Originally Posted by
roadfix
"I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailleur? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"
- Henri Desgrange, L'Equipe article of 1902
This is a **** thread so I'll stir some up. If we're excluding mechanical artificies why not exclude gears or wheels to begin with. Beat him in a foot-vs-bike race and I'll be impressed.