is where in NJ do you live? How much do you weigh?

I live in North Western Jersey where it can get quite mountainous actually because it's sort of in the Appalacian Mountain Range. I weigh 150lbs.

More BS. My geared bike weights 15.6 pounds, how much does your SSFG weigh?

Most of the SSFG I see here, are 20+ pounds.

DO you guys believe all this stuff, or is it just fun to talk about?

So convert the Weight Weenie bike to SS, surprisingly it WILL weigh less.

The OP said the geared bike is 20% heavier, don't be obtuse.

5'10" 180 lbs is fat? You need to hit the gym, Sally.

Don't worry, he's just a weight weenie. 5'10" 220 is borderline fat.

Heard that before. Never seen it. Pedal hard up that 3 mile hill buddy. Right. Maybe you should go ride in the Tour.

At the same gear ratio optimized for the sloping angle of the hill, the fixed gear is vastly better for the climb. The only advantage a geared bike will have is adjustability for different hill grades.

The fixed gear guys here all push their bikes up the hills.

I live in Silverlake, California so this would apply to me. The hills are rideable on a geared bike but not on a fixed gear. Most all fixed riders in this area walk their bikes up these short but steep hills.

So convert the Weight Weenie bike to SS, surprisingly it WILL weigh less.
The fixie haters are getting dumber by the day :roflmao2:

I usually check the forecast and if its calling for 'hilly', I just get more awesome that day.

I live in Silverlake, California so this would apply to me. The hills are rideable on a geared bike but not on a fixed gear. Most all fixed riders in this area walk their bikes up these short but steep hills.

Sounds like they should gear down unless its only a few hills amongst a predominantly moderate or flat area LOL

the problem i have with a fixie around tn is that if my gear is low enough to do a relatively steep incline (not uncommon), then im spinning like mad all the way down. i stick to 49-16 around my flat town on the fixie, and then go geared for longer distances. with a ss you wont have the spinning problem, but id recommend something like 48-18 or 19 if you have to do much hill climbing. unless youre an unreasonably strong geared rider...

More BS. My geared bike weights 15.6 pounds, how much does your SSFG weigh?

Most of the SSFG I see here, are 20+ pounds.

DO you guys believe all this stuff, or is it just fun to talk about?

Easy Rider...
We're not talking about SSFG bikes.
We're talking about a Trek 69. Mountain bike.

unless you live in a really hilly place, run a S 29er. I just bought one, and i love it (i got a misfit) only the one gear, so on some steep climbs i cant muscle up them, and some decents i spin out (i can spin up to about 140ish on a freewheel), but for the most part on the steep hills, sprinting up with my bike is quicker then people crawling up on there bikes (depending on the person) and the decents, because its rigid for most decents im out of the saddle picking my route. when i spin out, i coast and just time my pedaling for the next hill.


but if you have lots of hills grab some gears, or if your going to use the bike in the city. My 32:18 spins out fast in the city, but i think i like it for the trails (i have been out on it only three times though, its about 10 days old)



sorry if it has been addressed, i just read the first page.

maddyfish is taking this thread el oh el serious