MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
What are those bikes that don't coast called? Why would someone want one?
The Biking Thread
- Thread starter cory
- Start date
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bonner1040
Nick from Ohio
That Salsa Fat Tire is saweet! Hold that thing up off the ground and just turn the handle bars...smooth.
It is awesome! I'm running ten pounds in rear and eight front. Rolls over about anything and smoooth. The tires are 4" wide, so beach cruising is easy. Jay I plan on an internal three speed when funds support it. Maybe even belt drive. Shhhh!
No_Bivy
Treehouser
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2006
- Messages
- 6,457
Wheat is the cog sizes in front. Looks awesome. Surly wheels, do they make frame to? I see salsa label but I know surley made it for past few years .
What is the tire size?
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Can a nergo get an answer?
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #82
those are single speed bikes, they are a bit of the rage for some folks these days. Some of them, when you coast, the pedals don't go around unless you are pedaling them, like a regular bike. Others go around constantly as long as the bike is moving. And some of those have no brakes at all, for single speed purists. Your legs countering the pedals are the only brakes. Some folks say that is dangerous and dumb to have no brakes, other folks say it is part of the whole single speed experience, to have only your legs for brakes. Some single speeds have a belt instead of a chain which makes them crazy smooth and quiet.
Ive never tried a SS but I'd love to
Ive never tried a SS but I'd love to
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
I remember as a kid, the only way to stop my bike was the pedals.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #86
Well that was by pedaling backwards a lil to activate the foot brake. A SS's pedals only go forward as the bike is going forward, they don't go backwards, there is no foot brake in the rear hub to be engaged like on your bike as a kid.
You gotta muscle the forward momentum of the bike by resisting the pedals, if you want to slow a SS down.
You gotta muscle the forward momentum of the bike by resisting the pedals, if you want to slow a SS down.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
I missed Cory's post, but similar... MB, non coasting bikes are sometime called single speeds, but without a freewheel. A freewheel on the rear hub is what lets you coast. A track bike can't coast. As to why people ride them, I mean not on the track, I know it doesn't seem very logical, but there is something very pure about it, for lack of a better description. Riding takes a different form, plus you get the advantage of a lot more exercise, it ups the self reliance bit, when you have to be constant pedaling. It is maybe an evolution in riding style. I went from lots of gears to fewer to one pretty much now, riding mostly on fairly flat terrain. A freewheel for general riding, but for countryside riding where you have few stops and starts, without the ability to coast is pretty cool too. No freewheel in traffic borders on dangerous, it can take longer to stop. Got to be in at least reasonable shape to ride well on a single speed, too much pedaling and low speed, a low gear isn't practical, especially a no coasting one.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
So, do you ride that type of bike?
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
I have a track bike, yeah. Me like! You don't need much tread on track tires, get some good handmade ones where the tube is integral with the outer casing, called sew ups, and the ride is very calm and sweet on the smooth surface. Well sort of, high pressure narrow makes for hardness. No rolling effect like on regular tires where the tire moves independent of the tube, so very positive maneuvering. You glue the suckers on, or double sided tape between the tire and rim. The rim has no hook to hold the tire on. Lose a tire and you go down. It's not very technical, besides repairing flats where you have to sew them back together again. 
Most people toss them, but a good tire can run over a hundred bucks. There are great tires out there now, sew ups aren't so needed like in the old days.
Most people toss them, but a good tire can run over a hundred bucks. There are great tires out there now, sew ups aren't so needed like in the old days.Attachments
PCTREE
Treehouser
Years ago I was riding the Ghent Ieper classic in Belgium and got a front flat. The team car gave me a wheel change and I was stocked to see it was I believe a vitoria CX sew up which are much less prone to pinch puncturing than the clinchers that I had. Later on in the race I went into a tight corner balls to the wall and then I just hit the deck hard as crap. Turned out the tube had been glued on years ago and the glue was all dried up. Never was that excited to get tubs after that...
