[Closed] Single speed road bike

Dolan?

Thanks - will check out Dolan.

https://www.cyclist.co.uk/buying-guides/4518/best-single-speed-bikes

Pinnacle Dolomite or Bombtrack Arise are both drop bars

I've always fancied another Pearson Touche SS but they don't do it any more . They still do a couple of others though.

https://www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/men/bikes/commuter/

Genesis Day One - lots on ebay

I miss my Langster, wish I hadn't sold it.

I toy with the idea of another but then my wouldn't see much use if I was using a SS road bike for commuting.

Make sure you can go fixed... Because....

Singlespeed road bikes are shit. My personal opinion obviously but i found spinning out with a freewheel unpleasant wheras on a fixed gear its easier to just kerp pedalling even if you aren't actualy putting any power.

Thanks guys some good ideas there.

Should have said. I love riding my fixed gear!

I’m thinking of selling a Kona Paddy Wagon if you’re interested? Good condition 56cm frame with mostly nice bits. Drop me a line for pics and spec if you’re interested.

Edit: email me at david dot jev at gmail dot com

Or if you're after a larger size I'm still thinking I'll sell my virtually new 60cm Dolan. Open to offers. (Must update the pics now it's been finished with tape etc…)

https://singletrackmag.com/classifieds/advert/unique-dolan-fxe-60cm/

Edit: OK, so links to classified ads still don't work, then? FFS… Oh well. It's on this list, anyway…

https://singletrackmag.com/classifieds/advert-category/road-bikes/

That’s nice Bez. If it was a medium I’d be on for it.

Love a fixie me 🙂

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Get over too lfgss always lots of nice fixed bikes from cheap to ££££££

I ride a day one singlespeed daily. It's great in many ways and I'm by no means a weight weenie but I think I could be riding an older steel frame SS conversion that's a good kilo or more lighter if I gave up the disc brakes!

I've got a medium dolomite disc as going cheap not standard spec £180

That paint job is ace Bez!
Also, the green Bob Jackson.

Love a fixie me. I've got a hankering for a custom commuter frame made from nice steel to replace my DayOne.

Cheers. Going off on a tangent somewhat, but this lot just arrived 😀

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Can you guys enlighten a curious person (me !) please....
What are the benefits / point of a singlespeed or fixie road bike ?
Don't get me wrong, I like them and am tempted, but I'm struggling to answer people who say "why ?"
(of course, I do really have some understanding, but just looking for different views)
Thanks !

For me, it's got to be the relative lack of maintenance. I commute on a singlespeed road bike and, but for a change of brake pads, haven't had to do anything other than lube the chain and replace the odd tyre over several thousand miles.

Just good old simplicity. I like not having to think about gears. Which seems trivial, and kind of is, but isn’t. Just pedal. When it goes up, pedal harder. They make your legs hurt and there’s nothing you can do about it, which can be sort of nice.

Also near enough zero maintenance and complete reliability when you go out in any old weather and just dump the bike in the shed.

Losing the freewheel teaches you smooth pedalling, too, but personally I dislike the fact that fixies occasionally try to throw me off and kill me 🙂

Fixed provides a much more efficient transmission, no gear worrying - you are always in the wrong one, you will stop thinking about pedalling. You will build fitness much faster and maintain it more easily. When I ride in a group in a medium chaingang, my HR is always in a higher zone than those on gears.

It's just the best thing (as someone with a LOT of fixed bikes).

For the OP, if new, then the Dolan pre cursa or fxe (same geometry) is a very good alloy choice. I like my custom Kona PW as well. We also have a poo brown Langster, a Dolan Seta track bike (carbon frame) and an old steel track bike. AND... a fixed wheel folding bike which is huge fun too.

Yes I may have a problem. If buyng from stock, Dolan FXE.

Fixed provides a much more efficient transmission

How would it be more efficient than a singlespeed with a freewheel?

(And if it's more efficient and that's a good thing, how come your HR is higher than riders with a derailleur transmission riding at the same speed and that's also a good thing? 😉 )

HR variance is much lower on fixed than geared, you are basically on the go all the time at a higher cadence (typically 95-105 for me). And more efficient than a geared bike. I've only ridden SS off road. But if you spin the crank on my fixed bikes and my geared bikes, there is no comparison.

How would it be more efficient than a singlespeed with a freewheel?

A freewheel adds (a tiny amount) more drag.

My fixed bike has recently gone from drops to riser bars to make it a more relaxed commuter/pub bike. But yep they're far simpler machines, easier to maintain and make you pedal betterer.

Get one!

