Crikey ...... these single speeds are pretty swift!!

[Eric Olthwaite]

Not identical to SS I know, but I've ridden fixed quite a bit, and it was very instructive to try that on a small number of club rides. In my experience:

On flattish terrain, there's no real difference, assuming sensible gearing.

Uphill, you're a bit slower, but not by all that much. When it gets really steep, the time lost isn't huge because the pace is so slow, even for those on gears.

The big difference comes on big sweeping downhills. On fixed, I would spin out at say 25mph, and if the rest are going at 32mph+, that is a huge difference. The gaps created were far far bigger than on the uphills (and ultimately put an end to my attempts to join club rides on fixed). Sure on SS your max speed is a bit higher, but still well down.

So for me at least, fixed/SS is slower overall, but mainly because of the downhills.

 

[12boy]

In whatever gear inch setup you prefer, there is a spot where those gear inches are just right for whatever cadence you like. Bike weight, tires size etc being equal a SS wil be more efficient than a bike which has a chain passing over rollers. I think that a fixed bike would be a little better, even, since you are helped in your pedalling flat spots, due to the momentum in the rear wheel.
I like not worrying about shifting or what gear should I use.....slower pedalling up, faster down.

 

[ColinJ]

The big difference comes on big sweeping downhills. On fixed, I would spin out at say 25mph, and if the rest are going at 32mph+, that is a huge difference. The gaps created were far far bigger than on the uphills (and ultimately put an end to my attempts to join club rides on fixed). Sure on SS your max speed is a bit higher, but still well down.

'Sweeping' downhills, maybe but not steep/steepish downhills... I have done 90 kph down one of my local descents and that was freewheeling. I don't have super-high gears on any of my bikes but even if I had a 53/11 top gear I would spin out at about 70-75 kph so SS would be the same speed.

 

[biggs682]

It's all about getting the gearing right and having legs that don't mind flying around

 

[Juliansou]

It's all about getting the gearing right and having legs that don't mind flying around

Yep - I think I’ve just got lucky first time round with gearing that’s a good match for me & my ride in!

 

[CXRAndy]

With gear inches of around 68-70" a cadence of 90rpm on 25mm tyres should see 19mph and at 100rpm 21-22mph. On a flat road no headwind, that is easily attained. Just depends on rider fitness to sustain it for a period.

No different to a derailleur clod bike.

Engine on-top is the biggest determining factor

I've managed 19mph on 40mm tyres on a club run of 60-70miles on fenland routes- in the past I may add

 

[Deleted member 26715]

It's all about the engine, the gears are secondary

 

[Sharky]

It's all about the engine, the gears are secondary

Referring back to the first post the OP made, he was comparing a geared bike with a SS bike. The engine is the same.
May have said already, but riding a SS or fixed, just makes you try a lot harder on the hard bits and this brings up the average speed.

A few years ago, I rode our evening 10 series, sometimes on a geared bike and sometimes on fixed. Both very similar builds. By the end of the season, the fastest time achieved by the two bikes was only 20 secs apart. So now I have discarded the geared TT bike and just ride my fixed bike for TT's.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

The engine is the same.
May have said already, but riding a SS or fixed, just makes you try a lot harder on the hard bits and this brings up the average speed..

So you are actually agreeing with me, even if you don't want/think you are

 

[MrGrumpy]

Rode a fixed gear commuter for years. Loved to to be honest. I reckon those years were my fittest. It certainly helps with pedalling technique IMO. Spin to win was the motto of a guy in our locality who won loads of races on a fixed gear grass track bike and SS CX !

 

[Sharky]

Took my SS (approx 67") bike out for a spin this morning, for the first time this year. Beat my previous time on my winter geared bike by about 3 minutes for my regular 12+ mile loop. Was a bit of a grind on the hills, but once on the flat, the lack of a rear mech slowing the chain down, it felt really zippy, much more than the geared bike.

 

[woodbutchmaster]

I realise that l may well be on a hiding to nothing but l am searching for a Look kg233p track bike frame in size 52cm c/c .
If anyone knows of one or has one to sell l would be very grateful if you would let me know. By the way l am well aware that they don't sell for peanuts !

 

[woodbutchmaster]

l guess this shows that l am in for the long haul. There is one for sale here in France on Le Bon Coin .... only one in the whole of France and anyway it is too big for me

 

[rogerzilla]

You guys run big gears on SS. I use 42 x 18 (60"), which is 18mph at 100rpm. On fixed, I use 47 x 18 (69") because I need headroom for the downhills.

 

[T4tomo]

I used to commute thru London on a SS, I really liked the simplicity and efficiency of it. I never rode it fixed, bar a quick trial around the block at home, as I didn't commute in SPD shoes, and getting feet into pedal straps (I used those wide diagonal mounted ones) was too tricky for an old novice to be learning thru London traffic, hitting moving target seems damn tough unless using spds. No longer working in the smoke, so I think I'll be selling it. Its too hilly (edges of the Chilterns) for it to get any real use around home.