General Cycling Discussion - What do the Emo kids ride?

Hello,

I was wondering what I see all these Emo kids riding. You know the kids with the really tight pants and the dark bangs in their faces. I don't have anything against them. I'm just curious what they ride. It seems they all ride the same type of bike. I think its a road bike, but it doesn't seem to have any gears. I'm assuming it doesn't have gears or it has internal gears of some kind. Also I see that they only have one brake handle. I've never gotten a good look at their bikes, but I'm guessing they either have only one brake (front or back) or they have one brake handle operating both front and back brakes at the same time. I just built a mountain bike out of used parts at a bicycle co-op and I was wondering if I could use the same kind of internal gears and single brake handle setup on my bike. I'm using my bike for commuting to school, as my main form of transport in conjunction with buses and all around smiles. :) Can anyone shed some light on these observations? Thanks

Fixies or Single Speeds.

Yep, those pretty little fixies, which I dig but would never ride myself.

In Oregon they tended to ride either refurbished Good Will road bikes or three-speed cruisers. I actually made pretty good money refurbishing Good Will bikes and flipping them for around $100.

I believe the term is "fixed gear hipster". Google offers this image in response:

http://static.flickr.com/112/272319594_8342204303.jpg

Please note the following:

Dark clothes. Odd shoes not for cycling. Spoke card. Messenger bag. Still angry at my parents body art/hair/personal styling. Total absence of any lighting or safety equipment. Not in view: mini U-lock in the left rear pocket.

Bike Snob conveniently had the answer:
http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2008/04/whos-next-searching-for-lemonds.html

Apparently you take a Lemond and cover up the L and nd.

i'm curious why you seem to want to emulate them - i.e., why would you want to change your mountain bike to be the same?

i'm currently building an IRO for commuting (one of the popular modern brands that the hipsters around here ride), but i'm doing it so i don't have to take my nice (geared) bikes into the city and pound the crap out of them. if your mountain bike works for you, ride it and enjoy it!

there's really no benefit to the way many of them have their bikes set up - they're riding track-style bikes on the road. which is dumb, really. track bikes are great for nice, smooth velodromes - and crap for broken, nasty pavement. many of the equipment choices these folks are making are entirely style-based. i like style, but not that much. many of them are aping the "messenger" style - again, it's a style-driven choice rather than function-driven.

of course, if you want a SS/FG, get one! simplicity is good. but please don't go too insane with it.

i'm curious why you seem to want to emulate them - i.e., why would you want to change your mountain bike to be the same?

i'm currently building an IRO for commuting (one of the popular modern brands that the hipsters around here ride), but i'm doing it so i don't have to take my nice (geared) bikes into the city and pound the crap out of them. if your mountain bike works for you, ride it and enjoy it!

there's really no benefit to the way many of them have their bikes set up - they're riding track-style bikes on the road. which is dumb, really. track bikes are great for nice, smooth velodromes - and crap for broken, nasty pavement. many of the equipment choices these folks are making are entirely style-based. i like style, but not that much. many of them are aping the "messenger" style - again, it's a style-driven choice rather than function-driven.

of course, if you want a SS/FG, get one! simplicity is good. but please don't go too insane with it.

Because I'm not actually satisfied with my mountain bike. I went to the co-op with the purpose of making a functioning bike. That's what I did. Now i want to customize it to satisfy me. Thank you for your philosophies and assumptions about my riding life, I'll try not to do the same to you.

Most of them around here ride the bus.

I believe the term is "fixed gear hipster". Google offers this image in response:

http://static.flickr.com/112/272319594_8342204303.jpg

Please note the following:

Dark clothes. Odd shoes not for cycling. Spoke card. Messenger bag. Still angry at my parents body art/hair/personal styling. Total absence of any lighting or safety equipment. Not in view: mini U-lock in the left rear pocket.

I'll give him/her (can't really tell from this angle) style points for the Campy aero seat post and white Selle Italia Flite. Che bella!

And deduct eleventy million style points for everything else.

is that a girl or guy? It's hard like telling the genders of chicks (baby chickens).
From that picture though, the bike is more of a pista on the road than poser classic conversion. -1 for style because they usually ride conversions with hacked off everything.

Around here I usually pass them on straights, but get passed at red lights and stop signs.

definitely girl arms.


note the shaved legs.

I've never gotten a good look at their bikes, but I'm guessing they either have only one brake (front or back) or they have one brake handle operating both front and back brakes at the same time.

A lot of the fixed gear bikes have no brakes. The riders slow the bike down by resisting the turning of the pedals or doing that skid-stop thing.

