I bought a bike for 1000€.
Then I put another 500€ in parts and several days of work into it.
It has no motor, no suspension, no freewheel, 1 gear, 1 cheap rim brake, and a bell. And it's the best value for money of anything I own.
1 gear (with a ratio of 39/17) limits me to a top speed of around 37 km/h (23 mph), and on the other end, a 10% sustained slope uphill, or a short 15% burst.
Which is fine by me, and more than most people I know do with their geared, or even E-bikes.
It's actually surprising how little difference gearing makes in practice.
As for why I think 1 gear with no freewheel is better, that's kinda hard to explain if you haven't experienced it.
Best explanation I can give is: I can pull my bike out of storage after 2 years, pump up the tires, lube the chain and go ride.
I can slow down by pushing back with my legs, so I need the brake maybe once a week.
Interesting, thanks for the info. I don't really belong in this community as my job has to be done in a company vehicle parked at my home. But I really, really miss biking. I would ride all over town as a teenager and was in better shape. But my bike got stolen from an apartment years ago...
I used to ride an old steel bike I pulled out of a trash heap to commute. Strapped an old computer bag to the back for a panier and called it a day.
Picture for those interested:
I bought a bike for 1000€.
Then I put another 500€ in parts and several days of work into it.
It has no motor, no suspension, no freewheel, 1 gear, 1 cheap rim brake, and a bell.
And it's the best value for money of anything I own.
You lost me at "1 gear". When I had a bike I hated not being able to go faster, or struggling to make it up a steep hill.
1 gear (with a ratio of 39/17) limits me to a top speed of around 37 km/h (23 mph), and on the other end, a 10% sustained slope uphill, or a short 15% burst.
Which is fine by me, and more than most people I know do with their geared, or even E-bikes.
It's actually surprising how little difference gearing makes in practice.
As for why I think 1 gear with no freewheel is better, that's kinda hard to explain if you haven't experienced it.
Best explanation I can give is: I can pull my bike out of storage after 2 years, pump up the tires, lube the chain and go ride.
I can slow down by pushing back with my legs, so I need the brake maybe once a week.
And it kinda feels like being able to run 37km/h.
Interesting, thanks for the info. I don't really belong in this community as my job has to be done in a company vehicle parked at my home. But I really, really miss biking. I would ride all over town as a teenager and was in better shape. But my bike got stolen from an apartment years ago...
That's sad. I would go insane without riding my bike regularly.
Yeah, I need to get another one!
As long as it's not gas powered, I don't really mind what people take on the road
Oh goody, memes and elitism.