When I moved to Queens, I got a single speed bike for commuting and running local errands. I love the simplicity of a single speed. No more anticipating changing gears, changing gears, and wondering if you are in the right gear. The constant tinkering works against the inherent simplicity of cycling.
I recently took a deeper dive into simplicity and switched to a fixed gear bike. A fixed gear doesn't allow you to "coast". You have to pedal at all times and you brake with your feet by stopping the pedals. Some people use front brakes with this setup because as you could imagine it sets you up for a hugely dangerous scenario not being able to stop very quickly in the face of danger.
The best analogy of how feels to be on a fixed gear bike when danger is approaching is when you are skiing on a steeper slope than you are comfortable with and you start speeding toward a tree out of control and you are having problems turning your skis. I've actually had a few close calls so far -- even thought about bailing off my bike to take the lesser pain of road rash vs. crashing into a car. But so far I've managed to escape each situation by keeping my cool. The upshot of riding a fixed gear bike is it is fun in an intense way and the workout is multiples of a regular bike because your legs are constantly in motion and your muscles are always working to control the cranks.
The more I write here the more I think I need to get a front brake. The bike doesn't look as cool but it sure beats dying.
Here's a pic of my rig. Bike porn at its best.
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