Originally Posted by noisebeam
Is there really that big a difference? Maybe in terms of abuse they can take as in banging up derailers when locked up, etc. But I don't find there to be much in they way of maintenance for a derailer, some fine adjustment once in a while, just like watching tire pressure and an overhaul every year or two.
Fixies can really wear out BB and rear hub bearings as well as they get more abuse than on a freewheel bike.
Al
well yeah, derailleurs are pretty easy but then fixies don't have them, or shifters or cassettes and sometime no brakes either so you don't have to adjust anything, change out cables, remove gunk from the sprockets/derailleur, replace levers if they get broken or old etc. Chains last forever, sprockets too, no shifting means much less wear on parts so no replacement costs. Sure hubs, headset and BB but they can go for quite a while without maintenance.
In poor weather especially, fixies go on and on for much longer whereas gears can get gunked up easily and stop working properly, get poor shifting etc.