The best single speed bikes should be simple, but that does not mean they lack practicality or versatility. You just have to be sure you select the right bike for you. In this video, Ed Westrop presents the results of months of testing five of the best single speed road bikes. The Elops City Bike is the best single speed bike for those on a budget, the Quella Oxford is best for those who want to go fast, the Steed Thoroughbred is our all round winner, while the Temple Lightweight is best for those who want a more luxury option. However, it's the Genesis Flyer which stands as the best single speed gravel bike, and also means it's the most versatile bike on test. Which would you pick?
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00The single speed bike market is a pretty interesting one, and for what is an arguably niche type
00:13of bike, there is an amazing amount of variety hidden deep within their ranks.
00:18These days they tend to range from urban hybrid bikes, to track inspired road bikes, all the
00:23way through to single speed gravel bikes.
00:26So in order to get a better grasp on the vast array and choice that is out there, our videographer
00:32Ed and a self-confessed single speed lover, has put together this curated selection of
00:38five bikes.
00:39So, Ed, what have we got?
00:40So starting with the cheapest, we've got the Elop City Bike 500, we have the Steed
00:44Thoroughbred, we have the Queller Oxford, the Genesis Flyer, and the Temple Lightweight
00:49Single Speed.
00:56So first off, we have the Elop City Bike 500.
00:58Ed, what can you tell me about this?
01:00Okay, so the first thing to talk about with this one is the price.
01:03So it's £250, which makes it by far the cheapest on test, which you have to say is a pretty
01:07good price.
01:08I mean, you can go on eBay and find single speeds for less than that, but for a brand
01:13new bike, that's pretty good.
01:14If this was a fully geared bike coming in at that price, that'd be a bit of a red flag
01:17because you'd be thinking, well, what components have they used to achieve that price?
01:21But that's the beauty of single speeds because it's so simple in a mechanical sense.
01:25You can trust that there's not that much that's going to go wrong with it.
01:28So I think you can take quite a lot of confidence in this bike.
01:31Okay, cool.
01:32So gear ratio-wise, it doesn't look huge.
01:34What actually is it?
01:35It's a 44-18.
01:37So it's a pretty social gear if you're using flat pedals.
01:41It's really easy to get started.
01:42It's great if you're starting at traffic lights or just if you have a stop-start commute to
01:46work.
01:46But it can hold a fairly decent speed.
01:48You can cruise at about 16 miles an hour before you start to spin out, which for town riding
01:52is pretty, it isn't too bad.
01:54And I guess if you do have some hills on your commute or your ride around town, it's going
01:59to make it pretty easy.
02:01It's not going to struggle too much with those.
02:02Also worth mentioning, this bike does come with a flip-flop hub in the wheel.
02:06So if you wanted to, you can flip the wheel over and then run it with a fixed gear.
02:09It doesn't come with the sprocket, which is fixed, but you can buy them from Decathlon
02:13for probably not very much.
02:14So are there any drawbacks with this bike?
02:16There's a couple.
02:17So the first one would be that it has a fixed saddle orientation and it's kind of tilted
02:22back.
02:22It could be a problem for some people.
02:24I actually found it really comfortable, like the orientation was right for me and the saddle
02:27is probably like the most comfortable of all the ones on test, which is good.
02:31But yeah, if that didn't work for you, you would have to get a whole new seat post.
02:35Okay, cool.
02:35And then what are the drawbacks?
02:36The other drawback is it doesn't come with eyelets for a rack, for a rear rack, which
02:40I just think for a bike, which I think, you know, the only real reason why you'd be getting
02:44this is to sort of ride around town or city riding, commuting, and a rack mount is just
02:49a bit of a, it's a bit of a no brainer.
02:51I just, I don't really think that any bike meant for that purpose should ever come without
02:55one.
02:56Tell you what though, for a bike that's only 250 pounds, I think it cuts a really clean
03:01look.
03:01Often you can find bikes cheaper that, you know, they try and do too much, but this has
03:05kept it simple and it looks quite classy.
03:07Yeah.
03:07That's one of the things that I really like about it is in like, I don't think it doesn't
03:10look like it's worth 250 quid.
