Why are Single Speed Wheels so Expensive?

[cycleman]

The cheapest I could find were £48.00 plus £7.95 postage for one wheel 700cc on amazon.

offline it would be £61.00

I dont know much about the performance of these wheels. Is a single speed bike faster than a bike with 27 gears?

The price seems exorbitant. If anyone could shed a light I would be grateful

 

[HLaB]

Ive never had a single speed or fixie but I believe if you get them set up right (gearwise) they are faster, being a bit lighter and you don't lose the fraction of seconds shifting. However, if they are not apt for the particular terrain ss/fixies are inefficient and therefore slower. Also being simpler in theory ss/fixie wheels will be more robust. I guess however, the price like most things is driven by demand and there's a fun and cool element for some folk which makes them popular, hence shops can charge according to that demand.

 

[totallyfixed]

Pah! £800 for Mrs TF's rear disc was cheap at half the price. £48 for a good ss wheel, I wish. How much do you pay then for a geared rear wheel?

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

£50 for a rear wheel sounds ok to me.

 

[fossyant]

Very cheap that. My rims are about £50 each, add on hub spokes and build then about £130 each.

 

[ColinJ]

Well, I suppose compared to a full-suspension mountain bike from Argos for £69.99, it is expensive ...

 

[Noodley]

How much do you expect to pay for a wheel? Seems a bit odd complaining at that price.

 

[Zoiders]

I dont know much about the performance of these wheels. Is a single speed bike faster than a bike with 27 gears?

As much as I hate to quote Lance Armstrong and his 50 foot ego...It's not about the bike.

 

[andrew_s]

I reckon it's because all of the singlespeed wheels are hand built. They don't sell enough to be worth setting up the automatic wheelbuilding machines that are used for cheap wheels.

 

[gb155]

As much as I hate to quote Lance Armstrong and his 50 foot ego...It's not about the bike.

I knew there was a reason to love you zoiders

 

[Deleted member 1258]

The cheapest I could find were £48.00 plus £7.95 postage for one wheel 700cc on amazon.

offline it would be £61.00

I dont know much about the performance of these wheels. Is a single speed bike faster than a bike with 27 gears?

The price seems exorbitant. If anyone could shed a light I would be grateful

I would call a £48 wheel a cheap wheel. I would expect to pay around this price, £167,
http://www.velomax.biz/content/vm-displaydetail.php?product_id=626
For a pair of track wheels, £70-£80 for a single wheel

 

[cycleman]

Thanks for all the reply's guy's. andrew_s's reply seems to answer my question for me. I wasn't expecting them to be half the price, maybe £10 cheaper at £40

 

[cycleman]

How much do you expect to pay for a wheel? Seems a bit odd complaining at that price.

£40-£45 (single wheel) based on the new information that has been given to me on this thread.

 

[Zoiders]

I reckon it's because all of the singlespeed wheels are hand built. They don't sell enough to be worth setting up the automatic wheelbuilding machines that are used for cheap wheels.

Dont be silly, they sell thousands of the things these days.

Machine built wheels with no dish are extremely easy to manufacture, hence the glut of them on ebay at the moment.

 

[fossyant]

Dont be silly, they sell thousands of the things these days.

Machine built wheels with no dish are extremely easy to manufacture, hence the glut of them on ebay at the moment.

+1

And are sh1te.

Give me handbuilt fixed wheels anytime.