BarracksSi

The best way to decide on SS is to pick one gear combination and only use THAT combo for, say a whole month. I thought I sold myself on SS after a week of riding in one combination (I picked a gear combo that had the same overall ratio as a particular SS bike I found on Craigslist, which I then bought), but I didn't ride over enough of my usual territory and eventually regretted buying the SS bike. But if it works for you, then go for it.

You mean with skinny tires and flat handlebars? I had one of those, too; well, kind of, because although it had skinny tires and could cruise pretty quickly, it (a Cannondale Bad Boy) was based on a mountain bike frame. Worked great, was a lot of fun, but when I started putting in bigger distances, I wished for drop bars and a quicker-handling frame. That's when I got a road bike, and soon sold the Bad Boy.

I don't think I've ridden anything longer than 175. There are some guys around the forums that have, though. The one tangible drawback I can think of would be a limited selection of 180mm cranks.

Solid rubber or foam rubber? Oh God, no. I think our city's rent-a-bikes might use airless tires because they handle like pigs, but I'm not sure. There are tubeless tires now, though, that fit directly on the wheel rim (just like a car tire) and don't use an inner tube. They make them for mountain bikes and road bikes, but I don't know about other styles of tire.

Remember, my advice is free, and you get what you pay for.