I'm sorry, but I'd have to turn in my "nitpicking geek" credentials if I didn't point out that the lightyear is a measure of distance (and a very long distance at that), not time. And considering the fact that you're not supposed to be travelling much at all during a proper trackstand, well...

And don't get me started about that whole "Kessel run in under 12 parsecs" business. :D

Thats a good point, I guess I more meant that if he tried it and didn't like it, he'd be wasting time and money. It just seems that he is too skeptical.

No, but I hate derailleurs....I think i'd like to try one.
And have a fixed bike of course.

excellent. on long fixed rides i find myself thinking very clearly about a variety of topics, this explains it.

1 light year = 1 year.

I will edit my post for you.

no but one light year is the distance light travels in a year...

light year = unit of distance.

I could be wrong by a billion miles......haven't done any real math since college....some 30 years ago....
I figured a light year is approx 6 followed by 21 zeros, in miles, a distance light travels in one year.
As I said I could be off by a trillion miles.

So when I look at star clusters in Saggitarius thru my scope, I am actually seeing images from thousands of years prior. It is not real time.

A light year is about 5.87 trillion miles (to round to the nearest trillion, it would be 6 followed by 12 zeros)

OK....my math was a bit fuzzy....

You can always trust me to nerd up a perfectly normal conversation.

Black coffee, kinesthetic philosophizing, light years--yep, that pretty much explains the why's of Single Speed.

you forgot pie.

the biggest thing for me is the not thinking about gears. btrevor is right - you don't realize how much you think about it until you don't have to anymore.

on the peripheral topic, ever heard of a nanosecond referred to as a "light foot"?

I have, but then I'm nerdy and a computer nerd at that where things like propagation speed and nanoseconds are important...at least for computer engineering.

maybe this is more off-topic than this thread already was, i don't know, but i wonder...

has anyone here ever had a job as a dishwasher? i used to, and i find the experience very similar to riding ss and fixed (i ride both, both have their own advantages, and i don't see the point in arguing between the two): lots and lots of unsolicited random memories from days gone by racing willy nilly through my mind. i think it's true, riding a 1-speed is rather Zen, and i'd have to say that dishwashing is, too.

Please. I worked at a Hardees where I usually had dish duty. I HATED that junk. Oh, and our grease pit was installed backwards so it would constantly backup and flood the floor... Significantly unpleasant, trust me. Oh damn, I can still smell the stink.

Sigh. I'm getting 0 accomplished.

I like this.

Anyway, it's an acquired taste. Like oysters or a whole heap of other things that initially you would go "Arrrgghh... why would I want to do that?" Once you've done it, things are never the same again.

yeah. i guess Hardees is different than a worker owned joint. sorry.

I ride a ss freewheel. The last time I rode a geared bike, I was going up a hill, shifted gears, the der screwed up, put it in the wrong gear, I hammered down on the crank, the pedal flew around and I tore a muscle in my leg and didnt ride for eight months. The bike was well maintained, just some ****** luck. When I healed up, I bought a langster and never thought that it would be so much fun. Now, the idea of shifting is just silly to me. And yes, there are some hills I simply cant get up, but I'll trade that rare inconvenience for the fun of riding the rest of the time. The feel of a chain NOT hanging on a der is something you need to feel to understand. You may not like it at all, but all my friends that tried my bike either bought one or a bianchi pista. go figure.

Hehe... Don't worry, it's not like I'm having some sort of horrible flashbacks or pissed off or nothing. Just saying that I really really hated washing dishes and it's absolutely nothing like riding a bike for this guy.

live simply so others may simply live.......hahahaha!

How about the fact that the things just don't break? And there's no "What's that annoying noise oh crap the der's off well maybe if i just pull it a little oh crap i have to adjust that hey guys wait up i GRAAUUUNNCHCHH oh there goes my chain again ok see you next time."

Really I just like a bike that keeps going when I don't baby it.

And yes, one speed does make you feel like more of a man (or woman).

This is going to sound a little odd but ...

you don't really use your brakes to stop as much as you use them to slow down. Now, I just do that with my legs. In emergency type situations, if you have brakes, you have a good chance of falling down anyway if you brake too hard ... for the other 99.99999999999999999999999999999999 percent of the time, fixed gear is much more interesting.

Another thought that I am stealing from St. Sheldon:

...and singlespeed touring is not as goofy an idea as it might sound at first blush--if you're not in a hurry and value simplicity and reliability, a singlespeed is eminiently tourable. Yes, you might have to get off and walk up a few hills, but that's hardly a tragedy, in fact sometimes it can be a nice change of pace! If you are in a hurry, why are you on a bicycle?

why? for popularity and street cred, of course.

And the weight saving on gears, shifters and ders means a lighter load at the airport to handle, and a much simpler assembly job.

free face punches!
who wants one?
get yer face punched, right here! All for free!