Originally Posted by
FiftySix
But I do feel like a kid again when I ride a single speed. No doubt about it. Riding a single speed makes me stand up to pedal much more than I would a geared bike, and that standing up more often seems to energize me, entertain me, and make me forget what I look like in a mirror. (Who the hell put that middle aged face on my skull?)
Yeah, I’ve gone back to at least one of my two bikes being SS, but even when they were both geared, the effect of the time when riding only SS for a while hadn’t worn off. I purposely ride geared bikes more like SS, using only a couple of gear combos.
In addition to being fun and exhilarating, one of the big benefits of SS is that it relieves some of the effects and symptoms caused by repetition.
Many road riders spend a lot of time in the saddle, so weight on hands and wrists and saddle pressure are constantly having their impact.
On the other hand, SS means more variety in position, cadence, effort, etc.
The other thing I’m reminded of now that I’m riding SS again is that it’s even more meditative than riding a geared bike, since there is never any thought about gear choice and shifting.
Otto