Well said, filtersweep.

I am myself a jeans or cutoffs rider but it's a practicality thing. With 20 miles each way I can't slight you for going with something a little more task oriented.

I think in general the fixed gear "culture" (is there such a thing--I suppose there is, sadly) likes to think of itself as practically oriented. I don't know if it's true, but there you have it. It's generally urban-centered which gives you all the attitude that such cultures have or want to have. That also means that a lot of gears often aren't worth the trouble since heavy urban traffic tends to make it more difficult to stay in the right gear and most cities are built on the flat.

For some it's an appreciation of the heroic age of cycling, the 60's and 70's. There's a romance to that period and we celebrate it. The last 30 years of innovation have been the classic 90% of the cost for a 10% improvement. 10% wins races but it doesn't get you to work any faster.

It's a reaction against the bicycle industry that tries to sell us a pair of $17 dollar socks when for 95% of my riding I can be just as comfortable with a run-of-the-mill cotton sock that comes 5 pairs for $3. A guy doesn't need a bunch of technical clothing to go out and have fun on a bike and we don't appreciate the super technogeek roadie attitude that says that if you're not pulling your jersey tight and stapling it in the back you're about as aero as a VW bus. We don't care.

Of course not all roadies are that way. Just the other weekend when me and a few similarly dressed dirtbags were working our way back downtown after catching some breakfast we were passed by a dude on a training ride in a full skinsuit and all the necessary accessories on some ultralight unobtainium ride while we're tooling around in jeans, jackets, and sweaters. My man gave me a friendly smile and nod as he went by. He knew what it's about.

It's sort of like punk rock Rivendell.

Then there are those that don't get it. Just as there are roadies who don't understand that people were having fun on bicycles for a century before they invented lycra and that most of the giants of classic cycling did quite well in toe clips, there are those who don't realize that there are times when a guy needs to go get some tighter clothes, get some clipless pedals, use more than one gear, and ditch the shoulder bag.

Some people try to inject some kind of artificial purity into a thing that was originally about simple practicality. Like a road frame better than a track frame, that's fine. Want to run a brake? Hey, if it works for you... Dig some clipless? Sure, why not?

Me, I like a trackish geometry for the pedal clearance and the responsiveness. I like a brake because I like to go fast and stop quickly and a brake allows me to do that to my satisfaction. A run toe clips because I like to be able to walk around in street shoes when I reach my destination. It's the solution that works best for me.