Originally Posted by Koyote

That's not what you actually suggested in the post to which I had responded.

Your suggestion would get a person a rather lousy version of a SS or fixie, as you might figure out if you actually look more closely at such bikes -- they are NOT simply multi-geared bikes which have had derailleurs and such omitted. And it would be LESS economical, since you would be starting with a more costly bike and then removing bits and pieces.