Paul P. wrote:
My experience with fixed gear bikes has shown that on short hills I can reach the top quicker with a fixed gear than a multi-speed bike. I don't know why but find it interesting. It's a bit like shifting up one gear rather than down for the climb. All of the other "advantages" of fixed riding mention ed by other already also apply.
And I respond:
While I'm not an engineer and cannot vouch for the theories espoused by this article, there's an explanation for the fixie's hill-climbing abilities here:
A Theory of Holonomic Scleronomous Gyrators, or The Virtues of Riding Fixed by James Bernard Lee, Portland, Oregon; Prepared for 1st International Fixed Gear Symposium
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/
Kris Green, who rode his fixed Masi Nouva Strada to work today (thus tying together two current threads!) Olympia WA