Single-speed bicycles --- more colloquially referred to in bicycling slang as "fixies" --- break away from modern bicycling technology trends. Instead of offering dozens of gears and intricate components, the bicycle frame relies on a simple single-speed hub. If you choose to ride a single-speed bicycle, you'll discover several distinct advantages that this bike offers over more complex, multigear bikes.
Better Poor Weather Performance
If you regularly ride in bad weather, such as rain or sleet, or find yourself in mucky terrain such as a muddy, slipper mountain slope, you'll love that single-speed bikes drop all of those intricate wires, gear hubs and other complex components. With fewer external pieces, there's less potential for your bike to get jammed or clogged, so you can enjoy your ride without obsessing over your bike's handling.
Enhanced Road Feel
Unlike multispeed bicycles, there are no intricate gear systems between you and the road. Instead, each pedal connects your foot directly with the wheel. This helps the rider stay more in-sync with his pedaling and the way his bike reacts to the road surface, and imparts a more tactile connection with the ground. Some riders find this preferable, much like how some car drivers prefer manual transmission over automatic because they can better "feel" their car and the road.
Greater Exercise Potential
If you're riding your bicycle for fitness purposes, single-speed bikes give you a harder workout than multispeed bicycles. Unlike the latter, you can't adjust your gears as you climb a hill or go down a slope. Instead, it's all regulated by the strength of your legs --- some fixed gear bikes don't even have brakes, requiring the rider to instead push back against the pedals to slow down. "Single speeds belong in the arsenal of every serious cyclist," says "Bicycling" editor Stephen Madden, "because of the benefits they provide to your cadence and leg strength."
Lower Maintenance
With fewer components to deal with, monthly and annual maintenance --- retooling your gear hub serves as a very common example --- gets minimized. That means you have to visit the bike shop less, and spend less on component repair or replacement, so you have more time and money for actually riding your bike.
Fashionable Aesthetics
Many single-speed bikes come designed like those from the era in which they were first created and became popular: the 1940s and '50s. This creates a hip, retro and somewhat countercultural design aesthetic. If you want to look stylish while you're riding, saddling up on a single-speed bike can quickly help set you apart, style-wise, from traditional road and mountain bikes.
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