The Genealogy of Fixies?

"Fixed-gear bicycles, without gears or brakes were created for the controlled environment of a velodrome. This could not be more different from hilly San Francisco or car ridden New York, but their appeal as being both stripped down and minimalist as well as requiring considerable risk and commitment to learn to ride has made them fashionable in hip neighborhoods of large cities, such as New York’s Williamsburg..."

More here.