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Only three miles - but all uphill and about 200m climbing
Not much of a headwind but it was still an 'interesting' ride
Can't quite get my head round the 'why' of it yet - especially when the ride home was mostly a coast!
Love my ss commute, 6.5 miles each way, downhill in morning uphill in way home, just a matter of keeping the pedals turning, no need to worry if I'm in the right gear, just pedal away and enjoy the world rolling past, arrive both at work and at home smiling, just relax and go with it, and embrace the lack of maintenance, currently using a much loved and abused Langster, what you riding?
6 each way, down a big hill, flat bit, up a big hill
love it
1994 GT tequesta...inherited it as part of a mates house move
New bottom bracket / headset / powdercoat and its come up good as new
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Singlespeeding is a mindset - I've just got another for my 8 mile hilly commute.
My commute is about 10 miles on the flat apart from one hill so got a single speed to make it a bit more interesting. I'm not that much slower than the geared bike, but you know you've done it. Can't say I'll be ditching my gears on my other bikes, seems like too much hard work for the sake of it, but the change in cadence with speed definitely gets your legs spinning quicker and improves your overall riding on any bike.
I might dig the SS out for tomorrow's commute. It's only 25 miles each way so a nice little spin out.
That GT looks nice, gotta love a white bike....
Cheers ron - appreciate the comments!
I've still got a few bits to do on it but just balancing the budget.
Think I may need to extend the commute to get more of a feel for it. And then swap the tyres for a bit of fun off-road
Flat as a flat thing round here, so one gear and low maintenance works for me, bloody hard work in the wind though.
I have built up an old Marin as a ss comuter. Got it as a 16/32 currently but find it a little slow. Gonna make it a 16/44 I think
What do you guys run?
42/16 s/speed 700c wheels for 8 miles here but need to up it to 46/48 as am a lot fitter and its flat around here (Thames Valley).
Had a comedy over take yesterday of another commuter on 42/16 fixed when I was able to whiz past him on a down hill section. Until that point neither of us could prevail for obvious reasons...
48/15 in the summer, fixed, no rack. Flat commute, 10 miles each way. Plus medium paced club runs of 30 miles.
Gearing is as follows: (cadence assumed 80 rpm)
42/16: 16 mph, cadence = 5x speed in mph
48/16: 18 mph, cadence = 4.5x speed in mph
48/15: 20 mph, cadence = 4x speed in mph
I won't pretend it isn't tough sometimes, but you have to push it for gains. With the rack and panniers, 48/16 sometimes isn't low enough!
I loved my Langster with 48-16. Really want another and wish I never sold it really, but I already have a road bike now so no need for a second.
I use my Kona Unit singlespeed to cycle the 6.5 miles each way to work. I just run it with Maxxis Ignitor 2.1 tyres so I can venture off road when the mood takes me.
The route is a bit up and down and has a bit of a drag on the way in. On the plus side, there is a bit of a coast on the way back.
The only thing is that there is pretty much a headwind everyday on the way in. A few times over the winter, I've been pushing like mad on the pedals whilst cycling a dizzy 5mph up a hill into a huge headwind!!! I think they call it character building.
Having said that, it isn't really any slower than my geared bike; but it is so much cheaper and easier to maintain.