Hello; My first bike, as a child, was a single speed back in the 50's. That was all anyone had for years. My second bike was a three speed. Three speeds were a big improvement. Now I want the most practical number of gear combinations possible. A single speed is a compromise that is fine for crusing on mild hils and level roads, but does not have the lower gearing for steep hills or the higher gears for moving along on level roads without spinning at a fast rate.