Fixed Gear Bikes, the Hottest Trend in Cycling
Why the Fixie is the Bike of Choice for Fun in the City
Feb 23, 2009
Fixed gear bikes are not new. They are simple bikes with only one gear and no freewheel mechanism, which means that the pedals are constantly in motion whenever the bike is moving. That means the rider cannot coast on flat or downhill sections unlike a single speed bike, which does allow coasting via a single cog attached to a freewheel hub.
Today, fixies have become the bike of choice for young trendy urbanites in major cities like New York, San Francisco, Portland and Chicago and the trend is spreading fast. The scruffy bikes ridden by West Indian immigrant couriers in New York, which sparked the trend, have been replaced by fashionable customised models with hand built wheels and color co-ordinated saddles and handlebars.
Why Ride a Fixed Gear Bike?
Fixie addicts love their bikes for a number of reasons:
- Simplicity. No slipping gears and a slick chain movement allows easy movement through traffic.
- Speed and efficiency. With few components, fixed gear bikes are light and the constant cadence means no annoying stops and starts. They are also virtually maintenance free.
- Fitness. Riders have to pedal harder on inclines and keep pedalling downhill so legs are constantly in motion and lazy coasting is impossible.
- Fun. Riders love the almost mystical connection between bike and road offered by a fixed gear. To control speed, they simply pedal faster or slower and take in all of their surroundings when not having to concentrate on gear shifting. This offers a freedom unlike riding any other bike.
- Fashion. Many young riders customise their bikes both for visual impact and to remove the front brake, adding danger and a forbidden culture status to fixie riding.
Fixed Gear Braking
Without a front brake, riders can only stop by standing and pushing hard and down on the pedals, forcing the rear wheel to lock and the bike to skid to a stop. It sounds dangerous and it is, but that is part of the forbidden fun of fixie riding just as running a red light by pedalling like crazy or “mashing” is equally dangerous.
Whilst sensible fixed gear cyclists keep their front brakes even if they don’t use them very often, fixie addicts do it brake-less and become adept at trick riding as they try to look cool when stopping. Just like skateboarders, even if they fall off they do it gracefully.
Fixed Gear Bike Culture
Whilst people of all ages have taken to riding fixed gear bikes for the pure simplicity and freedom they offer, the urban subculture that has grown up in big cities is quite different.
Unofficial night races now exist known as Alleycats, where riders compete against each other on a set route with a series of checkpoints. The cooler a bike looks, the more fashion points are scored and riders like to compare notes, evident on the Fixedgeargallery.com website which has over 200,000 photos of fixie bikes posted by owners worldwide.
Wearing the right clothes is equally important. Fashionable fixie riders don’t wear helmets or lycra and although fixed gear riding is great for fitness, they do it because it’s hip.
Fixed Gear Bike Trend
Ultimately, many young riders are seduced by the thrill of riding a fixie with no brakes, despite the danger for inexperienced bikers. Having fun in the city on a customised fixie looks cool, it’s eco friendly and is great for health and fitness provided you don’t fall off!
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