Steed Single Speed Bikes - The Design
How are single speed bikes made at Steed Bikes? The first thing we ask ourselves is Who is this bike for? and What will they use it for? But on top of that we always think about what that person may wish to use it for? We believe that buying a bike isn't just about meeting a need, its about fulfilling a desire.
We put our customer, our rider, at the centre. The design then flows and evolves with the rider at its heart. What does our rider need and desire and how do we design a single speed bike/fixie bike that enables them to live out their aspirations? Be that commuting, exploring, exercising, racing, escaping, romancing, meeting up with friends or just popping to the shops.
And through all our research and collective experience at Steed Bikes we realised that whatever we designed, there were a few absolutes that we needed to ensure were in every single speed bike we made.
Comfortable
Your single speed bike has to be comfortable to sit on, to grip, to ride fast, to ride slow. Its got to be comfortable on bumpy roads as well as smooth ones. Its also needs to be comfortable to carry. A lot of our customers live in urban areas so need to carry their bike up steps to their apartments and hang on wall hangers whilst not in use.
We want our rider's body to feel good and not get a sore bum, or aching wrists or stiff shoulders when they ride our bikes. It needs to be a joyful experience.
Reliable
You need to be able to utterly depend on your Trusty Steed to get you where you need to go and you want to know that this lovely machine you’ve spent your hard earned money on is going to last the distance.
Nobody wants to get stuck out in the elements because their fixie bike died on them and nobody wants to be constantly having to replace their bike- it’s bad for the bank balance but its also a terrible waste of precious resources.
That’s why when we make single speed bikes, we design-in reliability and durability. And this starts with the frame. We bloody love steel. Steel is strong, its durable and it flexes with you. We spend many hours playing round with tube thickness, profiles and geometry to achieve the perfect strength to weight ratio.
But its not just the frame that’s important. If the frame is the skeleton, then the components are the organs, and key components such as brakes, wheels and drive train all need to be excellent quality and long lasting.
We believe your bike should be for life. We believe in our bikes so much that we offer a lifetime guarantee on every single speed bike we make.
Stylish
How single speed bikes are made at Steed Bikes may differ from other fixie bike brands. Our designs are drawn from the classic bike silhouette first produced in Paris in late 19th century. The 1890s saw the biggest bike craze the world has known with the invention of chain-drive transmission. Soon the whole of Europe and America were on two wheels and the bicycle we know and love today was born.
Over a century later, and we believe that this vintage bike style still looks the part on our modern day streets.
The Steed Bike aesthetic is a 21st century take on this timeless classic. We have designed our bikes to honour the geometry of those first Parisian single speed bikes whilst using the latest technology available to ensure a swift, smooth and stylish ride every time. Stitched vegan leather handgrips and saddle, and chrome finishes add to the classic look whilst our powder coated frame colourways are inspired by the vibrant front doors of the Islington streets we call home.
No wonder lifestyle magazines such as GQ love us and has named Steed Bikes as their best commuter bike.
Affordable
A big thing for the Steed Bikes team is that whatever we design, it needs to be affordable.
We believe cycling is for everybody and the benefits of jumping on your bike should be accessible to all. Its been one of our biggest challenges to balance affordability with quality. We make single speed bikes that are as wallet friendly as possible but without compromising on the other key elements of reliability, durability, comfort and style. There are other cheaper bikes out there, but they are made with poor quality materials and components which just dont last the distance. Often this ends up costing the rider more in repair fees than their bike cost in the first place.
Every Steed Bike is made with the best quality materials possible at the most affordable price for bikes of this callibre.
We know that it's a big deal buying a fixie bike and we work hard to ensure that your hard earned money is well spent.
