I need a fixie bike! The fixed gear bicycle craze
83Fixed gear bicycles as a fad
After five years, I traded my fixed gear bike last month for a road bike and a commuter. It was an easy decision as my bike riding priorities have changed, but setting circumstances aside, I think I would have made the switch anyhow.
I live in Los Angeles where fads go to die. A sizable and impressively diverse niche of Los Angeles residents - east side and west side - are riding bikes these days. A portion of these folks are riding just any bike having discovered the freedom, convenience, and many other benefits of two wheels over four. But an even larger portion of LA's newest bike riders are hopping on the fixed gear or "fixie" or track bike or single speed bandwagon. For many, the aforementioned terms are used interchangeably, confounding the various ways one can ride a bike with one gear.
Definitions
Fixed gear: A bicycle with one gear and NO FREEWHEEL. This means the bike does not coast. No coasting. When the wheels move, the pedals move and vice versa.
Single speed: A bicycle with one gear that includes a freewheel. Therefore, you can coast on a single speed bike.
By using a "flip/flop hub" on the rear wheel, one can have a single bicycle capable of operating as either a fixed gear or a single speed. When the chain rides on the side of the hub with a fixed cog, the bike is a fixed gear. When wheel is turned around - flip flopped - and the chain rests on the freewheel, the bike is a single speed.
Track bike: Typically, the bikes you see around cities like Los Angeles are NOT track bikes. Track bikes have a specific frame geometry - track geometry - are intended to be ridden in a velodrome. A few of the mass market urban fixed gears have track geometry or something close to it, but most are simply road bike frames with one gear and the aforementioned flip/flop hub.
Brakeless: Riding a fixed gear without the benefit of brakes. Customary on the track. Inanely fashionable on the streets. I did it for about four years, but only after a long period of actually learning how to ride a fixed gear and navigate often unpredictable urban traffic. Even as good as I think was, I doubt I will ride brakeless again. Really, what's the point?
Fixed cog on a Bianchi Pista
The fixed gear bicycle craze
Caught between a spoke and a hard place
I work in a bike shop. A day does not go by without multiple people coming in asking if we "have any fixies." The other day a kid of no more than sixteen told me he wanted to "get a fixie and change out the frame." Admittedly I am a misanthrope, but this sort of thing annoys the hell out of me.
On one hand, I am all for people getting into cycling, especially if it is for transportation or utilitarian purposes, but cycling as a hipster or teenage fad borders on troubling. The kid who made the query about buying a bike and then promptly "changing out the frame" is especially troubling. Here is a child who sees so many others doing something, therefore he decides, uncritically, that he must do the same. What is wrong with our society? This is not simply a juvenile phenomenon. I wish it was something people just grew out of. It reflects something bigger: the inability of individuals in our society to be individuals. Or to at least join the crowd under a somewhat rational premise.
What happened to this scenario? The kid sees some cats cruising on these bikes. He becomes curious. He doesn't think it looks cool just because lots of other people are doing it; rather he thinks it's because something inside of him was legitimately stimulated by what he saw. So instead of going into the local bike shop and making an ass out of himself, he goes home and does some digging. What exactly is this bike with one gear all about? Do I really like it? And if so, why? And then walk into the bike shop armed with a clue.
The consequences of his thoughtless decision are wide-ranging, I think. (I will do a hub on the larger issues some time soon). And when it comes to the everyday minutia of urban cycling and this kid's safety, the circumstances are almost as bad. This kid will likely pick up a sub-par, cheap $300 fixie that weighs 25 pounds with no brakes and with a cog that will strip if you look at it cross-eyed. He will go on a "group ride" with some of his other "brakeless" friends and barrel into an intersection unable to control the bike. Worst case scenario - he is dead or severely maimed. Best case - the bike is totalled and the kid is scared shitless, making a complete fool of himself in the process. He joins band and lives happily ever after.
The point
Bikes are cool. Even if they are not fixed gear or single speeds or loaded up with spoke cards from "Taco Tuesday." And if you ride a bike, it does not make you cool. Because being cool is bull crap any way. You're no better than the sanctimonious hack in a Hybrid or the Russian mafia wannabe in his Mercedes.
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I never saw the point of fixed wheel bikes. I wonder they did not go out with the penny farthing.
Stop whining?! This guy is right! Those bikes are everywhere and they are really dangerous. As someone with a real touring bike, I'm getting tired of having to watch for these idiots almost barreling into me or into traffic. Get a REAL bike idiots!
