+1. Even with my size (a bit over 300lbs) I can take hills at 74 gear inches and I am NOT good at pulling up on the pedals yet, since I've only been running clipless for a few months. I don't even have to stand on hills usually, I just grind up them. My knees are never sore. In fact the only time I've had knee pain was after we (me and my wife and kids) did some hiking up in the hills a few weeks ago, and some of it was very steep and I had to descend. THAT was hard on my knees. Fixed gear riding is FINE for my knees however.