# Cycling. New single speed bike.



## Chris Hobson (Oct 9, 2016)

Over the last three years, my indoor winter cycle training has relied on a mid priced spin bike. I bought it cheap because it had been sold, damaged in transit, returned, repaired, and then re-sold at half price. For this winter I decided that I needed something a bit better so I bought a Cycle-Ops turbo trainer and a Charge single speed bike. Although I bought the bike specifically for indoor riding, I decided to take it out on the road to try it out. To my surprise, I found the bike to be absolutely brilliant fun to ride. The lack of gears mean that you have to ride fast in order to keep your cadence up. Living in Holderness means that there are not many opportunities for hill training, the few hills that we do have are rather small. Tackling them on a single speed bike makes even our small hills much more of a challenge. Because all of my bike rides are recorded by my Tomtom multisport GPS watch, I can quickly compare my average speeds for my rides. On the two training rides that I have done on this bike my Average speed has been just under 26 kph, this is better than I did on my Specialised road bike during the Goole triathlon. This suggests that, in the future,  the Charge would be ideal for any sprint triathlons that are on fairly flat courses.

The bike is the entry level Charge bike and cost a little over £200. It is called the Charge Plug which makes it sound like one of those battery operated bikes. In fact it is what I would describe as minimalist. It has an old school steel frame which is nevertheless very light. The lightness is helped by the fact that it has no gears, no bottle cages, nothing superfluous at all. I had to upgrade it to quick release wheel spindles in order to fit it to the turbo trainer. I have also fitted a cycle computer which needed a little ingenuity as the pick up had to be fitted to the rear wheel. The computer head is mounted on the crossbar. The brakes are pretty poor and I will probably upgrade them in the spring.

I hadn't ridden a single speed bike since I was about thirteen. I can't believe how much fun this bike is. Keen cyclists are always looking for an excuse to buy yet another bike. Boys and girls, if you don't have a single speed bike, you really need to add one to your stable.


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## Copepod (Oct 9, 2016)

N + 1 rule. I have 2 functioning bikes and 2 non functioning.


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## Marsbartoastie (Oct 9, 2016)

Please don't tempt me.  I already have too many bikes (mountain, road, vintage and Brompton)...and need very little excuse to start browsing for a new one.  I've been contemplating a turbo-trainer for a few weeks now and would be interested to know how you get on with yours.


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## HOBIE (Oct 9, 2016)

Marsbartoastie said:


> Please don't tempt me.  I already have too many bikes (mountain, road, vintage and Brompton)...and need very little excuse to start browsing for a new one.  I've been contemplating a turbo-trainer for a few weeks now and would be interested to know how you get on with yours.


Bromptons are good & faster than you would think. When I had my first go on one I was pleasantly impressed. I road two laps of Nissan test track at Sunderland. Up & down the 4w drive hill as well


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## Matt Cycle (Oct 10, 2016)

I know the rule is N+1 but as much as I'd want one I'm not sure I'd get away with having another bike.  I've still got my hybrid which gets the occasional run out and my current road bike.  The road bike cost £350 and I've only changed the wheels (bought some Shimano R501's off someone I know second hand for £30) and pedals (Shimano M520's - £15 from Wiggle) plus usual consumables - tyres, chain, cassette etc. Brake pads are still the originals - I don't use them, just go flat out!  I clean and maintain it as it is used all year round - although I try and avoid bad weather.  I've had it 2 years and done over 4500 miles in that time of mainly weekend riding.  It's not the best bike with the best groupset and most expensive carbon frame - it's an aluminium frame although still with carbon forks but it has seen me right.  There are definitely bargains to be had by shopping around.


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## Marsbartoastie (Oct 10, 2016)

In London there are some excellent bargains to be had.  Loads of people take advantage of company bike buying schemes...then find they can't cope with cycling in rush-hour traffic.  The bikes find their way on to Gumtree.  The 'city boy' poseurs often go for top-of-the-range kit and then sell it on for peanuts (relatively speaking).  My friend Nic recently got a doozy of a bargain from some bloke living in a penthouse flat in Docklands.


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## Austin Mini (Oct 10, 2016)

I used to dream of having a bicycle with gears and cable brakes.


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## Chris Hobson (Oct 10, 2016)

Yes Austin, strange that. As kids the guy with a Sturmey Archer three speed hub was the coolest. I'm old enough to remember deraileurs that had no indexing so you had to feel them in. I though it was really brilliant when I first fitted indexed gears to my bike. Now I can shift without taking my hands off the bars. Yet here I am singing the praises of a bike that is totally back to basics


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## Chris Hobson (Nov 26, 2016)

Update. After much prevarication I have decided to upgrade my road bike to an entry level carbon fibre model. It is from Planet X and was a bit cheaper due to the fact came as a box of bits that needed assembling. Oddly, it comes without outer cables and rim tapes. Otherwise everything is there to build yourself a nice light weight road bike. I took a day off work and by the end of the day I had it all put together. I have been for a very brief ride on it and found that the seat is at the wrong angle. It will take a few test rides and tweaking to get it set up as I want it. I now have to decide whether to sell my Specialised Allez.


