Originally Posted by *new*guy
There's no good reason to run fixed off road IMHO. you just end up f'ing the trail and if your goal is to be fast, it'll just slow you down and set you up for really stupid looking crashes.
???
How are you going to F up the trail? Only if you skid, and then you aren't riding properly. I've put in plenty of time riding fixed off-road and it's a blast - that's a good reason as far as I'm concerned. To ride fixed off-road you just need to learn another set of skills - another good reason to do it.
And yet another good reason: in the snow and ice, a fixed gear with spiked tires rules the trails. It's like having 4 wheel drive.