In my opinion its asking for a Darwin Award riding without at least one mechanical brake, but its their lives.

Because I'm not actually satisfied with my mountain bike. I went to the co-op with the purpose of making a functioning bike. That's what I did. Now i want to customize it to satisfy me. Thank you for your philosophies and assumptions about my riding life, I'll try not to do the same to you.

sheesh. touchy much?

i don't think i made any assumptions about your riding life. i made lots, based on observation, of the folks i see everyday.

that's kind of why i asked why you wanted to change your mountain bike. and why i expressed the opinion you should get a different bike if you wanted one.

sheesh. touchy much?

i don't think i made any assumptions about your riding life. i made lots, based on observation, of the folks i see everyday.

that's kind of why i asked why you wanted to change your mountain bike. and why i expressed the opinion you should get a different bike if you wanted one.

Ouch. I guess I was coming off as grouchy. It's been a very bad experience getting back into biking. I didn't realize there were so many bike snobs at bike shops. "Oh you can't 'afford' a new bike? [scoff]" "Oh you can't 'afford' the best bike? [scoff]" "Why are you asking questions that everyone should know the answers to? [piff]" Now anytime someone expresses their opinion about bikes to me all my defenses go up. It's hard to tell especially on the internet. Snobs at bike shops make it difficult for people to get into biking or back into it.

Hey, the fixie folks around here all use Knog frogs, so they're cool.

Yep, those pretty little fixies, which I dig but would never ride myself.

If you dig them, why wouldn't you ride one? I've got two of 'em and I had one before that got stolen, and I ride my fixed gears more than any of my other bikes. Actually, getting into fixed gear riding two years ago got me totally reinterested in riding. I'd gotten back into bikes in 95 and my interest was waneing until I got into fixed gear. Fixed bikes are one hell of a lot of fun to ride and they are really easy to maintain. My legs are carved from wood after a season of riding fixed. Also, I smoke my non fixed buddies when we go MTN biking because of the stamina I build up on the fixed gear.

The hipsters, well, what can you say about the hipsters? Every style of cycling has its uniform, for example, roadies and the tri-geeks. Hell, I'm more of a Fred and future retro-grouch than I am a hipster.

Congratuatlions forum, you have just been trolled. Man you guys are gullible:

http://www.salagir.com/gfx/troll-web.jpg

This thread makes me roffle.

Congratuatlions forum, you have just been trolled. Man you guys are gullible:


Jealous?

Not in view: mini U-lock in the left rear pocket.

The NJS parts are also not in view. Don't forget about the missing top tube pad, deep V anodized rims, cigarettes. This image is obviously outdated by at least six months since she uses drop bars (with what BSNYC calls the "dog erection tape job") instead of hacked off shorty bars.

Props to enter_narne for the nice troll.

I always thought emos were too depressed to ride a bike.

Props to enter_narne for the nice troll.


I don't understand how I'm a troll or did something a troll would do. I asked what a certain type of bike was. If you are a person of emo category and are offended please tell me how I offended you and I'll make sure not to do it again.

Who you callin' Emo?

http://www.emophilips.com/content/emo_images/emo_philips_birthday_party.jpg

I believe the term is "fixed gear hipster". Google offers this image in response:

http://static.flickr.com/112/272319594_8342204303.jpg

Please note the following:

Dark clothes. Odd shoes not for cycling. Spoke card. Messenger bag. Still angry at my parents body art/hair/personal styling. Total absence of any lighting or safety equipment. Not in view: mini U-lock in the left rear pocket.

Here's the Flickr site for that pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chainsawpanda/272319594/in/photostream/

and for interest here's a view of her mess bag:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chainsawpanda/272319583/in/photostream/

It's a cute bag!

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1331/896365392_8387a84e56.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/beevandahlen/896365392/)

And she's pretty cute too! I wish i were this cute.

Hello,

I was wondering what I see all these Emo kids riding. You know the kids with the really tight pants and the dark bangs in their faces. I don't have anything against them. I'm just curious what they ride...

They ride you. Weee!

Much better photo. I noted with great irony that the mess bag had an "EMO" something or rather patch on it. Good times.


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1331/896365392_8387a84e56.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/beevandahlen/896365392/)

And she's pretty cute too! I wish i were this cute.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1331/896365392_8387a84e56.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/beevandahlen/896365392/)

And she's pretty cute too! I wish i were this cute.

