"Also I thought there were listmembers who didnt like the 'FIXIE' term but thought ''Fixed'' might have been a more appropriate vintage term?"
I have to admit to being one of those snobs. I never heard the term "fixie" until this decade. In the 60s and 70s, people (at least in NYC) said they road "fixed gears" or "fixes". Admittedly, some of these were converted 3 speeds and lower end 10 speeds. However, many of these were legitimate track bikes used on the street. If you had the $200-300 bucks, you (at least I) would buy a track bike instead of converting an equally or more expensive road bike. Come to think of it, though, most of the bike shops I knew only sold true track bikes. A "fix" was something that someone did himself.
Nowadays, I think the complaint is about the trend to make a fixed wheel out of a perfectly good (especially a classic) road bike. I'm not sure how much of this actually happens, anymore. I have to agree that converting and riding a bike is better for all concerned.
cheers,
Steve James
Bronx, NY USA