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Hello, Im an avid mountain racer and Im new to the forum here. I hope someone else hasent posted this discussion recently but, how is it that someone on a single speed can ride so fast? I know there are variables like rider strenght, skill, and course layout. So the question is… Is there a mechanical advantage to having a mon cog? Lets say that the geared counter part weighs the same just to make this less complicated… any words of wisdome?
Thanks,
Nelson -
Welcome!
I wish I had a way to explain this myself. From my experiences with SS and geared I think I am faster because you have to keep a faster cadence to keep it easier. If you slow your speed down on an uphill you really have to grind and push and in my case… walk. But if you keep a higher speed the hills just fly by. It’s weird but I go uphill faster on my SS for that reason!
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I could only put in a my few cents here. But it’s not that they are faster. But a single speed rider learns to keep up momentum for the very reason that if he slows too much on a climb, he is walking. So if anything riding a single speed bike forces you to pay more attention to the trail and anticipate what is coming. Riding a single speed really makes you a better rider…Saying that. Do I own one no. But sometimes I ride like a single speed, keeping the bike in one gear only and managing my energy and cadence.
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I think both Funrover and element are on the right track here. I was going to post a big complicated reply but here’s the jist of my theory:
On the climbs, a singlespeed rider will often be faster while on the flats he’s slower. After all, a singlespeed is basically just an average of the gears on a geared bike. Throw in lost efficiency in shifting between gears and the singlespeed rider comes out ahead slightly.
Also, don’t forget that singlespeed riders are self-selecting: if you aren’t a fast rider, you probably won’t buy a singlespeed bike.
The real test: switch bikes with your buddy and see who is faster then 😀
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You all forgot that singlespeed is more fun! Who doesn’t ride faster when they’re having fun!
Seriously, I’m an average rider, not terribly fast OR strong, and when I race I race my geared bike. My singlespeed is my preferred training bike though for the reason that it forces me to read the trail much more aggressively and anticipate needing to push the cadence to make uphill travel easier. Both of my bikes are 29ers and the singlespeed is set up with a rigid fork, rather than suspension making it ultra light and easier to throw around on climbs. Of course on technical descents I’m at a disadvantage but the local trails are pretty tame so they are mostly just fitness training.
I don’t know if it’s made me "faster" but I love the nimble handling and it has done wonders for high cadence pedal stroke mastery as well. Did I mention how much fun it is, too?
~Uma
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Does a single speed bike coast? Is it fixed? I ride unicycles which of course are fixed, so pedaling downhill is not fast as it is on a bike that coasts.
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Good insight… I guess I was wishing for you guys to tell me they were magic and when I build one Im going to instantly become faster haha. But I really am thinking about building one up for training…
BTW They can be fixed or free… but most comonly free on mountain rides…
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"nelsoncycles" wrote
Good insight… I guess I was wishing for you guys to tell me they were magic and when I build one Im going to instantly become faster haha. But I really am thinking about building one up for training…
BTW They can be fixed or free… but most comonly free on mountain rides…
LOL… Sorry no magic, but you learn to follow the lay of the land. It’s amazing how much more efficient you become on all your geared bikes after running SS
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"nelsoncycles" wrote
BTW They can be fixed or free… but most comonly free on mountain rides…
Fixed gear mountain biking is pretty far out there, only lunatics should attempt. 😀
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SS story for ya.
A friend of mine was at my house for a week or so last year. He is super fast to start with. He had no bike with him, so he borrowed my SS.
He went over to FATS and rode the 4 old loops. He’s done this many times on his geared bikes. This was the first time he’d even ridden a SS (all day long) and the first time on this particular bike.
He went over and rode the 26 miles 10 minutes faster than his personal best on any of his own bikes (all with gears).
Go figure.
I often find myself asking the SSer behind if he wants by on the climb….because he has no gear to shift down to and sit and spin. He must power up the hill and this is usually done at a faster pace than those who can shift, sit and spin.
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I find SS to be a disese also. I had a trek SS hardtail. really enjoyed it, but I took that apart to build my FS SS Schwinn. Now I am thinking about building a Specialized Rigid SS (and keeping the FS SS). They really are that fun! I am turning the Trek into a ski bike or I would have made that an SS again!
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Just one more SS story.
My first mtn bike was a full suspension Giant Anthem. I rode the snot out of it. After about 1.5yrs of riding I converted it to SS using a Yess chain tensioner designed for full suspension bikes. The bike dropped like 3lbs. I rode it for a while, but eventually put the gears back on…but I wanted a dedicated SS bike.
Fast forward another year, and I just finished building up my new bike, a rigid 29er SS. My Anthem (26" wheels, XT drivetrain, aluminum frame) weighs in right at 30lbs. The 29er SS (steel frame, carbon fork) came in at 22.8lbs 😮 The lack of weight makes a HUGE difference on the trail.
Also, the drivetrain is SO much smoother. The derailleur causes a lot of drag on the drivetrain, even the chain tensioner I used on the Anthem caused a good bit of drag.
The lighter weight, smoother drivetrain, and lack of suspension means the my new bike absolutely flies on the climbs.
I haven’t ridden my Anthem since I built up the SS.
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Fixed MTB can be a blast. You will learn to think a lot more about pedal strikes, and pick more efficient lines so you don’t have to stop pedaling so much. I sold my MTB before last season, but when the itch to ride some dirt came, I did it all on my SS cyclocross. Most the time set up fixed. . . It was fun, but I did buy a new MTB for this season.
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