Single Speed Bikes??? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

123c · #1 07-28-2008, 12:25 AM

Who hear rides ones, and any advice on them. I am thinking I want a 29'er single speed of some sorts...or.... I am also thinking about building up my own single speed bike, my brother is giving me his old mountain bike, minus a few parts he wants to use on the single speed he is building up right now. If I build one up myself, I will just buy a nice multi-speed bike mountain bike, but still most likely a 29'er. I am fixed on the advantages of the larger tires...

Kuan · #2 07-28-2008, 07:27 AM

Build one with a flip flop hub. That's the only advice I can give you.

I love/hate them.

I think they're great for flat city riding and also because of all the cool custom configurations you can make with them. You get to meet some really wild women if you show up to pub crawl on one of those with Anarchy stickers and **** like that. But they don't go very fast and they don't go uphill very well, which is OK I guess, if your goal is to try and figure out what chicks wear under their skirts when they ride.

Pete Geither · #3 07-28-2008, 07:45 AM

Funny,,,, I just dug out my old single speed,,,, when I was growing up, that's all there was,,, to take to The Woodward Cruise in Michigan in August. It's a 26 incher I actually won when I was about 10 years old,,, about 52 years ago. If I can get it roadworthy, it might be fun.

123c · #4 07-28-2008, 07:54 AM

I am trying to figure out that whole flip flop hub thingy, but I will pass on it at the moment. I live in a hilly area, but it looks like I can do a configuration that will work for me. I think I can build up my brothers old bike for around $100, which will include a conversion kit, the replacement parts, for those that he is going to take off, and a nice saddle. I've noticed a lot of people doing these conversions will take total cheap beater bikes, and put expensive Brooks saddles on them, I would consider this, if they are really worth the money. I will paint it either flat black, or olive drab green. Even if I buy a brand new single speed bike, I will still build up this old bike...
I also want to figure out what chicks wear under their skirts when they ride, so this will work very well for.

jkoebel · #5 07-28-2008, 09:16 AM

If you want an inexpensive mountain 29er and don't mind full-rigid, go with a Raleigh XXIX. It's a pretty good bang for your buck.

I've got a '99 Specialized FSR that I'm planning on taking to SS, not fixed certainly off-road, but single speed anyway. 32T front/18T rear probably, maybe 16T not sure.

I don't much like fixed gear, but hang out with a lot of fixie kids and the women who are into it have potential to be fairly attractive mostly.

Mistress · #6 07-28-2008, 09:48 AM

I had one and had to turn it in because it exacerbated (10.00 word) my exercise induced asthma. Traded it in for a swell 10 speed Huffy that now has cob-webs on it.

thorsen · #7 07-28-2008, 10:06 AM

Ok, I have to bite. What is the advantage of a single-speed to a multi-speed?

jkoebel · #8 07-28-2008, 11:34 AM

You're more "legit" and have a great deal more "cred", in addition to "looking cooler" and being "different." There are some minor mechanical advantages too: a negligible reduction in drive-train losses, fewer parts which require maintenance and thusly reliability.

There's nothing an SS bike can do that a geared bike can't. There are many, many things that a fixed-gear SS bike cannot do that pretty much every other bike with more parts can.

I'm fairly against fixie from a practicality standpoint, and because of the scene associated with it, but don't mind SS track bikes. SS mountain bikers seem to me like they enjoy pain a little much for me, but I'll be joining them soon.

Interesting thing about exercise-induced asthma is that if you can get over the initial stages of it (for instance, Albuterol), exercising more will actually make it go away. I had an ex who lived with exercise/stress-induced asthma for most of her life, and she started exercising even more and eventually wound up mostly getting over it except in real bad emergencies or races.

Da Nag · #9 07-28-2008, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkoebel

You're more "legit" and have a great deal more "cred", in addition to "looking cooler" and being "different."

Wow...one can gain all that, without visiting the Apple Store?

awsrock · #10 07-28-2008, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkoebel

You're more "legit" and have a great deal more "cred", in addition to "looking cooler" and being "different."

I'm fairly against fixie from a practicality standpoint, and because of the scene associated with it, but don't mind SS track bikes.

I agree with you, the scene behind it can be pretty lame, at least here on campus. It is neat to customize it, and I have thought about getting one because I only use one gear on my road bike 99% of the time, but I've seen countless examples of people getting old Schwinns and immediately taking off all the gears, most likely just to look "cool", and I don't want to be associated with those people

Besides, I could still destroy them in a race if need be regardless of how many gears I have! It's always nice to have a high gear for cruising

Plus I think I might get tired of pedaling if I didnt have a free spinning ..hub? cog? freewheel? whatever it is called

Matt L · #11 07-28-2008, 12:49 PM

What is a 29er?

Fixed gears are OK for some city riding. Only with a fixed gear can you balance in place without being pointed uphill.

Coaster brakes are quite reliable, but still do require occasional (very messy) service. There are also two-speed coaster hubs that look identical to single-speed other than the markings. I rather like these hubs.

jkoebel · #12 07-28-2008, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Da Nag

Wow...one can gain all that, without visiting the Apple Store?

You mean you're not going to do both?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt L

What is a 29er?

The "standard" wheel size for a bicycle is 26". Some mountain bikes have 29" wheels, there are various advantages and disadvantages to this. The ones that do, are 29ers.

This is for mountain-type bikes generally, road bikes usually have 700c wheels (or 650c wheels for sprint bikes.)

Matt L · #13 07-28-2008, 01:46 PM

Thanks, Jkoebel. I was a bicycle mechanic for about a decade, but have been out of the industry for longer. There were no 29" wheels back then. 27" wheels were just starting to lose favor for cheaper road bikes, in favor of 700c.

We used to have a 27" long spoke at one place, to show someone when they came in asking for a "27-inch spoke," which was of course not what they were looking for. It was always good for a laugh, though.

I used to be one of the main wheel guys at the last shop I worked at. I've built hundreds of pairs of wheels by hand.

jkoebel · #14 07-28-2008, 02:11 PM

I want a cyclocross bike bad. Best of both worlds

Matt L · #15 07-28-2008, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkoebel

I want a cyclocross bike bad. Best of both worlds

I made one out of a '67 Atala road-racing bike. Back then, road racers used long wheelbases and not so tight angles, making the frame perfect for the job. There is also plenty of space at the rear triangle for a fairly wide tire.

I put a Guerciotti cyclocross fork on it and attached the rear brake points myself, using Mafac brakes. I also attached brake cable bosses to the frame, since everything was clamped on back in the sixties.

Finally, I have a few sets of off-road tubular tires with wheels to match. But I've only raced that bike a few times, and that was a very long time ago. I'm not even sure if my off-road tires still hold air.