03:12If you start to look close, like you have to, the components are on the sort of cheaper
03:15side, but in terms of the design, it's pretty timeless looking.
03:18It's got a very minimal design, but it's not boring to look at.
03:21It's got the drop seat stays, which is, you know, quite a sort of modern feature.
03:24I think it just looks really clean and elegant.
03:25I think it's a smart looking bike.
03:27Now, one of the most important things is how the bike actually feels to ride.
03:30So what is it like to ride?
03:32It's really nice to ride.
03:33I must say it's really comfortable.
03:34You've got 32 millimetre tyres on there at the moment, and it can take up to 37 millimetre
03:39tyres, which is pretty good.
03:40It's got a full steel frame, which again, for the price is really good.
03:43So a lot of comfort comes through that.
03:45It's got very upright riding position, as you might imagine, obviously the flat bars,
03:49very short stem.
03:50So it does, as much as it's sort of nice and sort of you can cruise along quite comfortably,
03:54it is also quite twitchy and does feel a little bit nervous.
03:57Yes.
03:57But also, you know, kind of good for cornering.
03:59And it's, you know, it's very nippy if you're weaving in and out of traffic and, you know,
04:03tighter spaces.
04:04To be honest, for a bike that costs £250, brand new bike that costs £250, I really
04:08don't think that there's much to complain about.
04:10If you just want something, you don't want to spend much money on a bike, you just need
04:13something to get around, then look no further, basically.
04:20So next up, we have a bike from Queller.
04:27Ed, what is this gorgeous thing we have behind us?
04:29So this is the Queller Oxford from the Varsity range.
04:32So you've got the Oxford, the Cambridge and the Edinburgh.
04:35Yeah.
04:35Difference between them is they all just have different colourways.
04:37Worth mentioning, I've actually got one of these.
04:40So I'm very familiar with this bike.
04:41That doesn't mean I'm going to be biased towards it throughout the test, because as much as
04:45I love this bike, it has required quite a few tweaks of the spec in order to get it
04:49that way.
04:49But I'll move on to that a bit later.
04:51So how much does this bike come in at?
04:53So this bike costs £529.
04:55It's got a full steel frame.
04:58So it's a chromo steel frame.
04:59Well, it's a track frame, actually.
05:00So it's got the track geometry, as you can kind of see from looking at it.
05:03So it's pretty aggressive compared to the other bikes.
05:0644-16 gear ratio, which is the highest, but I think a perfect ratio for this bike.
05:12You know, when you look at this bike, it's got deep wheels.
05:14It's clearly meant to be ridden fast.
05:16So to have the higher ratio makes perfect sense.
05:18It's got the flip-flop hub.
05:19This time actually does come with the fixed sprocket on the back, and this is the sort
05:23of bike that I can kind of imagine people wanting to ride fixed more so than the other
05:27ones.
05:27It's got eyelets, which it's interesting that this bike does have eyelets and the
05:30Helox doesn't have eyelets, because again, with the high gear ratio, I don't know how
05:34much you'd really want to weigh this bike down with stuff and a rack, and a rack in
05:38itself adds on a lot of weight.
05:40It's also the lightest bike on the test.
05:41So it comes in at 10.3kg without pedals.
05:44And again, due to that sort of chromo steel frame, it's light, but it's extremely stiff.
05:49So it is a harsh ride on roads.
05:51It'll be great in a velodrome.
05:53On the road, you feel absolutely everything through it.
05:55Also, I've never used Bullhorn handlebars before, and I can't say that I'm a massive
05:59fan of them.
05:59Okay.
06:00So these ones have got quite a thin diameter.
06:02They've got this vegan leather bar tape, which, you know, I'm all for vegan leather.
06:06But yeah, they are quite thin, pretty uncomfortable.
06:08And I just, I don't know what your experience is like with Bullhorn handlebars, but I don't
06:13quite see why for a bike that's, you know, an urban bike, why you'd want them.
06:18Because the main position that you're going to want to ride in is out on the sides of
06:20them like that, at which point you don't really have easy access to the brakes.
