I ride fixed all over London. I also ride a road bike, and I live centrally so to get out to the country side I have to ride through traffic. I feel infinitely more confident in traffic on my fixed gear. I have much more balance and control. I can get through the tiniest gaps on my fixie, places I wouldn't dare go on my road bike.

I think it is because I have the option to back pedal and stand on my pedals. I can literally stand still, pop my front wheel around, and manoeuvre through traffic quickly. You just can't do that with a free wheel bike. It's hard to explain, but if you really ride your fixie, you get it.

Where I live, it's lots of traffic and lots of flats. If I ever move out of London, it will be less traffic and more hills and I'll flip the wheel to free. All of the advantages of fixed go out the window if you don't ride in traffic, and spinning crazy fast on long downhills gets kind of old.