Staff Bikes — Dave’s Custom Dward Design Single Speed

Indeed - but it seems that in that particular niche hair shirts additional challenges are welcomed:

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/pbp-emily-obrien.html

https://www.templecycles.co.uk/blogs/blog/pbp?currency=GBP

Oo - that Temple Bikes bike is lovely... 

you've not been on many audaxes have you?

you've not been on many audaxes have you?

Nope.

I don't own one myself but I think the primary attraction is low maintenance. Primarily there are fewer moving parts and less to go wrong - no cables to adjust, no jockey wheels that wear out, no hangers to bend etc. Given that you don't need to change gears, you can also run a wider, more robust chain, and there is basically zero chance of dropping the chain no matter how rough the terrain. When you do need to do maintenance, replacement parts tend to be cheap, because they are so much simpler and don't need all the fancy tech that goes into making geared systems work smoothly.

Some people also like the simplicity of it and having one less thing to think about.

There's also a small weight saving and aero benefit, although neither of those is likely to be a primary concern on this type of bike!

I've never seen the point of a single speed freewheel bike, but a fixie will improve your pedalling style as well as being easier than the equivalent freewheel gear to get up hills.

Backladder wrote:

being easier than the equivalent freewheel gear to get up hills.

How exactly without defying the laws of physics?  I would say it would be almost identical weight of the bike itself not withstanding.  My admittedly fashionista SS weighs more than my gravel bike too even with fat tyres on the gravel bike.  Im pretty sure if I was masochistic enough to leave it in an equivalent gear the gravel would beat the SS.

And thats without taking into account the aero benefits of not having to wax my moustache on the gravel bike.

 When you do need to do maintenance, replacement parts tend to be cheap, because they are so much simpler and don't need all the fancy tech that goes into making geared systems work smoothly

2x9 Sora is not really very fancy and is pretty cheap, and doesn't get much maintenance even on the muddy cart track back roads of N Lancashire. Scrape the filthy black muck off the jockey wheels and chain, and wash the chain properly once in its life. 2 chainrings, 1 cheapo cassette and 4 chains will take me to 15-18,000 miles and joyful replacement with lower gears. Even with the final chain approaching super-knackered terminal status, it's still changing fairly well

I'm pondering a single-speed/fixed at the moment, for commuting. My commute is pretty flat. And the mechanical simplicity of a single-speed is appealing.

My normal commuter is already pretty simple - 9-speed gears with bar-end friction shifters. But nearly every winter I'm still wearing through and breaking something. The chains and sprockets are flimsy and fast-wearing, cause they have to be narrow to accommodate the gears.

Breaking a chain on your commute in winter is a pain, as happened one year. The thick, strong chain on a single-speed/fixie just looks appealing after that.

Paul J wrote:

I'm pondering a single-speed/fixed at the moment, for commuting. My commute is pretty flat. And the mechanical simplicity of a single-speed is appealing. My normal commuter is already pretty simple - 9-speed gears with bar-end friction shifters. But nearly every winter I'm still wearing through and breaking something. The chains and sprockets are flimsy and fast-wearing, cause they have to be narrow to accommodate the gears. Breaking a chain on your commute in winter is a pain, as happened one year. The thick, strong chain on a single-speed/fixie just looks appealing after that.

My ultimate reliable commuter/pub bike would be a lot like this build. Ticks these boxes:

• Generator lighting
• Simplicity
• Proper mudguards
• Carrying capacity

I would add/change

• Gates belt drive
• Front rack or basket
• Flat or alt bars
• Two or three speed rear hub, or maybe Schlumpf crankset
• 38 mm or wider tubeless tyres

If you went down to 7 speed, you'd have a 3/32" chain, so not far from the 1/8" of a single and a bit stronger I think than for a 9 speed. And as you already have friction shifters, all this would cost (I think) is a cassette and chain (possibly a spacer depending on your freehub body). The wider chain will almost certainly be ok with your RD.

Parts are available for reasonable prices at SJS - who are very good for this kind of thing, and also very helpful if you have a question.