Originally Posted by
CliffordK
A single speed has just one speed as you've guessed. However, it doesn't really specify how the rear sprocket is connected to the hub.
There would be basically 3 types:
- Freewheeling. You can backpedal. The bike requires both front and rear brakes.
- Coaster Brake. Backpedal half a revolution then uses a type of friction brake in the hub. Often found on kid's bikes and beach cruisers.
- Fixie. This is the simplest type. The rear sprocket is attached directly to the hub. However, it should have a lockring to hold it in place. The cranks turn when the bike moves, no coasting. One can stop by backpedalling, or skidding. They should have a front brake.
+1
And just to complicate things further, it is also possible to build a fixed-gear or coaster brake wheel that has variable speeds. In these cases, one will have the mechanism of a fixed gear (cranks continue to turn) or a coaster hub (backpedal to stop) along with an internal gear hub that allows one to change into different gears.
Once upon a time I thought about building a fixie with variable gears, but then got lazy and went with a single speed freewheel.
In other news, I don't think fixies are particularly cool anymore. Evidence is that most of us who got in on the original trend are pushing 40 or 50 years of age.