I drive single speed and i am proud of it. Simplicity of this solution is the thing I love in it. Honestly I just wanted something more simple than normal bike with deraileurs and this is the easiest solution - bought cheap retro road bike, removed almost everything and it works perfect for me. For now I don't need to try anything else and changing a frame or entire bike to gain horizontal dropouts is too big of a mess for me.

To y'all; one gear= easier life. Fixed, or free. You enjoy the ride. It's your time to engage with all the joggers, and cyclists, who don't care what you're riding. You can't go wrong. Enjoy your ride.

I'm an older fixed gear rider. I went back and forth between fixed and single speed. I know single speed is easier due to coasting and at 61 I like coasting but, I just prefer fixed. I commute to work, mostly flat riding and I love it. Thanks for your channel Zach.

Thanks for the video - generally having a single-speed bike often feels like you're on your own community-wise: you're an alien to both the fixed-gear crowd and to all the other bike 'clubs' (road, MTB, bikepacking, folding etc.).

Ive had a state 4130 for years and it was on the freewheel for 1 day. Flipped it over to the fixed hub and took off the breaks and been loving it since. You get better every time you ride. “If it ain’t fixed, it’s broken” lol

My singlespeed cog worn out after 5 years, so i flipped my wheel to try fixed gear. I love how it feels! I can recommend everyone to try it for a week..you won't go back.

I switched from Fixed to single speed when I ruined my fixed wheels in a crash, initially only temporarily but I've stuck with it. As much as I love riding fixed I love going really fast downhill even more.

Single speed here my guy. I love to go fast and don't like to stop pedaling but like to coast corners and hills. That fixed gear situation is too much unnecessary evil for my life. Lol

About to buy a bicycle. I'll probably go with a Single-Speed. I see the appeal behind fixed but the "coasting" feature is a huge win for me.

i actually started my "one gear" journey w/ a bikes direct bike. i tried the fixed side and like you said, i just felt like it wasn't for me. still totally love fixed gear bikes, their look & "the culture". it's probably super weird, like while i don't ride on the fixed side "ya'll get my respect" i ended up upgrading to a wabi cross thunder and keep it on the single speed side and absolutely love it. thanks for the channel man

Have been subbed for years and for funsies watched your ss vs fixed video last night. What a surprise realizing you recently uploaded this!

I like the connectivity this upload gives. congrats on the plus 100000!!

I recently converted a vintage bike to a single speed and ride it in the city. I love how easy it is to maintain and how simple it looks. Ride safe everyone :)

I love the look of fixed gear bikes, so raw. But I ride a single speed. I bought a new bike this winter that has a flip flop hub and will try fixed gear riding...in a really big, empty parking lot. At 63 the being cool boat sailed quite some time ago so if fixed gear is or isn't for me I'm still just the old guy on the bike. But in all seriousness the biggest obstacle to riding fixed gear, for me, is my knees and the stress on them during braking. If I ride fixed I don't want brakes and if I have to keep the brakes I might as well stay with the single speed.

Hi dude. It's nice to see you again. Thanks for the video. The scenario it's beautiful, I love that place. And, obviously I'm on in to the Fixie team, of course. ¡Abrazo fuerte carnal!

Thanks for the great vid. Most of my riding is on a road bike but the fixed gear thing really fascinated me so I got a cheap bike ($200) with a flip-flop hub. I tried the fixed gear side for a while but it just wasn't comfortable for me. I love the single speed side and I use it when I ride with my wife since she can't ride like I do on my road bike. Thanks for covering the single speed choice!

I ride single speed but I would love to try the pure fixie too

I've been riding single speed for 10 years now and I bloody love it!

Cool video, Zach! I ride fixed here in urban Manila, even in longer city rides. However, when we're off riding to the mountains outside the city, that singlespeed is a Godsend especially on harsh descents with some steep hills right after. Cheers from the Philippines!

