Single speed commuter bikes
 

hey all! For all my single speed riders, what bike should I be looking to buy? I’m 6’2 ad usually feel comfortable in a 61-62

I personally don't see much point in spending a whole lot for a commuting single speed bike, since we're likely to weigh it down anyway with accessories and the commute load, and we're not gearing it for a high top end speed. I'd draw the line at hi-ten steel and bottom end cranks though.

I've been pleased with a Dawes from bikesdirect. $200 currently. The Kilo TT is a solid alternative if you want a step up in quality.

Yeah, the bikes [MENTION=227213]wphamilton[/MENTION] cites are good. You'll find that one or two components on them don't last long or is cheap. Even after replacing them, it's money well spent. I favor high quality over money saving, but he makes a good point when you're talking about single speed freewheel bikes. On the other hand, if you want to ride a fixed gear, it's not a bad idea to get quality, because the drivetrain is under more tension and in both directions. I have a cheap fixie and a high quality one, and I appreciate the latter. I'm about to convert the cheap one to freewheel because of that.

Another +1 to the above. I commute with a single-speed in good weather. On rainy days, I happen to have another bike with fenders, that's a 3-speed.

With single speed, there's no drivetrain to worry about, so you can avoid a lot of the issues that normally come with lower end bikes.

I don't know your wrench skills, but in my opinion a lower end bike comes with a bit of up-front maintenance work that has to be done, basically to make sure it was manufactured right. This includes making sure the bearings are lubricated and adjusted correctly, and the spokes sufficiently tensioned. Also, depending on your skills, a single-speed conversion is a great use for an older bike if the drivetrain is trashed, and the effort is pretty much the same -- bearings and spokes. Once you've taken care of those things, virtually any bike can last a long time.

Make sure you get the form of bike that you prefer, because you'll be riding it a lot. Most notably drop versus upright handlebars. It's not hard to switch from one to the other, but there's some cost involved due to controls and cabling.

A crank with standard bolted chainrings is a plus, in case it takes you a couple tries to dial in your preferred gear ratio. Also, clearance for wider tires is worth looking for -- at least knowing up front what the bike can take.

Brake and frame clearance for 32mm tires, rack and fender mounts, handlebars with room for lights and computer. There really aren't a lot of choices.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...56cUZBdG5mdTJR

My commute is hilly, and is a challenge on a singlespeed. But I do go through phases when I like that challenge, and I will usually go through a period of a week or two at a time riding my singlespeed for commuting, and then I take a break from it and go back to a multi-geared bike. The other thing that is different about my singlespeed compared to the other bikes I use for commuting is that the singlespeed is not equipped with a rack (although I have put fenders on it in the winter). So when I ride it for commuting, I wear a backpack, which is a little like it being a singlespeed instead of a multi-geared bike; it's different, and I have to be in the mood for it. I do tend to ride the singlespeed more in the cooler months than in the summer.

The bike is an All-City Nature Boy Disc, and is a beautiful bike IMO. I built it up from a frameset, and it's not an economical build. I wanted a high quality, good looking singlespeed for commuting, and I also might do a cx race on it sometime in the singlespeed category. Anyway, I do really like the bike. I especially like that it's a disc brake bike with rear dropout spacing of 135mm, so I can use any of my QR/disc mtb wheels with a singlespeed spacer kit and singlespeed cassette cog. The bike has clearance for up to 38mm tire width (700c), and I run plump 38mm tubeless Panaracer Gravel King (slicks) on it and love the ride.

Have a back up..
 

Just get 2 .. since you will depend on it to get to work ... On Time ..

That is a cool bike - would be on my list if I needed a replacement.
I really like fixed gear though and that reduces my choices when I also want racks and fenders.
I got lucky with this Trek District S that they only made one year.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2s...3HQ6Aw=s640-no

I wasn't expecting it when I built it up, but I've come to really dig my fixed-gear for commuting. The absence of shifters and the single brake let me focus on other things while riding, and I've got plenty of room for fat tires and fenders since I built it out of an old MTB. :)

https://i.imgur.com/uldVsGe.jpg

In a different vein, Surly had a single speed version of the current Karate Monkey two years ago, but phased it out when they introduced the Lowside to replace the old 1x1. Salsa meanwhile sells several bikes with Alternator dropouts which serve for chain tensioners in a single speed build

If budget is a concern - and so is customization - troll Facebook Maketplace/craigslist/ebay/Nextdoor/etc for people selling vintage 70s-90s road bikes and turn it into a single speed. Frames in good shape can be had for anywhere from $25-200 usually. Then built to suit. Almost all of the bikes I see online are for tall people, so you shouldn't have a problem lol

My main commuter is a 84' Raleigh Sportif that belonged to my Aunt - was a 10 speed, I stripped it and rebuilt it to a single. I had a rack, but took it off because aesthetically it wasn't pleasing. So I use a backpack. Here's a pic, with my rear fender attached (comes off when no rain is forecast).
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7f3500ba91.jpg

My other commuter bike is a '74 Raleigh with a rear rack and a trunk bag.

