Hi Everyone, This is my first post on this forum-yahoo! Just wondering if anyone has any experience with singlespeed mtb riding? I have always ridden a geared mtb and love it, but I see ss riders out there and they are virtually always men. Why? I know it looks hardcore, but ditching all those gears has to make the bike at least a bit lighter! Even at local races I notice that there might be 15 men in the ss category but you'd be lucky to find even one female.

So, I'm curious about the whole ss gig. What are the benefits and why do you do it? Will ss riding make me a better & stronger rider? 26" versus 29", does it make a difference? rear suspension or hardtail? And what brands of bikes are recommended for a first time ss rider?