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Monday 7 November 2011

Single speed

Bike Dock have lent me a single speed bike, an old rusty thing from the 1960s renovated. I can't even make out who built it. In ordinary thinking, this would be the cheapest buy you would find, the least desirable pair of wheels. I'll post a picture of it tomorrow and some more detail.
For now, I am dazzled by the responsiveness of this bike. It is a very nifty town bike. There is never any doubt about what it is going to do when you press on the pedal. My own bike is a 27 speed Ridgeback Panorama, built for touring in open countryside, up and down mountains. This one is harder work but that makes it perfect for training.
All those gears make a bike slacker in its feel and they create the potential for mistakes, they just distance you a bit further from the machine itself.
I'm beginning to think that this single-speed would be the perfect winter bike, for just going to the University and back and jaunts around town, keeping me fitter and serving me better in tight spots.