Single Speed Bike vs Geared Bike
I’ve been getting back into cycling in a big way in the last few months. I hate exercise in a big way, but biking used to be a passion of mine, and this past summer I rediscovered the bug.
I ride for two main reasons; fitness and fun. Until now, my ride has been a Specialised HardRock XC, which is a great all round bike for road and off-road, but increasingly, I’ve found something missing from the experience.
Specialized HardRock XC
I began to realise that I missed the simplicity of the BMX I had during my early years. Geared bikes are great for going up exceptionally steep hills, and for getting maximum efficiency from your pedalling, but you don’t realise how much effort is wasted through constantly changing gears, and how much additional weight is carried by the deraileurs and extra chain rings, not to mention the additional complexity of maintenance and repairs.
I know this, because I recently bought a single speed Trek Soho S in an effort to recreate the simplicity of the single speed BMX, combined with the refinement of a road bike.
Trek Soho S
(notice how uncomplicated the rear wheel is, in comparison)
I can safely say, I have not enjoyed riding a bike so much in years. I rode further and faster than I have managed previously, and was less tired at the end. The narrower tires help, as does the lighter weight and decreased drag, but mostly it’s the inability to change gears which totally changes the way you ride (for the better).
Update:
For anyone who’s interested, here is the bike that started it all for me, one christmas back in the early 80’s.
Norco Spitfire – circa 1984
God I miss that bike, although I think my BMX days are long past.
Years later in my mid-teens, I bought a Trek 830 Antelope. A mountain bike of some substantial weight, but which I loved dearly and plan on resurrecting from the garage at some point to restore to its former glory (perhaps with the addition of a front suspension fork and some stupidly fat tyres, for the sake of variety.