06:24So you're kind of either riding like that or riding like that.
06:28So if you're descending, you're riding like this on the brakes, but that doesn't feel
06:31very stable to me.
06:33So on my one, I've, the first thing I did, I changed those to drop bars.
06:36So now that I've got it dialed in, I absolutely love the bike.
06:39So riding it, it's quick.
06:40You could go for a higher gear ratio, depending on where you live.
06:44Like I ride it, obviously I clip into it.
06:47I don't really see this bike making too much sense on flat pedals.
06:49It's amazing what you can actually get up on this in terms of the gear ratio.
06:52When you're clipped in and you don't have the option to drop gears, you're like, well,
06:56it's either, I'm either getting up here or I'm pushing.
06:58And I haven't yet, and I keep challenging myself, I haven't yet found a hill that I
07:02couldn't get up.
07:03Ah, fantastic.
07:04Yeah.
07:04So what other drawbacks does this bike have?
07:06Obviously you've mentioned the Bullhorn handlebars that you're not a fan of.
07:09Personally, as much as I love the look of the wheels, I am just thinking that they're
07:13very heavy.
07:14So what was that actually like?
07:15They are heavy.
07:17You know, they're a sort of a midsection, 40 millimetres deep.
07:20So, you know, nice and aerodynamic.
07:21They are rather beautiful in my opinion.
07:23But when you ride it, it's out of all the bikes, it is by far the least comfortable.
07:30But the bike, I just don't think is meant to be comfortable.
07:33I think it's meant to be fast.
07:34So I don't think it's uncomfortable by accident.
07:36Yeah.
07:36These are aluminium wheels.
07:38You feel a lot through the road, like it is quite jarring.
07:41And again, you've got the track frame, which is very stiff.
07:44On a smooth surface, it's absolutely fantastic.
07:46And it's by far the fastest bike.
07:47Yeah.
07:48But, you know, the English roads aren't that smooth.
07:50Also, in terms of the comfort or lack thereof, you've got these 25 millimetre tyres, which
07:55aren't great.
07:56I reckon you could squeeze a 28 millimetre in there, might be a little bit tight on the
07:59rear.
07:59But I think that you'd then have all of the same riding characteristics, you know, aggressive
08:03and, you know, it's quite nippy and it'd still be light.
08:06But it'd just give you a bit more comfort, which it currently just doesn't really have.
08:14So bikes are often referred to as steeds, but in this case, we actually have a bike
08:22called the Steed Flowerbred.
08:24And now, Ed, I'm pretty sure you're a big fan of this bike, right?
08:27I do.
08:27I absolutely love this bike.
08:28This is such a fantastic kind of no messing around, it knows what it is, type machine.
08:33And I've thoroughly enjoyed riding it around.
08:36OK, cool.
08:36So highlights.
08:37Talk to me about some of the best.
08:39Highlights.
08:39So it's a high tensile steel frame.
08:42So it's very strong, very durable, a little bit on the heavier side, but it's, well, 10.7kg.
08:48So, you know, not vastly different from the Queller, which I think was like 10.3.
08:52Yeah.
08:52What ratio are we running on this bike?
08:54This one, we've got a 46-18.
08:56Again, you've got the flip-flop hub.
08:58Yeah.
08:59That ratio complements the bike well.
09:00It's a softer ratio than on the Queller, but it's not as low as the Elops.
09:05Again, it's good for getting starting and stopping.
09:06It's a bit more forgiving on the climbs or little steep ramps.
09:10Yeah.
09:10So what other highlights are there?
09:12So one of the things I really like about this bike is the quill stem.
09:14And I'd say that for this sort of bike, there is an argument to say that a quill stem is
09:18more practical than your sort of more conventional stem spacer.
09:22Set up, you can, you know, with like two turns of an Allen key, you're, you know,
09:25lifting up and down.
09:26You may want to have different positions for what you're using it for.
09:28If you're commuting to work, you'll have a bag on the front, you know, a bit higher.
09:31You can get down a little bit more poised for, you know, if you're going for like a longer ride.
09:35And yeah, like I say, it's just twist, lift, tighten, done.
