The first and probably biggest advantage of single speed bikes is their ability to coast or cruise. This can make bombing down hills feel comfortable and overall much safer. On the subject of safety, single speed bikes also come standard with brakes, making stopping easy and simple. In fact, probably the biggest advantage of single speed bikes is how easy they are to ride. At any given time, you can just hop on and ride away, no experience required, making it a great transition from other types of bikes to riding fixed.
Fixed gear bikes, contrary to single speed bikes, have a very different feel when riding. The first time hopping on a fixed gear will feel incredibly different that riding a single speed or most other bikes with the ability to coast. Since the cranks are always turning when the rear wheel is turning, this also means that if the cranks stop, the rear wheel stops. With practice, this means that stopping the bike purely with your legs, and no brakes, is both possible and much more reliable.
While many people who ride fixed also ride brakes for that extra stopping power, many choose to take off their brakes after learning how to ride without them, leaving the bike to look even cleaner and more simplistic than before. On the fixed gear bicycle pedals and rear wheel are directly connected, meaning when the rear wheel is spinning, pedals are spinning as well. Due to this, you cannot coast on the fixed gear bicycle and have to pedal every time the bike is moving.
There are some really positive benefits to this. First one is that fixed gear bicycles are considered a great tool for effective exercise because since you cannot stop pedaling you will maintain higher heart rate during the exercise. The second good reason is that due to the effect of ever spinning pedals you will learn to maintain better-pedaling cadence that is more consistent and will see the results once you jump from your fixed gear bicycle to your geared bike immediately.
Some do not have brakes fitted at all relying on road position, rider skill and stopping the cranks to brake. Some are fitted with a single brake, usually on the front as the back brake is the wheel itself. It must be pointed out that riding a fixie without a front break on the road is illegal in the UK. Single speeds are ideal commuter or winter bikes as the lack of complex gearing makes them far easier to maintain.
In contrast, the most common use of fixed gear bikes is on the track. Most of the bikes you see speeding around the velodromes are fixed gears with no brakes. They have also become commonly used as city bikes, but are rarely seen out on country roads.
Fixed gear criteriums have become increasingly popular over the past few years, chere cyclists compete in circuit races on fixies without any front brake. A freewheel is similar to a ratchet.
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