Anyone from the Katy Area? If so let me know, I want to get a group of people to join. I hear their crowd is very small.

Houston CM is HUGE!

I ride in the Katy area all the time, but I don't ride a fixie. I am quite happy with my bicycle and see no need to downgrade.

You make it seem like riding a fixed gear bike is a bad thing, nor did I ask if you were happy with your bike or not, but whatevs.....

OK, but what does that have to do with Critical Mass?

Katy Critical Mass mentions fixed gears are welcome. thirdcoastmma seemed to want to ride with fixed gear bicycles. I am happy to ride with any type bicycle. It seemed funny to me that it mattered what a person rode. I would hope fixies are welcome on any ride. I would also hope that you wouldn't need a fixie to join a ride or group (except for restricted races).

Riding a fixie is a good thing for some people. I am 61 and keep my cadence between 90 and 110 most of the time. I like gears that allow me to maintain my desired cadence. If I was younger or a masher a fixie would be fine for me. I like the simple beauty of a fixie. I also admire those who ride fixies. Some are so good they can ride fixies in the mountains out West.

Still doesn't really explain the fixie connection.

Critical Mass rides do seem to attract fixie riders, but they're certainly not exclusive to them. Every Critical Mass ride I've ever seen has been completely accepting of pretty much anything that doesn't have an engine -- bikes of all sorts, trikes, four wheel pedal powered devices, unicycles, rollerblades, longboards, running stilts, etc. (Yes, I've seen all of these show up at various times.) The weirder it is, the more people like it.

I've never seen a ride exclude fixies, or require fixies except for races as you suggested. (Though some might want to exclude brakeless fixies for obvious reasons.)

Thanks for the reminder, I am a recent road bike rider with a 2005 Fuji World touring bike (Reynolds 853 steel frame).

Rode this with my fiancee a while back. Small group, and all of the riders were great. No drops, nearly all traffic laws obeyed, very nice roads (hey, it's the 'burbs). As far as fixed vs non goes, it doesn't matter. You show up with a bike, you're golden.