So Do People Tour with a Single Speed?
04-13-17 | 10:32 PM
#52
Fraser Valley Dave
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 546
Likes: 0
From: Fraser Valley British Columbia Canada
Bikes: devinci monaco (upgraded)
coaster brakes and original 3-speed
I don't find coaster brakes to be more efficient than rim or disc, but I wouldn't shy away from either if there were some compelling reason to use them.
In fact, I was thinking about building up a two-speed, auto (or kick-back) hub wheel, with coaster brake, for my World Troller. Reason being that if I were ever willing to settle for just two gears (Just spent a week bumming around Scottsdale/Phoenix and could have survived easily on 2 gears, or 1), it would greatly simplify the splitting, packing, and reassembly of the bike if I didn't have to rerun the brake and gear lines.
Used to love my old, Sears Tote-Cycle that was set up with a 3 speed and a coaster brake, but I never really toured on it, except one time when I was camping on an island, and left my car on the mainland, using my bike to get the gear over on the ferry. I don't think that counts.
I could see long descents being a problem.
In fact, I was thinking about building up a two-speed, auto (or kick-back) hub wheel, with coaster brake, for my World Troller. Reason being that if I were ever willing to settle for just two gears (Just spent a week bumming around Scottsdale/Phoenix and could have survived easily on 2 gears, or 1), it would greatly simplify the splitting, packing, and reassembly of the bike if I didn't have to rerun the brake and gear lines.
Used to love my old, Sears Tote-Cycle that was set up with a 3 speed and a coaster brake, but I never really toured on it, except one time when I was camping on an island, and left my car on the mainland, using my bike to get the gear over on the ferry. I don't think that counts.
I could see long descents being a problem.
for the long and steep hills. The original 3-speed hubs weren't always durable for excessive
use. On my first tour when I was 14 I used an old coaster brake single speed while my
buddy had a new 3-speed Raleigh. The internal workings of his 3-speed hub broke down
after a few hundred miles.
04-14-17 | 06:02 AM
#53
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,923
Likes: 10
Bikes: Nature Boy 853 Disc, Pugsley SS
The Speedvagen Urban Racer is one of the most polarizing bikes in the last few years. it's very, very superfluous. Originally I was diametrically opposed, but after some thought, I think I'm happy that it exists. Why can't bicycles be an object of fancy for the rich and famous, too?
I think a $4,000 silly bike is still a bike, and still a net positive for the world.
I think a $4,000 silly bike is still a bike, and still a net positive for the world.
04-17-17 | 04:46 AM
#54
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 216
Likes: 1
Looked kinda like this but worse...
04-17-17 | 08:36 AM
#56
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,251
Likes: 17
Definitely not, especially if you end up running into gearing trouble and the derailleurs are acting up on you and the chain won't stay on the right chainring or cog and yourself forced off the bike as a result. Trust me I was almost their a couple of years ago on my trip when I ran into a 22-25% grade climb in Frankfort, KY. If the chain would have skipped on me just once more I would have been forced to walk up the rest of the hill. Fortunately it didn't and neither did I.
05-09-17 | 02:23 PM
#57
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 22
Likes: 13
From: N/A
I did my first tour on a single speed (Wabi Lightning SE with a 48x19 gear) a few weeks ago. I was lightly loaded (sleeping bag but no tent), and was able to do some long-ish days, and some fairly hilly terrain with no problem. It was a lot of fun, and I'll be doing it again. No walking up hills on this trip 
Last edited by JeffL; 05-15-17 at 05:47 AM.
06-20-18 | 02:14 AM
#58
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Single gear is just easier,relaxing.I carry a 80 liter backpack,pull a dog trailer with 90lbs of dog/spare parts.Have all my camping gear for a very comfortable 10 day trip.Yes,I do walk up steep hills pushing my bike,carrying my backpack,and walking my dog.And I love it.I plan well,fix my own bike,always have spare parts,and front and back spare rims.I use paper maps and a compass.The best part is my son does the same thing,except he has 105lb dog in his trailer.Go for it.
06-20-18 | 06:08 AM
#59
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,679
Likes: 481
From: Maine, USA
Bikes: Corvid Sojourner, Firefly Fat Bike, Co-Motion Divide, Co-Motion Java Tandem, Salsa Warbird, Salsa Beargrease, Carver Tandem
One of my friends does. He's a beast. We did a century about a month ago with over 3000 vert. He did it on his single speed (broke the chain once) :-)
06-20-18 | 06:55 AM
#61
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 566
Likes: 16
From: On the road...
Single gear is just easier,relaxing.I carry a 80 liter backpack,pull a dog trailer with 90lbs of dog/spare parts.Have all my camping gear for a very comfortable 10 day trip.Yes,I do walk up steep hills pushing my bike,carrying my backpack,and walking my dog.And I love it.I plan well,fix my own bike,always have spare parts,and front and back spare rims.I use paper maps and a compass.The best part is my son does the same thing,except he has 105lb dog in his trailer.Go for it.
While riding are you carrying the backpack on your back or is it on the trailer?
Why do you carry spare rims? Do you often break rims on tour and find yourself in areas where you wouldn't be able to source a new wheel or rim?
