Originally Posted by
cyccommute
So why is foot retention so necessary for fixed gear for "safety reasons"? I've ridden fixed gear...never saw the allure...and it's not that much different from riding a freewheeling bike.
You have 30+ years of experience in cycling and you don't see much difference between riding FG and freewheel ??
...You definetly sound like someone who doesn't have a lot of experience riding FG in a fast and aggressive way. Foot retention makes it a lot easier to control a FG bike, it makes it easier to backpedal and stop. If your foot slips off while cruising at 20+ MPH or sprinting at 30+ MPH while the pedals are spinning then you're in big trouble.