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Paul, never had a tub fly off, but I've seen ones with old glue that pull off with barely any effort. Makes you think, "Whoa". Ever used the tape made for that purpose? Works well, but getting the old tape off the rim can be a lot of work. solvent barely bites it. Probably there is some trick that the pros use. If you are making a million dollars a year like some of the keirin riders, you could pay to have somebody do it. Heck of a gambling sport. Some beautiful tracks and rowdy crowds, people upset loosing money often let the riders know. Here it is considered a lower class form of gambling, more refined types bet on the ponies. Sort of a bad image due to previous year's organized crime involvement. Elite riders are animals. Beautiful handmade bikes in great running order, the track is cool.
Attachments
FJR
Treehouser
Sweet bike Paul. How do you like the lefty? I have one on my Cannondale Jekyll and I am big fan.Bud that bike is awesome
Heres mine, Seven Duolux. Sweet trail bike, I picked it up used for a steel. Think they are $8k new
View attachment 57117
PCTREE
Treehouser
I love the lefty, so smooth and lots of travel. Only small issue Ive had is bearing migration but an easy fix.
Jay I was no fan of the track, never got comfortable out there. Sure I told you before but I was made to be "canon fodder" in an apres-Tour event and had to ride the American. Of my god that was freakin terrifying, ended up crashing right in front of Gregg Lemond and almost took him down.....
Jay I was no fan of the track, never got comfortable out there. Sure I told you before but I was made to be "canon fodder" in an apres-Tour event and had to ride the American. Of my god that was freakin terrifying, ended up crashing right in front of Gregg Lemond and almost took him down.....
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
I hear you, Paul. Even with the pros, nasty crashes are common with the close quarter hells bells riding.. They have monitors watching all around the track, but stuff goes on. Have a friend that has been a pro racer for years. He made a good living, but has slipped down to the lowest rank, may have retired. You can't contact them from the previous day until their race is over, turn in their phones and they stay pretty much locked off from the public to keep race fixing out of it. Not a life for everyone, constant training and traveling around the country, but the money is there. I used to ride with him at our local for training. staying up gives a good feeling, but mostly they're gone. The New Year's big race for the top riders of the past season, winner takes home a cool million.
SimplyArbor
TreeHouser
Adding to this... picking up my 'new' mountain bike tomorrow. 2014 Kona Explosif, 27.5" tires, single speed shred monster. It's all dialed by the original owner, should be a blast! Need a new outlet from work, some simple biking shall do the trick.
sawinredneck
Treehouser
They call them "fixies" now days, for fixed gear. It's all the rage with the stupid hipster culture now days. I don't get it either, Butch! I wouldn't and still wont roll a bike without brakes on the street.
I've been hanging out with crazy Jeff, Riverrat, too much lately, he's been a bad influence on me! He LIVES on his bikes, boy is nuts! But he and I've been doing a lot of fishing and parking is sparse along the river in Wichita, and I need to do something to keep my fat ass moving now and again. So I started looking at bikes again. I wanted a recumbent, but the prices are crazy high.
Well Jeff and I got to talking more and we talked about the hybrid/comfort bikes. I finally found, then snagged on off of Craigslist. http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/lifestyle/1268/29329/ This was the only year this bike was made with disc brakes, Tektro's, but disc brakes.
I paid a bit more than I wanted to, but thought I did alright. Well, I didn't ride it before I bought it, I know, I know! But it was raining and I felt like crap with the front coming in..... Go it home and went to clean it up, well the zip tie was to make the front dreailer work and the left crank arm was bent, bent bad! Grrrrrrr!
Bike shop hooked me up, new cable, installed, new crank arm, installed and he tested and adjusted everything out while he had it in the air, charged me $40!!! Can't bitch about that! Then I bought a back rack and a basket for it. Even made it's maiden voyage to the convenience and liquor stores today! Rides nice and the upright position is very comfortable!
That damn Salsa is bad ass! Way more bike than I need, and way out of my price range, but bad ass for sure!
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
21 speeds? Dah fuq???
sawinredneck
Treehouser
Actually mine is 24, the later models had an 8 speed cassette on the back wheel. The new, new ones have 10 speed cassette's on them! Then however many chain rings you want on the front, 1-3, so you can have up to 30 speeds now days!