I just back from riding my Wabi classic single speed. Very rare occasion. But what a ride it was!

I have a Fuji Declaration with a flip-flop hub... After a recent injury to my back, switched to single speed, and never looked back. Our country is immensely hilly with no more than a couple of hundred feet of level road. It is not the poorer cousin by far. I love fixies for their beautiful build and uncluttered lines, but it is, and will remain, very much a minor interest in the cycling world. PS. Love your channel!

There is a road on the way back into town that I ride often. It has 4 rollers short and steep ranging from 10 to 45 kph. I have yet to beat my time with the same bike with gears. At the bottom of one roller, I was turning about 150 rpm and then almost losing balance at the top. We have a track in my city(138m, 50 degree in the corners). When it opened 15 years ago, I rode a track bike it felt completely natural. I have not ridden there in some time but was fun. BTW track gears were 48/16 and preferred road gear 40/16 - and I cheat because I have disc brakes on the road bike.

Since I've subscribed, this was your best explanation of why ride fixed.

I ride a fix gear because I love the connectivness to the road and the powerful my legs have become! I also have a single speed freewheel bike that it's so much more efficient in long distance rides and absolutely love to be able to let go in downhills!

I have done both. During the pandemic, parts and bikes just weren't as available and everything has been expensive. I ended up using BlueBikes as a bike rental option and . . . it's been cheaper than bike maintenance and these kind of rentals are fine for up to 10 miles per trip. Really hard to get out and do a longer ride, but fine for daily usage. Given that the rentals are usually twice the weight of a fixed or a single speed, I have a feeling when I go back, it'll feel really amazing. Just gotta wait the shortage out.

Finally hade the change and MAN I LOVE IT SOCAL 💥

Starting with single speed to get my confidence back this season (ended last season with a car hitting my geared bianchi), and once I feel fit and in tune with the roads, I’m gonna flop on over to fixed and give it a go.

Fixed gears are dangerous and not for everyone. With single speeds you get most of the enjoyment of a fixed gear without the risk. I had a friend, who was a good cyclist, relax at a stop sign and forget he was on a fixed gear. He got a broken collar bone as the result. That being said I've ridden fixed gears for more than 30 years and never hurt myself on them, although I have made a scary offroad excursion into a farm ditch because of a nasty lumber truck. When I get on a fixed gear bike whether it's for a training ride, group ride or velodrome ride I always respect the bike with the knowledge that it is somewhat dangerous.

First fixed gear ride of the season today. I'm so happy to get off the winter beater single speed. I hope it stays warm.

It makes sense that the fixed gear is cooler since it can do tricks. You should just leave it at that, because the whole college dropout analogy is confusing. To me, the "cool one" that dropped out of school would be the 1 speed, since it can coast and chill.. whereas the fixed gear would be the one that goes to 8AM classes bc it never stops peddling.

Much prefer single speed, but I like both bikes for the clean, spartan looks. I always even convert my beach cruisers to singls speed- planning on making one a klunker, just trying to figure out if I should go hardtail or not. If I want real speed, I have a roadbike.

I went from MTB to Roadbike then found my way to fixed Gear and man Fixed Gear really hits different when riding like you're floating and free. It's just therapeutic, except for the part on climbing uphill but hey that's part of the fun. Also how you can just customize it to the style you want.

I ride a Genesis Flyer and have it setup with a freewheel. I love coasting, that's the joy of cycling.

Mine has a flipflop hub so I enjoy both,but oh boy in fixed mode you never get a rest and your knees take a hammering.....but I still ride brakes,dont buy into the shit you can stop in time because you cant....

Im full roadie now but I love the simplicity of fixed gear for urban and casual commuting use. A single speed is a good compromise but fixed is just a lot more fun, IMO. A fixed gear track bike with a single speed hub feels weird to me when you run out of gear inches on a downhill.

after 3 months of wathcing this guy i was today yearsold that he was filipino and im filipino also and its just something really cool about watching a youtuber from the same country as you

Cool! I ride both. Fixed gear for fun in the sunshine, single speed with a rack, wide tires and fenders for commuting and dealing with bad weather. 💙💛

I ride a road bike and I ain't a snob , my bike is a 40 lb 63 schwinn varsity , in a group ride I have spare parts to help other riders.

