What's the deal with ss bikes? I don't see the appeal.
There are a number of reasons that are not that compelling to most people.
1. It's cool. More of a fixed gear thing than just a single speed thing. By cool, I mean "hipster" cool. So it can also make you a douchebag. Depends on your point of view.
2. Less stuff to break. My friend was destroying derraileurs on a regular basis. He went SS to simplify his mechanical system and have less stuff to break.
3. More efficient drivetrain. Single speed power transmission is more efficient, but only marginally so. From personal experience, pedaling a single speed just feels smoother. YMMV!
4. Eliminates gear anxiety. On a geared bike, you are always shifting because you are in the wrong gear half the time. On a single speed, you KNOW you are in the wrong gear but can't do anything about it.
5. It's different. On a geared bike you shift to maintain your cadence. On a single speed you change your cadence to modulate your speed. It's a different style of riding that appeals to some and not to others.
6. It's a great workout. Riding hills on a single speed forces you to attack hills so you don't lose momentum. Pushes you to push yourself.
7. It's hard work. (clearly of marginal utility for the average Joe...)
