Single speed or not?

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by Akyriacos [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I have another newbie question. I'm in the process of finding a bike and I would like to know if I need a single speed or 12 speed road bike? I live in metro Atlanta so the rides at times can be hilly, if that matters.

I think that the original single speed bikes were oriented for velodrome training. Ofcourse at some point all bikes were single speed. I think that a single speed bike is a bad idea for city riding. Some of them are quite fashionable but... I dont see the point in them.

At some point, bikes also had wooden rims with steel strips for tires.
Unless you are a Hipster with a pressing need to impress his Hipster friends with his Hipsterness, singlespeeds are not recommended for riding in traffic.

As much as I don't like hipsters, a low-geared single-speed can be perfect for city use...even with some hills thrown into the terrain.

Maintenance is simplified, cost is reduced and replacement cost from thievery is less.

That said, if your riding will incorporate moderate to extensive climbing, a multi-geared bicycle is a definite advantage. If you are not riding mostly bike lanes and trying to actually keep up with metro traffic, a multi-gear bicycle will help.

Ha. I'm not a hipster and I'm not going to be riding in the city for commuting. I'm going to cycling paved trails and the roads, I should have probably mentioned it before.

Ok. If I get a single speed bike would I be able to convert it to a multigears further in the future?

Quote: Originally Posted by Akyriacos [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Ok. If I get a single speed bike would I be able to convert it to a multigears further in the future?
Depends...

Here is an example of "velodrome" or "track" dropouts:

[IMG]cyclingforums.com700Open ↗[/IMG]

As you might notice there isnt a deraileur provision.

Here is a frame with a deraileur provision:

[IMG]cyclingforums.com700Open ↗[/IMG]

And if you wanna be reaaaaaaally cool: [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif[/IMG]

Track frame with deraileur convertion:
[IMG]cyclingforums.com700Open ↗[/IMG]

But the deraileur hangers seem to have caused some problems in frame survivability in the past so they came up with these:

Removable deraileur hangers:
[IMG]cyclingforums.com700Open ↗[/IMG]

Quote: Originally Posted by CAMPYBOB [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

As much as I don't like hipsters, a low-geared single-speed can be perfect for city use...even with some hills thrown into the terrain.

Maintenance is simplified, cost is reduced and replacement cost from thievery is less.

That said, if your riding will incorporate moderate to extensive climbing, a multi-geared bicycle is a definite advantage. If you are not riding mostly bike lanes and trying to actually keep up with metro traffic, a multi-gear bicycle will help.

Its good if you know all the slopes your are gonna be dealing with for the whole length of the bikes use, which I suspect is not the case here... [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif[/IMG]

I think its better to get one with gears and also check the dropouts distance for compatibility with hubs, cassetes etc...

Single speed bikes aren't really for velodromes. Fixies are. OP, how tough are the hills in your area? Road grade? Height? Single speeds can be great commuters, especially as they minimize the amount of maintenance that might have to be done. On the road single speeds are preferable to fixies for commuting especially when there are hills. With fixies, there is no coasting. If the rear wheel is turning, the pedals will turn. The faster the rear wheel turns, the faster the pedals turn, a fact that can make some hills challenging. Likewise, the pedals will turn through corners which can provide nasty surprises to the uninitiated. You can provide some braking with fixies by applying brake pressure; however, no matter what fixie riders tell you braking with legs is much less powerful and much less efficient than braking with brake calipers. Single speeds allow to coast, so the pedals only turn when you make them turn with your legs.

I like 21 speed bikes.... I wouldn't go less than 7 in Atlanta. I can ALWAYS find a gear that suits the pavement !!

I have a fixed gear road bike, single speed mountain bike, and my 21 speed road bike. The bike I ride the most is my multi-geared bike. I built my single speeds for fun, and I do like them, but if I had to have one bike it would be one with gears. My 2 cents worth of advise is not to have a single speed as your main ride.

I have a singlespeed and I love it. I dropped the back cog to 20T as I live in a hilly area. I recently went back to my standard 16 gear roadbike and was very bored.

So, if you live somewhere hilly, just drop the gearing a little (I have 42T x 20T) and stand up. It's better for your back (not sure about your knees though).

BTW - I'm nearly 50, and my knees are still fine.

This is my bike (well, not my ACTUAL bike, but it's identical, minus my pedals)

Well after all I read and both my threads, I found the perfect bike and purchased it yesterday. It's a Trek 400 an it's in damn near perfect condition and fits me perfectly. Thanks for everyone's help. [IMG]cyclingforums.com400Open ↗[/IMG]

That old 400 is in beautiful condition!

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by Akyriacos [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Well after all I read and both my threads, I found the perfect bike and purchased it yesterday. It's a Trek 400 an it's in damn near perfect condition and fits me perfectly. Thanks for everyone's help.

Sweet ride dude! As I get older I think I'm developing a bad case of downtube shifter envy.