Author Topic: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread  (Read 54430 times)

Si

Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #25 on: 20 October, 2010, 03:31:19 pm »
My main like of fixed is that it forces me to have a proper workout in a limited time.  No matter how I try to force myself to pedal all the way around my 1hr-before-work loop I always end up freewheeling on my SS.  The being connected to the bike thing - yes, I get it, but I don't think that it's all that it's hyped up to be.

My main like of the bike in SS mode is the speed that it allows through tight wiggly bends - can throw it around properly and get it leaning over well.  I'm sure that a more skilled rider than me can do similar with a fixed, but for my skill level the SS always wins on this front.

Having legs of jelly at the moment due to doing practically no proper riding this year, when the bike comes back out the lock-up it will be in SS mode.  when I'm out of form leg braking knackers me out real fast and I just can't help doing it.  Plus, the SS uses a cassette hub so it's much cheaper to change to an easier sprocket until I get fit again.


clarion

  • Tyke
Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #26 on: 20 October, 2010, 10:46:36 pm »
Ok, got my freewheel off.  It's a Shimano SF-MX30.

Anyone want?
Getting there...

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #27 on: 21 October, 2010, 06:31:47 am »
Ok, got my freewheel off.  It's a Shimano SF-MX30.

Anyone want?

Well a spare is always useful but if anyone actually needs one let them have it first!

vorsprung

  • Opposites Attract
    • Audaxing
Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #28 on: 21 October, 2010, 09:53:06 am »
Here's mine :




It's actually a ss/fixie thanks to the reversible hub. I started off as a single speed but the freewheel was making awkward cracking noise, which led me to riding fixed for quite a while. Now that I changed the freewheel for a nicer one, it feels a bit awkward to have no way other to stop but with the brakes. Need to train a bit...

It reminds me of this blog entry On freewheeling « thatmessengerchick

I am currently using the cappiest of freewheels.  It cost about £5, it's crackly, sticky and elliptical.

What's a good make of freewheel (1/8")?

I always used old shimano 8/9 speed hubs with lots of spacers and one sprocket

_lou_

Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #29 on: 21 October, 2010, 10:47:49 am »

I am currently using the cappiest of freewheels.  It cost about £5, it's crackly, sticky and elliptical.

What's a good make of freewheel (1/8")?

The former was a "vintage" (new old stock as they call it) Shimano from the 70's or 80's. I replaced it with a current Shimano (about 20 quid), which is just fine.

I'm starting to think that the chainline should be very straight for optimal perfomance (mine is slightly off).

Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #30 on: 21 October, 2010, 01:20:53 pm »
I thought SS was for posing! (a lot 'round where I am) Or on a Cyclo-X/MTB! Here you go!  ;D
Frenchie - Train à Grande Vitesse

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #31 on: 23 October, 2010, 10:54:46 pm »
I mostly ride fixed these days but I'm not diehard about it. I just like riding fixed. But I also like riding singlespeed. And there are definite plus points to SS, as I'm always reminded when I find myself spinning downhill at 180rpm...

As for the choice between SS and variable gears... I used to think having lots of gears was a good thing, but these days I tend to favour less choice.* I even converted my Brompton to singlespeed. And my last bike purchase was a singlespeed CX machine. I just love the simplicity of having only one gear, whether it's fixed or free.

Generally, I think I prefer fixed for riding on the road, but off-road it has to be SS. I've tried a bit of light fixed off-roading and I didn't much like it. Singlespeed cyclocross is massive amounts of fun and takes me back to my youth, when I used to spend my weekends racing my BMX round the track my friends and I built in our local woods. I don't think I ever wished for more gears in those days.

d.


*This goes for many other things too, not just cycling - for example, I prefer restaurants with shorter menus. Choice is often an illusion anyway. Who really needs it?
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #32 on: 24 October, 2010, 09:24:41 am »
Nice description there citoyen. Like the bit about choice being an illusion, good strap line.

welshwheels

  • stop eating cheeseburgers big boy!!!!
Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #33 on: 24 October, 2010, 03:53:10 pm »
had a singlespeed for a week and i love it the simplicity is great only problem i have is on really steep climbs !!!! like a 1 in 4 i have to get off and push  :( i have a 64 inch gear at the mo i really fancy doing an audax next year on s s what do you think ? is it practical  or is it mega tough or is it bearable ?
struggling up hills since 1981 !!!

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #34 on: 24 October, 2010, 04:12:32 pm »
had a singlespeed for a week and i love it the simplicity is great only problem i have is on really steep climbs !!!! like a 1 in 4 i have to get off and push  :( i have a 64 inch gear at the mo i really fancy doing an audax next year on s s what do you think ? is it practical  or is it mega tough or is it bearable ?

Should be fine - I've done my longest ride on singlespeed (100 miles) and that was manageable. Plenty of people audax on fixed so singlespeed should be no harder.

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #35 on: 24 October, 2010, 04:36:35 pm »


Out of interest what ratio do you use off road? I'm having my new mtb built up as a single speed - not from choice but because delivery dates for Alfine hubs have slipped again :(

Knackered myself with my first long singlespeed ride of the winter today so next weekend's test ride should be interesting  ::-)

welshwheels

  • stop eating cheeseburgers big boy!!!!
Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #36 on: 24 October, 2010, 04:45:03 pm »
i personally dont ride off road butt on one spec their bikes with 32/16 on 26x2.5 tyres hope that helps On-One Inbred 26er 1SG £649.00 |                                                                                   :thumbsup:
struggling up hills since 1981 !!!

