If you’re like me, you like speed, especially on a bike.  If you’re like me, you also have a lot to look forward to in life.

I’ve ridden both a 14 gear road bike and a single speed, knobby-clad mountain bike on my daily commutes.  For safety, the mountain bike wins hands down.  While having better handling, fewer flats and better breaking, the lack of speed is probably the most critical to safety.  After all, hitting something at 25 mph as compared to 15 mph can make quite a bit of difference.  I’ve also found that drivers don’t typically expect to see a bicycle traveling at 25-30 mph.  I know this because I’ve almost hit several as they turned in front of me.

If you’re worried about carrying too much speed on your commutes (because, like me, you can’t control yourself) , try a single speed.  And no, it doesn’t have to be a fixie.