A freewheel won't add drag when it's engaged because nothing's moving against anything. Certainly both are more efficient than a normal derailleur drivetrain, which adds two jockey wheels.

Fixed and pub bike are not usually words that go together.....

Fixed and pub bike are not usually words that go together…..

I have a wealth of experience to draw up to decry that claim.

A bike of any kind requires no justification. However why i love riding a fixed gear... I just do. Silent positive pedalling. You're basically always in the wrong gear but it doesn't really matter if you are moving you are pedalling while you don't need to go flat out all the time you do tend to find a natural speed and thats generally on the making progress end of the scale. The biggest advantage over a freewheel singlespeed is on the flat. Tall gears will limit your ability to climb so on the flat you're going to be spinning with a singlespeed you reach max spin and you then have to coast until your speed drops again with a fixed gear you just relax and let your feet go round, then when you need more power you just gently apply it. Its a lot smoother than a singlespeed.

I'd argue most of the point made though.

Efficient... Drive train yes but that's insignificant to not maximising your pedalling efficiency.

It is easy to maintain.

It is silent and thats surprisingly enjoyable.

Fixed and pub bike are not usually words that go together…..

Can't remember the last time I took a derailleur to the pub. 😁

I built my first fixed bike about two years ago and was amazed how much I had thought about being on the right gear. That gone, I can just zone out and listen to the tyres hum and feel my legs turning.

Also, I've never been much of a speed biker, and riding a triple-equipped touring bike I had gotten used to just slowing down and spinning up everything. Few months of fixed riding thickened my thighs considerably and made me climb things much faster.

I ride a SS road bike through town on my commute. I feel riding it fixed rather than SS through traffic is dangerous. Guys that love the fixed feeling, are you on quiet routes??

I ride mine everywhere. I have a hard time understanding why it would be more dangerous than a freewheeled bike (I have a front brake). It might even be the contrary, as I feel braking is a kind of failure and tend to modulate my speed much more carefully when on the fixed.

Pedal strikes are of course nastier, but I've never had one, again maybe more careful because of the unpleasant consequences.

I ride a SS road bike through town on my commute. I feel riding it fixed rather than SS through traffic is dangerous. Guys that love the fixed feeling, are you on quiet routes??

I'm Not sure why it would be any more or less more dangerous in traffic than a FW, surely "safety" is down to your ability to stop (brakes) and the way you ride...

I ride mine in various places round town some busier than others, like anyone sometimes I'll take a quieter route, other times circumstances dictate I need to mix it more with traffic...
The only time I maybe miss a FW is going down long steep hills....

I felt like (although, admittedly didn’t give it enough time), that the bike had much more momentum fixed. So if someone just pulled out, which they do a lot, I couldn’t react/slow down as fast as with a freewheel.

On country lanes, I would think it’s lovely though.

But when you stop pedaling, you are actually braking with your legs as well as your brakes. Getting a foot out is a bit more tricky.

I think fixed is just something you need to adapt to.

The main time I tried it, I found the times I came to brake for a junction and forgot I didn't have a freewheel were more than a little fraught, and that tanking down a big hill was unnerving (it didn't help that I'd not long recovered from a significant knee injury). For me, fixed didn't offer enough benefit over a freewheel to warrant having to switch my brain between two modes whenever I changed bike, so I just stopped with the fixed. But I think once you've got your brain dialled in it'd be just fine.

for commuting a fixed is so cheap it's crazy - if you ride fixed you use a front brake and no rear, and yes this is legal and safe, which means that a well built rear (36hole ftw) lasts for eternity because you don't wear down the rim. ideally a disc front brake would be ace.

If you are going to ride fixed a proper geometry frame and 165 cranks are recommended to avoid pedal strike (Dolan !)

I had a dolan precursa for years and loved it, it refused to die and the only thing that finished it off was a BMW x3, and even then the frame survived (it was the forks that were killed) and has been donated to a youth for grasstrack racing

KMC610 chains are the ones to get

a tough rear tyre (gatorskin 28 at 6 bar) and a nice front

go shopping on LFGSS

It does take some riding to get used to fixed but you soon get it dialled in and the switching isn't a problem because the feel reminds you straight away. you find yourself constantly planning the speed using the gear, and a little touch on the brake helps to stop overpedalling. Having a good quality well maintained front brake is key.

I get the momentum/safety thing.

Whenever I try to ride fixed there's always that smidgen more reaction time as you try to brake and think about your feet at the same time, and the temptation to just lock the back wheel to simplify your panic. And braking out of the saddle (i.e. getting your weight back like on any other bike) feels impossible!

