SS Fashion or Function?

[Cycleops]

I have always beem fascinated by single speed. When I was a teenager my friend had a lovely A S Gillott track bike, pale blue. It got a bit of use but not as much as his geared bike. I spent some time on it but was never really taken with it.

Now these bikes have become somethong of a cult. But I have noticed there are two distinct sides to this following. People that seem to genuinely find them useful and ride them as their commuter, tourer etc. Then there are the enthusiasts who dress their SS in colour coded bars, saddles, chains and deep section wheels.

So my question is are the latter people who have just jumped on the fashion bandwagon or are they genuine enthusiasts who enjoy customising bikes in much the same way as young guys enjoy customising their cars? I never seem to see the same degree of customisation on geared bikes.

 

[PpPete]

I suspect there is a lot of the "fashion following" in it. Personally I don't get why folks want to do that. If it's done well, it makes the bikes attractive to thieves (who are well aware of what the fashions are) If it's done badly it just looks like sh1t.

But then, I would say that wouldn't I, because I havn't finished colour-coordinating my fixed wheel.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

My singlespeed is seriously ugly and built from worn out scrap parts. I LOVE it!

For daily riding on mucky roads it's perfect, and I don't wince when smacking through unavoidable potholes like I do on my 'nice bike'.

 

[Old Plodder]

Fixed gear is a fashion in towns nowadays, not so sure that single speed is; however for those that actually ride their bikes they are, or can be, quite relaxing to ride, just get out & pedal; &, of course, they need a little bit less effort to maintain. Once you are fit enough to do a decent ride, swapping over to single speed just adds an extra something to the pleasure of a ride.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Agreed, no fussing over correct gear choice, changing down at junctions, changing up for downhill bits, no looking between your legs trying to remember what gear you're in, no annoying clicky sound because your gears aren't indexing correctly, (most cases) no durrelier durraliear derailer doorahrah dangly springy bit, no cogs to clean between, no need to race, etc etc.

That being said it feels like a real treat when I got out on bike geared bike and can spin without worrying about my hips exploding

 

[wanda2010]

I got my SS because I wanted to try one. I'd only been cycling for 3 years at that point. Once I got the gearing sorted for my little legs I love my bike to pieces and use it for commuting etc. It's been to Southend twice too. I do apologise to it when I go through potholes as well as saying goodbye and hello. I fully accept that might be a step too far for some, but it works for me . It's not quite colour coordinated, but I'm slowly changing that too!

Will try riding fixed next year.

 

[biggs682]

i wanted to try it , now tried and liked

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Agreed, no fussing over correct gear choice, changing down at junctions, changing up for downhill bits, no looking between your legs trying to remember what gear you're in, no annoying clicky sound because your gears aren't indexing correctly, (most cases) no durrelier durraliear derailer doorahrah dangly springy bit, no cogs to clean between, no need to race, etc etc.

Those are the reasons why I tend to find the gear suitable to my wee legs, and stick with the one!
Once i feel more confident with the 'ole know how, I'm gonna cut all them chains, bin all them derailly things

 

[derrick]

So far am loving mine, did one 20 miler so far but the gearing was wrong will try again this weekend with a slightly differant gear, dropped from 18 teeth to 15 tooth, on a short run it's fine, but the 20 miler i want to do again has a few hills so won't know till i try, at least the rear cogs are cheap so not a problem to change every now and then.

 

[HLaB]

I bought my SS for the function, I moved to a flattish area and didn't want to lose my climbing muscles, I also wanted something that was easily maintained and if worst came to the worst wouldn't hurt me too bad if it was stolen. I ended up with the Viking Road fx. Touchwood, its done over 1800miles and all I've replaced is the pedals (for spds) and that was through choice.

 

[Rob3rt]

Who gives a fark! As long as their mental alleycat races don't get in my way they can do as they wish

Note, bandwagon jumping pussies will not be on the road long, when the fashion is over, they will jump on something else, maybe those scooters with daft tiny wheels, or they will become dubstep DJ's or something else shoot!

 

[Fab Foodie]

Fixed gear is a fashion in towns nowadays, not so sure that single speed is; however for those that actually ride their bikes they are, or can be, quite relaxing to ride, just get out & pedal; &, of course, they need a little bit less effort to maintain. Once you are fit enough to do a decent ride, swapping over to single speed just adds an extra something to the pleasure of a ride.

I'm not sure if you've got the terminology confused or not so forgive me....
I see a lot of 'SS' bikes in cities but the overwhelming majority have freewheels. Few are Fixed Wheel.
The sudden rise is a fashion thing brought about by 'courier chic', but fixed wheel bikes have long been the staple winter ride of many a clubman and for my money the SS is a poor relation of a Fixed Wheel in terms of riding dynamic. SS is almost the worst of both worlds but with less to clean....
Proper fixies ridden by gnarly old men are ace .When I started riding fixed in the early 80s Couriers were creaming themselves over the new-fangled 'Mountain Bike'!

 

[Boris Bajic]

I saw fixed-gear winter trainers around the place as a youngster, but thought them silly and a little hardcore for a casual cyclist. In those days (70s) one had a bicycle. Only hardcore turbo-nutters had more than one.

I built my fixopholous a few years ago out of curiosity and an old steel frame. This is not something I would have bothered to do 10, 20 or 30 years ago. There was no feeling in the wider cycling world that the concept had much merit beyond winter training for racers - and I was not a racer.

I think, therefore, that fashion is the driver (or the reducer of natural inertia) for many people who've put fixies together in the past 7-8 years. But that's not a bad thing. Fashion also fuelled the MTB revolution a few decades ago.

But for those who continue to ride fixed or S/S, I think there is an attraction that is born of fashion or curiosity and then becomes beguiling enough to make it a difficult habit to drop.

Like (I imagine) many people, I put mine together for a giggle and imagined I'd ride it a dozen times. That's not how it worked out.

I still love geared bikes, but fixed is quite intoxicating.

 

[Scruffmonster]

The latter are generally people that have jumped on the fashion bandwagon.

I think that, in town, a SS or FG bike is the most sensible thing you can own, especially if you have to carry it in and out of a house/flat, so I can see why people own them...

But if you're changing your bike to change how people percieve you... You're on a bandwagon. Those folks are generally easy to spot. The ones that spend 2 hours getting ready every morning, cultivating a look from head to toe that says 'I don't care what you think'.

I ride fixed. I have full guards, 2 brakes, 4 brake levers, spoke reflectors, and lots of lights. I like how it looks, but people would point, whisper and giggle if I did a lap of Hoxton Square.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Geared = lovely
Singlespeed = lovely
Fixed = lovely
Bicycles = lovely

I don't give a stuff what folks' motivation is for riding a geared/ss/fixed* bike so long as they are riding one.


*delete as appropriate