Fixed Bicycle Gear

Submitted by Holly McBain

Why do I enjoy riding my fixed gear bike? There are many reasons, but the most important is it reminds me of my childhood and the first bicycle I ever owned.
It was my fifth birthday and my big present was a blue Schwinn with a blue sparkle banana seat, ape-hanger handle bars with streamers, a white wicker basket with plastic flowers, and (of course) training wheels. My favorite past time was making skid marks with the tires by applying the brakes at a high rate of speed. The brake was putting pressure on the pedals in reverse. Sound familiar?
Well, it may not be exactly like riding my fixie, but it sure puts a smile on my face just remembering all the fun and good times I enjoyed on that little blue Schwinn. Every summer, it was my transportation to anywhere I wanted to go – the public pool, the mall, the ice house (convenience store), or my best friend’s house. I had independence and freedom because of that bike.
That is the same feeling I get every time I ride my fixed gear bike. Riding a ten-speed or freewheel bike doesn’t recapture the memories and emotions of my childhood, but my fixie sure does. I feel young and alive on it – I don’t wear a helmet (I know) but helmets for bicycling were not invented when I was young. When I venture out into the world of street riding with cars, I do wear a helmet. But riding around my neighborhood, I don’t – I want to remember when I was five and riding my blue Schwinn.
I rode that bike until it fell apart. After that, I got a “3-speed” and then a “10-speed” bike, but it wasn’t the same as that little blue Schwinn – that bike was my first and most fun. That’s why I love my fixie – it is the most fun riding since I was five. If only I could bottle that feeling and sell it, I’d be a billionaire.

Submitted by Paul Scarsella

Usually when I talk about cycling with someone interested in getting started riding on the road, the inevitable question becomes how much will I need to spend on a decent road bike? The answer is you could spend as little as $700 to as much as $3k (or more). This is usually enough to make many people dismiss getting started in cycling as an option. In reality, you can get something nice in the $700 to $800 range but it will consist of a solid frame (usually aluminum) with some really lousy wheels and subpar components. Anyone who is slightly on the heavy side (which is most people) and does a lot of riding will inevitably wear this stuff out quickly and will need to replace wheels and parts. What’s left is usually the frame, just begging to be upgraded.

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