legot73

After getting passed by a guy on a single speed twice, I decided to give it a try. After parting routes with the guy yesterday, I switched to his gear, 44/16 for the rest of my ride. I used it all the way home in a 15-20mph headwind, and all the way to work this morning with an additional full bag of groceries.

I won't run out and build a SS or fixie any time soon, but learned a lot in the process. I usually like to spin a lot, stay seated, and cycle through lots of gears. I found that I moved faster uphill on some low grades than I ususally do, and that standing on acceleration and climbing isn't so bad.

There's a strong temptation to reduce drive train maintenance to chain cleaning and lube. This will probably be an ideal setup for winter if I really take on the salt, slush, and ice. Overall, its just nice to know I have the option.

gbcb

I decided to make the switch to SS after I realised I hadn't changed gears in about a year . It is indeed less of a hassle in the winter. Salt seems to particularly like eating derailleurs.

Make sure you get a gear that doesn't require you to mash too much. Everyone around here seems to agree that spinning is your friend. Or at least your knees' friend. 44x16 (what is that -- 73"?) sounds like a good place to start.

pinkrobe

Same thing here. I was using two gears, and one was just for geting out of the parking garage. I've got some hills on the way home, so I went with a 39x14. I can spin that out on the flats, my knees don't explode on the hills, and it's easy enough to cruise with on the flats or into a headwind. The major change to my riding is that I pretty much never climb in the saddle anymore. It's not as efficient, but I get to the top faster.

mihlbach

Its funny, but after riding around on geared bikes for years, most people seem to loose their sense of perspective about gears and think that they are absolutely necesary. As you have discovered, you can go just as far and to the same places with 1 or 27 gears. One gear may involve more mashing up hills and your average speed may vary sightly, but otherwise its not much of a disadvantage. Some may argue that for short climbs SS is an advantage. I single speed moutain bike with some geared guys and they were initially stunned that I would even attempt to ride the same trails with one gear, but actually I ended up climbing way faster then them..they sit and spin, while I just mash my way to the top.

max-a-mill

the only thing i have to add is if you liked it while the chain was still routing through all those derailleur pulleys you'll LOVE it when you finally loose all that crap and it is the simple fluid silence of a chain running smoothly around just you two rings.

if you have an older bike with semi-horizontal dropouts conversion is painfully simple. if not you COULD use a chaintensioner, but i'd just suck it up and get a nice new rear wheel built arounsd a white industries eno hub. it ain't cheap but from what i hear they work real well.

i ride 44x18 or 44x17 and i find it a good mix of speed/spin for my route and i got one pretty good hill (or i'd probably gear even higher).

legot73

My current gearing is actually 42/17, putting me at 66.1 gear inches. A bit lower than I originally assumed. It's a new bike. Still seems to be in the reasonable range based on my hills and load.

The details were flawed, the point stands.

caloso

It's superflat here in the valley floor (a railroad overpass is my hill) and I realized I was spending all the time in the 42/15. I liked the idea of a new cycling experience and I became intrigued after reading Sheldon Brown's fixie manifesto. Then I started chatting with the bike messengers in my building.

I finally got the nerve this winter to go fixed. It took some adapting but now.... I love it. The bike is silent, light, and worry-free. My spin is round and fast and my legs are strong.

And I wonder what I was doing with those 26 extraneous gear combinations.

igloomaster

After 3 months of riding a new Redline 925 singlespeed, I thought to myself during a commute last week that i can't imagine going back to riding a geared bike all the time. I concluded that the only circumstance that exists where I would consider a geared road bike is if I planned to get into racing one day. I don't think that day is coming anytime soon.

marqueemoon

I love my 16 speed commuter and I love my fixed gear. I make about the same time to work on both them, and it's nice to be able to vary my riding style by riding a different bike.

DanO220

+1, as they say, in a big way. I have a 1x9 geared commuter that I run primarily because it's not a really nice bike of any sort, and I've lost my indoor parking at work and have to lock it up outside all day. But on the weekends it's my SS Crosscheck all the way. Like max-a-mill said, it's about the silence of a taut, well oiled chain that's not running through a derailleur. I might be suffering at times, but as long as I've got my crank arms torqued the only thing I can hear *****in' and complainin' is me. And that's the way it should be. I ride a 48/18. It gets cruising along on the flats just fine. And besides, I couldn't climb in anything bigger.

