PlayWithSlurry

It seems to me that the author, while well intentioned and sympathetic to cyclists’ plight (especially the dreaded right-hook), relied overly on anecdote and intuition.

* After cycling for a number of years (presumably), she decided to try out some of those new fangled fixies. She felt awkward and out of control, but that doesn’t suggest that riding a fixed gear is more dangerous or difficult, just that it’s different. I know that after riding a fixed gear exclusively for a few months, I rode a freewheel, geared bike in traffic and found it disconcerting trying to maneuver in low speed traffic without being able to apply backward pressure. I’m not saying his reporting was dishonest or anything (he should be commended for actually going out and doing first-person reporting), just that it isn’t likely to cast light on what it’s like to be an experienced fixed gear rider in traffic.

* I’m not an engineer, but (as others have pointed out) I don’t understand the assumption that fixed gear bikes go faster down hill. If anything, I would suspect the resistance incurred by having to “pedal” the rider’s legs would make them slower than coasting on a free wheel. It’s not hard, however, to see where he could get that impression. Fixed gear bikes defiantly register changes in speed and momentum more viscerally than geared bikes. This is a safety feature. Modern SUVs are dangerous in large part because their powerful engines, suspensions and high ground clearance detach the rider from the road surface. It’s easy to forget you’re operating a machine that requires you’re constant attention to prevent tragedy. Fixed gear bikes make the rider feel the inherent precariousness of traveling at high speeds among larger, more powerful vehicles.

*It may well be the case that there are lots of dangerously inexperienced fixed gear riders in America’s cities. But I think the author is in danger of confusing causation and correlation. When the mass production of automobiles began, this likely unleashed a great many inexperienced, comparatively dangerous drivers onto the roads where they were a danger to themselves and other traffic. The solution, of course, was not to restrict driving to an elite corps of custom horseless carriage enthusiasts. As car ownership increased, awareness of other drivers and traffic patterns (probably even among horse and buggy owners) increased with it. I’m afraid that the casual reader may take away the implication from the article that the solution to this tragedy is to clamp down on those dangerous, thrill seeking fixed gear riders. When, counter intuitively (to someone who doesn’t ride a bike), the way to make biking less dangerous is to make it more common. Cars will only learn to avoid dangerous behavior like the right-hook if they are used to looking for bikes everywhere they go. The example of several northern European countries makes this obvious. The only way that is going to happen is if more novice riders take to the streets. Fear is a vicious circle.

Apologies for the length and stridency of this post. Most people who read this board are aware of these arguments already.