vik 

No I meant fixed gear...no you don't miss coasting and I find a fixed gear actually climbs better because the momentum of the bike drives the pedal through the dead zones in your power stroke.

I'm kind of surprised to be honest...I built my bike up as a fixed gear just for fun...I planned to put an IGH on it, but after a couple months riding it as a fixed gear that's the way it will stay! For just me and a backpack I don't miss gears and in fact there is something really fun about the simplicity of one gear and no coasting.

lonesomesteve

I've been commuting on a single speed for the past couple of years (and I mean single speed, not fixed gear, because I do like coasting) and I also have a couple of standard derailleur equiped bikes that I ride on the weekends. Last year I rode about 8,000 miles total, half on the single speed and half with gears. I do all my own maintenance. Personally I don't think there's a huge difference in the amount of maintenance required between the two. My single speed needs a little chain lube now and then, and a new chain about once a year. My geared bikes require new chains slightly more frequently, but beyond that I don't spend much more time adjusting and maintaining them than I do my single speed. And to put this in perspective, I ride year round, in and around Seattle where it rains a lot and you're never far from your next hill.

To me, it really comes down to what you prefer to ride. The differences in required maintenance are pretty insignificant. And as far as not liking the hills, if you stick with the single speed, you'll get stronger and eventually enjoy climbing hills (although I have to agree with the early poster who suggested that you may want to "gear down" i.e. change your gear ratio to something lower).

So my suggestion is to think less about required maintenance and think more about what just feels right to you. Personally I love riding a single speed. It's simple and pure and fun. But when I'm doing long rides in the mountains on the weekend, a single speed isn't practical so I usually use something with gears for that.

idiotekniQues

i am more than open to getting a single-speed down the road. no way on a fixed gear. some of the best moments biking are just coasting along, so serene, no movement of your body, and just enjoying the view.

hairnet

Have you tried it? The thought of coasting just switches off when i get on my fixed gear.

Sixty Fiver

I have to remember that I can coast while riding... it is a bad habit anyways.

hairnet

plus it feels weird after riding fixed gear enough

91MF

amen brother.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxZuq57_bYM&


also, for the record, anyone making comments about riding fixed who 'tried it once and didnt get it' really shouldnt be making comments. try it for a week and you'll see its great fun and effective. period.

like 65er said of coasting 'it is a bad habit anyways'

jsmonet

adjusting a rd just isn't that difficult unless you try your hardest to never do it.

grolby

No, it's not. I just want to get to work. If I want self-flagellation, I'll take my road bike on a training ride.

Personally, I like IGH hubs, but you do get more bang-for-buck with an inexpensive derailer system. And maintenance really isn't noticeably worse than on an IGH or SS; you need to change chains and cogs on those bikes, too. The problem is that a lot of people think you don't. Modern derailers will hold their adjustment extremely well, and when adjustment is necessary, it's a matter of two minutes of twiddling a barrel adjuster.

daven1986

Not coasting doesn't necessarily mean the ride is much harder tbh.

vik 

+1

As I said above I built up my Surly 1x1 as a fixed gear with the intention to move over to an IGH..thinking a FG would be very limited in use. The first week I didn't like it at all. I only stuck with it so I could write a decent blog post about my experiences...funny thing is by the end of week two I loved it and I was riding my FG everywhere I'd ride my geared bikes, just as fast and with no more effort. I was sold!

lonesomesteve

I commuted on a fixed gear for about 6 months, rode it on a bunch of long weekend rides and one century. I think I gave it a pretty good chance. But I always missed coasting. Apparently fixed gear is not for everyone. I have a couple hills on my commute that I can coast down at 25 - 30 mph. On the fixed gear I dreaded those hills every day. With a freewheel it's the best part of my ride.

hairnet

While I love to spin down hills like these

HardyWeinberg

I enjoy coasting. After a couple seasons (summer->fall->winter) fixed, it still feels weird to 'throw it into neutral' and have only the rim brakes to slow it down...

vik 

I certainly would never suggest every one will or should like a fixed gear, but I do think it's safe to say that many people would enjoy a fixie if they gave it a try and got passed the preconceptions. I will continue to ride geared bikes for cargo biking, touring and mtn biking....there is a place for everything.

