I spun my touring bicycle (w/ nobbies and panier) up to 22 mph (22 mph!) to pass some kids last week.  Funny how you can get the speed outlet in the 20 mph range, and do the body some good.
You might like to have a look at
http://www.swizzbee.ch/

Especially if you live in a hilly region.

odograph, I've been doing the same.  A couple of years back, I dusted off my trusty Shogun touring bike and now bike to work as often as I can.  It's a great way to fend off old age.  I highly recommend it.

Siggi, that looks pretty good. Do you think I could add an auxillary seat to accomodate my inflatable "girlfriend?"

Hmm, I am afraid she might fly away.
my work bike, it sees about 15,000 miles a year

http://home.columbus.rr.com/pedex/000_0110.jpg

pretty typical of what us messengers ride these days, just meat and potatoes, its all business

A fixie!  I don't think I could do it .. old dog, new tricks.
actually its both fixed or singlespeed with a freewheel, just flip the rear wheel around

at 40 yrs old im the oldest guy here still slinging packages

Pretty neat!  I had read something recently about messengers preferring singlespeeds.  Seems a good choice in town but much of my commute is over hilly terrain.  
Well, once youve been riding regularly for quite awhile gears really dont help much cept for racing, I just got back from watching the state criterium championships here, put in about 65 miles today on that bike. Unless the hills are over like 12% and/or more than about 2-3 miles long its really no big deal.

The reason we like bikes like that is its harder to break something, although stuff still breaks, just not as often as with a geared race bike.

"Unless the hills are over like 12% and-or more than about 2-3 miles long its really no big deal."

Got that, the other, and both at the same time.  Plus the real beauty...gravel roads.  So I require both a decent set of gears and fat tires.

Those damn bike messengers. I once had one damn near run me over in downtown Chicago. They sure get crazy! You'll have to be pretty crazy to take up that job, so the rest of us have to give them credit, since it's due. Better to be almost run over by a bike messenger than some idiot yuppie's horse-sized dog.
Sweet ride Pedex!! Everything that should be there, nothing that shouldn't.