Originally Posted by
JaredG
Fixed geared bikes were a part of the original Tour De France, so I'd disagree and say they were designed for this kind of use, but technology did advance, so there are better options.
Oops. My bad. What I intended was that the IRO and a lot of the other fixed-gear and SS bikes that people are riding today were probably not designed with long-distance riding in mind; the folks who design and build (and buy) those bikes are probably doing so with the intent that they be used in urban settings over relatively short distances. Totally agree that FG (and certainly SS) are viable options for road riding, (some) racing, and even long-distance riding.