Why Single Speed Bicycles May be Under Rated?

Single speed bicycles can be just as good as multi-speed bikes.

Single speed bicycles

Single speed bicycles gives the rider that kind of satisfaction when one first rode his or her bike back in the old days – just this time with an added adrenalin because you can bring it to heights and peaks of adventures without fear to be scold.

More efficient than a multispeed bike, is one advantage of single speed bicycles aside from being quick and easy to pedal.

It has a single gear ratio, no derailleur gears, hub gearing and other methods to change the gear ratio of the bicycle.

Single speed bicycles can be in a form of BMX, usually those bicycles intended for kids, cruiser type bikes, and classic commuter bikes, and unicycles, bikes for track racing, fixed gear road bikes and fixed gear mountain bikes.

As mentioned above, the fixed gear bike – considered a subset of single speed bicycles, this kind of bike has no freewheel mechanism that will allow coasting.

Single speed bicycles is the bike to go considering its advantages such as being cheaper, lighter and simpler mechanism – does not require too many accessories or difficult mechanism in its gear and very ideal for commuting in the city.

In terms of its make up, it has a straight chainline, but due to absence of chain drag from rear derailleur jockey pulley and chainrings, ramps and pins – its efficiency is magnificent as compared with muti-geared bikes.

However, because of too much simplicity, it lacks versatility – one cannot pedal if it is outside its single gear range especially in steep terrain.

Therefore it also has speed limit, slower compared to multi-geared bikes.

Track bicycles are usually single speed, mountain bikes, road bikes, cyclo-cross bikes and hybrid bikes can be transformed into a single speed bicycle.

For mountain bikes that are single speed especially those designed for trail riding has easy, low and slow gear ratio allowing the rider to climb high terrain and hills – and rider has to be fit and skilled for such terrain. On one hand, single speed bikes for road riding have high, hard and fast, gear ratios.

With bicycle messengers aiming for reliability and durability, single speed bicycles and fixed gear bicycles are just the best choice.

Some may opt for mountain bikes that are single speed because it can face difficult obstacles in bike riding.

Single speed bicycles’ constructions are usually without suspension, or if they may have – only front suspension forks. Most of single speed bicycles with full suspension are more complex compared to single speed bikes with no suspension and very rare that you would find such.

While there may be conversions of single speed bicycles, where the removal of derailleurs as well as other associated hardware is done; a simple conversion would be making use of the existing freewheel/cassette and crankset, then the chain is cut so it would fit the desired gear ratio – but such kind of conversion maintains unnecessary weight and the chainline and obviously not perfect.

A more comprehensive conversion entails replacing with a single-speed one, the freewheel, and re-dishing the rear wheel.

For bicycles which have vertical dropouts, a chain tensioner is often needed so it would allow the correct tension on the resulting shorter chain. Quite complicated but such conversions gives single speed bicycles a different perspective of being a simple bicycle.

Lastly single speed bicycles make great children's bicycles. They are much easier to ride.