As mentioned by several others, I like the simplicity of a SS. I first entertained the idea on a ride where my front derailleur broke and left me in the big ring all day. I began to notice that when I would get near other riders there was a lot of shifting going on. Clunking, banging, and noisy shifting. The SS is quiet, efficient, and with a 48/17 works good for almost everything. Some hills are a little tough, but I haven't run across anything here that I have had to walk up. Oh, and it's one less thing to worry about.