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"

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".

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.

"My other bike has gears"

+1

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

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

I have a few geared bikes too.

They're all real bikes.

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?

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.

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!

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.

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.