Switching now back to single speed due to knee problems - can't skid anyways, installed breaks and flat pedals without straps so don't need switch to clipless shoes every time and can ride casually anywhere.

Dude I straight up was wondering if you made a video about this. I love ss. My knee just can't take on fixed anymore.

I ride SS and with as few gears as possible, and in ALL cases a feel "connected" to my bike. The fact is i tried fixed and spent all of my time FIGHTING the bike. That's not what i build my bikes to do, here's a big difference between getting used to something and knowing you're being limited by its function. And riding SS is more than just about coasting, being able to place your pedal where you need it is important, as is using them as a platform to move your body around on the bike. In fast corners i weight the outside pedal and use my arms and butt to rotate the bike thru the turn, then i can rotate the cranks to the perfect position to power out. Also, people do track stands on all kinds of bikes, even geared ones.

Yo zach didnt know you were filipino been subscribing for more than a year tho 😂 thanks for the vids helps me with my research and definitely been riding reasonably dangerous since then

This is why I ride with a flipflop hub.

except maybe a unicycle!! Dont have a fixed-gear yet but i’ve been watching yo shit for a few years now. Just wanted to say, ‘hey, awesome channel”. Informative, great narratives, hilarious, well edited! Keep it up, mang! -

First time useing a fixie I crashed and had to go to the hospital, back legs lifted off the bike went over the bars going fast

I didn't know you're Filipino until now, i always watch your videos whenever i have free time, but I don't have a fixed gear. I've always wanted to try one, but don't have the budget to buy one. Maybe soon I'll buy one but not now.

I grew up on a bmx. I’d usually pick a bmx when riding with geared riders, just love the flow of the Singlespeed. My riding takes me off road and up gnarly climbs. I like being able to pick a gear that allows me to ride up almost anything but w/ Singlespeed I can still bomb the descent. Also, nothing sucks worse than railing singletrack, getting your timing off and slamming your fixed gear crank into a log 😂. It’s also about letting the bike be free to move around underneath you and pumping through terrain to conserve momentum 👌 Fixed gear has no chill, there’s definitely a flow to it but it’s a different beast. I’ve ridden fixed gear bikes a little (unicycles a lot) on and off road. I miss pumping. I miss the flow. I like the excursions on singletrack, pumping through tight corners. It’s just a different vibe so for now my steamroller will stay Singlespeed:) I guess most of the Singlespeed culture is on the bmx and Mtb side, also there’s a lot of bike packing races being won by singlespeeds 👍

Hit the nail on the head......easy maintenance! Also if you ride no brakes, fixed is a must.

year late weigh in. the things that are dealbreakers for me are the potential loss of control down hills, pedal strikes, difficulty of bunny hops when using platforms, not being able to lean off the back of my bike to go under a low branch, and my knees. i really do enjoy the control at low speed, but i prefer feeling safe.

I am Mountain, roadie and single speed rider and agree that when you try fixie you either love it or hate and I of course hate it lol, but I enjoy watching fixie riders do their thing, I think it’s cool, just not for me.

You can make a flipflop hub with a disc brake capable freewheel hub. There are fixed cogs that fit the 6 bolt pattern - no lockring or w/e needed.

i just got my first single speed and i been watching you for years. excited to try it fixed one day. keep rockin Z

Coaster-brake... Clean, simple. Except I walk, at the beach, least for now.

Got a flip-flop hub, but the freewheel is rusting from disuse. Riding fixed feels smoother.

