Originally Posted by Rugen

I disagree. I whiz by fixed gears a lot on a SS, not because I'm all that much of a rider, but because I know I can safely run a much higher gear ratio than the fixed crowd, who have to consider their ability to stay in control of their spin on the downhill when selecting a gear ratio. I don't have to worry about downhill spin on my ss, so I can go with a higher gear ratio so at any given rpm will result in a faster ride.

Now, I'm not saying all SS's are at a higher gear ratio, just that it's easier to ride at 52x16 or 52x17 on the SS because you don't have to worry about spinning out on a steep hill. Although the lower gear ratio will make the fixed gear a faster accelerator (so faster in that sense), the max speed of the bike tends to be lower due to safety considerations, so over the long haul or a ride over a mile, I would say a SS would be faster.