Originally Posted by 79pmooney

Ahh, that lower cadence leads to better oxygen efficiency has been known for a long time (and is well documented). There are drawbacks to it and good reasons road racers ride the high cadences but those don't change the fact of low cadence-higher oxygen efficiency.

And re: this forum - most of the time I don't post here because of exactly the attitudes seen in this thread. But I am a pure roadie. Always have been. And I have done over half my road miles on fix gears. Balancing the gear for uphill vs flat vs downhill is a very real part of road riding fixed, (Or stopping and letting your body cool down, change the gear, then have to warm up again.) It's a different game, but just as much "road riding" as what any of you "roadies" do.

Hard men ride fix gears., Don't believe me? Put in a 130 mile day fixed. Ride up and around Crater Lake. Ride the courses of the early Tour de Frances. Do it and come back to me.

Ben