Bike porn

sorry but I can't help thinking all single speed XC MTBs are completely ridiculous. Maybe an excercise in graceful building and certainly a good conversation starter for mustached chatter fucks, but as a machine to rip on, they fail. 100%.

XC bikes need a few gears to really go. Always anti for me.

IME they aren't much slower and generally faster up, i found the only limiting factor was the fork travel (on mine a 100mm fox compared to a 140/150 fork on my geared bikes) but you could say that about a short travel 'race' bike. it depends on the terrain you ride too. for twisty surrey hills singletrack they are well suited.
i guess if you are unfit and a bit of a pie eater then they wouldn't be fun to ride

they are no more "completely ridiculous" than a fixed gear bike on the roads.