09:40Also looks fantastic.
09:41It carries on the sort of traditional look of the bike and just, you know,
09:44more pops of chrome and I'm a sucker for anything chrome on a bike.
09:49Now, of course, no bike is perfect.
09:51So what problems has this one got?
09:53Only one main problem, I'd say, and that is that the vegan leather handlebar grips,
09:58they have this stitching beneath them.
10:00And when you're kind of gripping onto them when climbing,
10:02it just starts to irritate your hands very quickly.
10:04I mean, really, that is a very small problem to have because grips can be changed so easily.
10:09Well, exactly.
10:10So this bike clearly then is actually very good.
10:13It is very good.
10:14It takes, it's got 28mm tyres on at the moment.
10:17They're good enough tyres.
10:18They're the Kenda Quest tyres.
10:20So they're, I mean, they're pretty cheap tyres.
10:22They're not the most supple feeling, but they're extremely robust.
10:27Right.
10:27So I don't think you'd be worrying too much about punctures on, you know, general road surfaces.
10:31The bike kind of just like bowls over most things.
10:34So now who do you think this bike is really best for?
10:37I'd say this bike is best for someone who is kind of looking for an all-rounder.
10:41So wants to use it for both commuting,
10:43riding around the city and just sort of longer leisure rides.
10:46You've got the rack mounts and the gear ratio would,
10:50you know, you could add a bit more weight to this bike
10:52and still ride around quite comfortably.
10:53Whereas obviously you couldn't really on the Queller, in my opinion.
10:56Yeah.
10:57And it is, you know, I took this out for a 50 miler to test it.
11:00That was...
11:00Really?
11:01Yeah.
11:01Wow.
11:01And it did deal with the hills well.
11:03And there was two particularly steep ones.
11:05And I was very much just sort of like, you know,
11:08just I wasn't really like sort of like spinning up it.
11:10I was just sort of like shifting my weight from each pedal.
11:13But yeah, it did get up it.
11:14That's the point.
11:15Yeah.
11:15So yeah, really versatile.
11:17Wheelbase is what, 103 centimeters.
11:20So kind of middle of the road, but it kind of, it corners really nicely.
11:23Flat handlebars, but they're not too wide.
11:25So you know, you can, it's quite nippy.
11:27There's not that much to say about it other than I just think it's a really good,
11:30really reliable, fun bike.
11:33So what does this bike come in at?
11:34So this bike comes in at 475 pounds, which makes it the second cheapest of the five.
11:39Yeah.
11:39Which again, 475 pounds is an absolute steal as far as I'm concerned.
11:43You know, you've got everything you need on this bike.
11:45And at that price, you can't really complain about it.
11:47And the frame itself, obviously high tensile steel, very strong.
11:51You could buy this bike and have it for the rest of your life.
11:53It's not going to, you know, it's not going to fall apart on you.
11:55So I think for 475 pounds, other than those, very little to complain about.
11:59And I would swap the tires for something a bit more supple.
12:02Something with the same amount of puncture protection,
12:04just a bit more, kind of a bit smoother.
12:06And then I think you've basically got the perfect single speed bike.
12:17This is a gorgeous bike.
12:19Now this is the Temple, right?
12:21And it is utterly beautiful.
12:23Talk us through what we're looking at.
12:24It is.
12:24So this is the sort of boutique option of the bikes that we have on test.
12:28So it starts at 825 pounds,
12:31which I think some people would say is quite steep for a bike with only one gear.
12:36Basically, you have to buy it as a custom option from Temple.
12:39But the main difference between this and the other bikes other than the price
12:42is that the frame isn't single speed specific.
12:44This has got a single speed conversion kit on it.
12:46So when you're looking at the price,
12:48you can sort of look at it as it's kind of worth the extra money
12:51because you're not limited to it being a single speed.
12:53You could then, if you wanted to run it with a full spread of gears.
12:55That's one of the things which I think justifies the higher price.
12:58So Ed, just run us through the spec on this.
13:00What are we looking at?
13:00Okay, so this one we've got Reynolds 520 double butted frame.
13:03It's the highest, you know, end frame in terms of frame material.
