Fixed Gear Bikes Reaching Mainstream
Posted on May 10, 2008 in the fixed gear tricks, random category
So it should not be a mystery for most of you why this blog exists. Basically, ever since I moved to San Francisco I cannot get enough of fixed gear bikes. I knew eventually they would reach mainstream so why not buy a domain and start a little blog. The real question is will Fixed Gear Bikes get to the level of say skateboarding?
Here is my theory and feel free to comment if you agree or disagree. Skateboarding was started by surfers who wanted to do something when the waves were not favorable. They created skateboarding which continued to grow in popularity. Their competitions started to get more and more popular. Eventually the mainstream got wind of what these kids were doing and helped grow the industry. Before you know it people were making a living doing the thing they love in front of thousands of fans and on ESPN.
This will not be the fate of fixed gear bikes. Here is why. Fixed Gear Bikes started to catch on because of bike messengers. They did not ride the bikes for fashion, or tricks, or to live on the edge. It was actually a “practical reason.” The bikes had few parts and therefore were easy to maintain. Oh and those tube top pads were for locking the bike without damaging the frame. The other day I saw a fixie with a bike lock around the frame even though it had a tube top…. laaammeee. Maybe the D-bag thought it was for his crotch.
Anyway, back to my point, the people who adopted the fixed gears were a bunch of pretensions hipsters. The did it because it was a fad and because it made them feel alive to have no breaks on their bikes. Some of them started doing tricks, but god forbid they would ever sell out and do it at a competition or any “truly” organized event. Because of this idea of not selling out fixed gear bikes will never become as popular as skateboards.
Now don’t get me wrong we have seen what selling out can do, a la Breakdancing in the 80s (orignally called bboying). However, I think that if the right people put their heads together and got over trying to commercialize fixed gears in the end everyone will profit. New fixed gear bike companies will spring up to design better bikes. Maybe bike racing will become popular again. Fixed Gear Tricks will gain acceptance and maybe the stunt bike crowd will shut the hell up.
What do you think??
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3 Responses to “Fixed Gear Bikes Reaching Mainstream”
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the fixed gear bike culture is much like aggressive rollerblading culture we dont want to get massively famous either we will never sell out im im glad that there is another sport i can participate in that feels the same way.
The bad thing about things going mainstream is that the prices for the parts and accessories sky rocket. Companies are out there to take our money.. once it’s popular they will be able to charge more. Just like when musical artists get popular, they concert ticket prices go up.
Beyond the prices, if fixed gear bicycles become more mainstream.. the underground appeal and legitimacy will go away because of the new people who don’t understand what it is and that would be a shame.
fa sho cuzzn one day it mite completely replace freestyle bmx. it mite become stupid like motorcycle gangs an street gangs and strt turf wars n shit but fuk, i been around gangs my whole life n its like fukn republican n democrat, tongan n samoan, italian n sicilian. people r goin 2 hate othr people for differences and alikeness(if alikeness if a word). as much as i like smashin around san mateo on a fixd gear, i kno its goin to start shit if all kinds of ppl strt bringen it main stream. im actually tryen 2 strt a club in san mateo. and if theres a club in san fran or even san carlos dey might think like actual gangs n strt shit, i kno i would. its my nature.
feel me?
yah, i kinda just babbled n e ways cuzzn, but hate ot or luv it
cripside san mateo cuzz.