Question for you single speed riders.
All but one of the posts I've seen in the Fixed & Single Speed forum have to do with light weight high dollar bikes either converted to single speed or fixie, or are actual track bikes from a manufacturer. The one exception was a thread about coaster brakes.

Does a single speed mass marketed "Big Box" store $99 ~ $120 coaster brake beach cruiser count as a single speed for the purposes of this forum, or is the forum limited to the high dollar (forgive the terminology here, please) "Snob Appeal" bikes, and the cheap bikes are a C&V (if even there) subject only?

For what it is worth, I have several geared bikes, including a top of the line KHS "Montana Summit" (triple butted lugged steel frame) from 1989 in perfect condition, and a 2003 Giant Cypress DL, but my "go to first bike" is an old coaster brake Huffy "Key Largo" beach cruiser.

how many speeds does it have?

Get some GEARS!!!

I think the question is not whether they qualify as single speed bikes, but whether they qualify as bikes and not toys. There are a few people who have older coaster brake setups who seem quite happy with their bikes, and while limitted in what those bikes can do they are quality machines. A big box store beach cruiser is typically too crappy to have any useful application other than as a toy to play with for a little while on the weekend. You can't commute on it (it will breakl), you can't race on it (it will break), you can't do tricks on it, tour with it, or ride it for fitness purposes (because it will break break break) so I personally don't think it even qualifies as a bicycle.

"Snob appeal" has nothing to do with it. People have built converted single speeds that cost them a total of 50 dollars from garage sales and bike coops and those are perfectly well received here. But a piece of crap is a piece of crap, regardless of price.

Wtf?
Yeah, they're single speeds. Rxcuse us for having interest in road and track frames.

Count number of speeds.
Answer = 1 --> Yes.
Answer > 1 --> No.

I hope no one mentions the 3-speed fixed hub. That'll BLOW HIS MIND!!!!!

you forgot

Answer < 1 --> No.

dang! And I've only put around 15,000 miles on my Huffy! Guess I better start looking for a "serious" bike I can use for commuting, grocery getting, (fairly) flat land touring (nothing more than 2000 to 5000 foot climbs at the ski resort around here, so it is fairly flat land) jumping curbs and pot holes ...! Sure am glad I out-grew the doing tricks stage of riding 40 years ago ...

Golly Gee Wiz BR4L, you sure convinced me. I'm heading straight to Walmart!

No problem with you or anyone else having an interest in road and track frames. I'm rather partial the the lugged steel ones myself. One of my "dream bikes", in fact is a 1960's/1970's Cinelli Super Corsa road bike. (with full Campy Nuvo or Super Record Grouppo, of course) Unfortunately, they seem to be the ONE THING an owner is allowed to take with them when they leave this existence for the next one; the bike vaporizes and goes with them ...

This thread is fail. Don't start a thread to ask a stupid question and then knock-off about how cool you are for riding a beach cruiser really far.

My 1979 Sears single speed seems to have held up pretty good. Pretty good for something that probably cost $50 when new anyway.

Oh yeah, forgot to account for 0 and .5 speed bikes.

And the negatives!

What about my complex and imaginary numbers? (4i, 7-3i, etc.)

this.

why are we attacking the OP for how his bike is? If it has one gear, it's a single speed.

What? "This thread is fail." You, sir, are "fail" for being absurd. As an aside, what's the matter with beach cruisers? Let's see...



or




Incidentally, what's the deal with everyone having those gay little riser bars? Here's a hint...if you have a little one, compensate for something that is big, or fast, or loud, or, preferably, all three...

foot retention fail

A sprung fork Columbia is not your typical beach cruiser...though it is pretty awesome.

It's funny because the bars in the pictures have no raise whatsoever. Also, conceivably, given that comment and the photo... don't try to lend credit to racial stereotypes.

Oh, he's talking about Asian penises? I thought he was talking about handlebars. I wasn't very sure why he said 'loud.'

I guess it's because he fails English. I guess if I were an illiterate racist, I'd focus on other people's dicks, too.

... and before he makes some big rebuttal:

just try to defend this:
as a complete, proper sentence. A run-on sentence that uses ellipses instead of real punctuation is still a run-on sentence.

Queryuser,
"Number of Gears?" StorInput, Var1
If,
Var1/1=1
Then,
Disp "Your bike is a SingleSpeed. Congratulations."
Goto C
If,
Var1/1 =/= 1
Then,
Disp, "Your bike is NOT a SingleSpeed. Fail."
Goto C

C
EndProg

RULES?
We don't need no stinking rules.

The truth is it doesn't matter. We are going to make fun of you and your bike regardless. If you are too sensitive or the kind of person who takes it personally, you'll probably be happier not posting here. If you can take it in the spirit it was intended and maybe issue a little needle of your own now and then, this forum can be a lot of fun.

Sorry, but I do not consider myself "cool" for riding any bike any distance. I was responding to a person who implied the inexpensive bikes would not last 100 miles under normal adult use, and were/are a P.O.S. and by extension, only a bike that costs big bucks is capable of commuting, touring, and so on. All of which is a bunch of bull.
He is like the guy I ran across at a truck stop when riding the Yamaha XS 650 motor cycle I had at the time across the country. The guy was a Harley man, through and through, and is opinion was "If you don't have a Harley you ain't got SH***!" yet the only time he actually RODE his Harley (a standard late model, not a "collector" or vintage/antique or non-street legal chopper or racing bike) was on and off the dam trailer.

Just because I cannot afford to put $10,000 out for a bicycle (or even $300 for a bicycle right now, for that matter) does not mean I should not ride. Yes, I have a "lot" of miles on that bike, put on over a period of several years. I have a lot of miles on my other bikes, as well. One of my bikes, which I've had since 1994, (1984 Fuji Mt. Fuji) I've ridden over 30,000 miles. Whoopie. Big deal. SO WHAT? I ride my bikes more than some people ride theirs, and less than other people ride theirs; big deal. Who cares? I sure don't.

Heck, I learned 50 year ago not to take sh*** personal I can run with the "best" (worst?). I don't get even ... I get ahead ...

Some are very loud.