I just sold my mid 70's Mercier fixed conversion, I plan on converting a Dawes Galaxy I have for winter commuting. I had the Mercier for 3 years or so, great for the occasional ride, very smooth and quiet. I wasn't planning on selling it, but I have too many bikes, was selling a Steve Bauer road bike that the purchaser wanted to convert to fixed, sold the Mercier instead.
I have a single speed mountain bike too, it's great to ride now and then for a change. Simplicity has its benefits!!

This is the whole single-speed and (to a point) fixed gear appeal in a nutshell. Simplicity in this context takes away all those multi-gears and their attendent brifters and derailluers and leaves you with the basics, i.e. all you really need.

I still have brakes on my fixed gear bike, with plans to remove the rear brake as I become more skilled with "leg-braking" my fixie. Will probably leave the front brake on because, well . . . emergency stops happen .

Still, simplefication is good . Life is complicated, cycling doesn't need to be.

Rick / OCRR

I've been riding a fixed gear for 12 years now, and I like it better than my geared bike. The fixed is just as fast for most trips because you have no choice but to push the gear no matter what. On the geared bike I tend to leave it in the low gears too much, unless I'm riding with a group.
The only time I don't like the fixed gear is for long downhills, when the pedals tend to get ahead of me.
OTOH riding the wrong gear into the wind for long flats doesn't sound like much fun either, but it's not very flat around here.

em

I suspect The Weak Link has never ridden a fixed geared bike. If my local terrain was flat I would give up cycling or move.

Having only one gear and not being able to coast is what makes it fun. It has made me a better, more aware cyclist.

I usually ride my FG bikes on rolling hills terrain.
Standing and rocking the bike to get up the steeper hills is my upper body workout and keeping up with the pedals on a longish, steep descent is a great cardio workout. I try not to use my brakes on the downhills.

I often use my FG bike to go on group rides with other who are on multi-geared bikes w/o any problems. Often after someone has drafted behind me for some time will comment "you have no rear derailleur!".

Here is my Single-Speed. (Not a Fixie, though.)

It's my going-to-the-store bike, and obviously from the Folding Forum.

Don't mention it, Sir

It's an honour and a privilege to serve.

I'm sure your explanation will be elegant and compelling. Let us know how it's received

I tried the FG thing and just could not wrap my head around it despite a few tries at it. I realized that I LIKE to be able to coast along now and then. So I switched the bike to an SS. It's been like that for about 6 or 7 years now and it's one of my favourite work commuters. Mind you my commute route is pretty flat but I set it up so I could spin along at 25 kph and that gives me just barely enough to grunt my way up the 4 parkade levels to where I park the bike in a private garage.

There's no doubt about it. Without the derailleur the bike is just a little bit but very noticalble amount more efficient. Less IS more.

If your route has ups and downs then I'd have to say logic should prevail and you should stick with gears. But if you have lots of route options that are fairly flat then sure, get one. They are great fun.

Just do it, you'll love it. As others have said it's a whole new and very exhilarating experience once you get used to it. I have Bianchi Pista which I don't ride a lot but when I do I love it, even in a paceline with a 81" gear (48X16). You feel "at one" with the bike. It beats me how some guys stop without brakes, however. I have a front brake only, which is fine.
In my late teens and early 20s, back in the UK, I always took the gears of my 1957 Maclean during the winter and converted to 69" fixed and frequently rode the local 25% hill. I couldn't do it now!!