Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Tiny article in Spin magazine on SS/FG

I got a free subscription to Spin somehow and flipping through it I notcied this small article on SS/FG. Anyone else see this?

I'll scan it here in a bit, it's a really small article though, and they don't go into detail at all.

Yup.

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/6223/scan3mx.jpg

saw this on another forum. my only thought was

"IT'S A PHENOM"

edit: now that I can actually see the photos, I recognize the girl and bike in the top center. It's Jeneane from King Kog. She and Jason stopped by my work and dropped off some shirts for the Oakland Scrape.
http://static.flickr.com/46/169425182_f354caafe1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcbomb/169425182/")
it's a Gan Well Pro
http://static.flickr.com/58/172508827_c34d62dcde.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcbomb/172508827/)

i sweat that bike verytime i see it. mad clean. i love it.

It's a phenom indeed. There's gonna be an article in the Wall Street Journal sometime in the next few weeks about fixed gear riding. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. So....all you WSJ readers keep your eyes peeled, ok?

There was also an article in Time Out NY featuring a few words from Hugo and a plug for NYBMA.com

bike culture is not for sale (i thought).:eek: :) :eek: :)

The single-speed rider's "dream machine" is the Classico Pista from U.K.-based Condor Cycles.

Well crap! I guess that means I don't get to dream about a Vanilla anymore...

Well crap! I guess that means I don't get to dream about a Vanilla anymore...

I don't think I've ever seen anyone riding one... I saw the bike at College Park Cycles in Maryland, but never on the road...

They actually don't explain what a fixed gear is.

wow, way to make yourself look even dumber NYCBikes....

"If you wanted one a couple of years ago, you had to get an old ten-speed and convert it yourself."

yeah I guess they did just get invented...

I'm kinda baffled by that as well.


LCD, dudes.

I'm kinda liking that "SPIN GENIUS THING" sticker. I think they're talking about me personally, rather than the mag or SS/FG.

Spin n'grin, yarrrrss...

looks more like a fashion profile than something anything close to substance.
wouldn't expect too much more on a artical about bikes (sports?) in a music magazine. i also have not read spin in about 15yrs so not sure what its looking like these days.

They need a quiz.

Could someone finally please explain this "fixed gear" thing to me please? Apparantly, a bike with a fixed gear in the rear is some recent new thing. Is this in any way related to "track" "cycling" where guys would "ride" on a "hardwood" "surface" "for" prizes? Thanks, I'm new here.

you're thinking of "dirt jumping"

haha yeah, i recognize a lot of those folks. i think there's been another article about fixed in spin cause Randy had his photo taken (probably by the same person who took those) and was in the mag but he's not in this article.

the bike on the bottom has a rear brake and a silly ratio. cool to see people I know in a magazine though.

I'm kinda liking that "SPIN GENIUS THING" sticker. I think they're talking about me personally, rather than the mag or SS/FG.

Spin n'grin, yarrrrss...

yarrrrrz indeed

Truth be told, I'm more interested in whether or not "...Jay-Z, the Notorious B.I.G., and Busta Rhymes attend[ed] the same school?"

Heh.

Who's the bike ninja?

FixELZN?

Fixandinista?

don't know about you, but my dream machine doesn't have Wald rubber block pedals. yeeesh.

Funny how they take a photo in front of King Kog of one of somebody who works there, and then get the blurb from NYC bikes. And a stupid blurb at that.

Was I the only one who had to google condor cycles to find out anything about that bike?

NYCBikes dude seems to be the go-to guy for getting quotes about fixed-gear bikes in almost EVERY article in widely circulated pubs that I've seen about fixed.

Why? My main theory is that his shop is the most well-known, high-profile in Williamsburg Proper (i.e. not E.Wburg or Bushwick) and the authors of these articles either live in Williamsburg or consider B-burg to be some sort of de facto fixed gear "fertile crescent", with the East river standing in for the Tigris and Newton Creek the Euphrates. Thus the frequent citation.

But really, I just wanted to make my cradle of civilization metaphor b/c I thought it was clever.

NYCBikes dude seems to be the go-to guy for getting quotes about fixed-gear bikes in almost EVERY article in widely circulated pubs that I've seen about fixed.

Why? My main theory is that his shop is the most well-known, high-profile in Williamsburg Proper (i.e. not E.Wburg or Bushwick) and the authors of these articles either live in Williamsburg or consider B-burg to be some sort of de facto fixed gear "fertile crescent", with the East river standing in for the Tigris and Newton Creek the Euphrates. Thus the frequent citation.

But really, I just wanted to make my cradle of civilization metaphor b/c I thought it was clever.


Definitely worth the time it took to read.