I ride ss but dig fixie culture 🤘

As a fixed rider that speaks some tagalog i can attest to what you said on both ends. Every time another fixed gear rider goes by in the opposite direction we give each other's bike "the look" and "the nod of approval". And i have to admit i got excellent service and treats from OFW's worldwide by speaking tagalog. (kasi dateng meron pinay nobya ako :P) Kaya mo yan kuya zack.

I have unicycles and they are great for feeling connected with the "bike", but the reason i use a bicycle is for riding fast downhill where the single speed has the advantage.

riding single speed in a place that isn’t super flat has made commuting much easier for me, personally. i like coasting when i’m tired because, let’s face it, i’m just lazy. mad respect for every day fixed gear riders, though.

I can’t ride fixie due to some knee injuries. The only fixie I could ride would need brakes installed and at that point I’d rather just ride my single speed. It’s the simplicity, I got rid of my last single speed and am now back in the market for one lol. Love the videos!

Cool but that ain't me. Way too used to pedalling my heart out on a BMX and coasting it out

I rode single speed as a bike messenger because there was less to go wrong with it. I started riding fixed because someone stole my brakes. I like them both. As a working rider I went back to free hub. The extra weight of packages made stopping harder and brake pads are cheaper than tires. Riding 20-40 miles a day I needed to coast here and there. You don’t need gears to get a marble pastry board from Sur La Table to a food vlogger at the top of Telegraph Hill but brakes are useful if you want to have legs for your next tag. I also liked to do Paradise Loop or Point Reyes out and back on weekends. Those are great fixed rides. You can just flow for miles and miles. There’s a place for both and it’s fun hanging with roadies when your just rolling a big track wheel. One major advantage that isn’t about riding is that everything that can be stolen can be locked down. My daily has no quick release, Pinheads on the wheels and stem, tack welds on anything that could slow down thieves. It can be a hassle to fix a flat if it’s wet and you have to have your ride completely dialed in but maybe there’s freedom in that too. A Trixie tool will fix most things on a single but that’s not true of a road or mountain bike. With my road bikes I don’t carry a lock so I’m not tempted to leave them alone outside. Not even for a minute. That’s just not practical for most city riding and the cost of having components stolen is just too much especially when it can leave you stranded. I miss Bay Area riding. Moving to the East Coast really killed my saddle time. I can afford things like rent, food and cooler components now but it’s a difficult trade. In the end I’d rather ride a Jasco stripped bike covered in stickers than not ride and if I could only have one bike it would have to be a single with a flip flop. Gears and really harsh your zen. I wish I had found your channel sooner. Would have loved to tag along on a ride here and there. Your videos make me homesick for SF.

The most important is just enjoy what you have and like just enjoy 😊😊

love your very informative videos. Can I put more than one cog on my single speed bike and how far apart? I want to facilitate ro ride on several road surface inclines. Thanx in advance for your response

Planning to go single speed on my mountain bike on the trails.

I have two mtb's a cargo bike and a fixed gear. For the last 15 years I always take me fixed for transport.

Having tried a road bike with 22 gears (sorry) before switching to a single-speed, and while I probably would agree with Zach's point that a single speed doesn't give you the same connection to your drivetrain and your bike as a whole as a fixie... I have to say I still feel the single speed gives you that connected feeling, if only a little bit. My pedaling feels more efficient, and when I pedal I can feel the chain engaging with the wheel almost directly. None of the nonsense you get with derailleurs and such which make pedaling feel like you're just putting into motion a bunch of turning parts that eventually get to the wheel and make it turn. On a single speed, much like on a fixed gear, _you_ make the wheel turn, and that feeling is amazing. I'll try fixed once I'm used to the single speed life! Ride on everyone, bike is life. :)

The first time i rode a fixed gear bike my reaction was, meh...I don't hate it, but now that I've been riding fixed gear for 2 months there is no way I'm going back to a normal bike

