lisita -

I started riding a fixed gear at 41 after gaining heaps of experience riding geared and ss bikes and finding that I wanted more. I would agree that the majority of fixed gear riders tend to be < 30 but most of these younger riders don't have that much experience with bikes... this is where age is an asset.

I live a car free life so the majority of my transportation is done with my bikes, usually fixed.

I have built nearly as many fixed gear bikes for women as I have men and many of these "girls" are as strong a riders as I have ever seen.

Most cyclists don't ride 30-35 kmh and I include fixed gear riders in that category... I have to spin my fixed road bike at 100 rpm (with 77 gear inches) to maintain that speed (and can) but most folks are not in that kind of shape to run that kind of gearing over any distance.

70 gear inches seems to be the average gearing for anyone who uses their bike for serious transportation although I rocked 81 gear inches for better than 4000 km and didn't really have any issues.

Many of the guys I ride with think I am an animal.

In reality, I just ride more than they do.