Single-minded cyclists have old-school cool

In a world full of modern technological wizardry and gimcrackery, sometimes simple is better.
Take, for instance, single-speed bicycles.
There's been a movement in the mountain biking community over the past decade or so to rip out all the unnecessary parts - derailleurs, cassettes, cables, shifters and other components of the modern 27-speed drive train - and get back to the basics of propelling a two-wheeled vehicle.
One chain ring, one sprocket, a chain (or belt) and a lot of leg work.
Clean, elegant, efficient.
"We're shedding new light on an old tradition," said Carl Decker of Bend, Ore., a two-time national single speed champion (2004, '05) and runner-up in last summer's Single Speed World Championships in Scotland.

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