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #37 on: 24 October, 2010, 04:49:31 pm »
I use what the bike came with - 36x16 on 700x34C tyres. It's a low-ish gear - around 64", IIRC.

I might change it at some point but so far I haven't felt the need. I have a hunch that spinning a lower gear suits riding over rough terrain better than mashing a higher gear.

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #38 on: 24 October, 2010, 05:07:28 pm »
Thanks, looks like I'm in the right ballpark with 32x16 on a 29er then

Chris N

Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #39 on: 24 October, 2010, 06:19:31 pm »
32x16 on a 29er might be a bit tall. I'm running 32x20 which is fine for Cannock and some south Derbyshire bridleways. A bit high for mid-Wales though.  :facepalm:

Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #40 on: 31 October, 2010, 07:13:58 pm »
After failing to sell an old MTB on the bay, I noticed the semi-horizontals. Well, we just can't resist can we?

Decided to do the lazy SS - just loop chain round middle ring and middle cassette sprocket, just to get the junk off and start the process (and get a ride in).

Oh the liberation of un-bolting the mechs and shifters; pulling now-redundant cables through the guides; shortening the chain and - of course - picking up the pile of surplus old metal and weighing it in my hands.

Of course I will take off the other rings and swap the cassette for sprocket & spacers, but I still went on a hilly ride without any slippage or skippage.

Fastest conversion I've done so far!

vindec

  • per ardua ad aqua
Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #41 on: 09 December, 2010, 12:52:37 am »
Got knocked off my first fixed back in '71 - took many years to try it again. I did though, just to force a decent workout on the local flatlands. After a couple of years of direct drive dalliance I converted to SS. Now this cheap old bike gets far more use than my audax jobbie. I love the simplicity and the freewheeling (it's now legal in the provinces). 43x17 suits me well most of the time. I don't go fast but just like the easy-riding, minimal maintenance, won't cry if gets nicked, back-to-basics cycling experience. Go West young man, but go SS first.

Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #42 on: 09 December, 2010, 10:17:33 am »
Since building my first s/s for some time in August, over half my miles have been gear-less and since "winter" officially began on 1 October 3/4 of 1328 miles have been. The 50 quid, 20 y.o. Lotus XC has happily knocked up almost 1500 miles.

I have no particular wish to use any of the 4 27 speeders sitting in the garage.
Let right or wrong alone decide
God was never on your side.

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #43 on: 09 December, 2010, 10:31:24 am »
32x16 on a 29er might be a bit tall. I'm running 32x20 which is fine for Cannock and some south Derbyshire bridleways. A bit high for mid-Wales though.  :facepalm:

It was, now happier on 32x18 although I spin out on the road

Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #44 on: 11 December, 2010, 09:35:29 am »
I haven't been on singlespeed since I was a school boy, many many many years ago, I do most of my riding fixed, the geared bike only comes out on summer Sundays, it got put away about a month ago and wont get used till spring, everything gets done fixed over the winter.

Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #45 on: 11 December, 2010, 02:02:49 pm »
My old butchered single speed Commuting Cannondale was fixed for several years but a job change resulted in a biggish off road hill on the way home, I found that a bit of a struggle so single speed for me  :smug:

As a Newbie how does one post pictures?

Cheers

Richard

itsbruce

  • Lavender Bike Menace
Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #46 on: 11 December, 2010, 02:32:58 pm »

As a Newbie how does one post pictures?


Newbies have to stand on one leg and sing "Jerusalem" backwards while drinking a yard of ale.  The rest of us upload images to sites like Flickr or Photobucket and then put the url into an [img] tag.
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked: Allen Ginsberg
The best minds of my generation are thinking about how to make people click ads: Jeff Hammerbacher

itsbruce

  • Lavender Bike Menace
Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #47 on: 12 December, 2010, 09:03:55 pm »
They're reshowing Sherlock at the moment.  This time round, I notice that once of the murders rides a Singlespeed bike, not a fixie.  So that's all right then; always knew single-speeders were untrustworthy.
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked: Allen Ginsberg
The best minds of my generation are thinking about how to make people click ads: Jeff Hammerbacher

Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #48 on: 12 December, 2010, 09:07:44 pm »
Came off my Giant Bowery in the ice this week.............bike OK  :thumbsup:

stanley222

Re: The Singlespeed Freewheel Thread
« Reply #49 on: 05 May, 2011, 08:10:58 pm »
Hi all

I am considering buying a singlespeed to use for commuting. It's 7.5 miles each way, not flat but also not terribly hilly, more rolling slopes with a couple of short steep hills but also a couple of decent fast straights.
I am looking at getting the On-One Pompino which comes with a 49 tooth front sprocket and a 18 tooth rear.
Is this ok?
It's been suggested to me that this would probably 'spin-out' at around 15 miles per hour and although I would like to go a little faster on the straights I'm also mindful that I need to make it up any hills!!!
Do any of you have any recommendations please?

Thanks in advance ;)