The one nice thing about the fad is that I was able to sell my track bike, a Bianchi Pista, for about $75 less than I had purchased it for 6 years and thousands of miles prior. I posted it on Craigslist and it was gone in days for cash. Gotta love it.
My take on "fixies" is that anywhere that is safe to ride with aerobars (a track or a wide open road) is safe for a fixie. Clearly that doesn't include city streets. If you want the extra workout get a single speed with brakes. If you're a cyclist and want to smooth out your spin, ride a fixie on the track, or get one with brakes and take it out on open roads. But riding them in the city just doesn't strike me as safe for anyone involved. But I'll take my chances with a fixie rider over a distracted suburban or Prius driver any day of the week!
Thanks for the comments.
I agree for the most part, David. How funny... I just sold my 2003 Pista as well for exactly what I paid for it almost seven years ago! Granted it had an upgrade wheelset and cranks, but still.
I have no problem with fixed gears on city streets. I rode one there in SF and LA for about five years and am building another one. I think they can be great bikes to ride around cities. I just have a problem with people hopping on a bandwagon and absolutely watering just about everything that was good about something to begin with.
i agree with you man, this fixie fad is getting annoying. i mean, i go downhill biking occasionally with my brother, so i thought i would get a road bike to ride around my neighborhood or on group rides with friends. all my friends ride 10 speeds, luckily my neighbor let me have a vintage bike, although its a girl bike, i painted it bought some rims, a 5 speed cassette, it was fun building the bike. pretty cheap too, but anyways i just dont get why build a fixie, you want to do tricks, get a bmx bike.and the mixed matched colors and all, the bikes are ridiculous, these kids just look like clowns.
the fixie fad is just like a car ...some people like it some people dont. it depends on how you look at it..i do agree on those who dont know how to control them shouldnt be riding them but you gotta start out somewhere right?
made some good points n brought things to my attention because i plan on buying a fixie for weekend commuting with my wife and daughter for famliy time. im not too crazy about all the funky colors people put on them i just want to try something new beacause ive done bmx and fixie seems fun and a good work out which im looking for. im consulting my friend who is into the whole scene and is trying to tell me get the good stuff but constantly forgets im not really looking to do tricks just commute on the weekends. so me personally i feel you should do what you want but research first and try riding one first because its not easy
First off, great hub. I too am noticing a disturbing amount of unexperienced riders jumping on the fixie bandwagon, and I personally know of four cases where people have gotten seriously injured. One former classmate's even paralyzed from the waist down because of his crash.
So, why exactly do so many people want to get into the fixie subculture all the sudden? It's because people are wanting to simplify. Right now, it's considered "disciplined" and "cool" to be a minimalist, but these people aren't stopping (sometimes, quite literally) to think that maybe brakes and the ability to back-peddle aren't such a bad thing after all. Would these people want to take the front or back brakes off of there cars? Or convert the transmission to only have one gear? Probably not... So, why mess with their bikes?
As an avid cyclist myself, I see the draw towards simplicity on a track bike, but after trying out a fixie myself, have decided that I enjoy brakes and not being made a slave to foot placement when going down or up curbs.
I grew up riding BMX and mountain bikes and have seen this kind of thing before. About 15 years ago, BMX-street bikes went from 50 lb four-pegged monsters to brakeless, pegless bikes with micro-geared drive-trains. There was a good reason for this, and the sport evolved. Hell, the philosophy even crossed over into mountain bikes and now we have slope-style.
That said, even the most minimalist downhill rider or dirt-jumper relies on their brakes. If not, then they damned well avoid the trails where they now they can't stop or slow down.
These new "Hipsters" are popping up and hitting the streets with little or no bicycle handling expereince, and because of how dangerous to cars, pedestrians and themselves they are, they're giving ALL cyclists a bad rep. There are a small number of responsible fixie riders out there, but most of them seem to limit their fixie use to wide open roads instead of congested city traffic.
I love anyone who rides for pleasure, but I agree with you that the fixie craze is problematic at best, and will eventually fizzle as a fad when people decide that riding a fixie isn't as cool as the next big fad... whatever it may be.
You're a hypocrite.
stop being such a tool. you for one benefit from the popularity of bikes from working in a bike shop alone, aside from the fact that more people interested brings more parts and lower prices to the market. you could also not be a douche and complain about it and instead be a source of good information and help to people that come into your shop new to riding bikes.