I need more practice but I don't think it would ever be quite as quick to stop as a freewheel.

Actually riding in a straight line feels great mind you! As Josh said, you don't sprint and coast like you might with SS. Although I have my road ss geared high enough that it only spun out on descents. I've now dropped from 16 to 18 on the freewheel and put a 16t fixed on the other side intending that to be my commuting gear and the freewheel for hilly days out.

Also there's supposed to be efficiency gains in your legs as you learn to recruit muscles better.

As an aside, do you use SPDs on fixed? I've had a Charge Plug fixed before and enjoyed it immensely, but used straps. How is clipping in on a fixed gear?

I had a fixed gear road bike for a while and really enjoyed most of what it gave. When I say road bike it was an old MTB alloy frame with drop bars, P2 forks and 26" slick tyres.

It did take some getting used to, but "just pedal" eventually came to make great deal of sense. I also have SS MTBs, the fixed gear was an order of magnitude of a workout harder - SS freehub allows you to back off and coast, there is no coast for fixed.

It eventually was moved on, but for simplicity it had a lot of plus points.

"I have a wealth of experience to draw up to decry that claim"

Me too, had plenty of fixies (in fact I even sold one to Bez!) but not sure leaving the pub three sheets to the wind in light drizzle and feeling that unexpected kick in the back of the leg is an ideal experience...

How is clipping in on a fixed gear?

Night and day easier! Trying to reach down to tighten/loosen straps is a complete PITA when your feet won't stay still. Don't know how old roadies managed it back in the day.

The bike does have some rolling inertia when up to speed but you can resist that and control your speed via the pedals quite easily it's quite direct. I can bring the bike to a stop with just the pedals, but obviously stopping distances using that method are much longer for me (My fixie skids aren't that awesome TBH), it's a whole lot more effective combined with a bit of front brake, which is definitely the way to avoid a dozey driver pulling out on you.

I'm not going to say it's better or worse, you can control a bike's speed pretty much as effectively either with or without a FW (IME).

It's OK out in the country, but TBH if I'm going more than say 15 miles I'd rather have gears for the ups and a FW for the descents.
My old flat commute from Reading to Newbury was pretty good fixed, the bike rolled well along the A4 and traffic at either end wasn't too hard to navigate, these days I get to mix it up on everything from tow paths to dual carriageway round town...

Oh and I'm riding with SPDs, big old red M636 DX jobs, so I've a nice big platform if I do miss getting clipped in and I can pop round to the local shop just wearing some Vans or whatever, I'm not keen on faffing with toe clips and straps...

I even sold one to Bez!

Did you? What was that then? (I may have owned too many bikes in my time.)

I prefer freewheel (having ridden both) and the efficieny difference, even to gears, is insignificant.

Pompino (it was a few years ago). We met in a darkened carpark....

I ride SS (MTB) just for a different challenge & variety, and as the winter-slop bike. Feels lighter, less draggy, more efficient than a geared MTB. I like the challenge of what uphills I can clean, and of balancing the in/out of the saddle with traction conundrum. It is said that you are never in the right gear, but actually, on a MTB particularly, in local general XC riding, the single gear works pretty well across the range of speed you are using most of the time (most of my local trails are undulating; it would be different if the ups & downs were all steep!).

I turned my commuter SS to liven it up a bit. Since I got my nice gravel bike, I'd been using that for most of my commuting too, which meant the commuter had sat in the garage mostly unused. It's shed a bit of weight (about a kg), and with the wet weather we've had recently, because it has guards & a rack, I've used it more in the last month than the preceding 18 months. Simplicity, lower maintenance, variety, and a different challenge (gurning up a long slog of a hill, just slightly too steep for the gearing to be comfortable).

Haven't tried fixie, and don't really feel the need. But love SS.

Many a bicycle/frame/wheel exchange has been done in a dark car park 🙂

Mm, I thought the Pompino must have been it (apologies, terrible memory for forum names). It was a shame but that didn't work out, it was too small for me. I built it up with some nice kit and sold it for a healthy loss.

I used to commute through London on a fixed track bike - loved it. Yes, it does take some getting used to but you soon get into it. I used to ride with Look road pedals which on reflection wasn’t the brightest idea but you soon get good at clipping in.

Things worth noting - keep on top of chain tension, you don’t want a slack chain. Don’t try and brake with your knees as it screws them up. Stretch your hamstrings a lot. Oh and be amazed at the number of times you freewheel on a geared bike - see a drain cover, freewheel. Reach for your bottle, freewheel. Trust me, you’ll only make the mistake once..

All of this talk of zero maintenance.

