Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Why single speed bikes? Genuine question.

I have a genuine honest question, and I am not trying to be ironic or sarcastic. Apart from track racing, why would anyone want to ride a single speed bicycle?
I will wait for your answers.

I don't and never have liked changing gears. Yes, it's an easier ride with gears, especially climbing hills...but I like the challenge and low maintenance of a single speed.

Why would anyone want to wear flip-flops unless going to the beach? Haha. It's all about preference man.

I don't and never have liked changing gears. Yes, it's an easier ride with gears, especially climbing hills...but I like the challenge and low maintenance of a single speed.

Why would anyone want to wear flip-flops unless going to the beach? Haha. It's all about preference man.

Ditto.

there are a lot of reasons. i'll name a few

simple - you can focus more on riding and less on "what gear should i be in"

less maintenance - if riding everyday in inclement conditions, there is way less to fail / get crapped up on a SS bike

lighter - less chain, shifters, dr's, cogs, chainrings, etc.

Sheldon said it best:
Fixed gear for Fun, Fitness and Form, Feel, and 'Fficiency!
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html

They have great acceleration and are very fast. You can describe ss/fg in one word, Simplicity !!!

I live in Chicago and having gears is like driving a stick shift car. Its just too much of a pain.

a.) Simple, efficient.
b.) My bike never breaks. (knock on wood).
c.) Fixed gear = better winter handling (IMO).
d.) Fixed wheel doesn't have pawls that freeze up when you are 10 miles from home and it is -20F.
e.) Lighter. (not a big reason for me).
f.) Aesthetics.

They have great acceleration and are very fast. You can describe ss/fg in one word, Simplicity !!!

I live in Chicago and having gears is like driving a stick shift car. Its just too much of a pain.

i think riding fixed is like driving a stick shift and driving an automatic is like a singelspeed...the manual transmission is more engaging like the fixed gear

simple - you can focus more on riding and less on "what gear should i be in"
if you know what you're doing on a road bike, this isn't a problem.


lighter - less chain, shifters, dr's, cogs, chainrings, etc.
my road bike weighs almost a pound less than my fixed.

This question gets asked a lot. I will wait for you to use the search function.

I don't and never have liked changing gears. Yes, it's an easier ride with gears, especially climbing hills...but I like the challenge and low maintenance of a single speed..

This is pretty much it for me.

I wanted to go back to riding bicycles, but I realized that I never changed gears all that often while riding, so I opted to purchase a fixed gear.

I have not looked back, and it is so much fun.

EDIT: I also planned to try out and make something of track racing.

I really need to make it to the track soon, but it is so cold and rainy here recently. :'(

if you know what you're doing on a road bike, this isn't a problem.


my road bike weighs almost a pound less than my fixed.


but... if you slapped your fixed wheel on the road bike and tossed the rear brake, shifters, extra chainring, cables, and derailleurs, it would be lighter than your the fixed ;)

Just sayin.

Isn't anybody gonna toss out the Z-word as a reason?

(By all means, don't.)

This question gets asked a lot. I will wait for you to use the search function.

Seriously. I understand it may be an honest question, but putting in an honest effort is a good start.

t h e z e n f t w

If you have to ask, fixed gear probably isnt for you.

It's all about the scene though. Nothing else. The scene.

Isn't anybody gonna toss out the Z-word as a reason?

(By all means, don't.)

Shaun: Don't say that.

Ed: What?

Shaun: THAT. The.. zed word--don't say it.

if you know what you're doing on a road bike, this isn't a problem.
no one is saying its a 'problem', its just that mentally there is less things to think about. With a fixed you hop on and go and pedal, no swtiching gears up and down all the time.



my road bike weighs almost a pound less than my fixed.

Remove all the gear stuff from the road bike and it will weigh less.

I was riding a somewhat heavy geared mtb, my friend let me ride his conversion, I loved it, and was in the market for a new bike. And since a vast majority of my riding during the school year is city(if you can call this a city) riding, shifting gears isn't that practical in stop and go city streets.

Curiosity perhaps as first, plus the bikes look really good. The novelty wears off after a few years and then you just choose the right bike for the ride. I don't prefer SS/FG to gears, I like them both, but a ss/fg forces you to adopt a different riding style, which keeps things interesting, and (I believe) they make you a better rider.

