single speed or not?

[julz122]

hey guys so im on holiday atm and have been doing alot of cycling like everyday at least 50k (well for me thats alot since ive just got back into cycling like a month ago) anyway im using a mountain bike however when i get back to london (home) i want to start training for track racing however i dont have a bike in london and i need one to commute and train in my own time as the club has a free bike hire during training so i was looking at a few bikes online, i know i want a road bike but im not sure if i want a single speed or a normal road bike i thought that a single speed makes more sense as track bikes dont have gears either and so it will get me more use to pedalling harder however i also enjoy going to richmond park and cycling there and on some of the hills it might be quite hard not to have gears. As i said before im mainly want to use the bike to cycle from a to b and then on sundays for a 60-80k cycle in london.

So what kind of bike would you guys recommend? Also which bike do you think would be good to buy my budget is 400 wouldnt like to spend more than that

Thanks

 

[julz122]

thanks for the reply yeah i guess it would really build up your legs btw i was wondering how do you guys find using road bikes with the really thin tires around london? Because ive only used a mountain bike around the city and like you can always jump onto the pavement and it seems like you have more control but its harder to achieve higher speeds but it seems that it might be slightly harder to control? But i dont know its just an assumption how do you guys find riding road bikes around town

 

[Globalti]

If I cycled in London I would use a MTB with road tyres or a hybrid, not a racer.

 

[Aperitif]

I commute West to North, through London and all I have done is use Conti UltraGatorskins as 700 x 25c - instead of 23c. Been off a couple of times, had the odd *p* or two but I think it is mostly about getting to know your route and avoiding most of the hiccups along the way. I rarely change gear and probably would try a single speed - can't miss the opportunity of a freewheel down Notting Hill!

Good luck - there's plenty of choice to be sure!

 

[Joe24]

I've gone off some curbs on my Giant with Conti Ultragatorskins on, 23c Was on a cycle path in Belgium, needed to overtake so i bunny hopped off the curb(wasnt a huge drop though) then at another low-ish point bunny hopped back onto the curb Wouldnt do it on high curbs though.
Dont ride in London though.

 

[julz122]

hmm well as i said the bike is more just for me i to get to my friends house instead of taking the bus/tube, im not going to be riding everysingle day since my college is to far away for me to cycle there, and on the weekends to ride around cycle paths and in richmond park, i really want a road type bike with the dropped handle bars and the really thin wheels and tires but yh im really warry of the traffic and cars in london and the roads so im still not sure, well i was to get a mtb it just wouldnt be the same since i really like the whole "racer" feel.

Grr i dont know lol because im starting to train for track racing so i thought a road bike would be good to have as i can ride in my own time as well but if i got a mountain bike well i always wanted to try mountain biking i would be able to go to swinley forest and stuff grr..help? and getting both isnt an option since i dont have the space to keep 2 bikes

Anyway i was also thinking if iwas to get a road bike maybe it would be more practical to get something like the specialized tricross single '08 as its single speed has the feel of a road bike but has slightly wider tires, what do u guys think?

 

[domtyler]

I commute all year round on a Dolan fixie in London. They cannot be beat for manoeuvrability, speed and just all out fun. I bought mine in Brick Lane Bikes, think it came to about £600 all together but you could definitely meet your budget by choosing cheaper saddle etc.

 

[julz122]

so i was wondering what bike you guys would recommend me to get my budget is 450max i was looking at maybe getting the dolan alloy fxe frame set however im not sure what other parts i should get ie what wheels, brakes etc the frame set comes with forks and a seat post and costs £250

Or maybe was thinking of getting a langster

What do you guys think?

 

[wlc1]

Pearsons are doing a fixie for £225. ( think I mentioned this in a previous post)

www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/page/114/Bowery

That'll do you just fine

 

[Andy Pandy]

Julz - I currently ride an on-one pompino, but if I was buying a new bike around the £450 mark I would go for the Bianchi pista (£399 + a few quid for a drilled fork and front brake. Just love the looks of the chrome pista. If I had a little more money I would go for a planet-x carbon fixed tri-bike.

http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/acatalog/Fixed_Wheel_Pro_Carbon_TT.html

But I don't have the legs to match the bike.

I would recommend riding it fixed rather than single speed. Don't see the point of ss, if your want to free wheel get some gears.

 

[tomb1960]

Julz, have you considered a Genesis Flyer, I reckon shopping around you'd get one for c£450-00. I am very pleased with mine, I started off with it in SS speed mode and then fitted a fixed sprocket and never looked back. I commute on it in Birmingham and don't find the hills (going up) too much of a problem, going down however......................

 

[skupp]

I bought a langster single speed off one of the bike forums for a 150 squids. I do around a 30 mile commute from Sutton to Bromley a day.

First week was a killer, mainly due to some hills at Carshalton Beeches and Southlands (had to get off the bike and walk up). However, you will find your fitness really improves, and I am now looking at increasing my distance... Done over 1000 miles so far

Not so sure about the fixie thing tho, can't imagine my legs keeping up with the pedals during the 30-35mph downhill bits

Cheers!
Daniel.

 

[julz122]

hey guys thanks for your replies i think im going to get the bike from pearsons if they still have it in stock and get some new wheels for it when i get back from holiday(end of august) yeah im definetly going to get the wheel fixed since im training for track racing so having a fixie to ride on when ever i want would really help i was wondering how do you guys find starting and stopping at traffic lights esp downhill and yeah i guess cornering is going take some getting used to and over various speed bumps and still pedalling but yeah fitness wise it should be great

 

[Joe24]

Speed bumps its fine, you find a way over them. I end up coming off my seat slightly and going over them.
Courning i was nervouse about, but when on the club ride today one of the old guys said i had miles between the pedal and the floor and to just wang it over like i normally do. Did that and was surprised how much i could lean it over, and was told i still had room to go over more. Got nervouse though, when that foot went down to the floor i was just waiting for it to hit. But i never have that problem on the Giant and i go over more and keep pedling i think.
Have fun.

 

[Andy Pandy]

Julz don't worry about riding fixed. You will pick it up quickly. Stopping not that different to riding with a free wheel, just brake and unclip. Once I have stopped I hold the front brake, tip the bike forward a little (lifting the back wheel) and get my pedals in the right position for starting off. It takes a little time to get used to clipping in while pedaling. I have never grounded a pedal when cornering, but I have clipped a kerb with the pedal. Don't take corners (with kerbs) too tight, and avoid nipping up the inside of cars.