Girls

Wish I had never started this now...

But thanks Velocityboy and cg5154 and TheBrick for your comments - you have explained my position v eloquently and correctly.

i agree. she doesn't want to get her knickers in a twist or worry her pretty little head about mean boys things

And to answer the original question:

I'm female and fairly girlie. I got my first bike just over a year ago, a decent-quality aluminium geared road bike. Since then I've done about 1300 miles on it, and I'm in the process of buying my first SS/FG flip-flop bike for commuting to work.

My reasons for getting a new SS/FG bike rather than using my old geared one, or buying a cheaper hybrid commuter:
1) Sounds like loads of fun.
2) I've been spoiled by my zippy road bike and can't bring myself to ride anything clunkier.
3) Fewer parts to break and buy. Last August, the rear derailleur on my other bike exploded halfway up a hill in the middle of France. At the time, the bike was only 3 months old, had about 700 miles on it, and had been serviced recently. A new derailleur ended up costing me 90 euros, and it'd probably be even more expensive in London.
4) When my derailleur crapped out, 2 bike mechanics on the trip spent 40 minutes trying to fix it on the spot, failed, so I had to ride single speed on a fairly high gear for 20k over somewhat hilly terrain. It turned out to be strangely liberating... whenever I approached a climb, rather than wussing out and dropping into a lower gear, I was instead forced to power my way up it, and ended up chillin' like a villain at the top of the hill waiting for everyone else to catch up :-)

My thighs muscles are definitely more noticeable now, but not horribly so... I'm still able to get dates, at least! An unforeseen bonus is that I've been told that my calves are more toned (i.e. they have that toned-from-wearing-heels look even when I'm in flats).

I think it's up to you as to how down and dirty you want to get with the nitty-gritty technical details. There's a lot of technical chatter on this forum from the serious enthusiasts, but I don't think that's a prerequisite for riding SS/FG.

Personally, I don't have much bike mechanic experience, so I'm taking the easy way out and having Paul from Kiwi Cycles build one for me. But I believe in being an informed consumer, so I've been obsessively stalking this forum and I've picked up a bit of jargon and theoretical knowledge.

I've been advised that a gearing of 48x18 is a nice gear for riding in London, so I've been riding my geared bike that way in my neighborhood. Haven't had any issues with getting away from lights at speed... at any rate, I can't imagine you'd be slower on a lighter bike than your old commuter!

I haven't had a chance to try Pentonville Rd on this gearing, but I suspect that if I had to do it every day, I'd struggle a bit at first, but improve over time. In fact I almost wish Pentonville Rd lay on my daily commute, it'd be a good way to get fit...

Hope this helps.

tombolaprize - it's far better to have asked and endured than to have never asked at all.

Glad there are some girls on this forum site. Hello to you all!

I want to upgrade my commuter bike to something much lighter, faster and more fun, and think single-speed looks cool.

But:
not sure about all the technical boy-stuff that goes on around it?
does it make you have massive tyranosuarus thighs?
getting away fornm the lights at speed?
going up hills like pentonville road?

I have a lurking suspicion that singlespeed and fixed speed is a fashion thing and a boy thing.

But - I would like to be proved wrong as I liked the feel of a single speed when I tried one last week. I would have ridden off into the sunset, but I had to go home to cook the tea and do the ironing.

The girl-perspective on single-speed would be really useful to me...

I've been riding fixed for over 4 years now..
"technical boy stuff -" there's less to worry about with one gear so not a huge learning curve there... and if putting on the tires is difficult for you, there are folding tires that are much easier.. minimal investment in tools if you want to wrench yourself - and there is always some other rider around who's willing to help out if you really get stuck.

Getting up hills is all about ratio when fixed. If you stick to something in the 70s (48x16 - 48 x 17 etc.,) it won't be too hard and the bike actually helps you so long as its not something monsterous like highgate hill etc.,

Chances are you rarely utilise all of the gears on your bike at the moment and (no offense) unless you're into a disipline that requires them, like mtbing then you likely don't use them incredibly effectively anyways.. (that is not meant to be offensive - its not a girl thing its an observation Ive made about commuters in general - I was one too)

About massive thighs - In the past 4 years even when training for long races my thighs have never grown substancially.. about .5 of an inch when training seriously - which was ok when you consider my butt got a nicer shape and waist went down much more.. I did get heavier but not bigger - but that is just muscle..

Thanks cg - really informative answer.

Just what I needed!!!

Hi Jacqui

thanks for your insight too!

Can I just say that my wife and two daughters are all girls/women and I thouroughly approve of girls/women. I just wish I could get my three (said in a non possessive way, of course) to ride bikes.

I feel your pain, I can't get my fella on a bike for love nor money!

yeah I can understand your concern tombolaprize - it's hard for me not to look at fixed-wheel/single speed cycling from any other point of view than the very blokish geeky tinkerer perspective, who builds his own bikes and knows how everything works and is immensely proud of the fact he has a particular type of crankset, because i'm that kind of person.

But, the real beauty of it is that it's quite simply really, really fun! You definitely don't need to be a bearded anorak to gain pleasure from the past time in this case.