Plus I've found that I like hammering really hard on a fixed gear....track frames with symmetrical (undished) wheels are so much stiffer than road bikes with heavily dished wheels. They feel so much more solid when you stand and put the hammer down..thats what they are made for, after all. Cranking a fixed gear bike over a series of shallow rolling hills, keeping a fairly high cadence, has a better rhythm to it than riding a roadbike.

I use mine for training, even if I stick my road bike in one gear for an entire ride I feel like I get a better workout doing long rides on my fixed. Doing a century without coasting for even a moment is a great spin workout.

One thing I really like (to add to what has been said) is the quietness. Can't hear a thing on my SS (if I'm on a quiet road).

But in the end, it's just another way of getting to one place from another. I also have a longboard, running shoes, rollerblades and probably a razor somewhere.

a fixed drive-train simply feels good.

practicality for me. Living in a city, I would get nervous leaving my $1600 cross bike locked up outside a movie theater/grocery store/friend's house/whereever. You get a cheaper fixed gear, there is less to wear out, less time spent on maintenance, less parts for a**holes to steal/mess with when it is locked up. I like being able to just grab the bike, never have to deal with adjusting derailleurs, and never having to worry about someone stealing the bike when I am away from it.

If you worked on fixing up old houses on weekends would you haul wood with a Ferrari or a pick-up truck? (to me) riding a fixed gear around town is the same concept.

If you worked on fixing up old houses on weekends would you haul wood with a Ferrari or a pick-up truck? (to me) riding a fixed gear around town is the same concept.

And some people prefer a pickup all the time.

it makes me feel like im reliving the simple times~ when people used to be nice and say "good day" to one another~

entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity

So the question is not why ride a single speed, but why ride a geared bike when a single speed will suffice?

i think riding fixed is like driving a stick shift and driving an automatic is like a singelspeed...the manual transmission is more engaging like the fixed gear

i have reason to believe a geared bike has even more in common with a manual transmission than a fixed gear does.

I found that I rarely (if ever) use more than one gear on any of my bikes, so a SS is an easy choice for me, I also like the challenge and low maintenance of a single speed. :thumb:

Curiosity perhaps as first, plus the bikes look really good. The novelty wears off after a few years and then you just choose the right bike for the ride. I don't prefer SS/FG to gears, I like them both, but a ss/fg forces you to adopt a different riding style, which keeps things interesting, and (I believe) they make you a better rider.

Plus I've found that I like hammering really hard on a fixed gear....track frames with symmetrical (undished) wheels are so much stiffer than road bikes with heavily dished wheels. They feel so much more solid when you stand and put the hammer down..thats what they are made for, after all. Cranking a fixed gear bike over a series of shallow rolling hills, keeping a fairly high cadence, has a better rhythm to it than riding a roadbike.

THIS! For me, it's all about being able to hammer and not feel any sort of flexibility/hesitation from the bike. I also ride a road bike, and whenever I am pushing hard up a hill and hear/feel my chain slip or make a noise or w/e the heck is going on back there, it is like hearing nails on a chalkboard. It just hurts to hear the bike mess up while switching gears/etc. Then again, I don't have Record or Dura Ace shifters, and I don't have the money for them. I get the most bang out of my buck with fixed. For 400 bucks I have a KILLER bike that feels GREAT and looks GOOD

Ditto on it just feels good.

Gears allow a cyclist to maintain a preferred cadence over a variety of terrain. Typically, this is tied to the cyclist's aerobic capacity. A single speed or fixed gear requires a cyclist to seek a compromise between an ideal cadence and muscular effort. Calculations show that cadence aside, a similar amount of work measured in Joules is performed by the rider climbing an incline on a fixed or geared bike.

SS\FG provide simplicity, reliability, marginally lighter weight and increased security by way of enhanced rider-awareness. With SS\FG, a rider typically scans and anticipates traffic and road conditions with greater alertness than a typical rider since slowing down and speeding require more effort than a geared bike (unless the rider of the geared bike leaves the bike in one gear most of the time). With FG, this factor is increased to an even greater degree since slowing down is accomplished by some combination of applying the front brake (if one is installed) and resisting the momentum of the pedals with the legs. This requires more effort than merely pulling on brake levers therefore, FG-riders navigate their way through traffic and road conditions in such a way as to preserve maximum momentum.

