Is Single Speed Good For Commute And Long Distance?



Keyan

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Jul 7, 2015
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Anyone tried using single speed both for their daily commute as well as on their long distance ride? I am short of budget now and I am thinking of maximizing the use of whatever resource I have. Will a single speed last if I will use it for all my commute and long distance ride?
 
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The question isn't if you SS will last, it's if YOU can last on your SS!
A bike will last as long as you maintaining it, SS's are more durable because they have less moving parts.
 
It depends on you're strength really, because it's you who is riding the bike and maintaining it while riding it. :D
 
To be honest with you, I use to ride single speeds all the time as a kid. I took it into the mountains, off roading, and into the streets. It never made a difference to me because I didn't let it bother me as to the type of bike I had. The bike lasted me for years.

As you get older your taste changes and you start to notice the differences in the types of bikes you have. But if you block it out and not worry about it, you'll get to your destination. Having a single speed just limits your ability to hit inclines at the pace that you want, and with less effort.
 
A well-maintained single speed can absolutely get the job done for commuting and long-distance rides. Of course, a bunch of hills along the commute will make a single speed less desirable compared to something with gears. I love the simplicity of single speed bikes, and there's nothing wrong with using them for distance. Heck, they're slightly easier to maintain since you've got less to worry about. Maintenance is one of the single most important things about making a bike last, though, regardless of what it's designed for and what you use it for.
 
gavinfree said:
A well-maintained single speed can absolutely get the job done for commuting and long-distance rides. Of course, a bunch of hills along the commute will make a single speed less desirable compared to something with gears. I love the simplicity of single speed bikes, and there's nothing wrong with using them for distance. Heck, they're slightly easier to maintain since you've got less to worry about. Maintenance is one of the single most important things about making a bike last, though, regardless of what it's designed for and what you use it for.
Completely agree with this. If there are a lot of hills on the way to where you are going, then I do not suggest a single speed, but otherwise, it should be good.
 
I'm using my ss everyday on the road and it helps me to save a lot on my budget.
Just do a daily check on parts for safety purposes and to help it last longer.
And if you have some extra cash upgrade some parts for smooth ride and comfortable use.
Yes you can use it for long distance ride, it depends on you if your willing to have a long ride.
Have fun and ride safely. Jsut enjoy the ride.
 
If there are a lot of steep uphills on your route, the singlespeed is going to get old really quick.
Otherwise, it'll be fine, I tend to use a maximum of 3 gears in this mountain city.
 
The advantage of using a fixie is that you get the lightness. The only downside is that going up hills is a pain and same for going down hills. If you have a flat commute, then a fixed gear would actually be perfect for you. Also if anything is stolen, parts are relatively cheap compared to road bikes. Just don't skid a lot, or you have to change the tires a lot.
 
Im glad to hav read all these post because i recently bought a single speed bike myself! From my experience up hills can be tough workout!
 
A Single Speed Bike is okay if your commute is flat and straight. If you will be battling hills along the way, then you better prepare your strength as it's going to be a difficult one. So in reality, you can settle for a SS bike as long as you don't really encounter hills along your way. You can also just gear it correctly for your type of riding. The downside is that you can gear it for downhill but then your commute might have flats or downhill roads. Good luck!
 
Commuted for years on a Fuji Del-Rey fg conversion. 48x15 gearing. Frt and rr dual pivot calipers. Also, a seat post rack/trunk bag set-up.

Would use my geared bike on Mondays to take one week's worth of work clothes, food, etc. Tuesday-Friday I'd ride fixed and bring my soiled work clothes and food containers in the trunk bag.

There was a substantial climb on the homeward leg as the elevation went from 550 to 1125 ft. The hill was at least a 18% gradient. I just did switchbacks. Always took a while, but was a good workout. 42 miles rt. The terrain home was gradual rollers except for the one climb. Always took about 15-20 minutes more to get home.
 
Nah is somewhat inefficient compated to a multivelo. Is your raw strenght against the wind and the endurance of the road. You must be so eager to put your legs into that kind of strain to go with a one singled speed in such a large distance trip.
 
I think it really depends if you are cycling on flat ground or on hilly terrain. Even if the terrain isn't completely flat with enough momentum you should be able to get over most inclines.
 
Honestly, I find the single speed the most conventional for a leisure rider like me and I believe that a racer bike or even a mountain bike with gears are only for professionals However, when I had sampled riding a mountain bike, it caught my fancy not because of the gear but because of the thick tires. To me, that's the difference between a biker and a cyclist - bikers are for single speed and easy riding while cyclists are more for serious riding and racing. Just my thoughts.
 
Remember that single speed bikes were the first to be manufactured and were commonly used for both long and short distance travelling. As long as you get used to riding them, you can always travel to wherever you want to travel to. I have a neighbor who bought a single speed bike in 1978 and he still rides it. You'll only need to take care of the brakes and the tires.
 
Anyone tried using single speed both for their daily commute as well as on their long distance ride? I am short of budget now and I am thinking of maximizing the use of whatever resource I have. Will a single speed last if I will use it for all my commute and long distance ride?

If you consider 32 miles a day long distance then yes. Believe it or not, I rode my bike 16 miles to my job which was in another city, and 16 miles back home. It took me 1.3 hours and I enjoyed it every single day.

It is very tiresome, but I had no problems getting to work and back home. I would've drove, but I did not have a car, and as this was the only job at the time that would hire me, I figured that I wouldn't have a problem making the trip on a daily basis as it was not the first job that I had where I needed to travel far distances.

Yes the money was worth it, and I use a single speed bike to do my daily essentials, like going to the gas stations or super centers for shopping, but not heavily, just what I know I can manage to carry home.
 
I wouldn't use a single speed for a commute or a long distance ride, but it can be done. Single speeds used to be the only option, so people did it.
 
I would not say that it is good for long distances, but like @Jcycle said, it can be done. I guess if that is all that you can find then you have to go with what you have, but these days the better bikes are not really that much more expensive and you can find a good multi speed bike for pretty cheap. I would stick to the shorter distances and easier rides for the single speed.