it makes me feel like im reliving the simple times~ when people used to be nice and say "good day" to one another~

So the question is not why ride a single speed, but why ride a geared bike when a single speed will suffice?

i have reason to believe a geared bike has even more in common with a manual transmission than a fixed gear does.

I found that I rarely (if ever) use more than one gear on any of my bikes, so a SS is an easy choice for me, I also like the challenge and low maintenance of a single speed.

THIS! For me, it's all about being able to hammer and not feel any sort of flexibility/hesitation from the bike. I also ride a road bike, and whenever I am pushing hard up a hill and hear/feel my chain slip or make a noise or w/e the heck is going on back there, it is like hearing nails on a chalkboard. It just hurts to hear the bike mess up while switching gears/etc. Then again, I don't have Record or Dura Ace shifters, and I don't have the money for them. I get the most bang out of my buck with fixed. For 400 bucks I have a KILLER bike that feels GREAT and looks GOOD

Ditto on it just feels good.

Gears allow a cyclist to maintain a preferred cadence over a variety of terrain. Typically, this is tied to the cyclist's aerobic capacity. A single speed or fixed gear requires a cyclist to seek a compromise between an ideal cadence and muscular effort. Calculations show that cadence aside, a similar amount of work measured in Joules is performed by the rider climbing an incline on a fixed or geared bike.

SS\FG provide simplicity, reliability, marginally lighter weight and increased security by way of enhanced rider-awareness. With SS\FG, a rider typically scans and anticipates traffic and road conditions with greater alertness than a typical rider since slowing down and speeding require more effort than a geared bike (unless the rider of the geared bike leaves the bike in one gear most of the time). With FG, this factor is increased to an even greater degree since slowing down is accomplished by some combination of applying the front brake (if one is installed) and resisting the momentum of the pedals with the legs. This requires more effort than merely pulling on brake levers therefore, FG-riders navigate their way through traffic and road conditions in such a way as to preserve maximum momentum.

The fixed gear also provides a unique feeling of connection with the drivetrain of a bicycle. On a typical bike, the slack from the derailleur, the cut of the gears, the dishing of the rear wheel all contribute to a certain mushiness that is absent from a fixed gear. With the FG, there is a direct 1:1 connection with the powered wheel and there is no slack within the drivetrain system to cannibalize your muscular effort compared to a singlespeed or geared bike.

This heightened sense of awareness and direct connectivity with the bike is sometimes referred to as the Zen of riding fixed gears.

If you ride in hilly areas, your choice of an FG will need to take into account your approach in tackling the steepest inclines of your riding routes. If your area is flat, you can gear your fixie to your preferred cadence which ultimately determines the maximum speed you can achieve on the flats without drafting (wind resistance will be your biggest enemy).

I like my single speed for just getting on the bike and knocking around town. Since I can't really go faster without killing myself, I just get to cruising speed, chill out and then focus on what's around me. It makes for a different style of ride.

I agree.....'cept for the "style" part, I have no style, and thats why Im always in style.

"I change by not changin' at all"-Eddie Vedder

Its more fun. Its also my only good bike

I've got several bikes, each for a different type of riding. When I'm on my singlespeed, I don't worry about speed, cadence, keeping up with the group, etc. I just ride.

I don't have to consider the gearing, I just ride.

I ride my singlespeed when I'm just out for fun, to enjoy the sun, the birds, the flowers, or even the cows and goats and the sad-looking donkeys that everyone has to keep away the coyotes. My singlespeeds are even set up with a more relaxed geometry to reinforce the "take it easy" feel.

Just feels nice. All solid and quiet-like.

It is just fun. Riding a fixed gear is more like walking than riding. It is also really quiet.

Any kind of bike is good and having more than one type of bike to choose from is great.

Any bike is hard to ride up hills. Fixie fans have done the impossible by discovering a bicycle that is hard to ride down hills as well.

it's because my roadbike would be bliss if it weren't for:

-having to unclip and put my foot down to come to a stop.
-having to adjust, maintain, own, and operate my derailleurs. the cables may be rubbing on the housing but whatever the cause, sometimes they just simply don't shift when i ask them. sometimes it's a fraction of a second, sometimes ten or more seconds before they decide to work again.
-slowing down to make hills easier. the temptation of the luxury of slowing down and spinning a lower gear is nearly inescapable. when you do give in, spinning the lower gear actually makes the hill more tedious and painful because when you give up you drop your cadence to the point where the gear is too high anyway. unless you have a megarange gear that pushes at like 24 front 32 rear (my girlfriend's cruiser raleigh c40 has this gear, it's almost comical to use, but sheer bliss when you want to move the bike uphill with a full load and all day to spin like a madman), even the lowest of gears becomes too high if you have 'given up' and dropped your momentum below the critical amount for whatever hill you're climbing.

