Sarcasm isn’t dead. Found this funny post about the war on fixies.

Here are some choice lines:

The fixed gear community is largely intertwined with the likes of window smashing anarchists and vegan extremists.

t is rumored that the secret leader of these fanatics is a middle-aged bearded man going by the moniker Sheldon Brown. This shadowy overlord has helped to foster the fixed gear community by giving step by step instructions on how to build these death-cycles.

t is rumored that the secret leader of these fanatics is a middle-aged bearded man going by the moniker Sheldon Brown. This shadowy overlord has helped to foster the fixed gear community by giving step by step instructions on how to build these death-cycles.

Ok this may seem like a shock for some of you, but Bike Republic has joined forces with Urban Outfitters. Check out the new bike store at Urban Outfitters. Now some of you may think this is the worst thing that could have happened, and maybe you’re right. I still don’t know how I feel about this but leave your comment and help me sort this out.

Leave your thoughts below…

FIXED TEPPEI from Pak A Ji on Vimeo.

This video has been making the rounds thought I’d throw it up for those of you who haven’t seen it.

I wish I knew what the hell this guy was saying. First person to give me a translated transcript gets a $10 via PayPal

I came across this post on tree hugger about the top 7 reasons fixies are hot. You can read the full article here

This article is complete bull shit. I’ll recap their top reasons so you can see for yourself.

1. People Love Subcultures

People love subcultures, especially when its protagonists are perceived as cool. Nobody doubts that the use of skateboards spread rapidly not only because kids loved to ride a table with wheels, but also because they wanted to ressemble a bunch of really cool Californian teenagers who did it.

This might be true but Fixies are cutting across many different cultures. Also, why does everyone have to compare anything new to skateboarding and surfing?

2. Their Cheapness

Let’s be honest: Who can really afford a designer bike? On the other hand, foldings can be a little expensive sometimes, as well as all really nice bikes.

But fixed gear bikes are (or were?) cheap. As Wired put it: “Find an old beat-up road bike, buy a new hub and throw away all extraneous hardware. You now have a fixie.” To make it unique, all you have to do is add your touch

First of all that article they mention from Wired was written years ago. Second fixed gear bikes ARE NOT CHEAP, unless of course you sign up to my email and get crazy discounts on frames and parts.

3. Light and Clean Looks

Long, long gone are the times when biking meant bulky bicycles with tons of accessories. As these vehicles get more integrated to everyday lives, people are looking for simple models that just get the job done. Additionally, we live in times when frugal living and simpleness have become desirable values for some segments.

Just because the bike looks clean doesn’t mean that each component is not premium. The line about just getting the job done really ticked me off.

4. Endless Customization

Fine this one I’ll let them slide on.

5. Speed/Danger/Feel/”The zen thing”

Why are extreme sports so popular? One of the reasons may be that people love activities that are a little bit dangerous but that also provide some ultra-connection with the surrounding environment and a shock of adrenaline.

Last time I checked theres no fixed gears at the X-Games!!

6. The Culture Around Them

The article doesn’t mention shit about the culture except that it exists… weak.

7. The Trend

Finally, let’s just say it: fixed gear bikes are so hot right now because they’re in fashion, and some people are always looking for the next big thing.

But as we know, some trends come and go in a minute, and others find a way to stick around and create a whole industry around them. are temporary, others come to stay.

Fixed gear bikes already showed themselves to be more than just another fad.

Anyway this article sucks and poorly researched weak attempt at link bait by Paula Alvarado.

Francesco “Fran” D’Anna is staring down the famed Cat’s Hill in Los Gatos. The 24 year old taks to the slope a grade of 23 percent.

D’Anna locks his legs, stopping the back wheel as he slows a bit, then continues through the intersection unscathed and unafraid as if he was in complete control the whole time.

The subculture known as the fixed-gear bicycling scene is spreading into neighborhoods across the Bay Area. Once a fixture of urban centers New York City and San Francisco, “fixies” have trickled to the South Bay first to San Jose and now its surrounding areas.

Whether you think fixed gear is just a passing fad or just getting started, one thing can’t be denied it’s spreading.