13:06We've got a 39-15 gear ratio.
13:09When I'm riding along on this one, I do find myself spinning out quicker.
13:13It's got a bigger gear inch than the Steed.
13:15Yeah.
13:15But it just feels easier.
13:18Okay.
13:18And on longer rides, I do find myself getting a bit impatient
13:22because I'm sort of like, you know, I could be going faster than this.
13:24Yes.
13:24And I'm really kind of spinning out.
13:26But it's ridiculously comfortable.
13:28These hoods are the most ergonomic hoods I've ever used.
13:32They're absolutely lovely.
13:34It's really smooth.
13:35I think the tyres play a big part in that.
13:37They're 28 millimetres.
13:39You can go some pretty like rutted surfaces on it.
13:41And what was the saddle like then for comfort?
13:43Comfortable.
13:44Although I found when I rode it in like proper cycling shorts,
13:46I was sort of sliding down it because it's got,
13:48it's quite a shiny vegan leather, I believe.
13:51It's not the most grippy surface.
13:53It's not particularly grippy saddle, no.
13:55It's actually better suited to wearing like just like regular clothes.
13:58Sure.
13:58But on longer rides, I prefer to, you know, get the old Lycra's on.
14:04Also, in terms of the ride feel, it's got a longer wheelbase than say the Steed.
14:08It's about 106 centimetres.
14:10And as much as that's very comfortable, you feel very planted.
14:14Riding out of the saddle up hills, it does feel a bit sluggish.
14:17Okay.
14:17But even though it's a lighter frame, it feels less responsive.
14:21I think mainly because of that longer wheelbase,
14:23it's a bit of a kind of a slog to get it up things.
14:26But then it's a hell of a lot more comfortable.
14:28So I think that's kind of a trade-off.
14:29That's the trade-off.
14:29I think they wanted it to be comfortable.
14:31As a consequence, it's not the nippiest of bikes.
14:34Yeah.
14:34In terms of the looks of the bike, this is the winner in terms of the looks of the bike.
14:39It's absolutely stunning.
14:40I don't think bikes ever needed to evolve visually beyond that.
14:44You know what I mean?
14:45I do know what you mean.
14:46I know you get some lovely modern bikes, but come on, parallel top is just lovely.
14:49You've got these lovely little details, the lugged fork.
14:52You've got the seat clamp, which is a bit of a work of art in itself.
14:55Just all these kind of beautiful little nuances.
14:57But then the Temple logo is just a sticker.
15:00It wouldn't stop me from buying the bike.
15:02No.
15:02But it's a bit like...
15:03It's one of those things.
15:04It's like, come on.
15:05Everything out there's been so much love and attention gone into the frame,
15:08and then you just sort of whack a sticker on it, which a bit disappointing.
15:11But again, not really the end of the world.
15:12That's true.
15:13So who do you think this bike's really for?
15:14Well, someone who's looking to spend a bit more.
15:16Yeah.
15:17I think someone who's really into their single speeds
15:19and wants one that's sort of completely tailored to their needs.
15:22Like I say, this is a custom option from Temple,
15:24so you can choose what type of handlebars you want,
15:26your tyres, your saddle when ordering.
15:28So somebody knows exactly what they want,
15:30is after something a bit more luxury,
15:32and is happy to spend a little bit more for it.
15:34I mean, I keep talking about the price like it's really going to break the bank.
15:36£825 for a bike isn't actually that bad.
15:39I mean, it's quite refreshing, frankly,
15:40for us to be talking about a bike on Cycling Weekly
15:42that's not worth north of £10,000.
15:45Yeah.
15:45So it's not actually that expensive.
15:47It's just I think a lot of people would see it as that for a single speed,
15:51but then you can make it not a single speed.
15:53So you can kind of look at it as investing in the frame.
15:55Yeah.
15:56With a single speed option, and then you can upgrade it.
15:58I think when you look at it like that,
16:00it's not actually an unreasonable price.
16:02That's true.
16:02And it looks really nice hung up on my wall.
16:05So I'm going to be very sad when I have to give it back.
16:15Now last up, we have the Genesis Flyer.
