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The Gear Junkie: The Kona Paddy Wagon
Single-speed bikes are the cycling trend from left field, the impossibly illogical populist fad that in the past couple years has put untold thousands of people on bikes with just one steady -- often slow -- speed. I'm one of them.
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Single-speed bikes are the cycling trend from left field, the impossibly illogical populist fad that in the past couple years has put untold thousands of people on bikes with just one steady -- often slow -- speed. I'm one of them.
Upon closer look, these bikes are efficient, lightweight, low-maintenance, clean-looking, and often far less expensive than their gear-laden cousins. Bikes such as the Kona Paddy Wagon offer quick entrance into the single-speed scene. This strong, simple bike offers a clean, smooth and fast-enough ride. It's geared for hill-conquering ability, something missing from other single-speed setups I've tested.
Many single-speed bikemakers err on the side of easy pedaling, using gear/chain-ring ratios that spin out once any kind of substantial speed is obtained. But the Paddy Wagon comes set with a 42-tooth chain-ring and a 16-tooth freewheel in back, letting you power up past 20 miles per hour.
The rear wheel of the Paddy Wagon has a fixed cog opposite its freewheel gear, letting you flip the wheel around to convert the bike to a fixed-gear configuration.
Other features of the Paddy Wagon are, well, few. But that's the whole point. Kona made this bike to be nimble and lightweight. It'll create very little in the way of drivetrain issues, as there isn't much to the drivetrain. Its chromoly frame comes in heights from 49 to 60 cm; my 58-cm model fits my 6-foot-1-inch frame like a glove.
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