Originally Posted by
79pmooney
One benefit I got in my racing days (and still) is the ability to recover while pedaling. I found doing long rides fixed forced my body to be able to recover (from the last hill, downhill, effort or upwind) while spinning whatever RPM I happened to be at. This translated to being able to recover at peloton speeds and I could do this training without partners or motorpace. A workout I used to do - if it was long ride day and the weather was bad (Boston) ('d check the weather and pick a town 50 miles upwind. Ride there for lunch. Spin home with a hammered body at RPM far too high to be fun. Real gains from those rides! Not speed. not impressive numbers but stamina at the end of long and hard rides and races.
Agree with everything you say, and would add that another useful thing you get from a fixed gear is getting used to pedalling a less than optimal gear. Since you only have one gear, it's hardly every the one you'd choose if you had 12 speed brifters and a nice wide-range cluster. Nope, you're always in either too low a gear (forcing you to spin) or too high a gear (which forces you to optimize your pedalling technique and smoothness).
It's a great cross-training tool to improve your performance once you get back on your regular bike. It's not an end to itself, it's just a tool for becoming a better, more skilled, and more fit rider.