NYCBikes dude seems to be the go-to guy for getting quotes about fixed-gear bikes in almost EVERY article in widely circulated pubs that I've seen about fixed.

Why? My main theory is that his shop is the most well-known, high-profile in Williamsburg Proper (i.e. not E.Wburg or Bushwick) and the authors of these articles either live in Williamsburg or consider B-burg to be some sort of de facto fixed gear "fertile crescent", with the East river standing in for the Tigris and Newton Creek the Euphrates. Thus the frequent citation.

But really, I just wanted to make my cradle of civilization metaphor b/c I thought it was clever.

I liked it alot!

Chicago is the fertile crescent for Styx!

maybe they do a google search for New York City & Bikes. Or NYC Bikes.

Oh hey...look at that...the NYBMA site is almost the top link for both. Hot damn!

Very odd "article."

"HEY, there are these things called single speeds that people are riding. The End."

i'm just waiting for "hip lifestyle mags" to start running articles about alleycats. seems like the next thing in this natural progression of media attention. for a second i thought about cashing in on it and sending something to rolling stone or spin (i'm an unemployed lit major after all), but i'd feel too much like jessica hopper talking to news week.

who get's that reference!? scene points!

Truth be told, I'm more interested in whether or not "...Jay-Z, the Notorious B.I.G., and Busta Rhymes attend[ed] the same school?"

Heh.
Ahh...Da House. I have fond memories of fighting with kids from their when I was in college.

Could someone finally please explain this "fixed gear" thing to me please? Apparantly, a bike with a fixed gear in the rear is some recent new thing. Is this in any way related to "track" "cycling" where guys would "ride" on a "hardwood" "surface" "for" prizes? Thanks, I'm new here.

for the record:

the term "fixed gear" and "singlespeed" are synonymous. On a track bike or a freewheel singlespeed, the gear itself is "fixed" as in, it may not be changed -There can be only one. What most people mistakenly call "fixed gear" is actually "fixed wheel," i.e. the gear is a direct drive, and the rotation of the wheel is fixed to the rotation of the gear. Track bikes are both "fixed wheel" AND "fixed gear."

geared bikes are, obviously, not fixed gear. It also seems paradoxical when the regularly returning idea of a "two speed fixed gear" pops up time and again.

There was a frustratingly long thread about this on the messenger list serv last year. But this definition comes straight from the guru, Sheldon Brown.

for the record:

the term "fixed gear" and "singlespeed" are synonymous. On a track bike or a freewheel singlespeed, the gear itself is "fixed" as in, it may not be changed -There can be only one. What most people mistakenly call "fixed gear" is actually "fixed wheel," i.e. the gear is a direct drive, and the rotation of the wheel is fixed to the rotation of the gear. Track bikes are both "fixed wheel" AND "fixed gear."

geared bikes are, obviously, not fixed gear. It also seems paradoxical when the regularly returning idea of a "two speed fixed gear" pops up time and again.

There was a frustratingly long thread about this on the messenger list serv last year. But this definition comes straight from the guru, Sheldon Brown.



i get what you're saying. makes sense, but i think an argument could also be made that gear doesn't necessarily refer to the gearing but to the actual gear/cog, and calling a bike a fixed gear denotes not that it only has one gearing, but that the mechanical gear/cog is fixed in place and has no freewheel. in this sense, a two speed fixed gear still makes sense.

what sheldon or anyone else says is irrelevant, the meaning of words and phrases is determined by the way people use them and nothing else. hence "fixed gear" means "no freewheel."

for the record:

the term "fixed gear" and "singlespeed" are synonymous. On a track bike or a freewheel singlespeed, the gear itself is "fixed" as in, it may not be changed -There can be only one. What most people mistakenly call "fixed gear" is actually "fixed wheel," i.e. the gear is a direct drive, and the rotation of the wheel is fixed to the rotation of the gear. Track bikes are both "fixed wheel" AND "fixed gear."

geared bikes are, obviously, not fixed gear. It also seems paradoxical when the regularly returning idea of a "two speed fixed gear" pops up time and again.

There was a frustratingly long thread about this on the messenger list serv last year. But this definition comes straight from the guru, Sheldon Brown.

i was scratching my head for several minutes wondering if this was a very subtle joke or if you, in real life, have no idea what you're talking about. well played.

what sheldon or anyone else says is irrelevant, the meaning of words and phrases is determined by the way people use them and nothing else. hence "fixed gear" means "no freewheel."

Dude, Sheldon started this whole mess!!