Let other people define what is cool. I started road racing in the early '80s. I was considered a freak. Definitely uncool. People would spit and throw stuff at me and try to run me off the road--yes, worse than now. Back then, the Pros rode fixies during the off-season (57 x 17 was most common). Not having the money for two bikes, I just kept my bike in that gear and used it as a single speed--again uncool, but practical. I have continued that practice. I'm still riding at 50 yrs. Now I am into randonneuring--ultra distance. Deninately uncool, but if you love to ride and are sick of low-category Kamikaze riders, look up randonneuring and give it a try. The sport needs and infusion of young riders. (By the way, most randonneurs are professionally successful, funny, and a tad crazy--good networking in tough economic times.) Kind regards.
cons of riding a fixie;
people gawp and call me dangerous and that i think i'm cool - even though i use brakes.
pros of riding a fixie;
it keeps me fit and healthy
it builds my leg muscles
i get to work quicker than in a car
i can't afford a decent bike in a bike shop and my fixie only cost £100 to build
it costs less to run than my car
it's really good fun
i can have 6 pints of fine belgian beer after work and ride home without being breathalysed
it gave me a sense of accomplishment to build and maintain it
Pros of riding a bike with brakes and gears:
it keeps me fit and healthy
it builds my leg muscles
i get to work quicker than in a car
it costs less to run than my car
it's really good fun
i can have 6 pints of fine belgian beer after work and ride home without being breathalysed
it gave me a sense of accomplishment to build and maintain it
I can stop safely
I can bike down hills and not worry about the traffic light at the bottom
I can accelerate faster than the cars behind me
Cons of riding a bike with brakes and gears:
It can be a bit noisy sometimes.
I just removed a TWO 700x25c tire with two spoons.
Fixies or not fixies, that is the question. If I ever ride a bike again, I want to have brakes and a great big cushiony seat. And I want to ride only down hill and some level would be ok.
Wow great hub pal. Riding without brakes on the road is def not recomended, i rode across three countries on a bike which had half of one back brake- not by choice but through circumstance i was very skint at the time. I had so many near misses en route i consider myself glad to be alive, but riding a bike with no brakes on the road by choice is like signing up to be a kamikaze pilot!
Yep my "other" bike is a fixie. It has a flip flop hub and brakes. Most of the time I use the freewheel hub. Slow to take off. Great if you want jangling legs when you get to work after pushing into a head wind. However sometimes I flip the wheel over and ride the fixed hub. This frightens me - a lot. Yes it sure is a good workout. And it improves your pedaling style, it must! you have to pedal always! Its when you forget you are fixed, get off the power and have a stretch. I also wear cleats too. How I have not done myself any serious damage I do not know. I suppose riding fixed everyday would get me used to it. As well as concentrating on the comatose drivers in the morning commute as well as remembering to keep pedaling instead of coasting occasionally is just too much.
Hats off to those who do 100k and above Audaxes on fixed - definitely special. I need my rest on the down hills.
fun with hipsters and fixies (warning - salty language):
When I started to get into biking a few of my friends kept recommending I try a fixed gear. I have to admit part of the draw is the style and the look of the bikes, but I researched the whole fixed gear thing before I jumped in. I figured that not everyone that rides them are just jumping some band wagon. There had to be some logical reasons. Things I have found out about why some ride fixed gears in the city streets:
-it improves your pedaling
-it is good for excercise
-letting your legs go limp yet still moving on the pedals allows for continuous blood flow. Coasting can cause your legs to cramp.
-you have more control of the back wheel. (bike messengers can feel if the wheel is slipping while riding in the rain) You can slow yourself down without using brakes. track stands :) .
Now before I went to a fixed gear, I rode a crappy road bike. I eventually converted it into a fixed gear. Once I got used to that I bought a track bike. It came with brakes and I do use them. You can get a ticket if you ride brakeless. Also depending on what gear ratio you have you can badly hurt your knees and/or not even be able to stop by locking your legs. I live in NYC and I have not had any problem riding my fixie. I still use brakes and I ride for excercise and transportation. I like riding fixed gear partly because its less to think about when riding (what gear to be in) and secondly there is something about feeling that connected to your bike. Whether its uphill, downhill, or on flats the bike is pushing you and I like that and when I come to intersections the control i have stoping or slowing down is great.
I ride a fixed gear. I also use speedplay frog clipless pedals and brakes.
Why do I ride fixed gear? Because after a long day's work your legs spinning with the pedals in an effortless fashion is like a massage!
The road bike is easier on rear tires though I have to say.
who cares 2 years ago
stop whining