If you're definitely looking to buy new - I agree that All-City makes some beautiful bikes. Surly has the Steamroller, too.

Does BikesDirect still sell the Fantom Cross Uno? Nope :(
But they do sell the Kilo WT which will also wear decent commuting tires in a SS configuration.

Any freewheel hub can be used to build a single speed wheel ..

I even re dished a 5 speed wheel , de dished actually, to build up a wheel for a single cog freewheel..


Bin & dumpster parts..

I second the rec to get a 70s or 80s bike. You should have no trouble finding one with horizontal dropouts, which makes the single speed conversion really easy. The good steel frames are really lightweight and make great rides. Since you don’t care about the condition of the derailleurs, I’m sure you can find one for quite a low price. If there’s a Co Op near you that’s a good place to try.

I like light and fast. I've been using a langster, which at 19lbs and $600 is a heck of a price to performance ratio. Probably only a couple of hundred used. But over the years I have to agree with #5 DiabloScott in that 32mm (or larger) tires are the way to go.

I did commute on a Kilo TT for a while. The steel was kind of nice, but that thing had a weird way of understeering....

Still - it is great riding a bike that has nothing much to break on it.

The District S was only made 1 year,the Soho S was made for a few years and I turned mine into a commuter/gravel bike. Mine was matte black originally also.https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ee7f0bbaf9.jpg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f94dd69c17.jpg
Just picked this frame up yesterday and built it up today. A quick ride around the cauldesac (sans brakes)and it seems like it will fit the bill for my daily 8 mile round trip.

I'd make sure there's a big enough ring available for that crank, to provide a decent ratio on pavement. Otherwise, it certainly looks like a fun bike.

Dawes SST with DIY fenders, chain cover and laptop pannier. The gearing it came with, 46x16 gives me 76-77 gear inches which is just about right for the smaller hills around here.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b9b2f88f87.jpg

One of our Omafiets is single-speed (w/ coaster brake) and I'd guess about a third of the bikes (largely opafiets and omafiets) in The Netherlands and other parts of Europe are single speed.

Well, here's my SS commuter and comfort cruiser. I think I've got about 100 bucks in this bike. The frame looks better in the picture because my cell phone camera blurred out the scratches. ;) The hub is an old Bendix, definitely not sufficient as a primary brake. This bike is 65 gear inches, not a racer, but a decent compromise for getting around town and going on recreational rides of less than 25 miles in my locale. It's just intended to be easy and fun to ride.

I also have another SS coaster wheelset that is earmarked for a dedicated winter bike to be built this summer. It will have ample clearance for studded tires and fenders. The winter bike will have somewhat lower gearing to make up for the tires, road conditions, and heavy clothing.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b339f86e85.jpg

My guess is more than 50% in the Netherlands and less than a third elsewhere in Europe. Wind has in common with hills that you have to work harder, but for some reason shifting down in a head wind doesn't really help as much as on a hill. It's sometimes also about other things, Flanders and North Germany is pretty flat too but legislature is national. If I'm not mistaken in Belgium there was a law that a bike had to have two brakes, which probably makes sense in the Walloon part that is quite hilly. So despite the cycling isn't that different, the Flemish are more used to a different type of bike.

+1 on the Langster - I paid $110 for mine and need only a new spoke and bar tape. I put new tires on it and have been riding ever since. Weighs in at 17.5 lbs with FSA carbon fiber crankset.

To directly address the OP's question - you can't go wrong with a 70s or 80s horizontal dropout bike and make it what you want. Would be very cheap and fun. Just make sure to get a decent frame, not high-tensile steel, should be lots of CrMo bikes out there. Double or Triple butted would be awesome. Japanese bikes are out there for cheap meeting this criteria. Most will have 32mm tire clearance plus, more if you run 650B rims but that's a whole new thread but TOTALLY doable on these frames. A lot of older MTBs would be great too, clearance for wide tires and cheap in the 26" size, just have to watch out as many don't have horizontal dropouts, not a big deal to run a tensioner too if you're not running FG.

If you're not looking to work on something, bikes direct is great for inexpensive bikes, then just change out some of the more vulnerable components, but there aren't many because it's an SS