Road riding ss/fg is fun but for most people (self included) something to do on the side of riding with gears or other types of riding, in my case mostly mountain and cross. Some people are really committed to it but they tend to be experienced cyclists who have ridden a long time with gears and without and developed a preference over that time. Others are into it because it's trendy, but I've noticed they don't stick with road riding or end up getting a geared bike pretty quickly.

So yeah, the Allez Double or something used with gears would be a far better choice for a beginner.