Pulled a couple of quotes from the surly forum:
So who does ride a fixed? I’ve ridden on the old 300 meter track in Carson, CA but haven’t done anything since the mid 90s. Went to inagural World Cup at the new velodrome. In fact, there is a world cup event this week end that I may try to go see.
The last thing I need in the garage is another bike, but I could be arm twisted 
I’m pretty sure you are talking about some form of bicycling, but beyond that I’m not sure I understand. Do you mean a bicycle with only one gear setting? How would you get up hills?
djm
well you just have to walk and push the bike, easy … 
tow rope
Not only that but you cannot freewheel.
Advantages:-Lighter, less to go wrong, teaches you to have a high cadence, in Britain only required to have a front brake as you can ‘kick back’ to slow down.
Only known disadvantage:-Liable to ground pedals when cornering, that lifts the rear wheel and you bin the cycle and yourself.
I think I’d bring my come-along. 
djm
I used to be sooo good at that… 
I just joined AARP. Am I in the wrong thread?
Hi
I ride an old Raleigh Pro frame from the 80’s pared down to a fixed gear. At my wife’s request I put on a front brake. I rode for years with none. Here in Portland we had a recent court case where they were going to require brakes on fixies but the messenger crowd appealed and proved to the court that they could actually stop just as fast with their burly legs than bike cops could with brakes. You cant swing a cat without hitting a fixed gear bike in portland.
On a related note. I am building up a super cool 1980s superlightweight Gianni Motta race bike (it’s off getting a frame repair while I recondition the Campi Grupo) I am looking for any Gianni Motta stuff ( parts,jerseys, hats, decals etc.) that anyone might want to part with.
I was at one time thinking that I would go “hard core” and do the one speed thing, but then I read this page and decided that I would just stick to the cheap multi speed bikes that I tend to destroy in three years. When I lock up to the rack, there are usually at least two fixed gear bikes on the rack. They look simple, sleek, and light (usually retrofitted ten speeds) and it is always neat to see one pop up to the light and balance on their two wheels waiting for the change to green, but I like changing gears on the hills and the ability to coast. But then, I am more into the daily commute with fenders and the other amenities.
753 frame by any chance
to all- I thought this topic would generate but a few comments but looks like I was mistaken.
DJM
Yes, get off and walk
ID.10-t- Sheldon Brown was a great guy and had a heap of knowledge on things Raleigh.
Hi again - I’ve been riding a fixie for years - had an old Gios in Dublin that I filed off all the braze ons which was great. In New York now I’ve got a Viner track frame - its okay, not as comfortable as the Gios. Brooks saddle - one old campag delta brake (even squeegier than normal campag). I’ve got a bianchi with lots of gears and such modern fangled stuff in storage, but to be honest I love the fixed and will never ride other unless there are serious hills around.
If anyone ever comes across a Casati in 531 size about 51-2 I want it badly. Actually, any casati gold line in about that size would be awfully nice.
Kona Lavadome, circa 1998, on stickies. Disc front brakes, no backs. Quite a lot of titanium, including ti street forks. It’s been sitting for 13 months, since I wrecked my leg.
I’m not into bikes, but my brother is…big time. He did talk me into trying out one of his fixed geared bikes once.
However, this was one of the old fashioned ones with the 5 foot diameter front wheel and the one foot diameter rear whel.
Just getting on and off the thing was an experience in itself.
Now, when I want to ride something different, I’ll go over and borrow one of his recumbents, the trike or one of his quads
In pancake flat Oxford, fixies are the way to go. In our shop www.myspace.com/theoxfordcycleworkshop all the staff have fixies.
In on a Pergeot Mt Cenis frame 1983, 42, 16 gear ratio and wheels built by me. Michelin pro grip tyres for fast winter commuting are just wicked.
btw check the bike polo vid on the ms site.
I think those are called penny-farthings.
When I started to ride a bicycle in 1950, I had a one-speed bike with a Bendix brake in the hub. My dad had an auto-body repair shop, so I had a good place to repair my bike, when needed. I have some distinct memories about all of the little pieces in the Bendix hub assembly. Luckily, we didn’t have many hills in my hometown, so I never thought any about having only one speed. I used it to pass papers for several years.
At the present time I have a ten-speed speed trail bike with a hinged frame, allowing me to fold the frame so that the bike fits nicely in the trunk of my car. As I am getting older, however, I have been thinking about getting another bike like I once had before it was stolen. It had fenders and sat more upright than my current bike. It had three speeds in the hub. Rotating the handgrip shifted the gears. Three gears seems a good compromise between ten speeds and only one.
Man, that must have hurt. Oh, the paper cuts … 
djm
Doug,
As you were so kind to me when I bought a speckle and lip plate, what you really need is a 14 speed Rohloff hub gear and S and S couplings. 
BTW do not believe that Oxford guy. He says it is flat, well bits of it are but to get to London, you have to cross the Chiltern Mountain Range. Bit stiff if you haven’t either a double sided hub or a bigger sprocket. 