Ahh thats so fkn true!! I got a fixed gear bike less than a month ago and i LOVE IT

i have a tip for others find a fixie that could also be converted to a roade bike meaning you have a freewhel on the left and a fixed gear on the right that way you can just turn your wheel 180 now your useing a freewheel and not a fixie although you wouldnt have brakes

I bought a 120$ fixed gear off craigslist years ago. It was an early 80s centurion conversion, brakeless, NO foot retention (WTF) , had Velocity B43s with sealed hubs (had no idea what they were). Well i tried the bike, and actually didn't like it right away. This was probably because it had bald tires and no foot retention. I tried to resell the bike to get my money back for a single speed. one girl came and checked it out with her boyfriend, they liked the color but she felt the frame was too big and also felt that fixed gear felt weird and sketchy. well I ended up learning more about fixed and eventually bought some wellgo straps and new tires. I added a front brake (totally didnt work because deep rims and just ruined the paint...soon took it off). I fucking loved that bike. Rode it so much commuting to work and back. It made me fall in love with fixed. I been a fixie nerd ever since, even Zach G sold me on the Wabi classic which I love so much and ride it as much as i can. Modified it thru the years as well. I ended up giving the Conversion to my wife who now loves FIxed gear riding as well (albeit not as crazy as i do), she had to slam the seatpost down but luckily shes not picky and thinks it fits just fine. I ride that conversion here and there to make sure it's still running smoothly which it is!!! and it gives my Wabi a run for its money. The wabi sure feels better but its not a huge difference which surprises me how easy it is to build a fixed gear that feels like a quality bike.

i just bought a fixed gear bike that can flop to single speed. for now, I'm sticking to fixed as it's something new to me. I also like riding my mountain bike and road bike. Pretty much depends on where i want to go and what mood I'm into. I'm thinking of riding my fixie to work but that little slope got me thinking. I already have two bad knees. But, hoping fixed gear will either help improve my leg power or get me into the wheelchair. :p

Due to a mechanical failure about a year ago, I had to go free wheel (single speed), after over 10yrs of riding fixed, it was the most terrifying experience, the feeling of coasting with just my brakes to save me was really unnerving, never again, as long as I have air in my lungs, (and decent set of knees), I'll be riding fixed till I can't ride no more

Fixed gear has definitely changed my biking life forever love it

I'm riding single speed because I started cycling when I moved to a city where using a bike is huge (Strasbourg, France) and had no prior experience with fixed gear but I'm thinking about it. I'm a bit afraid of having to pedal continuously and brakeless in the city I made friends in that community and we started a group of cyclists where most of us ride fixed or single but we're open to everyone that wants to ride.

Hi. I fancy a single speed. With brakes (I want to ride on the hoods - so need those). What tips for buying - complete bike, old track bike. I'm guessing I'd like steel and horizontal drop outs, but are there problems with older frames accepting modern wheels, brake drop etc? Also everything I look at seems massive - horizontal top tubes mean sizing is crucial - but what did small guys ride back in the day?

I just got my hands on a single speed bike. I grew up riding bmx bikes, but they are too small and childish to ride around (in my opinion). I’ve got a couple of geared bikes, which I’ve never really liked. The chain is super loud on every bump you can hear it flopping all over the place, you also have to be careful with the detailer since it sticks out and needs to be perfectly adjusted for smooth shifting. I didn’t even know single speed bikes really existed, because who would want to make biking harder? It’s perfect for me, the comfort ability of a big road bike, with the heart of a bmx bike that you can toss in the back of your truck without worrying about messing something up.

I ride fixed for my shorter rides (about 20klms) and single speed if on a longer journey.

SS for me. But mainly because I ride MTB 99% of the time. I get tripped up when I go back and forth between coasting and not coasting. If I had to have one bike and had no trails to ride, it would be a fixed gear for the purity. 👌🏻

My city is very hilly with a lot of curbs and sidewalks, EXTREMELY busy roads where cars rarely go below 60 kmph. I ride freewheel: bunny hops are much easier and more reliable, lots of climbing requires a gear like 44/17 or 46/17 so going downhill on a busy road would be a suicide at 130+ rpms.

