Single speed bicycle?

Even if you manage to pick the right f/r gears the alignment won't be perfect, and you're still dragging a bunch of extra chain around extra crap. A good single speed will have far less slop and drag. A fixie is a totally different animal and should be reserved for Olympic style racing and hipsters.

 

I can totally picture Dits tooling around on this: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/bistro-8v-dlx-city-bikes.htm

 

You don't say? Never woulda guessed.

 

They have, actually. Electric gear selection is now an option from Sram and Shimano. I don't think it's down to the same weight as the cable systems, but it exists. "archaic" is often quite reliable.

 

Dude, I see you, him or mongo riding around on one of those I'm gonna knock you into a ditch full of stank water with ma' car.

 

All those do is electronically actuate the derailleurs, still the same old complex, fragile 10-11 gear sets and chain setups.

 

No shit...what happened to the pink girl bike he had?

 

1x11 ftw

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That was Matt McCutcheon's bike.

 

Exactly. I have an inexpensive single speed cruiser that I use for running errands and bumming around the beach, and I have a surfboard rack for it so I can pedal to different spots. I like a single speed because the salt air eats everything and I want as few moving parts as possible.

I think a lot of people in this thread are confusing single speed with fixie. Single speed bikes are like what we had as kids. Only one gear, and a coaster brake. They come in many shapes and styles. Fixies are fixed gear, and typically have no brakes at all. If you pedal backwards, the bike will actually go backwards. They really only come in one style, and it's reserved for hipsters and bike messengers.

 

When I was a kid on summer vacation in Germany, they had Fixie's at the school next door to my mom's childhood home. I got to go over and ride them a few times. Amazing the acrobatic stuff that can be performed by someone that knows what they are doing.

 

This is the only single speed I'm gonna ride.

 

not exactly, in most cases a modern SS bike will have a freewheel, not coaster brake. Some of the cheaper beach cruiser types may still have a coaster brake.

 

Rohloff ftw.

15 speed internal hub.

Get all the cool hipster points of a single speed yet be able to shift.




Shit, this thing wold probably work on some small MCs.

 

Looks great...until you see the price

 

As far as single speeds are concerned, I like the Wilier Pontevecchio :



It's sure to get you some looks at your local ethical bio-coffee shop.

 

The only time single speed is acceptable is when you're taking it off some sweet jumps.