Sesame,

Yes, I have the gears back on for now...I still prefer the ride of a singlespeed. Several surprises for me...(I emphasize this is a N=1 city commute ride):

- riding posture doesn't seem to change the time taken for the commute very much. I rode tucked in like a racer, I rode upright using Alexander Technique. The plus\minus times was within 2 minutes on a 20 km ride which averages 51 minutes 30 seconds plus or minus. Therefore, I decided to ride using a posture that maximized comfort and motoring visibility for safety as I ride among traffic in the city. This for me meant the Alexander Technique.

- One's attitude when dealing with hills is more important than whether one has gears. One can mash the pedals or sit and spin. With lower gearing, the heart doesn't race as high as if one was mashing and grinding. I do think with our folders, that sitting and spinning favours our type of bicycle.

- I realize how much I hate having to shift. One has to shift before coming to a complete stop at every light. I may yet revert to a 62 gear inch single speed and be done with it.

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