I had a friend who toured on an old Cannondale. When the front derailleur broke he decided he didn't really need it so he took it off and didn't replace it. When the rear derailleur broke he decided he didn't need that and just rode the bike single speed. When the fork broke... well he didn't want to tour on a unicycle so he did actually replace that. We did several short tours with the bike like that. He is incredibly fit though. I was certainly glad to have gears on our trips.
06-20-18 | 08:16 AM
#62
Partially Sane.
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 3,565
Likes: 650
From: Sunny Sacramento.
Bikes: Soma Saga, pre-disc
I've never tried single-speed or such, but I currently ride my C'dale as a 1x7. The front derailleur is almost always at fault, in any drivetrain problems I've had, so I just eliminated the problem. 🙂
But to clarify, I'm pretty weak in the knees, so bigger chainrings would be wasted on me anyways. Except going down mountains. 😋😁
But to clarify, I'm pretty weak in the knees, so bigger chainrings would be wasted on me anyways. Except going down mountains. 😋😁
06-20-18 | 10:40 AM
#63
Thread Starter
2-Wheeled Fool
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 2,346
Likes: 680
From: New Hampshire
Bikes: Surly Ogre, Brompton
Single gear is just easier,relaxing.I carry a 80 liter backpack,pull a dog trailer with 90lbs of dog/spare parts.Have all my camping gear for a very comfortable 10 day trip.Yes,I do walk up steep hills pushing my bike,carrying my backpack,and walking my dog.And I love it.I plan well,fix my own bike, always have spare parts,and front and back spare rims. I use paper maps and a compass.The best part is my son does the same thing,except he has 105lb dog in his trailer.Go for it.
I have a couple of questions:
While riding are you carrying the backpack on your back or is it on the trailer?
Why do you carry spare rims? Do you often break rims on tour and find yourself in areas where you wouldn't be able to source a new wheel or rim?
I had a friend who toured on an old Cannondale. When the front derailleur broke he decided he didn't really need it so he took it off and didn't replace it. When the rear derailleur broke he decided he didn't need that and just rode the bike single speed. When the fork broke... well he didn't want to tour on a unicycle so he did actually replace that. We did several short tours with the bike like that. He is incredibly fit though. I was certainly glad to have gears on our trips.
While riding are you carrying the backpack on your back or is it on the trailer?
Why do you carry spare rims? Do you often break rims on tour and find yourself in areas where you wouldn't be able to source a new wheel or rim?
I had a friend who toured on an old Cannondale. When the front derailleur broke he decided he didn't really need it so he took it off and didn't replace it. When the rear derailleur broke he decided he didn't need that and just rode the bike single speed. When the fork broke... well he didn't want to tour on a unicycle so he did actually replace that. We did several short tours with the bike like that. He is incredibly fit though. I was certainly glad to have gears on our trips.
06-20-18 | 11:45 AM
#64
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,679
Likes: 481
From: Maine, USA
Bikes: Corvid Sojourner, Firefly Fat Bike, Co-Motion Divide, Co-Motion Java Tandem, Salsa Warbird, Salsa Beargrease, Carver Tandem
I always thought my buddy touring single speed was the coolest thing ever until I met two new friends this winter who mtb fixie
06-20-18 | 11:49 AM
#65
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,815
Likes: 434
From: Thailand..........currently Nakhon Ricefield, moving to the beach soon.
Bikes: inferior steel....alas....noodly aluminium assploded
06-21-18 | 01:45 PM
#66
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 919
Likes: 1
06-21-18 | 01:46 PM
#67
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2017
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Likes: 1
06-21-18 | 08:42 PM
#68
Clark W. Griswold
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 18,452
Likes: 6,761
From: ,location, location
Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26
My Single Speed/Fixed Gear RandoCross FunTime Machine has not yet gone touring but I plan on taking on some S24hr tours/bike packing sort of stuff (now that I have bikepacking bags). It is a fun bike to ride but certainly for really long stuff and carrying a lot of weight I would want gears.
Here is that bike in case you were curious. It looks pretty much the same but the bar angle was fixed and it has much wider tires. I really do need to take more and better photos of my bikes.
https://www.pedalroom.com/bike/fgss-...-machine-34058 (Pardon the crank angle and the wheels while aligned not at noon)
Here is that bike in case you were curious. It looks pretty much the same but the bar angle was fixed and it has much wider tires. I really do need to take more and better photos of my bikes.
https://www.pedalroom.com/bike/fgss-...-machine-34058 (Pardon the crank angle and the wheels while aligned not at noon)
06-15-19 | 06:03 PM
#69
Banned.
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 81
Likes: 5
06-15-19 | 09:20 PM
#70
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 13,929
Likes: 1,243
From: Montreal Canada
And what did it get her?
06-16-19 | 08:13 AM
#73
Behold my avatar:
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,037
Likes: 447
From: SW Colorado
Bikes: 2019 Gorilla Monsoon, 2013 Surly Krampus, Brompton folder
I see SS touring as for tough guys. Thats not me.
Sometimes I want to slow pedal a big gear on the flats and not have to break a knee on the climbs.
Sometimes I want to slow pedal a big gear on the flats and not have to break a knee on the climbs.
