Forgetting to shift is a good thing.
My fixed gear is my favorite bike- geared 42/17. I don't know if that is good or not. It allows me to hammer hills better than most of the people that I ride with.
As long as you accept that you have no choice but to sprint for the hill and hammer it, you're fine. No room for hesitations. All of the time that you save on shifting, you can spend enjoying the scenery. And I'm convinced that it has improved my riding.
When I first started to attend aggressive club rides, I didn't get it either. I wanted the latest and greatest and found that it definitely didn't make me a stronger rider. I just felt worse when I got dropped or when I was last, behind someone on an old Cannondale or Specialized (no offense). Now I ride all year long, most of the time on my fixie or single- this time of the year is my favorite- cold, gray and lonely.
Todd Cirelli
Mechanicsburg, PA