You’re a great example to others.

with Single Speed, you don't need to think about it..you just pedaling, if needed, Pedal Harder, if you Bonked..then stop. don't think about it.

Personally I've tried both and ss is more logical for a person who's only using a bike in order to commute, get out of the house or improve mental wellness. I've also noticed that fixies are for people with a certain age, if I would be in my 18's again, would immediately join the fixie culture. And honestly, to many options are creating to many cultures. Cultures = unnecessary conflicts. Let me explain: I'm from Romania, I believe that maximum 3% of the population are pedaling, so we are happy to see anyone on a bike : road, ss, fixie, mtb, downhill, e-bike, there is no conflict or competition between us, since we don't have so many riders.

This may sound stupid but i want to convert my mtb into a single speed for the following reasons: 1. Keeping my bike simple 2. Less maintenance, no luxury or access to a nearby local bikeshop 3. Making it lighter, for my bike to work experience as well 4. Personal preference Why did i bought an MTB instead of a fixie as my first bike? Dunno, peer pressure I guess. But at the end, I almost do bike rides myself and literally no access to trails. I am just being stupid lol. Anyway, thank you for your inputs @Zach Gallardo, might as well convert my mtb into a single speed soon. Cheers.

Where did you get the wide handle bar for that blue fixie bike?

I’d like one of them there cool looking Wabi bikes with a S2C hub.

i have to ride single speed now because I had an accident with my fixed-gear that left me in the hospital with 3 surgeries, metal plates and screws installed in my shoulder, and out of the saddle and in physiotherapy for almost 7 months. Now i ride single speed with a front brake. i didn't fall because of lack of brakes on the fixed-gear but honestly this was such a shit experience that I want to minimise my risk on a bicycle in the future as much as possible. but I love simplicity of singlespeed or fixed. for my two fixies I bought a white industries freewheel and also a halo clickster freewheel, wanted to see difference between two on my two bikes and honestly they're both smooth and sound like a swarm of bees but clickster is half the price, so i recommend anyone thinking of clickster to go with it - it also has more points of engagement. feels good to be back on a bike again. and also it has always been a headache in germany riding brakeless fixed-gear so don't have to avoid cops any more which is nice lol

i have runners knee due to riding in a too high gear on my single speed. don't use to high gears guys.

Hey Zach! What are the loafers that you featured in this video?

What about tire width? I'm 5'9" wt 240 lbs 70 yrs old. My only biking experience has been with Schwinn 10-speed and 21-speed bikes, but I've never used more than a couple of gears on either. So, for me, I'm looking for fewer gears. I prefer drop bars and would like wider tires as opposed to thin street tires

Nice work. Instead of thinking you’re always in the wrong gear with a fixed gear I like to think I’m always in the right gear. Feel free to use that one. Ha!

I think I'll A)Forget it B)Forget it C)No I like my brakes! Are D) It's C!{I think I'll tell my brother no about going 3 speed are more!

Easy install!

Just got my White Industries freewheel 💪

I went to a bike shop and asked for a lock ring for the cog. He said I don't need it. Told him that I want to stop sometimes.

You should ride how you're comfortable. I COULD set my work bike fixed and change up the bars play on it or I could just wait and get a second bike.

Hi, I have vintage murray alpine 3speed and want to upgrade to single speed any suggestions where should i start. Ty

Durian... Lolz. I haven't ridden a fixie since like 1983 but I'd imagine that shit was a perfect metaphor.

Zack do you have a video on how to de-install the brakes from a diff single speed bike to another single speed bike ? Thanks or if anyone can help me or lead me to a link!

I love single speed and that's my preference but I do support fixed riders.

I've ridden black diamond mtb trails and highways shoulders but neither felt quite as dangerous as riding a fixie with no brakes on a college campus.