Anti Single Speeders

[Dms1818]

I was talking to a couple of roadies next to me at an early A.M. spin class today. No big deal that they're roadies, we're all bikers. I mentioned that I ride road and Single Speed MTB. They said " Actually we're anti single speed". I wasn't mad at 'em, I didn't even ask why they were anti single speed. We just talked more about biking, and they asked questions like "Isn't it hard climbing without gears"? I said "No". "How do you maintain cadence"? I said "I don't". Then we all rocked through the 1 hour class. I was impressed though that these two 20 year old road bikers were able to keep up with a 53 year old single speeder.

[Nrs1Rider]

Spin class is just like single speeding. 120 rpm spin like crazy to a leg burning 60 rpm.

[PoisonDartFrog]

LOL@ "how do you keep cadence?"

[mack_turtle]

we are a persecuted minority. stay strong.

[hoolie]

At least they won't be in my way out there on the trail. The less people the better.

[Stockli Boy]

Pedaling more than once per second is showing off.

[henrymiller1]

My older brother is Anti-SS. She say's," if a 3x10 is available, why not use the gears. It's goes against progress."

[wjphillips]

Well, I'm anti-stupidity and those guys were anti-intelligent.

[Got-Bike!!]

I've always considered myself "shifting impared". It's like a birth defect!!

[p08757]

If they were so anti-single speed, why were they on single-speed/fixi spin bike? I take it that they have not tried riding a SS bike in the 1st place.

Since I've been riding SS I find that I attack hills differently on my geared bike now. Now with hills on my geared bike, I generally click it into a higher gear, stand up, and attack vs dropping into a lower gear and spin like crazy up the hill. You know what? I make it up the hill faster!

Give those youngsters a few more years of experience, and they may see the light.

[tangaroo]

Who the hell is "anti-single speed"? I don't road bike anymore but I'm not anti-roadie. Sounds like a bunch of idiots to me. Ridiculous... I can guarantee they have never been on a SS mountain bike.

If it were me, I would have asked them why. I would love to hear their reasoning...

[goldenaustin]

LOL@ "how do you keep cadence?"

What is cadence? Haha.

I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt that the term "anti" was out of context. I think what was meant was that it wasn't for them or their goals, but not necessarily, "eh, you're a lowly idiotic SSer, pshhh".

[SS Hack]

I think this was just God's way of telling you to the stay the heck out of dirty gyms and get back on the old SS out in the woods where mountain bikers belong!

[newfangled]

They said " Actually we're anti single speed". I wasn't mad at 'em, I didn't even ask why they were anti single speed.

Just a thought, but maybe they're actually anti-fixie, and didn't realize that that's different from ss? I don't know why singlespeed would inspire hatred in people, but I could see people proudly identifying themselves as anti-fixie.

[Saul Lumikko]

My older brother is Anti-SS. She say's," if a 3x10 is available, why not use the gears. It's goes against progress."

Brother or sister?

Anyways, if a motor is available, why not use it? Riding a bicycle goes against progress.

Just a thought, but maybe they're actually anti-fixie, and didn't realize that that's different from ss? I don't know why singlespeed would inspire hatred in people, but I could see people proudly identifying themselves as anti-fixie.

Believe me: for the very same reason any kind/brand/color of bike could inspire hatred. And that reason has nothing to do with the bike, but everything to do with the hater.

[PoisonDartFrog]

Saul, if that is you in your avatar, that is one glorious beard, bro. If not, well, it's still glorious.

[RyeRey521]

I have had this convresation with a number of people and it seemed to always come down to the stigma attached to fixies and bike messengers and what have you. Outsiders look at it as some sort of fad, and that the people doing it are just looking for attention and/or not competent riders. I have proven many of these folk wrong and give them a better appreciation of my bike, me and others who choose to do the same.

Let it be known I am "for" anyone on a bike and all to their own. For my situation, my skills, and yea sure, maybe my style, a single speed 29er mountain bike is my weapon of choice.....

[PoisonDartFrog]

I think a lot of folks have the philosophy that biking is all about maximizing speed and efficiency. And some aspects of the sport are about those things. So when is comes to SS, it just doesn't compute to those folks why you would intentionally limit your speed and efficiency in some (lol, most?) circumstances.

In my experience, the guys who are most focused on things like racing, cadence, speed, efficiency, weight, etc. are the ones least interested in SS. Goofing off and just having fun on a bike with no thought to total elapsed times or calories burned just doesn't compute to them. For the same reason, these are the folks to which all the high-tech components have the most appeal.

Then you have some folks who enjoy both.

[Sparticus]

Singlespeeds are like abortions.

It's simple. Against abortion? Don't have one.

=S

[Sandrenseren]

Could it be that "we are anti single speed" was just a humorous way to say that they ride with gears? "Oh, you like things ultra simple with one one gear, I like my bike with plenty of gear, so I'm sort of anti you"..

My nephew once told my that my hair style was anti mohawk, I have a male bald pattern so where mohawks have a lot of hair on the top and are cleanly shaven in the sides and back I'm pretty much the exact opposite.

What I'm asking is, could you have misunderstood their sense of humor in a sense that they weren't making a negative remark on single speeding in general, only stating that they were kind of the opposite of a single speeder with their bikes with plenty of gears?

[SS Hack]

Singlespeeds are like abortions.

It's simple. Against abortion? Don't have one.

=S

Good advise, but America of late is all about forcing people to believe what you believe.

[Dms1818]

They were'nt negative at all. They were a couple of good guys and we had a good conversation about biking. Just a couple of youngsters that didn't understand SS because they never did it. I've been biking my whole life and when I stumbled across this forum years ago my first thought was Single Speed? WTF? How do you climb a hill? They probably won't be "Anti" after they try it.

[Natedogz]

Who the hell is "anti-single speed"? I don't road bike anymore but I'm not anti-roadie. Sounds like a bunch of idiots to me. Ridiculous... I can guarantee they have never been on a SS mountain bike.

If it were me, I would have asked them why. I would love to hear their reasoning...

Me too, I always ask why when stoopid statements like the anti SS guys made. I've let many people try my SS 29er and they are all at least a little bit smiling when we trade bikes back. lol

[Saul Lumikko]

I think a lot of folks have the philosophy that biking is all about maximizing speed and efficiency. And some aspects of the sport are about those things. So when is comes to SS, it just doesn't compute to those folks why you would intentionally limit your speed and efficiency in some (lol, most?) circumstances.

In my experience, the guys who are most focused on things like racing, cadence, speed, efficiency, weight, etc. are the ones least interested in SS.

Should be noted there are plenty of serious riders who train certain aspects of cycling with SS or fixies, and fixies are all you see at a velodrome. Anyone who's serious about being a good cyclist will at some point consider what SS or a fixed bicycle could offer. Might not stick with everyone, but ignorance of single speeds is something that tells me the cyclist is probably not a very successful one.

(Yes it's me in my avatar, thanks!)

[NEPMTBA]

Funny most of the time I get "Dude how do you ride that singlespeed? Having no gears is insane"...

...They never notice it's RIGID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm just not a shifty or suspended person
LOL