The fixed gear also provides a unique feeling of connection with the drivetrain of a bicycle. On a typical bike, the slack from the derailleur, the cut of the gears, the dishing of the rear wheel all contribute to a certain mushiness that is absent from a fixed gear. With the FG, there is a direct 1:1 connection with the powered wheel and there is no slack within the drivetrain system to cannibalize your muscular effort compared to a singlespeed or geared bike.

This heightened sense of awareness and direct connectivity with the bike is sometimes referred to as the Zen of riding fixed gears.

If you ride in hilly areas, your choice of an FG will need to take into account your approach in tackling the steepest inclines of your riding routes. If your area is flat, you can gear your fixie to your preferred cadence which ultimately determines the maximum speed you can achieve on the flats without drafting (wind resistance will be your biggest enemy).

I like my single speed for just getting on the bike and knocking around town. Since I can't really go faster without killing myself, I just get to cruising speed, chill out and then focus on what's around me. It makes for a different style of ride.

I like my single speed for just getting on the bike and knocking around town. Since I can't really go faster without killing myself, I just get to cruising speed, chill out and then focus on what's around me. It makes for a different style of ride.

I agree.....'cept for the "style" part, I have no style, and thats why Im always in style. ;)

"I change by not changin' at all"-Eddie Vedder :thumb:

Its more fun. Its also my only good bike :rolleyes:

I've got several bikes, each for a different type of riding. When I'm on my singlespeed, I don't worry about speed, cadence, keeping up with the group, etc. I just ride.

I don't have to consider the gearing, I just ride.

I ride my singlespeed when I'm just out for fun, to enjoy the sun, the birds, the flowers, or even the cows and goats and the sad-looking donkeys that everyone has to keep away the coyotes. My singlespeeds are even set up with a more relaxed geometry to reinforce the "take it easy" feel.

Just feels nice. All solid and quiet-like.

It is just fun. Riding a fixed gear is more like walking than riding. It is also really quiet.

Any kind of bike is good and having more than one type of bike to choose from is great.

Any bike is hard to ride up hills. Fixie fans have done the impossible by discovering a bicycle that is hard to ride down hills as well.

it's because my roadbike would be bliss if it weren't for:

-having to unclip and put my foot down to come to a stop.
-having to adjust, maintain, own, and operate my derailleurs. the cables may be rubbing on the housing but whatever the cause, sometimes they just simply don't shift when i ask them. sometimes it's a fraction of a second, sometimes ten or more seconds before they decide to work again.
-slowing down to make hills easier. the temptation of the luxury of slowing down and spinning a lower gear is nearly inescapable. when you do give in, spinning the lower gear actually makes the hill more tedious and painful because when you give up you drop your cadence to the point where the gear is too high anyway. unless you have a megarange gear that pushes at like 24 front 32 rear (my girlfriend's cruiser raleigh c40 has this gear, it's almost comical to use, but sheer bliss when you want to move the bike uphill with a full load and all day to spin like a madman), even the lowest of gears becomes too high if you have 'given up' and dropped your momentum below the critical amount for whatever hill you're climbing.

i don't mind having lots of speeds... but the complex system of changing gears is expensive, difficult, and requires frequent service and replacement.

having one speed makes you deal with reality. whether it's fixed or not, one speed says "you either keep the bike moving or it makes more sense to get off and walk." which is really what it comes down to after all.

either your legs are strong enough to get you over the terrain you want to cross, or they're not. if you don't have to climb hills, one gear ratio should be all you need... you can vary your cadence enough to travel at a great enough difference in speeds. and if you can coast, then going down hills isn't a problem either, provided your brakes can stop you at the bottom.

if you want a bike that will go up and down hills, you either have multiple gears and good brakes or you are an adrenaline junkie with a deathwish. and let's face it, if your calves are big enough, that's a pretty cool thing to be.

if you want a bike that looks good, is mechanically simple, reliable, and cheap, and fun to ride around town where it's generally flat, you are either trying to go too fast for city/town roads, or choosing a bike that only allows you what you need, and does away with all the crap that will only get in your way.

i love my geared road bike... but if i lived where there were no hills and rides lasted less than 20 miles, i don't think i'd even keep it.