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## Matt Cycle (Nov 26, 2016)

I like the Planet X pro carbon bikes and decent carbon frames in general seem to be coming down in price all the time.  It's going to be a while though before I get the chance to upgrade. 

Keep the Specialized if you've got the space, N+1 and all that.


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## Chris Hobson (Dec 4, 2016)

Here I am using the Charge single speed bike for the job that I originally bought it for, mounted on the turbo trainer. I find it to be an improvement over the old spin bike, it gives the feeling of actually riding a bike because of the riding position. It is set up in our gym, you can see a cheesy motivational poster and our finishers' medals on the walls. There is treadmill and a dehumidifier in the background. The CD player and DAB radio on a shelf in the corner makes it look as though I have something hi-tech on the handlebars. You can get turbo trainers that measure every aspect of your performance and transmit all the data to your phone or tablet for analysis. Mine is just a simple one with a knob to vary the resistance.


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## Northerner (Dec 4, 2016)

Nice set-up Chris!


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## Chris Hobson (Jan 14, 2017)

Update. I have now fitted bar end brake levers and V brakes to the single speed bike. The standard centre-pull brakes were really quite poor. Went for a ten mile test ride today, the brakes are so keen that you have to feather them to avoid going over the handlebars. I'd call that a result.


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## Anthony Stirrat (Jan 24, 2017)

Did someone mention single speed?


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## Matt Cycle (Jan 24, 2017)

Anthony Stirrat said:


> View attachment 2689
> 
> Did someone mention single speed?



Nice!  Anthony I've just looked at Google and I'm not sure about Chris but looking at your achievements on the bike and meant in the nicest possible way, don't ask me to go for a ride. Wow.   Do you still get to ride much what with work and everything?


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## Chris Hobson (Jan 25, 2017)

Oh, that is way cooler than mine. Still, mine came with rubbish brakes as standard, yours has no brakes at all.


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## Anthony Stirrat (Jan 25, 2017)

Matt Cycle said:


> Nice!  Anthony I've just looked at Google and I'm not sure about Chris but looking at your achievements on the bike and meant in the nicest possible way, don't ask me to go for a ride. Wow.   Do you still get to ride much what with work and everything?



I don't get out as much as I would like, and the wife didn't like my suggestion of me going to Majorca for a month to train


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## Anthony Stirrat (Feb 19, 2017)

Just some of the collection


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## Matt Cycle (Feb 19, 2017)

Anthony Stirrat said:


> View attachment 2873
> 
> Just some of the collection



Nice!   You must have a large shed/garage!


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## Chris Hobson (Feb 23, 2017)

That is some collection Mr. Stirrat, I hope that your security is good too.

I just popped in to say that my Charge single speeder has now done over 500 miles, mostly while standing still. The end of Feb or beginning of March is usually when I start commuting by bike again. Unfortunately the weather seems to have taken a turn for the worse just now.


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## Matt Cycle (Feb 24, 2017)

Chris Hobson said:


> That is some collection Mr. Stirrat, I hope that your security is good too.
> 
> I just popped in to say that my Charge single speeder has now done over 500 miles, mostly while standing still. The end of Feb or beginning of March is usually when I start commuting by bike again. Unfortunately the weather seems to have taken a turn for the worse just now.



Well done on the miles Chris.   However, there's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.


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## Chris Hobson (Feb 25, 2017)

"... there's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing."

I have heard this, I just have difficulty making myself believe it. The gym is so warm and cosy when it's p1$$ing down outside. Stationary cycling and running is pretty boring though.


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## Chris Hobson (Jan 1, 2019)

I have recently dropped off the wheels of my commuter bike at the bike shop to have some solid tyres fitted. Even with fairly new puncture resistant tyres I am suffering an annoying number of punctures at the moment. The Charge single speed bike has been pulled out of the gym and fitted with mudguards and brackets for lights. I  have been taking it very easy over the hols so today's 15K test ride was my first bit of exercise of the new year. The display on the computer was a little faint so I put a new button battery in it. The mostly stationary mileage was 1761 which has now been lost. The mudguards worked well, some of the disused railway line is quite muddy so it was a good test.