I would also point out that there is a fixed gear equivalent to coasting down a hill...you just relax and let you feet fly along with the pedal...it doesn't require any effort and is relaxing...

Sixty Fiver

I took up riding a fixed gear when I was 40 and before that had been riding SS on the road and trail so the transition was pretty seamless and I was in great shape... rode 16,000 km that year with more than half of that done on my fg road bike.

So for more than 8000km I never stopped pedaling and am not a lazy cyclist... I was one of those folks that could hit the steepest of climbs on my fg and still climb like a goat on steroids... I did bend a few lesser chain rings so that added to my maintainence.

On long rides I encourage new riders not to stop pedaling and if they need a rest to gear down and continue spinning a lower gear as coasting too much will lead to greater muscle fatigue... I don't even like rides where there are too many stops and if I am riding solo I might take a 5 minute break on a 100 km ride.

On long descents I coast in that I don't put a lot of input into the pedals but keep my legs moving as then they stay warmed up for when the descent is over and it's time to get back to work.

daven1986

Just came back from a 10 mile each way ride up town on my fixed gear. And damn, it is good fun!

wild animals

I had a Nexus 8 with a roller brake, and changing the rear tube or tire was totally heinous. Get the best flat protection you can, and practice removing and replacing the rear wheel until you know you can do it fast enough to get to work on time if you have a flat. I think they've improved this somewhat (my bike was an '05 model), and I think hubs without roller brakes are easier to work with, but it's still worth getting sorted ahead of time. I replaced some of the nuts on my bike with wingnuts because, otherwise, removing the rear wheel required using two wrenches at once, which is stupid for a commuter bike.

Oh, and it's best if you can pull the tube out of the tire and patch it while it's still on the bike, so you don't have to remove the wheel at all, but sometimes that isn't possible.

IGH bikes have a lot going for them, but I'm on a 27-speed, derailleured bike now and it works a lot better for me. But then, I'm a large person and we have some gnarly hills where I live.

Sixty Fiver

Changing a flat tyre on most IGH bikes is not something for a novice as one has to be able to properly re-tension the chain and set the shifter and if there's a roller brake it gets a little more complex.

I have shown many people how to change a flat without removing the wheel from the bike which is a great skill to have.

Good flat resistant tyres and in some cases, slime, makes a world of difference.

tcs

The key word being most. On both my iM3 and XRK8(W) hubs the cable disconnect/reconnect is toolless, requires no re-adjustment and takes no more than a couple extra seconds in each direction. It's inconceivable* that anyone who could break a bead, repair a puncture and re-inflate a tire could be flummoxed by these IGHs' cables. With an eccentric BB or sliding dropouts the chain tension is no big deal, either. Honestly, it's all less bother than negotiating a cogset past a rear derailleur.

Best,
tcs

*"I do not think that word means what you think it means."

Schwinnsta

Changing a flat on an IGH is no big deal, either Shimano or old S/A. Read the manual. It's pretty simple.

To the OP, the advice to rent bikes sounds good. The biggest factor will be the road conditions where you live. I live in a flat land and three speeds is fine. Single speed is OK but sometimes the wind is strong and I like being in low or some times I like being in high for going faster. I am sure my attitude would be different if I lived where it was hilly. I am sure someone else here with my same commute would feel differently.

wild animals

It's no big deal if you have the tools with you and you've done it before. It's a big deal if you're already 20 minutes late and you only have one wrench. It's something that could cause problems at the start, and most likely become a non-issue after a couple of months, but you want to be prepared for it.

Sixty Fiver

I have my own shop and have been teaching every day folks and mechanics for five years... you would not believe how easily flummoxed people can get even when something is "simple".

tcs

...even with derailleur bikes if you're not prepaired and have no experience.

tcs

westBrooklyn

So I am thinking about putting a 5 speed cassette on my bike. I'm a novice, so any help is appreciated.

I have a mid-80's bianchi 10 speed (or however many speeds)
Right now it is a single speed.

I will need:
5 speed cassette
derailleur
cables
shifter

will I also need a new back wheel? How do I know if mine is compatible?

how much should this cost me?