Phillip Barron
The Herald-Sun
August 10, 2004 12:10 pm
DURHAM — When I was a kid, riding a bicycle with multiple gears was something for adults. My blue banana-seat cruiser had only one gear at the rear wheel. I admired my dad and the older neighborhood kids who could change gears, go faster and ride greater distances. I dreamed about the day when I’d share that privilege. My first 10-speed didn’t just make it easier to climb hills, it confirmed my maturity.
Today, the term “10-speed” sounds dated. Bicycle manufacturers cram gears onto bikes allowing riders to select from as many as 30 speeds. Even contemporary kids’ bikes frequently come equipped with a rear dérailleur and at least three speed options. So, why in this age of innovation are some people going back to just one gear?
Single-speed bicycling is a counter-culture movement within the bicycling community aimed at rediscovering what bicycling is all about: the simple elements of human-powered transportation. It’s a movement that says to the manufacturing world, “just because you can offer it doesn’t mean we need it (or even want it!).”
To a single-speed biker, using only one gear gets you closer to the bike. Pedaling is a more raw, more tiring experience. You really get to know the road (trail, if you’re off-road) that you’re on. You’re more sensitive to even the most subtle incline. You think twice before heading out on a ride where you don’t know the terrain. But, if you’re like most single-speeders, you’re up for the challenge.
In the forums of www.trianglemtb.com, you’ll find a small but growing band of folks who ride their single-speed mountain bikes on all the same trails that their friends with 21, 24 and 27 speeds ride.
The most interesting are the fixed-gear folks. A fixed-gear setup is a single-speed bike where the pedals move in fixed proportion to the rear wheel — backwards and forwards. There is no freewheel, there is no coasting. If the rear wheel is moving, so is the pedal. If the pedals speed up, slow or stop, so does the rear wheel. If you ride a fixed-gear bike, your feet are constantly moving. I know a few of these purists, and they are some of the most physically and spiritually self-aware bicyclists I know.
Cannondale and other bike manufacturers have begun marketing single-speed bikes, but most riders who try the single-speed lifestyle simply convert their own gear-laden bikes. If you’re interested in learning more about single-speed biking, come to REI in Durham at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. REI’s bike specialists are hosting a workshop on how to convert your current bike and rediscover the elements of pedaling. Registration for the workshop is required since seats are limited. Contact Heather Phillips at (919) 806-3442 or hphilli@rei.com to register.
