What You Need To Know About Single Speed Mountain Bike

The combination of the word, single speed mountain bike, in the same sentence seems to be a oxymoron at first but a quick search in the web discover a growing community of a single speed mountain bike enthusiasts. I can understand the reason to ride such bikes on the road or on a bike dirt trail with no hard ups and downs, well the downhill is easier but to go up hill with a single speed mountain bike is just torture.

Most the people I know prefer a multi-speed gear for their mountain biking but i am surprised to discover the growing number of bikers enjoying the hard work going up and down on the mountains. There is a big debate around that issue and sometimes people get a bit emotional about it and do take the arguments to a childish struggle. To be honest we all can be carried away sometimes so no judging here.

The first thing to understand about the single speed mountain bike is the gear ratio.

As William Machin explains in his post:

“Gear ratio is the relative diameter of the larger chain ring sprocket and the smaller rear sprocket. With a standard 42-tooth chain ring, a larger rear sprocket increases torque, while a smaller rear sprocket achieves more speed. A basic setup for courses with tight turns and sections that require torque might include a 42-tooth chain ring with a 32-tooth rear sprocket. This produces a ratio of 1.5 to 1.0, which equates to one and one-half revolutions of the rear sprocket and rear wheel for each rotation of the pedals.”

After we understand the importance of the gear ratio and its effects on our ride it is clear that the people, who choose the single speed mountain bike, like the freedom and the challenges it provides. Some riders will tell you there is nothing similar to a free ride on a single speed mountain bike, just you and the bike, using you body strength and balance with no extra accessorize. To be honest I can’t argue with this because its not a matter of reasonable thinking but an emotional one and when emotions are strong nothing else matter. So what is your favorite bike, a single speed mountain bike or a multi-speed mountain bike?

Here is a nice clip to help you decide what is the best single speed for you!