My Niner RLT with its Di2 Alfine 11 has had a nothing bar an oil flush, tyres and a set of pads in over 23k km. I think it needs a headset, but there’s a CK waiting in the drawer for when it dies.

EDIT - I also have a Kona Bandwagon (2010) SS roadbike. It’s on its second set of wheels, second BB, second headset, etc.

They’ve all been replaced with Phil Woods, Royce, CK etc, so should last a while.

Love singlespeed, thinking of getting a fixie too (with a front brake). I found having a belt drive just felt so much better than a chain. All in my head I'm sure but it's nice not to have to bother with clips on yer jeans when you pop down the pub.

https://flic.kr/p/RS5x8P

All of this talk of zero maintenance…

Yeah, but no-one said all other bikes were high maintenance. Derailleur systems are high maintenance. Good hub geared systems are low maintenance.

All except my folder sport Look keo pedals. Clipping in becomes second nature and you will become good at it - when fixed you have no second chance, as you can't just coast to engage that second foot! I do it instinctively and don't notice a difference to my non-fixed bikes.

On the folder I use flat pedals and no straps or toeclips. I'm not spinning as fast and normally wearing work shoes.

The Paddy Wagon had some robust (read heavy) wheels, good sealed bearings. but heavy. I ride low flange Miche hubs with Open Pros and have two sets on different bikes. I also have track wheels and nice heavy set of campag for anther bike with MA40 rims. The dream bike is a Rourke fixed road bike in stainless steel with TCR compact geometry and Royce bling. One day...

@tired you want a giant Bowery(treat it to a bling paint job) awesome ss/fixed bike 🙂

Thinking of fixed wheel for my surly crosscheck, it's been many guises but that's one it hasn't had.

Will it improve stopping distances in bad weather? I'll have front and back brake as well but kinda assumed it would help in those car pulling out of junctions over cycle lane moments?

Also anyone recommend a cheap decentish wheelset? Preferably flip flop hub?

It's an interesting notion to equate being in the wrong gear with efficiency, I shall try constantly driving my car in 2nd and see how my fuel economy goes `:-)

Back when I was only commuting, like many I bought one of those bargaintastic Specialized Tricross Singlecross that were available 2008-2010, think it cost me something like ~£325 from Hargroves. In hindsight, I kind of regret never trying fixed on the flip-flop hub, or trying anything like ~40mm tyres it had clearance for. But then I had my RTA on it, lost all confidence in rim brakes and sold it on here.

Problem is that bike prices have risen sharply since then, while trying to source an SS with hydraulic brakes under £1k is almost impossible. I still can't believe that I was early to spot the Charge Grinduro editions at Wiggle for ~£510 back in 2017, but failed to spot the brakes were "proper hydraulic" TRP Hylex and so didn't snap one up! 😆

Still, every cloud has a silver lining and all that, a few months later I got my Cube for the steal price of £900 as one of the final ones left at Rutland in their May bank hol promo.

It’s an interesting notion to equate being in the wrong gear with efficiency, I shall try constantly driving my car in 2nd and see how my fuel economy goes

The drivetrain is more efficient not the gearing choice. You would need to remove the gearbox and directly drive the wheels from the engine if you want to try fixed in your car. I would guess it may not be worth it.

I have ridden fixed for almost 20 years with a bit of single speed in between but always go back to fixed (road, gravel and off road). This year I picked up a bargain 29er with 1x11 and the novelty was great at first (being able to ride fast on off road downhills) but 2 months later I am selling it and back on fixed again.
I just don't like gears or freewheels or brakes.

plus one

@tired you want a giant Bowery(treat it to a bling paint job) awesome ss/fixed bike

I had one in Oz. Can also recommend it.

Lovely direct feel to the pedalling. Also it has nice handling at almost zero speed when you're busting a gut up a nasty steep bit, ie flowing zigzags no problem.

I used to take mine up Mt Nebo in Brisbane, and Lake Morris in Cairns - both similar climbs to the Bealach na Bah.

Also anyone recommend a cheap decentish wheelset? Preferably flip flop hub?

I use halo wheels on my Langster, think they're flip flop but I only ever run fixed and it's at work so I can't check. Run true for commuting, cope with London streets on 25c and spin up to speed well. If money's tight you can always just stick a normal road front wheel in and save any fixie / hipster tax

£400. DB Cromo, nice lugged fork, good kit. Takes big tyres or guards. Silly brake levers imo but fashion said.

Bah. Extrapolating the geometry chart for that, I’d be spot on with an XXXL. I won’t hold my breath 🙂

@kilo cheers, looked at halo wheels but not sure about full painted rims as I want a decent braking surface.