PS - Sheldon, they're dropouts, not fork ends! FU!

what sheldon or anyone else says is irrelevant, the meaning of words and phrases is determined by the way people use them and nothing else. hence "fixed gear" means "no freewheel."

thank you, mr. chomsky, but even Bill Safire will tell you that people can be mistaken on the meanings of words and phrases. There are some rules, people.

if you're in portland, why don't you stop mr. Joel Metz and ask his opinion on the matter. I'm sure it will be exhaustively complete, and will persuade you. I can guaran-damn-tee that he knows more about bicycling terminology than anyone with a social life.

and besides, everyone likes a contrarian.

for the record:

the term "fixed gear" and "singlespeed" are synonymous. On a track bike or a freewheel singlespeed, the gear itself is "fixed" as in, it may not be changed -There can be only one. What most people mistakenly call "fixed gear" is actually "fixed wheel," i.e. the gear is a direct drive, and the rotation of the wheel is fixed to the rotation of the gear. Track bikes are both "fixed wheel" AND "fixed gear."

geared bikes are, obviously, not fixed gear. It also seems paradoxical when the regularly returning idea of a "two speed fixed gear" pops up time and again.

There was a frustratingly long thread about this on the messenger list serv last year. But this definition comes straight from the guru, Sheldon Brown.

CORRECTION: for the record, I should have used the term, "cog" or "sprocket" when explaining the definition of "fixed wheel." For the purpose of this definition, the term "gear" refers to the gear ratio, not the cog. It should read as follows:

the rotation of the wheel is fixed to the rotation of the cog.

I apologize for any confusion.

this all makes me feel funny. not a good funny :\

meaning can change based on popular (mis)usage.

i'm just waiting for "hip lifestyle mags" to start running articles about alleycats. seems like the next thing in this natural progression of media attention. for a second i thought about cashing in on it and sending something to rolling stone or spin (i'm an unemployed lit major after all), but i'd feel too much like jessica hopper talking to news week.

who get's that reference!? scene points!

in this week's time out

http://www.timeoutny.com/newyork/Details.do?page=1&xyurl=xyl://TONYWebArticles1/560/out_there/hell_on_wheels.xml

bloomberg et al will crack down eventually

the bulls on the middle bike are ridiculous

in this week's time out

http://www.timeoutny.com/newyork/Details.do?page=1&xyurl=xyl://TONYWebArticles1/560/out_there/hell_on_wheels.xml
“At last March’s Monster Track...One guy hit the back of a bus."

That sounds familiar...

If it weren't for mis-information, that article wouldn't have any information at all.

and yeah, I don't know from Condor Cycles, I certainly didn't know they made the one and only "dream machine" of fixed gear riders everywhere (or anywhere?) Lets hear it for doing 10 minutes of research, and publishing any quote you can find about this hip new fixed gear thing. I'd be shocked and dismayed if I found out Mr. Anderson actually spent more than 20 minutes total on that.

i'm just waiting for "hip lifestyle mags" to start running articles about alleycats. seems like the next thing in this natural progression of media attention. for a second i thought about cashing in on it and sending something to rolling stone or spin (i'm an unemployed lit major after all), but i'd feel too much like jessica hopper talking to news week.

who get's that reference!? scene points!

ahahaha jessica hopper! OH BOY

i'm just waiting for "hip lifestyle mags" to start running articles about alleycats. seems like the next thing in this natural progression of media attention.

Time Out NY just ran that very article ...

thank you, mr. chomsky, but even Bill Safire will tell you that people can be mistaken on the meanings of words and phrases. There are some rules, people.

if you're in portland, why don't you stop mr. Joel Metz and ask his opinion on the matter. I'm sure it will be exhaustively complete, and will persuade you. I can guaran-damn-tee that he knows more about bicycling terminology than anyone with a social life.

and besides, everyone likes a contrarian.

who is this mr. Metz, and where would I find him? is he friends with chomsky and safire? is that actually possible? do chomsky and safire even ride bicycles? help!

and do you have trouble understanding the rest of us when we refer to our bicycles w/o freewheels as fixed gear bikes? of course not.

insisting that a particular phrase the only correct one when another one is in wide (or in this case, nearly universal) use is just anal and pedantic. vocabulary and grammar nazis - not to say that you, or sheldon, or the mysterious mr. metz should be included in this category - are ridiculous and misguided people: the folks who told us to not split infinitives only because latin (and other romantic) infinitives are single words incapable of being split.


meaning can change based on popular (mis)usage.

meaning isn't the least bit static in the first place. that's why mathematicians, engineers, etc. have invented systems of terminology and symbolic communication that try to squeeze out normal human language as much as possible.

Joel Metz (http://www.sandsmachine.com/a_syc_r1.htm)?

couldn't help myself from googling, slow day at work.