Single Speed
Single Speed: Cycling Stripped Bare
Riding single speed strips cycling back to its purest form. There is a simplicity and aesthetic that inspires a sense of awe in regular geared bike riders. Single speed captures the bare essence of a bicycle - a handlebar, two wheels and the sound of a chain and tyres driving you along. Single speed bikes are becoming a common site in Britain's cities and are fashionable amongst cycle couriers who enjoy low-maintenance, hassle-free cycling.
Whether you choose one for practical purposes or you just want to be fashionable, (it is allowed!), there are some important choices to be made. You have to choose the correct gear, decide on a fixed or freewheel and have the most appropriate braking system for your needs.
Choosing the right single-speed gear for you
As you’ll only have one gear you must decide which is best for you. The easiest way to do that is to ride your usual ride in a single gear only and repeat in a different one until you find one that’ll do the job. A gear that will get you up Mont Ventoux will be useless on the flat as you’ll go nowhere fast. Equally, a gear that will allow high speeds on the flat will be hard to ride on long uphill stretches. A good idea is to have a double-sided hub, sometimes called a flip-flop. This allows you to have two different sized sprockets on each side of the rear wheel and a simple reversal of the wheel gives you a different gear - great if you have a varying commute that requires an occasional change.
The flip-flop option
Yet another option is to have your single speed rear wheel with a fixed sprocket on one side and a freewheel on the other, so you can flip-flop between the two as your mood or needs dictate.
Fixed gear or freewheel?
A fixed gear means you cannot freewheel, or coast, as your legs will always be turning. A ‘fixie’ is incredibly responsive, especially on a short climb, and is probably the system which makes riders feel totally ‘at one’ with their machine. You can choose to have two brakes, a front only or none at all – it depends how simple you want to make your steed. The latter option is really only a good idea for very experienced fixie aficionados. A massive benefit of the fixie, and also impressive to bystanders, is the ability you’ll gain to remain clipped into your pedals whilst stationary. At lights, on pavements, or wherever you need to, you can remain on the bike without taking a foot off a pedal. A simple rock back and forth does the trick and is something you’ll learn fairly easily.
A freewheel allows you to take breathers and is probably the sensible choice if you’re on a long commute and need do exactly what the system suggests. Again you can choose a front and rear brake or just a front. There is also the option of a rear hub brake which is activated by reverse pedal pressure – so no brakes on the handlebars. This is a very common system on the continent and you may have come across it on hire bikes in great cycling cities such as Amsterdam, Copenhagen or Ferrara.
Single Speed riding is here to stay and the bikes and single speed specific kit available are getting better all the time. Whether you're commuter, a cycling purist, or a mountain biking hard nut, then single speed could be your answer.
Why ride a Single Speed | Single Speed Conversion | Single Speed Gear Ratios | History of Single Speed