DanO

atombob

How are you liking the 9 2 5? I'm looking at a 56cm one for myself with the mustache bars. I'd love any feedback you have!

Thanks!
-Bob

jyossarian

I still have to try SS, but riding fixed has made climbing on my mtb better and helps smooth out the spin.

huhenio

Yup ... I have a geared Hybrid that works well in all situations - dirt gravel road etc - and a old road bike converted to fixed gear. After riding 35 miles in the hybrid I could appreciate having gears again .... to have something to do while waiting for my wife to catch up.

On the fixed i have a 42x13 ... and that is final. If it is not making me stronger it will kill me.

geog_dash

A fixie won't spontaneously change gears or suck the chain while you're riding next to cars or trying to turn in traffic. My geared hybrid did both any time a sprinkle or rain or mud mucked up the drive train.

Properly cleaning a geared bike is practically impossible, IMO. There are always inaccessible nooks and crannies that accumulate grime. Making a fixie look and ride like new is a breeze.

Doggus

I don't think a fixie would work for me. I like to carry too much stuff to work. My bike weighs 40 pounds fully loaded. I'd be pushing it up hills or spinning out all the time. I need gears.

huhenio

Yup .... 40 pounder and hills needs gears or Superman to pedal

max-a-mill

huhenio, your bike can't weigh MUCH less... i nearly got a hernia lifting that thing up

with a bike like that you'd really think he'd be slow. NOPE.

with 40lbs of bike plus hills, fixed gear may not be for you but a low(ish) geared singlspeed could work nicely. it is a real challenge getting into "singlespeed/fixed shape" but after that you can do whatever you want, you'll know your limits...

huhenio

I am either Superman or my crappy bathroom scale is wrong at 26 pounds ... without the 20 pounds of panniers ... and water .... and food ... and cigarretes ... and the zippo is heavy too.

Ah ... I got some Mavic wheels with 25 mm tires from some fine gentleman that got himself a 8 speed hub.

That took a couple pounds off for sure. On the other hand I went from 190 to 200 pounds .... Damn!

-=(8)=-

Im Fix-ated right now !
After trying unsuccessfully to keep the geareage and rims
in commuteable shape this winter I gave up on gears and went Fixed.
What a revelation ! This reminds me of riding a Stingray in the
60's when everything was just as uncomplicated as it was fun !
We bought a new bike for my wife about 2 weeks ago and naturally all
the cable stuff stretches and renders everything working poorly so
as Im getting all this stuff in working order all I can ask myself is "why"
Where did bicycling make the wrong turn ?

balindamood

For what its worth, I have a commuter bike with lights, panniers, fenders, 24 speeds, you name it. Its a great bike when I have alot of crap to shuttle back and forth with my 8-mile one way commute.

I also recently completed (OK, nearly completed) my fixed-gear project. As an early 70's racing frame, it doesn't even have water bottle braise-ons. I tried it monday of this week to see how it goes. I must say that I am going to try to use it every chance I get becasue I LOVED it. It won't work in the rain, snow, or if I have a ton of stuff to haul, but on sunny days with a messenger bag, can't beat it.

huhenio

So ...... OP! where is the bike?

igloomaster

I LOVE IT. Great bike. It comes with everything I wanted, it's nimble & quick....

The only thing that the jury is still out on is the Moustache bars. I'm having an issue periodically with my right hand falling asleep during the rides. I'm investigating different riding positions with these types of bars, but currently I'm not as convinced as others that there is more than 1 good riding position.

legot73

The bike I rode in 42x17 is this one:

It now has a rack and panniers for commuting, as well as lights. The bike isn't very heavy, but it is with the panniers.

highlyselassie

Hey, there's nothing inherently wrong with gears for commuting, aslong as they're kept inside the hub .

Whilst I do love fixie and ss bikes, if you add 10-15 pounds of weight to your commuters rack, it's gonna make whatever perfect gearing you had hellish, unless your route is totally flat.

Something to keep in mind.

huhenio

Perhaps the OP should not be modding the commuter bike and should be thinking of getting himself a single speed road bike like a fuji or something around 400$

The OP will be FLYING on that thing after moving the commumonster up the hill!!!!