As the new year starts, some of us find our attention drifting toward the “good old days” – at least as good as we remember them. As some of the old folks I ride with say, “The older I get, the better I was.” One of the latest old-new items regaining popularity is the single-speed bicycle.
“One speed!” you might exclaim, “What hath Lance wrought?” In fact, a single-speed bicycle is the most efficient, reliable form of two wheel transportation. With gasoline consistently over $3.00 a gallon, those of us that live near the flat and friendly roads of the seaside might do well to park our SUV and start cycling to the store on Saturday, rather than fire up the old exhaust emitter – but I have digressed.
The original bicycle was called a Velocipede and it looked like an adult “Big Wheel.” The rider’s feet were tied to the wheel directly, and each rotation of the pedals equaled a turn of the wheel. As riders wanted to increase distances and climb hills, someone came up with the idea of a moving gear to the rear wheel and adding a chain to the front gear, thereby gaining mechanical advantage, allowing the rider to achieve more power. These “new” one-speed bikes are exact duplicates of a model that some of the original racers in the Tour de France rode around the turn of the 20th century.
It wasn’t until recently that multiple gears and a derailleur were added, making climbing and high speeds much easier. Some purists ride what are called “track bikes,” where the pedals are once again tied directly to the rear hub. In the last few years, they have returned to the streets on fixed gear bikes, primarily bike messengers in large metropolises. The latest hotbeds are San Francisco and Seattle, both are bike-friendly towns where “green” is in. It is growing here in the Long Beach / Orange County area as well – you may see them weaving in traffic in Long Beach!
The latest compromise is the single speed “hybrid” that is fixed gear in one iteration, but converts to a one-speed coaster bike with hand brakes. This is a kind of half way point to get into fixed gear with low risk. If you are a mere “mortal,” you can try a very safe version of this bike by getting into an old school beach cruiser. Simplicity itself, these bikes come with one gear and foot brakes – try one out!
On a future note, keep an eye out for our approaching “Kruzer Klassic” which will start at our bike shop, meander around the streets of Old Town Seal Beach and circle back for a bite at a local café around 10 am. It should be a hoot – stay tuned for the date!
“One speed!” you might exclaim, “What hath Lance wrought?” In fact, a single-speed bicycle is the most efficient, reliable form of two wheel transportation. With gasoline consistently over $3.00 a gallon, those of us that live near the flat and friendly roads of the seaside might do well to park our SUV and start cycling to the store on Saturday, rather than fire up the old exhaust emitter – but I have digressed.
The original bicycle was called a Velocipede and it looked like an adult “Big Wheel.” The rider’s feet were tied to the wheel directly, and each rotation of the pedals equaled a turn of the wheel. As riders wanted to increase distances and climb hills, someone came up with the idea of a moving gear to the rear wheel and adding a chain to the front gear, thereby gaining mechanical advantage, allowing the rider to achieve more power. These “new” one-speed bikes are exact duplicates of a model that some of the original racers in the Tour de France rode around the turn of the 20th century.
It wasn’t until recently that multiple gears and a derailleur were added, making climbing and high speeds much easier. Some purists ride what are called “track bikes,” where the pedals are once again tied directly to the rear hub. In the last few years, they have returned to the streets on fixed gear bikes, primarily bike messengers in large metropolises. The latest hotbeds are San Francisco and Seattle, both are bike-friendly towns where “green” is in. It is growing here in the Long Beach / Orange County area as well – you may see them weaving in traffic in Long Beach!
The latest compromise is the single speed “hybrid” that is fixed gear in one iteration, but converts to a one-speed coaster bike with hand brakes. This is a kind of half way point to get into fixed gear with low risk. If you are a mere “mortal,” you can try a very safe version of this bike by getting into an old school beach cruiser. Simplicity itself, these bikes come with one gear and foot brakes – try one out!
On a future note, keep an eye out for our approaching “Kruzer Klassic” which will start at our bike shop, meander around the streets of Old Town Seal Beach and circle back for a bite at a local café around 10 am. It should be a hoot – stay tuned for the date!
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