Its the quietness and the simple reliability. The connection to the road also feels good, makes cornering a lot more fun, in a different way.

Sleek style is also part of it, plus I live in a very flat area.

Hills become a huge workout, and part of me looks forward to them.

I enjoy all bikes, but fixed is what Im riding now.

I have sciatica. It really bothered me after doing some tour-de-france-like time on the road bike. Tried single speed, with no difference. With Fixed gear it went away completely. ****ing fixed gear.


On the bright side, I LOVE the lack of maintenance.


oh and since taking the dish out of the rear wheel I am no longer thrashing them! I used to ruin rear wheels like crazy, to the point where I learned to hand built my own wheels, and do little tricks to increase strenght.

i have reason to believe a geared bike has even more in common with a manual transmission than a fixed gear does.

In terms of shifting, yes. But it's true; manual cars always provide a higher level of control than automatic. Braking in automatics suck because you have to wait for the ecu to downshift for you, while as a manual, you engine brake along with foot brakes, as an example.

I hate running. Riding bikes seem to balance cardio with interest better.

Just like you'll never understand why anybody would want a manual transmission on their car.

If something being more difficult makes you automatically think it's pointless, you're not ever gonna understand it.

I don't and never have liked changing gears. Yes, it's an easier ride with gears, especially climbing hills...but I like the challenge and low maintenance of a single speed.

Why would anyone want to wear flip-flops unless going to the beach? Haha. It's all about preference man.

Same here. Not to mention I've really enjoyed building my bikes from scratch. I first did an old conversion into a fixed gear. Then I found a good deal on a steamroller frame and built a bad ass mofo just migrating my parts over. Now I've tweaked the old one again with a racing freewheel for $h!ts and giggles. Gears and derailers and all those cables just make the bike look nasty in my opinion. A streamlined bike rocks! I live in S. Fla so I have no need for all of that. It's pretty much flat down here so it's just "go time" all the time. I've never had so much fun on my bikes and I'm really enjoying blowing my traffic on my comutes in the a'noon. Life is good. long live fixed!

I like my single speed for just getting on the bike and knocking around town. Since I can't really go faster without killing myself, I just get to cruising speed, chill out and then focus on what's around me. It makes for a different style of ride.


i love the way once your rolling you stop thinking about the peddling, you have to do it and if becomes automatic almost Z*n like.... i find it a little relaxing... ( that is a nice cruising pace though )

I had a geared mtb first, and it became such a PITA with finding the right gear, having chain suck, keeping the derailleurs properly tuned....it sucked the fun out of riding. so i picked up a SS 29er and mountainbiking quickly became my favorite activity, all i had to do was pedal, steer and brake. things were so simple and plain, and i was ENJOYING my rides so much more.

also, with a SS, you will get better components on a bike for the same money. because youre not having to pay for the transmission of the bike, the money can go elsewhere.

riding a FG is the same, especially in NYC, just pedaling, letting my legs fully control the bike (though i still ride with a brake) it is just a great feeling. i though that i would want a road bike for longer rides...so i picked one up...after 3 or 4 rides, i regretted that decision.

yeah i could go for longer and vary my speed much easier, and make it up other hills...but riding was not as fun or enjoyable...

anyone want to buy a roadbike?

I live in S. Fla...

South FL rules!

Braking in automatics suck because you have to wait for the ecu to downshift for you, while as a manual, you engine brake along with foot brakes, as an example.


thats your example?

i just like the way it feels. if i want to go faster i just push harder. i like the challenge of climbing and the acceleration/control in traffic is great.

i also get more of a workout in a shorter amount of time on my SS/FG bikes. i dont always want to go out for a 5~hour 100mile ride. i can go out for an hour or two and rip myself to shreads and have just as much fun.


i still ride road bikes, MTBs ect, its just another way to enjoy riding.