I'm wondering, can it actually work to your advange to pick a race that is low in a skill you want to use?

For example, Argonians have a 15 in one-handed and since you gain levels whacking stuff shouldn't it give you more room to level since you can raise this skill 85 times to get it to 100 where a Reguard can only raise it 75 times?

Or does this end up not being true since the amount of exp you gain balances out so that there's no advantage?

I think this would only make a difference if you had to spend the perk point on the skill that leveled you. But since you can level speech and spend the point on One-Handed, I don't believe it makes a difference.

It's an advantage to the early character, but by the time you get to level 10 or so it's a wash. It doesn't "hurt"... in that you'll gain levels no matter what you do. You will gain less levels because of a skill that starts at a higher level, but you will gain those levels by using other skills.