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Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

stupid noob question

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Old 10-20-08 | 10:29 PM
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stupid noob question

hi everyone... i know this is a crazy question but then I was wondering which is a faster bike... given that you put as much effort into each... a geared bike or a single speed... the reason that I ask is because I am new to biking and would like to know which is a faster bike to get to school with but I didnt want to be all sweaty by the time i get there... I have a geared bike now but I never rode on a single speed... better to ask stupid questions here then a LBS... =) thanks everyone
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Old 10-20-08 | 10:34 PM
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depends.
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Old 10-20-08 | 10:36 PM
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what does it depend on?
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Old 10-20-08 | 10:40 PM
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Whether or not your bike has a motor.
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Old 10-20-08 | 10:41 PM
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depends on your gear ratio.
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Old 10-20-08 | 10:43 PM
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sorry... still dont get it... can you elaborate on that gear ratio a lil more?... thanks
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Old 10-20-08 | 10:47 PM
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Don't listen to him, he just made up the words gear and ratio.
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Old 10-20-08 | 11:01 PM
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You can minimize perspiration by getting in shape and taking it easy on your ride.
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Old 10-20-08 | 11:22 PM
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Unless your route is completely flat and the stretch of road has absoltely consistent wind/weather conditions, the geared bike will be faster and you'll put out less effort for any given rate of travel.

Although I love riding FG, alot of kids I see riding them are very sweaty and very stinky so keep that in mind.
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Old 10-20-08 | 11:28 PM
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Bikes: types that go fast

uhh, not to be a dick but your REALLY clueless. first off, if your ride is flat and you really wanna be hip ride a singlespeed- thats the only reason anyone knows about theme these days that hasnt ever biked before. if its hilly, ride a geared bike, the wide range of different gear ratios makes it easier to climb hills while at the same time allowing you to get a gear ratio that is suitable for fast flatland riding. also, youll always sweat, just depends on your body. ive been an avid cyclist since before i was a teenager and today i race at a high college level and even on my 3/4 mile commute to class i sweat a lot, even in the cold pittsburgh weather- just happens. also, what bike is your geared one? if its a piece of **** old bike maybe invest in a new bike if you plan on riding a lot-old parts can be worn out and henceforth slower. but neither is "faster" it just depends on what gear ratio your using. only after you have ridden a lot of bikes and for a while can you tell if one thing is faster than another. read this website for EVERYTHING related to bikes EVER https://sheldonbrown.com . just browse and search and youll be a bike expert in 2 weeks, even if you cant ride well
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Old 10-20-08 | 11:35 PM
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skeem: paragraphs are your friend. Your friend.
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Old 10-21-08 | 08:11 AM
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geared is faster! No matter if it is flat or hilly!!!
sorry....

You can accelerate faster off the line and reach a higher speed because you can change the ratio of your gears with an easy flip of your gear lever!!!

People attribute SS with faster (or good for training to ride faster) because you can't down shift, forcing you to power up hills in your high gear. This is nice (and good because I like to power my way up hills, luckily Tokyo doesn't have too many!)

But when it comes to flats, I find that I have a lot more torque to give, I don't want to spin my legs at crazy high speeds, I want to use that crazy raw power to go crazy fast. I could go higher ratios, but i am at 48/16 now, which many consider quite high for road use, also it will make accelerating off the line slower.
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Old 10-21-08 | 08:38 AM
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try it out, i started commuting on a geared bike but ended up riding in one gear all the time so i decided to give a ss a try and loved it...getting a little sweaty is not a big deal if you are concerned about it just ride a bit slower
 
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Old 10-21-08 | 08:44 AM
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Geared will be faster. However, depending on the length of the ride it might not be noticeable. But, if you don't want to do any maintenance, adjusting, etc, get the SS.
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Old 10-21-08 | 09:24 AM
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Originally Posted by somegeek
You can minimize perspiration by getting in shape and taking it easy on your ride.

this


become dominant on the bike

then yer ride to work can be at super-ez speed for you which will seem
like trucking along to someone else

but it is still quite hard to not bust a sweat anything above 15mph
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Old 10-21-08 | 10:25 AM
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the faster bike is the one you ride harder.
it's fairly simple.
people forget that the rider is the biggest factor.
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Old 10-21-08 | 10:29 AM
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Gears are for steers.



Furthermore, **** you, page width!
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Old 10-21-08 | 10:33 AM
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Originally Posted by blamire
the faster bike is the one you ride harder.
it's fairly simple.
people forget that the rider is the biggest factor.


WRONG what the bikes frame and parts are made out of is the most important duh.
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Old 10-21-08 | 10:47 AM
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Geared is faster, but for a lot of ssfg people it's not about speed. Sheldon Brown has a good article on reasons to choose a fixed gear; google it if you're interested.
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Old 10-22-08 | 08:19 AM
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How strong are you? Is there a headwind?
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Old 10-22-08 | 09:27 AM
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gearing doesn't matter as long as you have a top-tube cover and ArrowSpocks...
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Old 10-22-08 | 10:04 AM
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I read every single stupid noob post from start to finish. I can't help myself.
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Old 10-22-08 | 10:38 AM
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You'll be super fast with some sweet deep v's
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Old 10-25-08 | 12:37 PM
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generally speaking, you can go faster on a...nevermind, it's all been said...
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Old 10-25-08 | 04:22 PM
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Originally Posted by shinyandfree
I read every single stupid noob post from start to finish. I can't help myself.
Way to go join date jul 08.
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