>>1140450>Is a single speed my best option?No, it's about the worst option for your purposes, really.
If you want to improve your aerobic endurance you need to spin at higher cadences, at least 80rpm, but 90-100rpm is ideal. Higher cadences have a higher impact on your cardio-vascular system which is what you want. You can't control cadence on a single-speed, your cadence varies.
>I feel like they're the best option for building resistance, also cycling up hills and shit, sprinting etc.You're already getting plenty of resistance training in the gym. Mashing pedals on hills on your non-lift days is precisely what you do not want to be doing. In fact I'd recommend you *avoid* hills, for your purposes, or make sure you're not hammering up them as hard as you can all the time. You'll just sabotage recovery between lifting sessions. So far as sprinting goes you need cadence control, and therefore gears, for that too. The 'sweet spot' for sprinting is about 120rpm for most people. But you won't be doing that for a while anyway, you have to work up to it, and since you're a beginner rider you'll have to spend some time working on pedaling mechanics in order to not fuck yourself up spinning all-out at 120rpm. Additionally you'll also need clipless pedals and appropriate shoes. You can't sprint properly with platform pedals, you're more likely to have a foot slip off and crash, hard, and maybe wreck your crotch on the top tube. Don't bother with toe cages or straps, they're a pain in the ass compared to clipless.