In case you’re reading this and donlt know what a fixed gear is:

“A fixed-gear bike is essentially a track bike with a fixed cog, instead of a freewheel, that doesn’t allow the bike to coast. As long as the wheels are in motion, the pedals move in the same direction, and the bike has the capability to move forward or in reverse. Some fixed-gear bikes are equipped with a braking system, but most experienced riders ride brakeless, stopping or slowing only by resisting the rotation of the cranks.”

Track bikes originated in the velodrome an arena for track cycling until bicycle messengers picked up on them for their simplicity and low maintenance. The bikes were easy to maneuver in urban areas and were lightweight and versatile enough to take everywhere.

But almost a decade ago, riders started performing tricks on the bikes, moving the fixed-gear scene once more.

The person largely responsible for bringing fixed-gear to the South Bay is Mark Cosio, founder of San Jose Fixed an online community bulletin board where riders can organize rallies and post discussion topics. He also opened iMINUSD a bike shop specializing in fixed-gear, single-speed and track bikes about a year ago in downtown San Jose, just as the boom was taking place in the area.

Since then, his customers have come from Sacramento, Stockton, Gilroy, Santa Rosa and even San Francisco, supposedly the birthplace of the sport.

“Before I started riding, there were probably three or four other guys I knew riding fixed-gear bikes downtown, and now they’re on every stoplight, every street corner,” said Cosio, a seven-year fixed-gear rider.

In truth, fixed-gear bicycling is practiced all over the world in major metropolitan areas. Only now, though, is the movement starting to hit neighborhood streets.

Similar to what Cosio did in San Jose, D’Anna brought fixed-gear to Los Gatos, promoting the scene simply by riding through town and performing tricks like the surfer, in which he pops on top of the bike and balances using his feet. The trick isn’t specific to fixed-gear bikes, but it’s a show-stopper, and D’Anna says it leads to questions about what else he can do.

His arsenal of tricks include the wheelie, barspin, pogo, leg-over, whirlie bird and of course the whip skid for downhill rides. He’ll also cruise around on his 7-foot tall bike, also a fixed-gear, which turns a lot of heads.

D’Anna picked up on fixed-gear bikes through his bicycle messenger friends while he was attending college in San Francisco. When he moved back to Los Gatos, he brought the bikes with him and soon people began riding fixies around town.

“This little community started arising out of Los Gatos,” said D’Anna, who has ties to prominent fixed-gear riding crew Macaframa. “In the past three years in the South Bay Area, bike riding has just gotten exponentially bigger, especially single-speeds and fixed-gears.”

The fixed-gear movement has somewhat piggybacked on the success of San Jose Bike Party, a monthly ride of 3,000 to 5,000 cyclists hitting the streets all over the Silicon Valley. Just a few years ago there were fewer than a 100 regular riders, barely enough to cause a stir, but now there are thousands, most of whom are riding a fixed-gear bike.

The growth of the fixed-gear culture is akin to how other underground phenomenons have emerged. They’re first valued for practical means before developing an identity of their own as they enter a more widespread forum.

“It takes riding your bike and turning it into more of skateboarding,” says D’Anna, who works at Los Gatos’ Mike’s Bikes.

What he means is the nature of a fixed-gear bike makes it versatile to take around town, stop in a parking lot for some tricks and then head down a few hills if one is so inclined. Some observers have compared the movements in fixed-gear riding to that of board sports, particularly skidding which parallels carving in snowboarding.

The concern, though, is that enthusiastic yet inexperienced riders may be jumping on board before they’re ready. Veterans often caution beginners to practice fixed-gear riding with a set of brakes until they get comfortable.

“If you know what you’re doing, it’s just as easy as riding a bike with brakes,” Marshall said. “If you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re going to get hurt, period.”

Marshall isn’t overstating that last part. One of the hardest things to learn about fixed-gear is how to stay in complete control of the bike, especially when traveling downhill. The constant movement of the pedals is awkward to learn at first and goes against traditional bike riding, so “you basically have to learn how to ride a bike all over again,” said Brian Hamilton, 20, of Summit Bikes in Los Gatos.

