speed mountain bike

Pros and Cons of a Single Speed Mountain Bike

Many people would probably say that there aren’t any pros to riding a single speed mountain bike.  But that’s where they’re wrong!  There are many pros to riding a single speed mountain bike, and here’s a few that I would say are considerable.

PROS:

• Cost:  Usually single speed bikes will be cheaper than a similar bike with gears.  This is due to the huge decrease in hardware required for a single speed mountain bike (SSMB).  A multi-geared mountain bike would typically have two derailleurs, two shifters on the handle bars, and more cogs and sprockets for the additional gears.  None of that hardware is required on a SSMB. Which leads into the next pro of riding a SSMB.
• Weight:  Without all the typical hardware of a multi-geared mountain bike, your overall bike weight will be considerably lighter.
• Efficiency:  A single speed mountain bike has the chain going directly back from the front sprocket to the rear sprocket.  This means that there is no possible bend in the chain from front to back like there typically is with a multi-gear bike.
• Maintenance:  Because there are less functioning parts on the bike, there are less parts to take care of and maintain.  This means that there is a lower possibility of something breaking while riding out on trails, and less work to be done off trails.
• Concentration:  You can concentrate more on the path ahead of you than shifting, and planning downshifts for hills etc.
•  Cleaner Look:  The look of your bike will be cleaner and simpler.  There are no shifters on the handlebars, and no derailleurs in the front or back.

CONS:

• Pedaling Efficiency:  The bike is not very efficient outside of its gearing range.  For example the gear ratio might make it hard to pedal up hills, or it may not be a high enough gear ratio to accelerate down hills.

Seems like there are a lot more Pros than Cons.

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