Should I get a single speed?
 

Hey guys new here trying to decide what kind of road bike I would like to get. I mostly mountain bike but wanting to do some road riding for fun and to increase my strength too. I'm thinking a single speed is what I'm looking for I have a buddy that rides a retrospec mantra and I tested it and really enjoyed it. By question is what would be a good budget bike to get? Also I live mostly near flat roads but I do have alot of large hills a few miles down the road is a single speed really feasible for big Hills or should I go with gears?

I ride a fixed gear all over San Francisco, and I don't seem to have too many issues. I just figured out the right gear ratio for me and learned how avoid massive, monster hills.

Curious about your gear ratio. I recently moved to Santa Cruz, and some of these hills are crazy.

ss/fg. The forum itself tells you to flipflop your hub. Run a brake or two. Figure it out from there.

I rode a fixed gear in Santa Cruz for 2 years. I used a 42x16 ratio. It was fine for the most part. I was spinning pretty hard going down hills though. Biking up to campus kind of sucked, but then I got used to it after like 6 months of hating it (but I would always still be sweaty) - It was always just so slow. During my last year though, I ditched the fixed gear and switched to a freewheel single speed and was more comfortable. Anyway, it's definitely do-able if you wanna make it work. try 42x16 as a starting place?

Also, I wanna add that a lot the local scene at santa cruz don't like fixed gears. They're all into road bikes or mountain bikes. Fixed gears get associated with like "San Francisco liberal hippy rich kids" basically. I like the beaches and stuff at santa cruz, but I don't miss living there.

Cool. Thanks for the reply. Riding around downtown is cool, but to get anywhere without getting a serious workout usually means that I have to put the bike on a bus, which pretty much defeats the whole purpose of the bike. I just love the simplicity of the single gear!

maybe try free wheeling around? it might change the ride for you, in a good way - it's easier to deal with the hills and traffic when you can coast around

I got a SS last year as a cheap bike to attend a social ride I like to participate in. Since doing so, I probably haven't ridden my Roubaix 20 miles.
The simplicity and ruggedness of the bike, coupled with some wide tires gives me a feeling like I did romping around on a BMX as a kid. It took me a minute to get used to not having bail out gears, and I still have to walk from time to time (not in a while)...but I also changed the ring and freewheel to give very low inches.

This is funny to me, seeing as how Santa Cruz mountain bikes sure ain't cheap, and the run of the mill roadie in California is usually decked out in no less than $2,000 worth of bike, not counting all the other ****(helmet fixed dentists mirror, scrotal chamois, etc etc). There are plenty of "liberal hippie rich kids" in Santa Cruz...

Like I said, I avoid really big hills, but at the moment I'm using 48/17. I also use a brake when going down steep, long hills that require me stopping at an intersection, at the bottom.

I live where it is pretty hilly and use a geared bike for most of it. I have a fixed gear bike that I only ride on the flat riverside bike trails we have around here.

This works if you are young, light, and pretty fit. I am old, and fat. Make your determination based on where you're at on the spectrum.

Thanks. I've been getting so wrapped up in just riding my bike because it's fun, and riding a bike that I like because...well...it's just fun, that I totally forgot about the main point of riding a bike: to fit into the local scene.

If you only own one road bike, it should be geared. Single speed bikes are not ideal for riding in hilly areas, windy areas and urban areas where you are constantly stopping and starting. IOW, most riding situations are better served by a geared bike. Now, if you already own a geared bike, then a SSFG type bike can be a lot of fun. I ride mostly fixed gear, but on really windy days I default to my geared bike.

fixed

Dammit I'm doing it all wrong. I don't ride geared bikes and I live in a pretty hilly area. I do mostly urban riding and it involves quite a bit of stopping and starting.

Pretty sure mrblue was being facetious.

Yup, he was.

Me too, but as long as you're fitting in to the local scene, you're fine.

So because you are a weiner, and need a bike with gears on windy days, then everyone needs to have multiple bikes?

Yes, EXACTLY!

Haha well ok then. I haven't owned a bike with gears since i was a kid, and that was some short lived, hand me down, "ten speed"(how many gears it actually had, i don't know). Not saying that bikes with gears aren't useful. It's just never mattered to me.

I hate statements like these

+1

That statement would work if it said Portland. haha