geared vs single speed which do you prefer
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last year I bought 2 new cruisers for my wife and I. I couldn't decide, single speed or 3 speed igh. I never owned an igh before. only ss or multi speed mountain bike. I figured spending all that money, might as well spend a little more and get 3 speed. I really like them. where we live its kind of hilly. ss gets annoying. right now 90% of my riding is with my 5 year old, so the gears arent of much use for now. but when I do ride it, I love it. usually when I take him I take one of my ss. one is geared 52/18, the other I think 44/22. I ride around town a couple nites a week, the 52/18 is a little too hard for the hills. 44/22 is great but top out real quick on flat ground. 3 spd, is perfect.
Ive been wanting to try one of those 2 speed kickback sets from rrb store. can the rear drive cogs be changed out on them? I wanted to run it on the bike with the 52 front, but its already too hard on the hills, overdrive wouldn't help much. out of my bikes, I definitely notice a difference in tires, so that can definitely help.
Ive been wanting to try one of those 2 speed kickback sets from rrb store. can the rear drive cogs be changed out on them? I wanted to run it on the bike with the 52 front, but its already too hard on the hills, overdrive wouldn't help much. out of my bikes, I definitely notice a difference in tires, so that can definitely help.
My problem is my bikes are so long and low that there is no way to stand up on the hills to get up them. My rides are all leg muscle because the pedals are in front of you so you cant use your weight on the downstroke.
Everything I build has a Shimano Nexus 3 speed. They are a bit heavy but it takes 5 minutes to set them up then I never have to touch them again. Plus, they are pretty cheap, easy to find, and you can put the shifter anywhere with a little creativity.
Everything I build has a Shimano Nexus 3 speed. They are a bit heavy but it takes 5 minutes to set them up then I never have to touch them again. Plus, they are pretty cheap, easy to find, and you can put the shifter anywhere with a little creativity.
I ride fixed ATM (46x18 fwiw 
)... Everywhere... recently completed a 125mile audax on it I love SS, but here in Northern blighty it's a bit hilly, especially as I'm only a 10 minute ride from the pennine moors :s
That said though, I have a sturmey s7c to go in either a folder or a muscle at some point, I must be getting soft...
+1 for a front brake though
)... Everywhere... recently completed a 125mile audax on it I love SS, but here in Northern blighty it's a bit hilly, especially as I'm only a 10 minute ride from the pennine moors :sThat said though, I have a sturmey s7c to go in either a folder or a muscle at some point, I must be getting soft...
+1 for a front brake though
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For me,
On BMX, always single speed, high geared for me. I think my predator is 46/12 on teeth.
On muscle bikes and cruisers, a second or third internal gear is nice, but single works for me also. My reasoning, Springers make it more difficult on the hills because of torque loss when standing and pedaling.
MTB. For mountain biking high performance shifters and derailers are a must. Luits of steep climbing and down hill, yes, I have used all 27 gears on the trails on my Hard Rock. Fine adjust on torque for that high speed run is great.
On BMX, always single speed, high geared for me. I think my predator is 46/12 on teeth.
On muscle bikes and cruisers, a second or third internal gear is nice, but single works for me also. My reasoning, Springers make it more difficult on the hills because of torque loss when standing and pedaling.
MTB. For mountain biking high performance shifters and derailers are a must. Luits of steep climbing and down hill, yes, I have used all 27 gears on the trails on my Hard Rock. Fine adjust on torque for that high speed run is great.
Gears.
Both my riders are Dynos- a Moto-7, and a Roadster. Both bikes have 8-speed Nexus coaster brake hubs. Love those gears! But then again, I live in California, and most everything here is hilly.
JWM
Both my riders are Dynos- a Moto-7, and a Roadster. Both bikes have 8-speed Nexus coaster brake hubs. Love those gears! But then again, I live in California, and most everything here is hilly.
JWM
I ride fixed ATM (46x18 fwiw
That said though, I have a sturmey s7c to go in either a folder or a muscle at some point, I must be getting soft...
