"do not worry about what is happening in the second decimal place until you understand what is happening in the first." On a fixie you have to work your legs ju

"do not worry about what is happening in the second decimal place until you understand what is happening in the first." On a fixie you have to work your legs just as hard (in someways harder) going down hills as you do going up them. With a freewheel you only have to pedal up the hills. I was a bicycle mechanic for 6 years, I've been a mountain biker and bmxer for 12, and rode a fixie for 2 years. You do feel efficient and intimate on a fixie and what he says about the longer stroke length (and more effective torque) is true. But the benefits of coasting down hills, being able to make sharp turns without pedal bite, and having gears more than make up for this, and are why the vast majority of cyclists don't ride fixies. On a more bike snobby note, bunnyhopping on a fixie sucks too.