Gave it some thought and I want bombproof and ability to monster cross single speed and road tyres for fixie, also ideally 130 oln rear. Oh and cheapish so I was thinking a bit moon on stick but went to the original bearded bike fiend, where fixies were the preserve of old men and audax riders. Spa cycles 😀

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s178p1817/SPA-CYCLES-Handbuilt-Wheelset-Exal-LX17-System-EX-Track-Hubs

Can take between 25 and 55mm tyres built by person with Original hipster beard, hand built and tough as old boots.

It’s an interesting notion to equate being in the wrong gear with efficiency, I shall try constantly driving my car in 2nd and see how my fuel economy goes `:-)

It's more like being stuck in 3rd or 4th but you've got a reasonable diesel engine with a decent power band and plenty of torque at low revs, you're just a bit slow away from the lights, but it's not a race you know 😉

@nobody:

with hydraulic brakes under £1k is almost impossible. I still can’t believe that I was early to spot the Charge Grinduro editions at Wiggle for ~£510 back in 2017, but failed to spot the brakes were “proper hydraulic” TRP Hylex and so didn’t snap one up! 😆

I bought mine here in the USA in early 2017 at $799 thinking that was a damn good price. Then they dropped to $599 - I should have bought another one, just because.

Horribly blingy graphics and the cranks are made of cheese, but otherwise what a stonking deal that bike was. Shame they don’t do it anymore, but getting great use out of mine. In fact, doing a gravel race on it this Saturday!

Is the Plug Grinduro fixed, @krixmeister?

Nope - Singlespeed

Thanks all much appreciated.

The Pinnacle and Dolan look pretty decent choices.

https://www.dolan-bikes.com/urban/bikes/urban-aluminium/dolan-fxe-aluminium-fixie-bike-black-gloss.html

Worth the extra dough over the Pinnacle?

With the carbon forks and nicer wheels, and probably a decent chunk lighter I'd go for the Dolan. As Jamso suggested himself with the brake levers comment, the Pinnacle is trying to appeal to a more fashionable market. Dolan is a speed machine.

^ it's also easier to swap to flat bars or go fixed with a front brake only using those cross top levers. I'm just grumpy as I like SS road bikes with normal levers.

Dolan, no question. That pinnacle has slow handling geometry and a heavy frame. Butted, not double butted steel. By contrast, the Dolan has classic road geometry, light alloy frame and decent spec. Worth every extra penny. Have one set up as a fixed TT bike.

It's double butted crmo TiRed, light gauge. Frame's a pretty good weight for a steel bike esp at that price. Handling isn't quite as steep as a race or track bike, more city and winter road use, I know you prefer race geo though.

Sorry Jamso, I feel a bit bad for liking the Dolan better, but for balance I like my own Dolomite a lot and a bloke at work purchased a Laterite on my recommendation. 👍

I ride a Specialized Tricross (mentioned above) and love it. Great for cx/gravel riding and exploring over most surfaces. Great fun to ride and is my go to bike when I ride on my own. I’ve not ridden it fixed as the need to dab is a constant and I’m not sure how quickly I could unclip with spinning legs.

the Dolan has classic road geometry, light alloy frame

The Dolan isn’t that light: mine (60cm) is a bit over 2kg for the frame*, which is 250g or so heavier than my Trek Crossrip (61cm) and 500g or so heavier than my CAAD9 (63cm). The fork is a bit heavier than both the others as well, though only about 50g.

The 75/74 angles are pretty keen, too, even by classic road standards; the 72/73 on the Pinnacle will probably suit most people better, I’d have thought.

* NB looking at Surly’s quoted frame weights for the Steamroller (1.9kg for the 53cm, 2.0kg for the 56cm) it looks like the FXE may be only about 100g shy of an equivalently sized Steamroller 😬

The Dolan isn’t that light

It certainly isn't. I have had quite a few Dolan pre cursa frames over the years as they are almost disposable at £100 for the frame. A 54cm frame weighs 1850g and the carbon blade fork weighs almost 600g. I had a 531c track frameset that was lighter and my current Langster Pro frame is 1500g with a 360g fork. The Steamroller frame is 1.9kg but the for is almost 1kg (I have had a few of those too)

The geometry is steep but the fork offset is 30mm so the handling is actually a bit more stable than a road bike due to increased trail. Having ridden quite a few of the available track frames on the road and gravel I would go for a Dolan for a budget option.

tthew - don't, very different bikes, it's all choices, all good 👍

(2x post fat fingers)