It is different -- entirely different, from freewheel bikes. It makes me more aware. Just give it a spin and see what you feel.

That's a really poor analogy to what I was saying.

Regarding the analogy... the hybrid car is a more complex system, and more efficient, and the standard gas-driven engine system is simpler but less efficient. So, frankly, the hybrid would be the multi-gear bike, and the old-school car would be the single speed. That might not fit with a hipster credo, but the analogy doesn't wash the other way.

I appreciate the simplicity and directness of single speed. But it is not inherently more efficient than multi-geared bikes. It's the opposite...put them both on an incline, and you'll be putting out more power per result on the single speed than on a multi-gear bike. And you won't be doing anything healthier for your joints and body. It's a more inefficient, energy-guzzling system. Not very green...

Just like if you kept your car in the same gear, and didn't shift out of it, you'd eat gas and not really get anywhere. (now THAT's a good car analogy)



I like single speeds. Their simplicity, unfussiness. And for the kind of kick-around, relatively short-distance riding one did as a kid, they're perfect. I plan to get another one for short city rambling. (I also happen to like longer fast rides through the countryside, feeling the terrain, which a multigear bike lets me do with more fun. Those rides on a single speed are just beyond most people's capacity, and that doesn't make them sell-outs or lazy. It would make them quit biking, likely, if that were their only option, and why should it be?) There's nothing less authentic, for longer distance riding or commuting on varied terrain, about having multi-gears that keep one riding longer and safer, which encourages more riding. Isn't that part of the point, people riding? Or is it to adhere to some idea of what's 'authentic' vs. what's too cushy? Silliness.

If I could only have one bike, it would be a fixed gear. As it is, I have two of them, along with some other bikes that are geared and a SS chopper/muscle bike. The fixeds I ride the most. Why? Why not. I love it. Fixed gear bikes saved me from getting bored with cycling. I pull my two 35 pound boys in a bike trailer behind my fixed gear bikes.

Think of it this way. Riding fixed gear is like driving a manual car in third gear all the time. Low enough to get lots of torque, but high enough to get decent speed, depending on your ability to spin which increases the more you ride. I get excellent excercise, my spin is much smoother, I am far more aware of whats going on in my personal space on the road and I feel way more connected to the bike, to the point that I usually forget that it is under me(if that makes any sense).

Why not give it a try? I know you'll like it. You just might get hooked and become a fixed gear elitist and forget all about geared bikes, like me. All you have to lose are
your misconceptions.

The chain pushes your pedals when you are not pulling the chain. Think of it a little like regenerative braking on a Prius...

No way of imagining the feeling if you are on a SS or geared bike.

it's funny when i switch to my singlespeed because i ride it as though it was fixed...no clips on the pedals but it feels like the pedals are coming around on their own

developing a much cleaner pedal motion.

At first I didn't understand it either, but now it just seems like it's way more efficient than most bikes. Yeah you're pedaling all the time, but the pedals turn themselves, so half the time your legs are going through the motions. It's not like you have to be pushing hard all the time, although, I always find myself trying to ride it at a pretty fast pace most of the time. I rode 12 miles today next to my friend on his geared bike and I honestly think the journey was easier for me than it was for him.

I think riding brakeless is the ultimate experience on a fixed gear... That's when it really seems like the perfect invention, you want to speed up, push the pedals, you want to slow down, resist the pedals.

Its just a different experience than any other bike. Different bikes serve different purposes, so it's not like fixed gear is the answer for everything. But for pure enjoyment on a bike, I think it's the best option.

Wow! *where's the super impressed smiley*

Sorry, re-cycler, but THAT'S ^^^ a good car analogy.

Why not give it a try? I know you'll like it. You just might get hooked and become a fixed gear elitist and forget all about geared bikes, like me. All you have to lose are your misconceptions. [/QUOTE]

Was the OP saying that they were flat out anti-fixed? Or were they just curious?

I agree with deaonerox. You should give really it a try. I used to ride fixed and geared bikes as well. I found myself going for the fixed bike about 90% of the time. Now I have two fixed gear bikes and one single speed MTB with slicks and higher gearing for the street. I sold off my geared bikes. I just enjoy riding fg/ss so much more and fixed much more than SS. I ride 100% urban and these type of bikes work out perfectly for me.