I have always been a "less is more" guy, so the simplicity and aesthetics of a bare-bones bike just appealed to me.

I think there is a huge difference between riding fixed gear and single-speed though, so its worth separating the "whys" for both.

In terms of being practical, fixed gear just flat-out isn't for many(hell, maybe even most) especially brakeless. Keep in mind that a lot of people have a quiver of bikes to choose from, not just one. I would guess that if you put a gun to a lot of fixie riders heads(age 21+) and made them pick just ONE to ride for the next year, they wouldn't pick their fixie. I know I'll probably get flamed for saying that(INB4 people qoute my post and use it as a platform to show how badass and commited to fixies they are)

I think a decent single-speed, CX style bike is just about as practical as it gets though for a lot of applications. Two brakes, 28-32c tires, maybe throw on some fenders. And you have something that you can commute to work or class on, as well as have some fun racing on the weekend.

That said, riding fixed gear is definitely fun. I also like the feeling of knowing I can handle pretty much all of the maintenance on my bike myself.

/guy who only has one bike and its a fixed gear.