Singlespeed for commuting novice - yes or no?

[Twanger]

NO. Why not?

Because you need a gear that is sustainable over longish distances, and you need a gear that will give you good acceleration in traffic. They are not the same gear.

 

[HovR]

NO. Why not?

Because you need a gear that is sustainable over longish distances, and you need a gear that will give you good acceleration in traffic. They are not the same gear.

A gear that will give you good acceleration will be low. A low gear is sustainable over long distances, you just won't go as fast. 42x17 gets me away from the lights fast enough, yet still allows me to keep up with the roadies on their fangled carbon dura-ace shod bikes.

SS freewheels are cheap, it's be easy to start out with a freewheel with a larger number of teeth, then decrease the number of teeth as his strength increases.

In some ways I can see SS would be good for commuting through London as a new cyclist if you get the gear ratio right. No need to worry about changing gear, so you can worry about what the heck that taxi's doing.

 

[Twanger]

55" and 80" do it for me. I couldn't ride a single speed, whether fixed or not. It's not about getting away from the lights. It's about having the acceleration to get out of trouble.

 

[HLaB]

I commute all the time on a SS but I only commute 3-5miles round; mines a very cheap weighty beast so its a bit hard on uphill getaways from stationary other than that disadvantage (that probably more down to the individual bike) I don't see a negative, its fun I have took the SS on a few centuries so it can cope with distances too just not as fast as a geared bike over distance/ terrain.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I only ride my single speed these days and it has 52 on the front and 16 on the back (I think) I love it but it fricken killed me the first week or so.

I do miss having gears though.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I only ride my single speed these days and it has 52 on the front and 16 on the back (I think) I love it but it fricken killed me the first week or so.

I do miss having gears though.

Why?

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Why?

For going really fast downhill

I thought I'd miss having easier gears for going up hills, but have surprised myself that I haven't, er, missed easier gears. My perspicacity sucks this morning.