Yes, I tend to agree, but my obvious emphasis on the quote above is where I start to have issues with the entire fixed-gear "movement"...

From my observations over many years, and actually knowing a couple professional messengers in NYC more than 30 years ago, the whole fixed gear/single speed thing seemed to have begun with devoted riders actually salvaging bikes by themselves and then personally developing a decaying relic into something unique which they could take pride in and even use as something well suited to their own purposes. It was a learning experience as well as a low cost expedient. Perhaps it might be compared to old hot-rodded cars from many decades ago, built at the hands of cash poor but enthusiasm and imagination rich youths.

Eventually, somehow, fixed gear bikes became trendy and commercially available, which makes no sense to me - just like purchasing someone elses old but now newly transformed jalopy also would seem silly. No harm of course if you are content with the work of others and simply don't like grease under your manicured fingernails (either male or female, that is). But how sad that purchasers of the rather sorry looking conversions on the Frankencycle website [just my personal aesthetic opinion] will feel no satisfaction for having done something for themselves, will have learned nothing, and will likely just pass the bike on to someone else after the novelty of a limited purpose bike quickly wears off.

What also makes little sense to me is why people always add hand brakes on a fixed gear bike. Perhaps some people should just hire another cyclist to ride the bike around town for them so they won't even have to use their own muscles, acquire any dexterity and bike handling skills, or even get sweaty.

Okay, sorry folks, afraid I'm just being stubborn and grumpy now... [sigh]... I think I'll pull on a pair of my brand new pre-distressed jeans with the wear patterns and color fading already applied to the denim along with the pre-rips in the seat and knees and drive my fixie down to where I can park around the corner from Starbucks so I can be seen cycling up for a fashionable sip of late night expresso.