16:17And now this bike, it looks pretty different to everything else
16:20that we've had in the video so far.
16:21So talk us through it.
16:23Okay, so what we have here is essentially a single speed gravel bike.
16:28Yeah.
16:28Genesis have updated the Flyer last couple of years
16:30and taken it more down the gravel route.
16:32You can see why it's, you know, such a popular thing.
16:34Yeah.
16:34But I mean, considering that single speeds are already pretty niche as they are.
16:38Yeah.
16:38Then introducing a sort of gravel version of it.
16:42Yeah.
16:42Doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense.
16:45But I think if you consider gravel bikes to ultimately be drop bar hybrid bikes,
16:50this then makes a lot more sense.
16:52So what aspects of this bike make it gravelly?
16:54Okay, so the geometry, it's got an endurance geometry.
16:58So it's got a longer wheelbase.
16:59It's got a higher front end, slightly slacker angles.
17:01It's got these Flyer drop handlebars.
17:04It's got nice wide WTB all-terrain tires.
17:07It's got about as many eyelets as I think I've ever seen on a bike.
17:11It's got 22 eyelets.
17:13So you could mount basically,
17:15I'm still trying to work out a way that you could use every single eyelet at the same time.
17:18Haven't worked it out.
17:20You've got disc brakes.
17:22Yeah.
17:22So obviously you can't really have,
17:23you can't really go down the gravel route without having disc brakes.
17:25But the disc brakes are not great.
17:28There are mechanical disc brakes.
17:29They don't perform any better,
17:31in some cases worse than the rim brakes on the other bikes.
17:33Yeah.
17:34They will perform better in the wet though.
17:35So if you consider it as a sort of like all year round winter bike,
17:38you know, you can ride it, you know, in any weather.
17:40That's true.
17:41Are there any other downsides to the bike?
17:43Yeah, quite a big one for me.
17:44The Pro Max hoods are absolutely pathetic.
17:48They are tiny.
17:49Like you'll be able to see in the GoPro footage,
17:50there's like very little to hold on to.
17:52Yeah.
17:53So, and I'm thinking, you know,
17:54you can use this to go over really like rutted, quite extreme terrain.
17:58And yet all you've got to hold on to is this tiny little knoblet at the top.
18:01So I just think that it wouldn't take much for your hand to just sort of slip off
18:04if you're going down something really, you know, it's really choppy.
18:06I just don't think it's very safe.
18:08Okay, for sure.
18:09And then highlights then.
18:11Clearly, there's a lot going on here.
18:13What was it actually like to ride?
18:15So this is by far the most fun bike to ride of all of them.
18:17Okay, wow.
18:18By a mile.
18:19Yeah.
18:19If you're doing like a sort of blind test, I don't know how you'd do that.
18:22But if you were doing a blind test, then this one would win like straight out.
18:26It's the only bike that's got an aluminium frame.
18:29Yes.
18:30Normally, I'm sort of like, no, I like steel.
18:31I like sort of classic steel frame.
18:33But with this one, this is absolutely perfect.
18:35Looking at it, you're not going to assume that it's light.
18:36No.
18:36It's the second lightest on test.
18:38It's 10.4, I believe.
18:40So only like 100 grams below the Queller.
18:43And that's mainly down to the double-butted aluminium frame.
18:46And what I love about the bike is that with the comfort that comes through the 37mm tyres,
18:51with, you know, it's quite good.
18:53It's got a decent tread pattern on it.
18:54Yeah.
18:55That gives you loads of comfort and stability.
18:57The aluminium frame with the smaller triangles with the dropped top tube
19:01makes it really, really responsive and light.
19:03So not only sort of cruising along really comfortably,
19:06when you get out of the saddle, like you can, you know,
19:07you pick up speed like that.
19:09It's so responsive to get going.
19:10Yeah.
19:10So it's just fun.
19:12And, OK, yes, they've gone for the sort of gravel aesthetic,
19:15and it's got features found on gravel bikes.
19:16But, you know, this doesn't ever have to see any gravel.
19:19Like these things are perfect for riding around town.
19:22Yeah.
