Originally Posted by
Bauser
I live in toronto, and a lot of people here seem to be riding single speed road bikes. They're not all just fixies; there's also coasters and free wheelers. Are single speeds better than geared bikes? Why do many city riders gravitate towards singles?
One of the main things is that a single speed is cheaper than a geared bike of similar quality. They're also simpler, requiring less maintenance and being less likely to break. As such, many find them to be a cost-effective, convenient, and reliable commuting option.
As far as actual performance advantages, a single-speed can weigh less than a comparable geared bike, and theoretically if your chain tension is set up well, you can achieve slightly less drivetrain loss. In practice, in a real-world road environment, geared bikes are basically always faster.