79pmooney

Yeah, conservation of resources. Much more important on a fix gear (esp) than with gears. Yes, calories, sugars, "lactic acid", muscles ... but on a fix gear it is also muscles! (and many more, like arms, hands ..., your butt (and downhill abuse) and overall physical drain. On the hard days of Cycle Oregon I made it a point to carefully monitor how hard I climbed the early hills. Until this year, my feet were always part of the resource picture. Pulling up that hard for that long took its toll. That red bag under the DT in my avatar? Tevas so I could get out of my shoes at rest stops and give both blistering toes and the bones over my arch a break. (Got the new expensive leather Boa Lakes for this year's CO. What a treat! No foot issues all week save from being clumsy with those powerful BOA wheels.)

Edit: those Lake shoes: CX-237. (Lake's upgrading it to the 238 next year. Looks identical except they don't offer the red which I got.) CF sole, really nice leather uppers. Big, wide toe box like no shoe I've had. Wonderfully padded tongue so no BOA strings felt until you really over-tighten the laces. (Which the BOA wheels have to e power to do easlity - be gentle)

For fix gear riding - they work really well with the Exustar track cleats - aluminum slotted traditional cleats with the 3-bolt LOOK pattern. I rode with the cleats pushed all the way back and the forward BOA wheel cleared the toestrap. Close but it worked. I was prepared to remove that BOA and install grommets and laces but 1st ride, everything worked, tightening and loosening the strap with the wheel there simply wasn't an issue. Did pop the BOA wheel a couple of times over the Cycle Oregon week but with both a toestrap and the second BOA, it was never an issue riding on 'til the next stop. Now, adjusting that BOA while riding? Don't!
Drag your fingers on that descending wheel and you've just tightened that BOA to foot crunching.