Traveling downhill requires a great deal of agility, body control and leg strength, Hamilton said. As the bike picks up speed, the rider’s legs have to keep up with the pedaling motion, otherwise all control is lost. Fearful beginners may instinctively pull their feet off the pedals to slow down, but that’s probably the worst thing that can happen.

“You’re at the will of the hill at that point,” Hamilton said.

A fixed-gear bike has an element of danger to it, but it also provides its share of health benefits and advantages. It takes a lot of energy to constantly pedal from place to place using just one gear, and even more effort is exerted performing tricks.

The other attraction is the aesthetics of a fixed-gear bike. It’s fairly inexpensive and fully customizable, which is a major appeal to a generation with a vested interest in originality, Cosio said. As styles shift back toward a simpler, cleaner look, fixies appear to have the edge over the bells and whistles of a more modern bike.

“The thing with trends is that if it’s a trend and there’s no substance to it, it goes away,” Cosio said. “The reason why fixed-gear got so huge is because it actually works you out and gets you in shape. I know some riders who came in looking like Jell-O and they come out looking rock hard.

The appeal of fixed-gear seems deeper than just fitness, however. Word of mouth and videos on YouTube have created intrigueabout the sport. It’s something most people have never witnessed before, with maneuvers on a bicycle that are unheard of but open the door to endless possibilities. Sometimes watching the perfect sequence of tricks can be almost poetic.

“I’d say we’re not even close to our peak yet,” he continued. “This is the early development stage, but there’s still a long way to go.”

You can read full original article at Mercury News

I decided to check out a local shop here in San Francisco that has been making quite a stir. Their bikes aren’t cheap, so if you’re broke maybe you should fill out the email and start getting some discounts. The company is called Mission Bicycles.

Anyway, here is a little bio about them:

We started Mission Bicycle because we weren’t satisfied with the bicycles sold in bike stores. The best bicycles on the streets of San Francisco are the custom built fixed gear bikes those with the know-how are building up for themselves and friends. It didn’t make sense to us that these bikes were not available to everyone else so we set out to change that.

Here are some features:

• Valencia Frame with over 25 colors to chose from
• You can chose fixed/free and even COASTER BRAKE
• Custom handlebars (risers, bullhorn, etc)
• High quality parts for the rest of the bike
• Locks if you chose

You might be thinking why not just build your own bike. The truth is these guys do good work and get their parts cheaper because they buy in bulk, so for about $800 bucks you can get a sick bike or you can build it yourself waste time and money searching craigslist and still drop around $1200 – $1500.

Check them out and build your own bike now at Mission Bicycles

P.S. The reason I used this bike picture is the nickname is “The Lex” which was my nickname in High Scool

Do you want the latest products cheap?

I know I sure I did, after all fixie parts aren’t cheap – and after that brand new frame not much is left for a shiny new iPad. I’m a techie (duh.. I mean I have a blog).. and I need the new iPad and I didn’t have the money. That’s when I started looking around to see how the hell can a guy score big without having to drop my rent money.

Thats when I found the answer to getting an iPad 80% OFF!!!

PENNY AUCTIONS

If you haven’t heard of these things you’ve been living under a rock. The idea is quite simple. You buy “bids” that are usually pretty cheap. These bids let you participate in live auctions for some of the top products around:

• iPads
• Macbook Pro
• Cameras
• Wii Fit
• LCD TVs
• and more…

So I looked around and there are few sites out the but the best one was hands down Bid Fire.

Why was it so great?

What’s great about BidFire is you CAN’T lose. Even if you don’t win the auctions you participate in, you get points anyway that you can redeem for products!!!

Anyway, I gave it a shot, and on my 5th auction I WON!!! Maybe it was luck, or maybe it was just divine intervention. Anyway, I’m off to play with my iPad… I just wanted to share the news.

Check out BidFire right now to see what they have for auction (sign up is free)

Sorry guys, I have been super MIA the past few months. I am looking to pass on this blog to someone who is more knowledgeable and has more time to take this blog to the next level.

