Comments on: KHS Urban Uno First Impression

By: Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:47:00 +0000

Technically, Will is right (and a fixed gear can legitimately be called a singlespeed), but the convention is as Raiyn explains.

I’m rather surprised to hear that about the fenders…but happy, too. I was thinking they were form over function.

By: Raiyn

Raiyn — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 07:47:49 +0000

@ Will
I’m just having some fun and I’m not really attacking you.

By: Raiyn

Raiyn — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 07:46:19 +0000

@ Will
While both have but one gear ratio (or “speed”) fixed gear or “fixies” are NOT referred to as “SS” or single speed. “SS / Single Speed” typically denotes a freewheel equipped bicycle unless you’re like Walmart (read retarded*) and just trying to up your poseur-riffic cred in which case you try to fudge the term by calling your bike something silly like a “fixed speed”

[i]* In this case “retarded” is used in the colloquial form and not to disparage anyone with an actual genetic or injury based mental handicap. It’s merely meant to offend the snot out of Walmart and any like-minded individuals and corporations (read Sarah Palin) .[/i]

By: Will

Will — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 02:50:37 +0000

I’ve been riding my KHS Urban Uno since January. Great ride.

@no1mad and others, the rear hub IS a flip-flop. However the bike only came with a rear cog on the free side of the hub. It DOES have the threads for the fixed cog. (Besides, aren’t both free wheels and fixies called SS’s (single speeds)?)

The fenders are small but they’ve kept me dry thus far. I was rather surprised, actually, at how well they worked.

@Brian, this is one of the few SS/fixies that comes with braze-ons on the seat stays for a rear rack. I live in Chicago, we don’t have hills, so it works great for commuting to work and grabbing groceries.

By: no1mad

no1mad — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:30:41 +0000

@Moe- The KHS site is a bit confusing to me. In the brief description, it is indeed labled a SS. Reading the specs, however, claims that the rear hub is a “Flip Flop”. I’m confused.

By: Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:55:32 +0000

@Mike,

Bullhorns can be comfortable if they’re set up right…but seriously, you’ve got a point. I think KHS understands that most riders aren’t gonna be spending a lot of time in the “Superman” position and will be riding on the tops, so the brake lever makes sense there. Me, I’d rather have barend levers — or, in a perfect world, both cross levers AND barends.

By: Mike Myers

Mike Myers — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 02:51:36 +0000

Bullhorns seem like they’d be very uncomfortable, and the cross brake lever is awfully far away from the “aero” position on the bar. Not my type of bike, but I’ll give ‘em credit for the blinged out chainring.

By: Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 23:20:37 +0000

I think the 9-2-5 has better fenders, too.

By: Moe

Moe — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:14:37 +0000

Both bikes have a similar “feel”, the biggest difference is that the Redline 925 has a flip-flop hub and can be ridden fixie style, the Urban Uno is sold as a single-speed only.

By: no1mad

no1mad — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:37:55 +0000

Guys- How do think the KHS compares to the Redline 925 that you tested some time back?