# Anyone commute on a single speed?



## AidanKeats (Jan 8, 2011)

I am building an old steel road bike like 25 years old and I'm making it a single speed/fixie (flip flop) and was wondering if anyone else commutes with older road bikes that are single speeds. 



P.S. My topeak mtx DXP came in the mail today. its awesome.


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## seeborough (Feb 3, 2004)

I ride a single speed when it's just me going short, flat and in calm conditions. As soon as I carry junior, take the hilly route or anticipate a windy ride, it's back to the geared bike.


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## axlenut (Sep 28, 2010)

Hi, my commute is short (4.5 miles) but I have to ride on rough brick roads to get out of traffic so I use an older hard tail MTB bike converted to SS. Have 2.1 semi slick tires on it and estimate the bike has over 30,000 miles on it.

Makes a great comfortable commuter.

Later, Axlenut


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

I commute on fixed-gear bikes, both of them built around old road frames. I enjoy riding fixed, and I really appreciate the simplicity and low maintenence.

My commute is pretty flat. Terrain is obviously a factor.

My "lightweight" fixie is a Rampar, probably from the late 70's, that I got for five bucks at a garage sale. My rain commuter/errand bike is an Atala city bike, probably from the late 60's, that belonged to the father of a friend of mine. I rescued it when he was about to throw it out, and added drop bars, fenders, rack.

Converted old steel bikes have character.


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## ronderman (May 17, 2010)

Yea, for two years I took my old steal Landshark and put a singulater on it - worked great. Then it had served its days and got a cannondale major taylor and rode that. My commute was about 5 miles each way, with 4 of it on a rails to trails path and then flat city riding in DC. It was slight downhill on the way there and slight uphill on the way back. I could get a workout in going back just enough to get the workout but not going so fast as to be a jerk on the path. I don't really care for people who use a path as their training grounds. 

Anyway, loved it.


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## BianchiJoe (Jul 22, 2005)

Mine isn't old, but it's definitely singlespeed. A great commuter - I wouldn't ride anything else!


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## PdxMark (Feb 3, 2004)

I did a 4 mile commute fixed gear for years. It's a great way to go. I switched to a geared bike for my now 14 mile commute.

The ideas of flip flop hubs is nice, but I think most people tend toward fixed or SS... I'd go fixed, unless it's a long commute. As the late Sheldon Brown said, "coasting is a pernicious habit."


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## carlotta (Jan 12, 2008)

I ride my singlespeed 1-2x per week for my 11mi commute. I enjoy the ride, but it's an old converted road frame and I miss the rack/pannier setup on my geared commuter. I commuted fixed when I had a flat 3mi commute, and I'd like to switch it back to fixed, but there's a large, long, steep hill at the home end of my commute and (at least for now) there's no gearing that really works.


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## Len J (Jan 28, 2004)

My 19 mile one way commute is relativly flat....I'll do it fixed about half the time.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

We're moving back to Oahu next year. I have a new Soma Smoothie still in the box from 2006 that will be a single speed just to mix things up a little on my commute. My expected commute will be around 15 miles each way with a few small hills. I rarely shifted my geared bike when I did the route 2004-2007.


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## KWL (Jan 31, 2005)

Fixed when I feel like it. Another DC mostly flat commute. A 2004 Steamroller. Is that older?


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## blakcloud (Apr 13, 2006)

For the last three or four years, I have been commuting on a single speed every day including winter. I don't own any geared bikes, just single speeds. Toronto is pretty flat, so it works out fine. The beauty is on a convertd bike, if you dislike it you can always convert back.


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## commutenow (Sep 26, 2004)

Me too ss and thats all I ride for everything.


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## CleavesF (Dec 31, 2007)

I used to do my 13 miler one way on my fixed... that idea lasted about 2 weeks. 

Then after 2 weeks I rode my singlespeed. That one lasted about 1 week. 

I since converted my singlespeed to a pure 1x9 spd SLX. Much easier up those ridiculous hills with all my clothing to change in for the day.


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## majura (Apr 21, 2007)

I used to. If I could justify it, I would still have it, but ever since I started running more errands on the bike, having a flat bar hybrid with a nexus hub makes sense, especially since we live on a hill.

But for simple commutes where I'd only need to carry a few items, I'd happily use an SS.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*fixed*

Fixed mostly for about 5 years. In fact, here it is in my office right now...


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

I tried it for a few months several days a week, but it was not kind to my knees. My commute route is pretty hilly, and I just didn't have time to warm up properly before hitting the hills. I started having knee pains fairly soon and stupidly didn't put two-and-two together. Once I figured out what was going on, I put the derailleur and gears back on my bike and knee problems gradually went away.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

tarwheel2 said:


> I tried it for a few months several days a week, but it was not kind to my knees. My commute route is pretty hilly, and I just didn't have time to warm up properly before hitting the hills. I started having knee pains fairly soon and stupidly didn't put two-and-two together. Once I figured out what was going on, I put the derailleur and gears back on my bike and knee problems gradually went away.


As my late father, a child of Italian immigrants, used to say to me (occasionally; not too often ;-), "You smart-a boy."

Use the right tool.

The biggest hills on my commute are about 30 feet of elevation, going over a flood levee and up a ramp to a bridge. So FG is perfect.


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## skizzle86 (Apr 15, 2010)

I have a 28 mile round trip commute once a week with 134' elevation gain and I ride SS.


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