i don't mind having lots of speeds... but the complex system of changing gears is expensive, difficult, and requires frequent service and replacement.

having one speed makes you deal with reality. whether it's fixed or not, one speed says "you either keep the bike moving or it makes more sense to get off and walk." which is really what it comes down to after all.

either your legs are strong enough to get you over the terrain you want to cross, or they're not. if you don't have to climb hills, one gear ratio should be all you need... you can vary your cadence enough to travel at a great enough difference in speeds. and if you can coast, then going down hills isn't a problem either, provided your brakes can stop you at the bottom.

if you want a bike that will go up and down hills, you either have multiple gears and good brakes or you are an adrenaline junkie with a deathwish. and let's face it, if your calves are big enough, that's a pretty cool thing to be.

if you want a bike that looks good, is mechanically simple, reliable, and cheap, and fun to ride around town where it's generally flat, you are either trying to go too fast for city/town roads, or choosing a bike that only allows you what you need, and does away with all the crap that will only get in your way.

i love my geared road bike... but if i lived where there were no hills and rides lasted less than 20 miles, i don't think i'd even keep it.

Its the quietness and the simple reliability. The connection to the road also feels good, makes cornering a lot more fun, in a different way.

Sleek style is also part of it, plus I live in a very flat area.

Hills become a huge workout, and part of me looks forward to them.

I enjoy all bikes, but fixed is what Im riding now.

I have sciatica. It really bothered me after doing some tour-de-france-like time on the road bike. Tried single speed, with no difference. With Fixed gear it went away completely. ****ing fixed gear.


On the bright side, I LOVE the lack of maintenance.


oh and since taking the dish out of the rear wheel I am no longer thrashing them! I used to ruin rear wheels like crazy, to the point where I learned to hand built my own wheels, and do little tricks to increase strenght.

In terms of shifting, yes. But it's true; manual cars always provide a higher level of control than automatic. Braking in automatics suck because you have to wait for the ecu to downshift for you, while as a manual, you engine brake along with foot brakes, as an example.

I hate running. Riding bikes seem to balance cardio with interest better.

Just like you'll never understand why anybody would want a manual transmission on their car.

If something being more difficult makes you automatically think it's pointless, you're not ever gonna understand it.

Same here. Not to mention I've really enjoyed building my bikes from scratch. I first did an old conversion into a fixed gear. Then I found a good deal on a steamroller frame and built a bad ass mofo just migrating my parts over. Now I've tweaked the old one again with a racing freewheel for $h!ts and giggles. Gears and derailers and all those cables just make the bike look nasty in my opinion. A streamlined bike rocks! I live in S. Fla so I have no need for all of that. It's pretty much flat down here so it's just "go time" all the time. I've never had so much fun on my bikes and I'm really enjoying blowing my traffic on my comutes in the a'noon. Life is good. long live fixed!

i love the way once your rolling you stop thinking about the peddling, you have to do it and if becomes automatic almost Z*n like.... i find it a little relaxing... ( that is a nice cruising pace though )

I had a geared mtb first, and it became such a PITA with finding the right gear, having chain suck, keeping the derailleurs properly tuned....it sucked the fun out of riding. so i picked up a SS 29er and mountainbiking quickly became my favorite activity, all i had to do was pedal, steer and brake. things were so simple and plain, and i was ENJOYING my rides so much more.

also, with a SS, you will get better components on a bike for the same money. because youre not having to pay for the transmission of the bike, the money can go elsewhere.

riding a FG is the same, especially in NYC, just pedaling, letting my legs fully control the bike (though i still ride with a brake) it is just a great feeling. i though that i would want a road bike for longer rides...so i picked one up...after 3 or 4 rides, i regretted that decision.

yeah i could go for longer and vary my speed much easier, and make it up other hills...but riding was not as fun or enjoyable...

anyone want to buy a roadbike?

South FL rules!

thats your example?

i just like the way it feels. if i want to go faster i just push harder. i like the challenge of climbing and the acceleration/control in traffic is great.

i also get more of a workout in a shorter amount of time on my SS/FG bikes. i dont always want to go out for a 5~hour 100mile ride. i can go out for an hour or two and rip myself to shreads and have just as much fun.


i still ride road bikes, MTBs ect, its just another way to enjoy riding.