Also, the bikes are simple enough to make most problems easy to solve. And you'll have no shortage of strange people who'll be happy to get covered in grease to fix them.

And to answer the original question:

and ended up chillin' like a villain at the top of the hill waiting for everyone else to catch up :-)

Yeah, chillin like a villain! hadnt heard that in ages. where are you from cg?

I opened a thread titled 'Girls'. Boy was I disappointed ;)

On a more gender correct note. More SS/Fixed riders the better! Whatever the sex. Buy one, and you won't look back!

I feel guilty for being mean. Sorry. I must learn to play nicely with the other girls.

Oh, erm.. you know what I mean

Yeah, chillin like a villain! hadnt heard that in ages. where are you from cg?

I grew up in Taiwan and northeast US (Boston and Baltimore). I picked up the "chillin' like a villain" phrase from a Canadian when I was at uni. I haven't met anybody else who knows the phrase... do you know where it originates from?

I grew up in Taiwan and northeast US (Boston and Baltimore). I picked up the "chillin' like a villain" phrase from a Canadian when I was at uni. I haven't met anybody else who knows the phrase... do you know where it originates from?

I've heard it all over the place. It's probably from a movie.

I grew up in Taiwan and northeast US (Boston and Baltimore). I picked up the "chillin' like a villain" phrase from a Canadian when I was at uni. I haven't met anybody else who knows the phrase... do you know where it originates from?

nope! i learned it from a friend that grew up in the north east of the states as well, around connecticut. ive used it ever since. the only people i know that use it are americans and canadians. and me. and now you. yay.

I've heard it all over the place. It's probably from a movie.

i googled it and I don't know whether to believe it or not. This is too cool (HA HA) to be true...

Urban Dictionary:

Chillin' like a Villain

Seems that no one knows how this originated so let me break it down. It first appeared on the saturday morning cartoon Batman, where Batman approaches Freeze and Mr. Freeze says im chillin like a villan, hence why he was chillin (literal definition).

Batman: Freeze what are you doing?
Mr. Freeze: chillin like a villan

woot!

I'm 42, I was a girl but got upgraded to woman last week.

I ride single-speed but not fixed.

When I was on a bike as a kid/teenager I only used single-speed and I come from a place where there are quite a few hills. I've rarely used gears. I used a fold-up Dahon bike my first 3 months of commuting that has 7 speeds. My SS is MUCH easier and faster that my little Dahon (that I still love lots). I've been on the SS for about 3 months now.

One thing that you need to understand is the gear ratio. For example my bike was initially set up with a 42-18 which is very very easy and very very very boring but I only realised that when I changed to to 42-16 and it is much better and faster and smoother. I knew i needed to changed as I soon as I spinned a bit I'd be jumping on the saddle. Talk to the shop when they set up your bike they should be able to calculate what is comfortable for you now. It is easy for the shop to change it so don't worry too much initially, go for easier rather than harder and change after a couple of weeks/one month.

You already commute so there should be no difference with the size of your legs.

I overtake guys on mountain bikes quite easily on my commute and I'm not very fast. The other thing I don't do is use clips or clipless so straight push on the pedals which is not efficient but I recently broke my elbow after a really silly fall so not quite brave enough to fall using clipless.

I really love the simplicity of single speed. Oh and on my bike I can add gears if I change my mind so it's easy. I have a Cotic Roadrat and I love it more and more everyday, straight from the factory via the shop about £700 with some extra bits. http://www.cotic.co.uk/roadrat/

I enjoy reading this site. http://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html

You definitely don't need to be a bearded anorak to gain pleasure from the past time in this case.

...but it helps?

wow...haven't seen a sensible thread like this for a while :P...
we need more girl riders...they are good a influence

And theres always the outside possibilty that they may get drunk at 'Beers' and get their bangers out.

Besides... SS/FG bikes aren't exactly cheap, especially after you factor in the cost of accessories like bags and locks. Can't blame her for wanting some reassurance before taking the financial plunge.

what are you on about? Singlespeed bikes have much less bits on them , so are inherently cheaper both to buy and maintain.

I grew up riding various forms of singlespeed bikes, mainly BMX. Never really got on with gears, couldnt understand why you would need them if you werent somwhere mountainous.

It might be the female mind, but is it not also obvious that a geared bike can stay in one gear? I already suggested it too. If one enjoys shifting up and down gears, pedalling slowly to go fast/pedalling fast to go slow, and all that shenanigans then stick to the geared bike. where you always have the option of staying in one gear.
Its not a very complicated concept, and definetely not a boyish thing.

I dont know any women who know how to use gears on a bike. I had to get hold of a sturmey 3 speed for my 31 yearold sister, she kind of got the gist. But she still doesnt use them she just leaves it in the lowest one so she can get up hills. But she walks up anyway.

And again, toned thighs are *good. *

going up hills like pentonville road?

it's not that bad, I mean, it's barely a hill, more of a sloped road, 48x16 didn't prove to be a problem, struggle a bit with 52x16 thought on the old bike.

And theres always the outside possibilty that they may get drunk at 'Beers' and get their bangers out.

That's why I stick to orange juice.