19:23The roads in England could be just as treacherous as like off-road gravel tracks.
19:26So, you know, this thing would be perfect for it.
19:28So some modern innovations, you might say, are actually quite good.
19:31Well, yeah, I've kind of had to eat my words here because, you know,
19:34I'm a complete sucker for a horizontal top tube, that sort of classic thing.
19:37Nice steel frame.
19:38Which all of them have got a horizontal top tube.
19:40But this is the one that's the most fun.
19:41This is the most fun to ride.
19:43So one of my main points for this bike is that it comes in at 700 quid.
19:46Yeah.
19:47But I don't think I'd be able to bring myself to spend 700 quid on it
19:52when for an extra 100 quid, you can get the Genesis CDA 10,
19:56which is basically the same frame.
19:57But, yeah, that's got a full Claris groupset on it.
20:00So for a bike this capable, this is going to sound a bit stupid
20:04because this is all about single speeds.
20:06The only thing letting it down or holding it back is it only has one gear.
20:09Sure.
20:09So if I was going to buy a bike like this, it would be for bike touring.
20:14I want to do it in great comfort.
20:15And this would be perfect with a full spread of gears.
20:17But saying that and bringing it back to single speeds now,
20:20for someone who does want to take advantage of the simplicity and the reliability,
20:24this is a fantastic option.
20:26And you're better off having all of these extra features
20:28that the other bikes don't have rather than not having them.
20:31That's true.
20:31So what actually is the ratio on this bike, then?
20:33This is a 42-17.
20:35OK.
20:35So it's the second lowest of the bikes, which actually makes sense.
20:38But over certain road surfaces, I'd say it's actually the fastest bike.
20:42Despite the fact that the Quella has the capability to go faster.
20:45Yeah.
20:45You're hitting, it's like you're chattering along if there's any road imperfection
20:49and it does just slow you down.
20:50Yeah.
20:51This just bowls straight over the top of it.
20:52It's like smooth.
20:53It's like a, you know, magic carpet ride, as they say.
20:55So yeah, I'd say in certain circumstances, this is the fastest bike as well.
20:58Wow.
20:59OK.
20:59That's really impressive.
21:00Now, not only is this bike a gravel bike, which is a niche,
21:03but it's also a single speed, which is another niche.
21:05Who's this bike really for?
21:07Well, I think that this could suit, I don't think this is for any one person.
21:11OK.
21:11I'm sure that there is like a sort of subculture of people out there
21:14who just like single speed gravel biking.
21:15Yeah.
21:16Fine.
21:16Very specific, but you know, great fun, I'm sure.
21:18But then it's also perfectly set up for commuting, town riding, as well as off-roading.
21:22And it's pretty quick as well.
21:24It's fun to ride really fast on and go long distances,
21:27as well as, you know, short commutes in the pissing rain.
21:30You've got the disc brakes that can handle it.
21:31So I think a lot of people could benefit from this bike.
21:34Gravel single speed bike sounds like one of the most niche things I've ever heard,
21:37but it's a lot more than that.
21:40So out of all of the bikes that you've had on TestEd, which would you take home?
21:45OK, well, I'm very tempted by this one.
21:47Yeah.
21:47If I could just take one now, I'm not spending my money on it,
21:50I'd absolutely just take this because I think it's the most fun to ride.
21:53But as I said, if I am spending money,
21:56I'd be more tempted to just spend a bit more and just get a fully geared version of it.
22:01Putting money back in?
22:01Putting money back in. The Steed.
22:03I'd spend £475 to get the Steed, and I just think that's a fantastic bike.
22:07It knows exactly what it is.
22:08It's very simple, perfect for what I'd be using it for,
22:11which is basically riding around town, but also some longer rides as well.
22:13And I just think that for £475, you can't really complain.
22:17Well, Ed, thank you so much for putting so much time and effort
22:19into testing all of these bikes.
22:21Absolute pleasure.
22:22It's been incredibly insightful.
22:23Now, everyone, which bike would you choose? Let us know down in the comments below.
22:27If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like,
22:29subscribe to the channel for more content, and we will see you again very soon.