To be fair to RVAs fixie riders, most of 'em don't do longish rides. The fixie is a pretty good/excellent urban machine if a) you knows how to handle 'em and b) the gradients aren't to steep. Easy to trackstand at lights, and you get a nice rythym, which I've found carries over to geared riding. I've been using an old UO8, fixified, as an urban beater for a long time. Lock it to a pole, leave it a few hours, if it gets nicked, there's a couple more frames in the basement. I wouldn't ride to Ashland on one, though I could. And someone prolly has.

As to my comments on coaster brakes, they should be pulled apart and repacked regular-like, and in the past I've found most folks think they're maintanence free, which they ain't. There's a reason the old downhill race was called "repack", and it had to do with coaster brakes and what happened to them going down the fire road. I've a coastie bike (a euro-style city bike), which I prolly ride 200 days a year, so I'm familiar with 'em. The coastie rarely get ridden more than a mile at a time, though. Used for donut runs.

As to the hypocrisy comments (the internet's fave accusation) I don't buy it. Again, there are older frames that are literally braze-on free, maybe a couple runs on the rear stay, nothing more. I know 'cause I've a room full of them. Hacking off a derailleur hanger is pointless. I can maybe understand the shifter bosses, but there's frames sans them, too. Go back to the conservator's credo: make sure you can undo any "improvements" you do. Nothin' hypocritical about that.

I agree with Merlin extra about the brakes... you have a resist brake at the rear; a hand brake up front is fine... this gives you a redundant brake system. Personally, brakes are like wheels on a bike: I like two.