Multi speed or single?

G

geohaydook

New Member
I'm still researching my first build. Should I use a single speed or a multi-speed?
If I use a single, what happens to the coaster brake? Thanks for all the help, this is a great
forum!
 
Id recomend the single, the coaster brake can still be used, it would definitely be nice to have the extra stopping power.
 
I would never use a bicycle with just a coaster or skid brake.
The front wheel brakes better than the rear.
 
i'd go with a coaster brake. once it's got a motor, who cares about gears? they're just one more thing to rattle around and get in the way, and you've got extra cables and levers all over the place. if you're not into coaster brakes at all, you can get a single speed freewheel, and handbrakes.

i run nothing but a coaster brake. no front brakes for me. it stops me just fine, and i figure if a car cuts me off at 30mph, it doesn't really matter what kind of brakes i have. i'm hitting it, or out-manuevering it. if i could make my bike stop suddenly, my body wouldn't. Newton's first law of motion applies.

i think the biggest thing is, what are you comfortable with? i've been riding cruisers with coaster brakes my whole life, so i know how they react. if you're used to handbrakes, go with them.
 
multi-speed bikes are best IMHO because, not only will they be easier to pedal when needed (and there WILL be those times:(), they will also be equipped with front and rear brakes already :)

on the other hand...I have been researching how to put a derailleur on a stretch fame (for when pedalling with the trailer), and have decided it is just too hard for me (spreading the rear 15mm for one :()
I will just use a heavy duty coaster wheel and my front drum :)

I hope that didn't throw too much confusion at you :)
 
It's funny bairdco - I got into motorcycles when I was about thirteen, so I pretty much didn't ride bicycles at all after that. What little riding I did do was ofc multispeeds with hand brakes.

Because of that coaster brakes freak me out a little heh. Obv I've been doing a LOT more bicycle riding of late (for some reason), but my bike is multi. My friend let me take his (pedal only) bike out the other day and it was a coaster setup...

Wow, now that was weird o_O I'm sure I'd get used to it after a while, but I kept grabbin' ghost levers, not to mention lockin' up the wheel every time I backpedaled out of habit lol

But - it really does work well! I was quite surprised actually, I'd still want front brakes but that's easy 'nuff.

Still... I'm gonna keep my gears ;)
 
I would recommend a multispeed bike. It is good to help out your motor by pedaling when you start from a stop, it is good for your clutch. Sometimes you need to pedal to assist the motor up hills. It is better to have a low gear and a high gear.

I don't think much of coaster brakes, hand brakes are a lot more effective, you are better off installing front and rear brakes operated by hand, whether you choose disk or calipers.

I have a single speed and wish I had a multispeed.
 
I wouldn't go anywhere near the speeds I go without a front break and unless I have a bodybuilders muscles its def. multispeed for me, no question..
 
For me I want multigears, barring a flat tire that 1st 2nd and 3rd gear on a 21 speed sure comes in handy when you need to pedal to a gas station or home.
 
BarelyAWake said:
It's funny bairdco - I got into motorcycles when I was about thirteen, so I pretty much didn't ride bicycles at all after that. What little riding I did do was ofc multispeeds with hand brakes.

Because of that coaster brakes freak me out a little heh. Obv I've been doing a LOT more bicycle riding of late (for some reason), but my bike is multi. My friend let me take his (pedal only) bike out the other day and it was a coaster setup...

Wow, now that was weird o_O I'm sure I'd get used to it after a while, but I kept grabbin' ghost levers, not to mention lockin' up the wheel every time I backpedaled out of habit lol

But - it really does work well! I was quite surprised actually, I'd still want front brakes but that's easy 'nuff.

Still... I'm gonna keep my gears ;)
Click to expand...

won't the front brakes flip you over, or make you skid out? I took mine off so I could put the stock clutch lever in its place, and eliminate a cable.
 
rkorson4209 said:
won't the front brakes flip you over, or make you skid out? I took mine off so I could put the stock clutch lever in its place, and eliminate a cable.
Click to expand...

No! ... er, well... if you crush the front brake lever and lock the front tire you'll knife the wheel over to one side or the other and go down on yer shoulder, not "flip over the handlebars" as is the common thought (that's on slippery - the front usually stays in place and the rest of the bike swings around if you've good traction, but the effect is the same) - but as the front wheel is about 80% of the stopping power on two-wheeled vehicles I'd say it's worth it. During braking your inertia causes your center of mass to shift forward, reducing the weight on the rear wheel to the point of being useless insofar as braking traction is concerned - this is why it's so easy to skid the rear tire.

I've even had people tell me my rear tire was off the ground just a little when I brake really hard, I was screwing around at work the other day lol, checkin' to see just how quick I could stop my bike with my spiffy new "performance" brake pads. While I DO recommend learning what your "panic stop" distance really is at speed - be careful, it's sketchy heh ;) and remember that while you won't go over the bars - you might still face a shoulder dig.

I hardly ever use my rear brakes as a result - I only use it to "balance" the braking power if I'm on a slippery surface like wet grass or sand. Mostly I only use the front brake to stop/slow with a finger on the rear brake lever - just in case. It's not just bicycles - this is the same technique I used with all my motorcycles, delivering pizza in the city, racing moto, even just normal putting about.

