View Poll Results: What is most efficient?
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What is most efficient?
09-12-08, 09:31 PM
#1
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What is most efficient?
I am confused. What road bike is most efficient?
Fixed Gear, Single Speed, Or A geared road bike (20) Speeds?
Fixed Gear, Single Speed, Or A geared road bike (20) Speeds?
09-12-08, 09:45 PM
#2
Still kicking.
Depends on the application, but with general flat riding, and tt's a fixed gear would have it's advantages, each other it's general opinion.
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09-12-08, 09:47 PM
#3
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From an engineering point of view, fixed gear is most efficient. From a physiology point of view, geared is most efficient.
Single speed w/a freewheel is worthless and poser in anything but mountain bikes.
Single speed w/a freewheel is worthless and poser in anything but mountain bikes.
09-12-08, 09:47 PM
#4
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Most efficient for what? A case could be made for all of them.
09-13-08, 12:48 AM
#6
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Flatland - fixed gear. The hour record will always be done on a track bike.
Factor in hills and headwinds and gears become more efficient.
JPradun nailed it on the head pretty well though.
Factor in hills and headwinds and gears become more efficient.
JPradun nailed it on the head pretty well though.
09-13-08, 12:57 AM
#7
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Most efficient? Gears with a very low LOW, and very high HIGH. And many points between. You don't HAVE to use them - but they are there if you do.
09-13-08, 07:24 AM
#8
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As several posters have noted it depends on what type of efficiency you are talking about.
For pure mechanical efficiency, the fixed gear (or single speed while the freewheel is locked up during pedaling) is the most efficient. The chainline is perfect and there are no parasitic losses from derailleur pulleys, chain angularity, etc.
For physiological efficiency, the ability to change gears to maintain the riders preferred pedaling cadence is much more efficient in anything but the flattest terrain.
Last edited by HillRider; 09-13-08 at 07:28 AM.
09-13-08, 08:23 AM
#9
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In the real world multi-geared bikes are the most efficient for travelling road or off road.
Single speed bikes are quite efficient also, but fixed gear bikes are completely pointless IMO. They may look simple and elegant, and have a certain 'cool factor', but they're dangerous and too easy to lose control of. So whatever benefit you get from cycling, riding a fixed gear will kill it!
Single speed bikes are quite efficient also, but fixed gear bikes are completely pointless IMO. They may look simple and elegant, and have a certain 'cool factor', but they're dangerous and too easy to lose control of. So whatever benefit you get from cycling, riding a fixed gear will kill it!
09-13-08, 11:39 AM
#10
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This sounds like more of a problem with riding skills than anything else. Fixed gears are just as easily controlled as freewheel bikes after you get properly acquanted with them. It's been a very long standing tradition for the pros to ride fixed in the winter for fitness and pedal stroke efficiency. Riding a fixed gear well absolutely makes you better on a road bike, unless you are the type of cyclist who lets the drivetrain push you through the 'dead spots' in your pedaling without addressing them (loosening the chain can help fix that bad habit as you feel directly every dead spot if you don't keep up with the stroke, and it's not a good feeling at all!).
09-13-08, 02:01 PM
#11
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The question was about "road" bikes. Roads have hills, winds, stop signs, and buttplug drivers.
That said, I'm curious enough about fixed gear to give it a shot sometime. It's a really unusual sensation and I'd like to try it for a while. I hear it will give me awesome legs, too. But that's because it's inefficient.
That said, I'm curious enough about fixed gear to give it a shot sometime. It's a really unusual sensation and I'd like to try it for a while. I hear it will give me awesome legs, too. But that's because it's inefficient.
09-14-08, 12:33 AM
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09-14-08, 01:24 AM
#14
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You left out internally geared hubs. Just sayin' 
As has been pointed out already, Fixed gear are the most mechanically efficient bikes. Geared bikes are the most physiology efficient. That is to say, the loss of mechanical efficiency from a fixed gear bike is negligible when compared to a geared bike, but the ability to maintain proper cadence makes for a more efficient use of energy being put into the bike.
As has been pointed out already, Fixed gear are the most mechanically efficient bikes. Geared bikes are the most physiology efficient. That is to say, the loss of mechanical efficiency from a fixed gear bike is negligible when compared to a geared bike, but the ability to maintain proper cadence makes for a more efficient use of energy being put into the bike.
09-14-08, 09:07 AM
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Single speed bikes are quite efficient also, but fixed gear bikes are completely pointless IMO. They may look simple and elegant, and have a certain 'cool factor', but they're dangerous and too easy to lose control of. So whatever benefit you get from cycling, riding a fixed gear will kill it!
09-14-08, 09:48 AM
#16
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Regarding efficiency, I think a single speed would hold a huge advantage over fixed since you can coast down hills.