Anyway here are some messages that were sent to me that may be of interest to you:

Cool Fixie Story

I just wanted to let the fixed gear community know that my
sister is riding a fixie in the tour divide which is 2,745 miles
across the continental divide from Canada to Mexico.
www.tourdivide.org. Many people have attempted this and at day 21 with
1700 miles my sister Deanna has gone farther than everyone else! Check
out this blog

]]> http://www.fixedbicyclegear.com/back-from-my-haitus/feed/ 1 http://www.fixedbicyclegear.com/i-got-hit-by-a-car-last-night/ http://www.fixedbicyclegear.com/i-got-hit-by-a-car-last-night/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:07:55 +0000 Alex http://www.fixedbicyclegear.com/?p=150

I got hit by a car last night! It was a rather cold night and unfortunately I was not prepared for it. I mashed my way up North Avenue trying to warm my body with some sprints. The streets in Chicago are so straight, flat, and deserted at night that it’s hard to keep from sprinting. I ride a blue Nishiki fixed conversion I built it out of my mom’s old road bike. It’s very pretty and I am in love with it.

I was eagerly chasing down the horizon of eventual warmth when a car making a left turn hit me. I flew onto the hood and tumbled to the ground. I got up to a crowd of panicking witnesses. The crash had snapped off my left pedal, crank arm, and a toenail. The front wheel of my bike was nearly folded in half. All sorts of important uniformed people started asking me simple questions, which helped to calm me. They wanted me to take an ambulance and they took my bike to a fire station where I can pick it up at my convenience. I went to a hospital and was discharged at three in the morning. The taxi driver on the way home shared her strategies about how to extort money out of the driver who hit me. It was his fault completely.

So what happens now? I suppose I will build a new bike. Until then I will borrow some bikes and try to get back to work as soon as possible. I do messenger work downtown, so not having a bike or working legs is going to make coming up with rent quite hard. People from the bike culture here are already helping me get back on my feet. I will probably be able to build a bike for very little money at west town bikes. West town is an awesome community bike center run by volunteers and supported by donations. I am a responsible biker, I like to go fast but I am always aware of my surroundings. This crash reminded me that no matter how safe you are biking there is always the possibility of an accident.

]]> http://www.fixedbicyclegear.com/i-got-hit-by-a-car-last-night/feed/ 9 http://www.fixedbicyclegear.com/i-love-riding-fixed-gear-bikes/ http://www.fixedbicyclegear.com/i-love-riding-fixed-gear-bikes/#comments Wed, 20 May 2009 19:05:45 +0000 Alex http://www.fixedbicyclegear.com/?p=148

Submitted by Mike Locker

I love riding fixed gear. I love the control, the connection, the aesthetic, and the history of Velodrome racing. I love that I can confidently fix anything on my bike. I first went fixed because I needed a light and responsive bike but I was very poor. At the time I was racing at the San Diego Velodrome weekly. One day I borrowed a Bianchi Pista Concept and rode it around San Diego. It was wonderful; it felt pure in the way that my first bike felt to me.

I found a frame at a swap meet and put some wheels and a crank set on it. The bike was beautiful and only set me back a couple hundred dollars. It weighed sixteen pounds. The frame was a fetish custom track frame. I was planning to use the bike to race on the track and on the street but I could never afford regulation track drops. I chopped and flipped some old road handlebars into bullhorns. I never raced this bike on the track but I loved going up and down the hilly streets in San Diego.

To me, the fixed gear bike is a very empowering thing. I had built my own bike for very little money and it kicked ass. Recently I have built nice bikes for nearly no cost. I feel like everyone should have a right to transportation and the fixed gear bike is such a feasible mode. The learning curve was fairly intense. I learned to gauge the terrain and traffic, which soon became almost subconscious. The thought behind using the bike in the streets is fascinating. Fixed gear technology was not meant for street riding. Track bikes are built for the track. The bikes are designed to go very fast for a short period of time and never stop. I find the vision of earlier messengers very inspiring. They started using these bikes on the streets because they needed to go very fast with the least amount of stopping. It inspires me when people use technology in ways that the inventors never intended. Now fixed gear bikes are an integral part of the bike culture amongst people who may never even see a Velodrome in their lives.

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