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## Chris Hobson (Jan 11, 2019)

The bike shop phoned to let me know that their supplier is out of stock of the tyres that I ordered and that it will be a few weeks before they get them. Meanwhile I have done three commutes on the Charge and realised that this is a little different from a quick spin around the block at the weekend on quiet country roads. The route to work is fairly flat but there are a few hills that involve standing on the pedals to get up. Junctions and roundabouts also require getting out of the saddle to generate sufficient acceleration. I would also not recommend this kind of bike for inexperienced cyclists due to the slightly odd geometry that means that your feet can foul the front wheel when turning tight corners and potentially tip you off. Still, although the bike is sometimes hard work, I tend to have a smiley face most of the time that I'm riding it. Meanwhile I have acquired an old school skewer for the rear wheel of my Planet X racing bike so that I can mount it on the turbo trainer.


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## Docb (Jan 29, 2019)

Interesting thread because after retiring from my proper job, I spent 15 years running my own bike shop so I know a bit about cycling and cyclists.  Some of the posters obviously know their bikes but could I offer a note of caution to anybody who is enthused by their comments and wants to get out and get a bike (a great idea), maybe their first for years. 

First off, single speed cycling can be brilliant but it is an aquired taste and rarely for the beginner.  The inability to freewheel, lack of gears and need to be able of work at a wide range of cadences can be problematic for even the most experienced cyclist let alone a beginner. 

Second, With bikes you GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.  Planet X bikes have been mentioned. They are cheap, not because they are brilliant value, they are cheap because they are cheap. Every corner that can be cut is cut. Some you can see but most cut corners you cannot see.  Unless you know your bikes, don't buy one that "only needs assembling". Used to take me anything up to an hour to assemble and set up a bike and I had a full workshop with all the specialist kit and I knew what I was doing.  There were some bikes, the cheap ones, that I would not go near because I knew they could not be assembled into a bike that was safe to ride. 

My advice is to go to a proper bike shop, not a heavily advertising chain promising discounts.  There you should get some good advice on what type of bike would best suit you and get properly sized.  Most don't appreciate it but the most important thing about a bike is how well it fits you.  No amount of gimmicry will compensate for an uncomfortable bike!  Try several shops. You will know when you have found the right one, just like you know when you have found the right medical help for your diabetes.

Could go on for pages about bikes!


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## Chris Hobson (Jan 29, 2019)

I buy from the internet as well as using my local bike shop. I also love my Planet X bike. It has served me well as a training bike and in triathlons. It took me a whole day to put it together but I enjoyed doing it and considered it a good use of my time. I intend to upgrade it in the future, starting with the wheels.


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## Docb (Jan 29, 2019)

My observations about Planet X were based on quite a long time in the bike business and information shared amongst others in the business.  Currently the world is awash with cheap carbon composite frames. Some have got high end names on them although they have never been near the high end producer.  If you want to see what I mean, get an endoscope and look at the inside of the tubes.  If true to form they will not look the same as the outside. They are cheap because they are not well designed or well made and the only point to them is that they give people bragging rights in the pub - I've got a carbon frame and it only cost me £x.   Any carbon composite framed bike costing under £2k will have a frame of this type.  Fortunately most people who ride that sort of bike never ride them hard enough to highlight the deficiencies.  

I still stand by my suggestion that anybody thinking of buying a bike without any experience should not buy a bike in a box.  There are a couple of reasons for this. Anyone who is a bit handy can put one together but setting it up to make it safe to ride requires a lot of knowledge and skill. Keen riders aquire those skills as you have done but newbies to cycling don't have them. Get a couple of bike shop owners chatting over a beer and it's likely the conversation will turn to horror stories about self built bikes and what it has cost to put them right.  Second reason is that once you have started to build it any warranty disappears.  Any problems with the bike or its components and its down to you to foot the bill for putting it right. The people you bought it from will not want to know.

That said, I'm glad you like your bike, it  clearly suits you and you enjoy riding it, so what more is there to be said .


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## HOBIE (Feb 1, 2019)

Getting on your bike is very good for anyone . Heart, BG & general Health


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## Chris Hobson (Mar 11, 2019)

I think that this discussion might be happening on the wrong thread really. There is a thread specifically about my Planet X bike here:
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/airfix-kit-from-planet-x.63334/

I don't think that it is the supplier's fault if someone buys a bike in a box and isn't competent to put it together. Regarding carbon fibre frames, I suppose it should be obvious that you are going to get what you pay for. Planet X is a budget brand and is selling a budget frame. If other makers are putting high end badges onto budget frames as you say then who is committing the bigger sin? For me, the carbon frame is much lighter than a steel or aluminium one and it does the job that I bought it for. The rest of the parts are simply the generic components that you would get with any midrange racing bike, very similar to the specialized Allez although with a slightly better Shimano Ultegra gear set.

Having worked in the fixing things business all my working life I can confidently say that horror stories and examples of unbelievable idiocy are not unique to the cycle business.


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