Originally Posted by Road Fan

I dunno, this kinda gives me the willies! If I'm screaming downhill, say in Northern Michigan or (much worse!) in the Rockies, with feet up and the pedals are spinning too fast to keep my feet up, then I have no braking available except for maybe foot-dragging. With the spinning toothed pedals I would get my shins and angles beat to heck trying to get my feet back on. If I can't get some part of my body in the way of the pedals I cannot slow down, and a high-quality light bike will keep accelerating ... you are out of control and will speed up until the grade reverses or you crash.

I'd rather have a front brake for road riding - also was there such a thing as a switchable freewheel? A fixed mode and a freewheel mode? I can see back-torquing for controlling speed, but not after it has greatly increased. Seems like fixed riders are responsible for controlling coasting speed, preventing the bike from getting out of control.

I presume "path racers" were somehow better suited for downhill riding - did they have special features for safer downhilling?

I see a new reason why in old photos of Major Taylor and other early racing greats, their hands had a very firm grip on the bars!

Or maybe I'm missing something about how to ride safely on a fixed-gear?

All of the above is even more so for a high-wheeler, with its disadvantageous weight distribution - no wonder Mark Twain closed his praise for the bicycle with "if you survive!"