This is why you'll see that while many motorcycles and even most cars have disks in the front, the rears are still old fashioned drum brakes. While drums are more prone to "fade" from heat - it doesn't matter as much/happen as much in the back.

As for the conflict of levers on the handlebars - while there's the "dual pull/two in one" levers, I really prefer more control over which brake does what. My solution to this was to pull in my brake lever (mounted horizontally) and mount the clutch lever outside it at a roughly 45° angle down. This allows me to "two finger" the brake and pull the clutch simultaneously. I pulled in the other brake lever just so they'd match - I'm a slave to fashion lol

It's actually quite comfortable tho it does take some getting used to;
 

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BarelyAWake said:
No! ... er, well... if you crush the front brake lever and lock the front tire you'll knife the wheel over to one side or the other and go down on yer shoulder, not "flip over the handlebars" as is the common thought (that's on slippery - the front usually stays in place and the rest of the bike swings around if you've good traction, but the effect is the same) - but as the front wheel is about 80% of the stopping power on two-wheeled vehicles I'd say it's worth it. During braking your inertia causes your center of mass to shift forward, reducing the weight on the rear wheel to the point of being useless insofar as braking traction is concerned - this is why it's so easy to skid the rear tire.

I've even had people tell me my rear tire was off the ground just a little when I brake really hard, I was screwing around at work the other day lol, checkin' to see just how quick I could stop my bike with my spiffy new "performance" brake pads. While I DO recommend learning what your "panic stop" distance really is at speed - be careful, it's sketchy heh ;) and remember that while you won't go over the bars - you might still face a shoulder dig.

I hardly ever use my rear brakes as a result - I only use it to "balance" the braking power if I'm on a slippery surface like wet grass or sand. Mostly I only use the front brake to stop/slow with a finger on the rear brake lever - just in case. It's not just bicycles - this is the same technique I used with all my motorcycles, delivering pizza in the city, racing moto, even just normal putting about.

This is why you'll see that while many motorcycles and even most cars have disks in the front, the rears are still old fashioned drum brakes. While drums are more prone to "fade" from heat - it doesn't matter as much/happen as much in the back.

As for the conflict of levers on the handlebars - while there's the "dual pull/two in one" levers, I really prefer more control over which brake does what. My solution to this was to pull in my brake lever (mounted horizontally) and mount the clutch lever outside it at a roughly 45° angle down. This allows me to "two finger" the brake and pull the clutch simultaneously. I pulled in the other brake lever just so they'd match - I'm a slave to fashion lol

It's actually quite comfortable tho it does take some getting used to;
Click to expand...

The reason I say that is because my motorcycle has disc brakes, and everytime i try using them it really feels sketchy, and one time I was riding my buddies suzuki gsx, and tapped the front brakes and almost lost it, lol, that was embarasing, especially right after I was like yah yah man I know what I'm doing, and then right at the end of the driveway, whoops. I took off so fast before he could run up on me and say never mind get off.
 
Practice (or lack thereof lol) is all that is - while the braking action may be too sensitive, you really can't have brakes that are too good lol

I don't let people ride my bike - for one thing I have my brakes adjusted way to "tight" (very little free play in the cable/lever) and if your not used to that, yeah - you'll dive for sure.

With cable brakes you can adjust their "sensitivity" by increasing or decreasing the amount of distance you need to pull the lever to engage the brake. While it doesn't actually change the stopping power (provided you still have enough to lock 'em up - locked up is locked up lol) it provides the comforting illusion of a greater range of applied power - which is fine, if yer brain thinks it's true - it must be and that's what is important right? ;)


edit: BTW, those motorcycle brakes are designed to stop a performance bike going in excess of 100mph+ so yeah - they might be a lil overkill puttin' down the driveway lol, engine compression braking (on a 4stroke motorcycle, 2 strokes don't get any lube doing this) till you're almost stopped will help balance out the braking force.
 
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The compression on a honda gx50 slows you down quite a bite and if your going down hill you need to disengage the roller off of the tire to enjoy any speed.
 
i personally am a fan of single speeds, but thats because im a bmxer, on my bike i just took all the cogs off the cassette and choose on that gave me a good easy ride and slapped her on there.
 
Well, just to throw a little more stuff out there - I have an electric front wheel drive that I run through a 3 speed Sturmy Archer. I have the same type of 3 speed for the pedal drive part. I love having gears for the motor - it gives me a choice of speed OR power and I like being able to pedal-assist too. There are a few companies making kits to run a motor (gas or e) through the pedal chain and rear hub - either a Sturmy Archer, Nuvinci, derailleur or single speed. Check out SickBikeParts.com or Cyclone. There are others too. I'm working on a mtb that will be an 8 speed ebike with a full suspension and the ability to pedal assist - jd
 
Multi speed, just in case you have to do alot of peddling to get home it will be easier, plus if you ever want a jack shifter you will be good to go.one of my bikes WAS a single speed I hated it. I added caliper brakes and in the front I have a drum and caliper brake with a double hand brake, It stops great. .wee.usflg
 
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