Single Speed Bicycles

Did you know that there are nine categories that mountain biking can be split into? Each category offers the rider a different experience either as a hobby or as a sport. The different mountain bike reviews are broken down into these categories:

1. Dirt Jumping

This style of mountain biking is known for the high jumps over manmade dirt hills. While in the air, tricks are done on the bike. Six or more jumps are usually done in one run and the jumps are close together so that the biker can get a flow going with their trick riding.

2. Cross country
In this style of mountain biking, you ride your bike up and down hills. It is not the most extreme form in the mountain biking world, but most of this type of ride is in great shape due to the long rides.

3. Cyclo cross
This biking category is a cross between mountain and road biking. The riders learn how to race on and off the course, ride obstacles, and go through rivers.

4. Downhill Biking

Racing downhill the fastest is the goal of downhill mountain bikers. The name of the game is extreme and intense riding, to help give the riders maximum excitement and thrills.

5. BMX
This style of mountain biking uses 20-inch wheels. You can very commonly see this kind of bikes at skate parks or areas with dirt jumps. These BMX bikes are made for performing tricks and doing stunts because they have a shorter wheel base and smaller wheels.

6. Trials
The bicycles used in trials do not look anything like mountain bikes. They have 20 or 26-inch wheels and they have smaller, lower frames than mountain bikes. In trials, riders jump their bikes over different obstacles. This kind of biking takes a great deal of practice, focus, and balance.

7. Freeride Biking

This type of mountain biking involves finding a path down the side of the mountain where you can use all of the terrain to do tricks, stunts, etc. This is a very popular competition, because the riders can express themselves.

8. Street and Urban Biking
Manmade obstacles, ledges, and other urban areas are what this type of biking revolves around. They will do great stunts and tricks on these manmade items, too, including grinds and stalls.

9. Single Speed
This kind of biking is done on a bicycle with only one gear and few other components. This is not to be confused with a fixed gear bicycle. The basis behind this kind of biking is simplicity. This helps the pedaling to be more efficient and the bicycle is lighter and has fewer problems mechanically.

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There are as many types of bicycles as there are places to ride and terrain to ride on. The three biggest and broadest categories are mountain bikes, road bikes and recreation bikes. As in nearly every other aspect of cycling, these three categories are divided into many other subcategories. There are city bikes and comfort bikes. There are hybrids and BMX bikes. And there are bikes that transcend categories to create their own niche.

The best bicycles are designed with a single purpose in mind. Every detail and every component is made to the highest standards to perform a single function. These bikes fit best into the main categories, specifically road or mountain bikes. A typical road bike is designed to be ridden on the road. It is made for smooth pavement and long distances. Your typical MTB is designed to be ridden off road exclusively. It is optimized for varied terrain and inclines/declines and geared to slightly lower speeds and shorter distances. From there you get into more specialized machines (e.g. time trial road bikes and downhill mountain bikes).

Road bikes
The term “road bicycle” is typically employed to describe a “road racing bicycle,” or a bike optimized to be ridden on the road, at high speeds, over long distances, with few extra features. A more general, and perhaps more accurate, definition of a road bike would be any bicycle that is designed to be ridden primarily on the road, no matter the makeup of the bike itself. For our purposes, we will use the retail industry’s definition of a road bike, being primarily a road racing bicycle. When you see an advertisement for a road bike you will typically see a bicycle built around 700c wheels with thin tires and dual pivot brake calipers. It will have drop bars with aero brake levers and be designed for a fairly aerodynamic, stretched-out riding position, like the type of bike you will see at the Tour de France or your local road race.

Mountain bike
The type of bicycle designed to be ridden off road is referred to as a “mountain bike.” These bikes generally have 26-inch wheels, flat handlebars, wide and knobby tires, and lower gearing for off-road use. Most mountain bikes built today have an aluminum alloy frame, suspension front fork, 9-speed rear cassette and three chainrings in the front. They either have disc brakes or linear pull, V-type, brakes. Again, there are variations to all of the features of a MTB, but this is a good broad description of what you will see advertised as a mountain bike.

Commuter bike
In today’s ultra-green, ultra-active society, people are looking for more and more ways to help the environment and live healthier lives. Using a bicycle for transportation is a great way to achieve these goals and save a lot of money while doing it. Typical commuter bikes are designed for varied road qualities and maneuverability in town and through traffic. While many different styles of bikes will do, they should all have some key characteristics: fender-ability for inclement weather, lights for safety, good riding position for comfort and speed, adequate tires for potential rough roads and off-road routes, and cargo space to carry the essentials.

Fixed gear/track/SS
“Track bikes” have become synonymous with fixed gear and sometimes single-speed rides. This has become one of the most common misnomers in cycling today. All true track bikes are designed to be ridden on the Velodrome. They are designed with no brakes, extremely tight clearances, upright and stiff angles, lower bottom brackets, and a single, fixed gear. A “fixed gear” bike can be built using any type of frame, a single chainring and a single, fixed cog on the rear hub. It can be a mountain bike, a commuter bike, a road bike, or any sort of vintage bike. The only qualification is that it have a fixed gear. A “single speed” is just that: a bike with a single speed. An SS is usually a bike with a single freewheel on the rear hub that allows the wheel to roll forward independent of the cranks. Technically, track bikes and “fixies” are both single speeds.

I suggest Bike Wagon for Bike Parts

Jon Carter enjoyes biking and writing about the subject.

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