+1 for a front brake though
I think fixed gear is an awesome drivetrain, but it doesn't get a lot of love here on RRB. I don't get it, as FG is about as minimalist and raw as you can get, this side of a bigwheel. I think some folks are terrified of being mistaken for a "Hipster", but "hipsters" around me moved on from fixed about 4 years ago. It's obvious that the hipsters' numbers are in decline, and they've been listed as a "species of special concern" by the NJDFW.
My ficed gear cruiser is geared 46x18, too, but with 26x2.125" tires.
Yeah fixes wheel does get a lot of grief tbh but I agree the hipsters are a dying breed, build mine as a cheap simple commuter cz I couldn't afford a 2spd kickback and have ridden exclusively fixed for the last 10years ish, but I do love the clean drivetrain of fixed/coaster... And I'd sell my soul for an ordinary
From Tapatalk on this stoopid iPhone...
I always liked the simplicity of a single speed coaster brake hub but I recently rode a bike with a Sturmey Archer X-RD3 hub & have to say it was real nice. 3 internal gears & a drum brake. It used a 2 trigger shifter which I also liked.
My wife's bike rocks an x-rd3; great hub, although she over-geared hers b/c she's a goofball and she assumes I'm a goofball, too, so she uses it like a 2 speed and never gets into "3". I told her she's gotta switch it herself, since I'd built it "right" the first time, and she made me change it even though i suggested not to.... but enough about my marital problems; i figure we got it good if the worst thing we argue about is the rear sprocket on my wife's bike.
I think the coolest thing about Sturmey-Archer is the options. You can get the 3 speed, and several other multi-speeds, in 4 different flavors: no-brake, coaster-brake, drum, or disc. As far as shifters go, you can use the twist shifter, the bar-end, the over/under trigger, the thumbie, or the fake-quadrant style shifter on the 3 speed. Shimano and SRAM 3 speeds don't come in nearly as many flavors. For ppl who like to customize/modify/optimize their drivetrain, the other current brands cannot touch Sturmey-Archer. Easy parts availability, transparency about what lubes to use, and total re-buildability are really nice, too...
I have a 21 speed Electra Townie and I peddle on flat ground 99% of the time. Occasionally I need to ride up the seawall or a ramp or levee and it's nice to grab a gear and not have to get off the seat to crank up the slope.
90% of the time, I ride single speed. Not only do I prefer them for the simplicity and lack of cables, but I find them easier to ride. Need to speed up? Pedal harder.
There is something very uncomplicated and pure about a single speed bicycle…
there is nothing better than a single speed, coaster brake.
I rode a nexus 3speed (coaster brake) for years,even in the woods and trails.
Then I started riding fixed gear. Fixed gear is such an interesting thing. I know this is going to sound cliché, but after riding fixed, something changed.
It changed how I viewed riding a bicycle. It was a completely different bicycling experience.
I am not a hipster, or a foodie or a barista or any of that, so don't even let any of that enter your mind. I am the dump picker, the self taught weldor, the anti-bicyclist.
At some point I created this thought in my mind:
"I am only going to ride single speed bicycles…"
I know that it's probably not very practical, and that it's most likely unrealistic. I don't know how long it will last...
I love a good coaster brake…
No cables, no shifters, no hand brakes or levers.
Plus it's fun.
there is nothing better than a single speed, coaster brake.
I rode a nexus 3speed (coaster brake) for years,even in the woods and trails.
Then I started riding fixed gear. Fixed gear is such an interesting thing. I know this is going to sound cliché, but after riding fixed, something changed.
It changed how I viewed riding a bicycle. It was a completely different bicycling experience.
I am not a hipster, or a foodie or a barista or any of that, so don't even let any of that enter your mind. I am the dump picker, the self taught weldor, the anti-bicyclist.
At some point I created this thought in my mind:
"I am only going to ride single speed bicycles…"
I know that it's probably not very practical, and that it's most likely unrealistic. I don't know how long it will last...
I love a good coaster brake…
No cables, no shifters, no hand brakes or levers.
Plus it's fun.
