Life In The Saddle

A single speed bike is a beautiful thing: as simplistic and straightforward as they come. Every pedal stroke equates to the same distance travelled; every revolution turning a single chainring and a single cog that moves two wheels forwards. The Steed Bikes Thoroughbred Single Speed bike is one of the most stylish and well-built single-speeds that I have ridden to date. Ian Steed set up Steed Bikes fuelled by a passion for superior design and faultless functionality. He wanted to create a bike that could nip through the city streets every day of the week, while looking and feeling like a premium steed. The Steed Thoroughbred is an affordable but first-class level single speed bike. Based around a steel frame, and with a strong choice of components; it is a real pleasure to ride. The ultimate single speed bike Many single speed bikes you find in the city will be worn-out 'spares bin' bikes, formed of cast offs from other bikes, or bodged together with random parts. The St...

I have owned a Varsity Single Speed for London-based Quella Bikes for several years now. It is an undeniably beautiful road bike—with its clean single speed lines, glistening Cambridge blue paintwork, and classic silver components. This is a bike that looks elegant coasting through Hyde Park or meandering along London's South Bank; it offers a zen-like escape from the traffic and bustle of a city—letting you spin the gear with no worry or care. Yet, living on a hilly island off the South Coast of the UK, it has proven to be a little unforgiving… I continue to struggle on the hills. The Isle of Wight boasts many double-digit gradient climbs, some of which are unavoidable for me even just on a trip to the shops. Despite putting a lower ratio gear set-up on the Quella Varsity, it is still often a laboured effort to get over the undulating terrain.  You do not want every day to be Leg Day … I have searched for a solution to my single speed struggle; seeking a way that I mig...

There is a beautiful Zen-like feeling to riding a single speed bicycle. The Quella Varsity Single Speed is a British designed and built single speed / fixed gear bike; perfect for city life or running errands around countryside lanes. My Quella Varisty Cambridge has just clocked over 5000 kilometres — so it seemed timely to write a review of the ride. My first road bike was a steel framed Peugeot, for which I paid £50 to a family friend. I have a great emotional connection to that bike and frame — to the simplicity and retro looks that it has, and the adventures that it has taken me on. Yet, when the bottom bracket seized in its shell and the forks were mangled by a white van man, I decided it was time to look for another classic looking steel frame commuter bike that would uphold the Zen and do the 'Steel is Real' club proud. My search led me to the London based company Quella Bicycle. Their range of urban inspired single speed bikes came to my attention because of thei...

A good set of tools, whether for the home workshop or for your saddle bag, are one of the best investments you can make as a cyclist. Buy cheap and I can almost guarantee you will have to buy again; and as cheap tools wear out, so too do they often wear out your bolt heads and risk damaging other components. Buy quality tools, and they may well last a lifetime. Pedros make high-quality tools; in fact they compose a significant portion of my home workshop tool-chest. The distinctive yellow label is a sure fire sign of quality; in this post I take a look at two of their innovative multi-tools and their floor pump... The Pedros Trixie Singlespeed Multi-tool I don't own a singlespeed at the moment, but I do own several old style bikes, which tend to utilise bolts and lock rings rather more than their modern siblings. Therefore, I've still found the Trixie a very useful bit of kit. The tool is precision cut out of one piece of metal; making it super strong and durable. T...