Originally Posted by
misskaz
For me I like my FG because I like the intuitive "the slower you pedal the slower you go, the faster you pedal the faster you go" nature of it. You can make minute corrections to your speed without even thinking about it. When I ride my geared bike it feels like I'm constantly feathering the brake, whereas even though I have and use a brake on my FG, I can slow down just slightly to avoid a car or pothole or time a light just by resisting the pedals. I think this is what people mean when they say they feel more "connected."
I hardly ever touch the brakes on my geared bike. The main reason you slow down on a bike is because you stop applying force to the pedals, which is no different on free than fixed drivetrains. If you've ever ridden a geared bike in a tight paceline, you know that it's taboo to constantly ride your brakes, and you sit up and coast when you are getting too close to the wheel in front of you. Sure, you can backpedal a bit as well, but I don't find myself doing that a lot except when approaching intersections. Also, if have to stop quickly, I use the front brake anyway on either type of drivetrain. Now, I don't deny that riding fixed is a lot more fun than free, which is certainly a psychological advantage.
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