Single or multi-speed(7-speed)

M

Member 28982

Guest
You need lower and higher gears. Why would you invest in a bike with a single speed. That means.... You have less free motion on your legs... And one brake that can road rash your back wheel unevenly.
Explain why you invest when a single speed is a failure.
 
Not all single speeds are set up as coasterbrakes. My friction drive is a single speed that I've geared the pedal sprockets as an assist when my engine bogs below 9 mph on hills. And I have two caliper rim-brakes.

If you're 'roadrashing' ( what does this mean..? ) your rear wheel, you're not applying your coasterbrake with any finesse. Jamming on your brakes either with your hands or legs is not a great way to stop your bike.

I have an uncluttered handlebar and don't have any concerns about doing maintenance on a derailleur system. Simple and basic, like any fixie bike.
 
single speed bikes usually have poor brakes and wheel bearings because they weren't designed to go fast
 
Road rash... When braking... Skid marks... I remember when I was a kid and I had a bicycle that if you pedal backwards was the brake and you can put uneven spots on your tires..
 
Also, with multi-speed it's a lot easier when you start pedaling to start your motor or if you need to stop and go and then when you are at Full Throttle you can change the gears to assist your engine and that's when I reach speeds of 40+mph vs 28 - 32mph.
And also, say your engine breaks down and you have to Pedal it home, multi speed make it a whole lot easier. LoL...
And this opens up a whole other question on your friction drive bicycle, your engine breaks down, how do you pedal it with that friction drive wheel, do you just remove the belt when your motor isn't running.?
 
i think they get them for the looks, as a single speeds are usually cruiser bikes, they tend to have sturdier frames than multi speed bikes ( ie huffy cranbroke vs any other Walmart bike, the huffy will flex less) there generally more comfy to ride (comfy seats, lad back geometry, simplicity of a coaster brake). BUT i would never go 30+ with a bike that has coaster brakes, thats just plain stupid.
 
You don't have to choose one or the other. My huffy cranbrook is 7 speed with front and rear rim brakes, mountain bike wheels and handlebars. You can have the best of both worlds :p.
 
God invented V brakes. Simple to adjust and work like they should. I've had center pull which stop well but are a pain to adjust. Cantilever just plain sucks, hard to adjust and don't stop well at all like a V brake.
 
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