I love my fixed gear for commuting for the simple abilities to control my speed with my pedaling and the fact that I can trackstand through lights and never have to put my foot down. Both of these skills prove to be invaluable during my everyday commute.

The arguments about pedal strike being a fear are all but groundless to me as well. Possibly there are some commuters out there who encounter multiple corners on their commutes where they have the sort of lean angle that may incur pedal strike, but I (and I would venture to guess nearly every other Portland commuter) am not one of them. With a proper track bike the bottom bracket height/ 165mm cranks makes pedal strike an unlikely phenomenon on all but the most high speed, extreme corners. For those who commute at high speed on tightly cornered routes, as well as those who's commute includes tons of hills, a fixed gear does not make sense.

If, like many urban city commutes across the US you ride mostly through city streets, a fixed gear bike setup with a brake can be the perfect tool for your commute.