Originally Posted by 79pmooney

Well, there is a way to observe the results of pedaling vs coasting although it does not quantify well. Pedal your route with your usual coasting. Now pedal the same route in the same time (in the same wind) on a fix gear. I promise you will find it a lot harder. Terrain and wind have a lot to do with how much. Truly flat, even terrain in no wind are very close. HIlly windy rides are much harder.

I have for years used the ratio 4/3 to express how much harder fix gears are than gears averaged over all conditions. (4 miles of geared riding = 3 miles of fix gear riding.) Now part of that is obviously that the fix gear isn't always the "right" gear for the conditions. But the fact that you never coast (or "cheat") takes its toll. In my racing days, in stormy, wet weather I would take out my fix gear, ride to a town 50 miles upwind, stop for lunch and fly home. But that flight home was hard!

My miles geared and fixed are roughly 50-50 so I have developed a pretty good idea of the toll always pedaling takes. Try riding fixed some day. You might find it is significantly harder. And you might develop an appreciation of how much easier being able to coast is.

Ben