But, she's smiling.:rolleyes:

I believe the term is "fixed gear hipster". Google offers this image in response:

http://static.flickr.com/112/272319594_8342204303.jpg

Please note the following:

Dark clothes. Odd shoes not for cycling. Spoke card. Messenger bag. Still angry at my parents body art/hair/personal styling. Total absence of any lighting or safety equipment. Not in view: mini U-lock in the left rear pocket.

Oh man... I am so far out of it... ;)

The guys at our shop have been doing fixed as winter training for five years. We even had a section up on the website about doing conversions, related movies, and track racing back then. Just this week a couple of our employees got hassled by the hipsters because they were riding with(wait for it) helmets, proper clothing, and lights(at night). The new breed of hipster wallows(unknowingly) in the irony that they believe they are on the cusp of something new, when Kevin Bacon rode a track bike in 1986 and the bikes they adore have been around since the 1880s. Check out FIX PUSH (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2885aR6o6s) for a taste of these guys.

Much better photo. I noted with great irony that the mess bag had an "EMO" something or rather patch on it. Good times.

Emo's Austin. A nice little music venue. Pretty sure it was Emo's before whatever the current definition is came to be. Seen some great shows there.

Track bikes are a bit too busy for me. Handlebars, chains and that extra wheel are just clutter that diminishes the cycling experience...I'm passing up that fad and going straight to a unicycle. You feel at one with a Uni.

Gurgus -- I dig them insofar as I like the minimalism and I get the overall approach, but I'm a much more utility-oriented rider, and I like both gears and coasting. They're cool, and they're not my thing, and that's cool.

Gurgus -- I dig them insofar as I like the minimalism and I get the overall approach, but I'm a much more utility-oriented rider, and I like both gears and coasting. They're cool, and they're not my thing, and that's cool.

Thats cool. I dunno if you know it, but you can sort of coast on a fixed. Let your legs go all "Gumby" and just let the cranks rotate without powering your legs and you've got coasting, sort-of. I like how everyone has this idea that fixed gears are harder to ride. After riding fixed for a couple of years, I find a bike with a freewheel harder to ride. Too much work, and the bike doesn't help you at all. Damn lazy freewheel bikes, not doing any of the work.

Fixies or Single Speeds.


omg yes. the other day at the long beach acquarium* theres were these two guys that looked like they just came out of a tarantino* movie.

i looked at their bikes and they were on single gear roadies w/the super bent handlebar hanging low....

i was like WTH.....

that was strange.....like some strange cult you just happen across

definitely girl arms.


note the shaved legs.

very mannequin like. hat must be hot as hell.

The guys at our shop have been doing fixed as winter training for five years. We even had a section up on the website about doing conversions, related movies, and track racing back then. Just this week a couple of our employees got hassled by the hipsters because they were riding with(wait for it) helmets, proper clothing, and lights(at night). The new breed of hipster wallows(unknowingly) in the irony that they believe they are on the cusp of something new, when Kevin Bacon rode a track bike in 1986 and the bikes they adore have been around since the 1880s. Check out FIX PUSH (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2885aR6o6s) for a taste of these guys.

Hah! I was racing back in the mid 70's and we actually used track bikes for road training, and we even mounted front brakes on them (that was a trick to find the super short reach that was required) The was one old geezer;) that was in his early 60's that would TT on one, and was beating the Senior's times at the events he participated in. I was a Junior at that point so didn't have to compete with him:D

I guess what was once old is now new...again:p

Aaron:)

...please tell me how I offended you and I'll make sure not to do it again.

"props" means compliments. A few of us thought your original post was a troll -- bait to get people arguing about fixed gear bikes and such.

Ha...I teach high school in a low-income part of Chicago, and some of my students have been on to the emo thing. It's pretty weird, really...the droopy bangs, the black clothes, the goofy affectations, but also the federal free lunch. I should ask them if/what they ride. My impression, though, is that emos aren't nearly as married to cycling as the hipsters. Emos' attitudes in my experience are also far more innocent than hipsters'.

Just asked one of my emo kids over lunch.

His answer?

"Naw, I don't even own a bike. I used to have one, but I sold it so I could get a skateboard."

:D

Fixies are out, tireless is in (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfRekj46Vq8&feature=related).

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1331/896365392_8387a84e56.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/beevandahlen/896365392/)


I dress this way and ride a fixie-wixie to show my individuality, but at the same time to be accepted by everyone else that dresses and rides a bike just like this. Watch this skidstop!

Durr! :rolleyes:

It's definitely a woman,the body shape is pretty obvious.Plus the bone structure.(first pic)

Emo's Austin. A nice little music venue. Pretty sure it was Emo's before whatever the current definition is came to be. Seen some great shows there.

Track bikes are a bit too busy for me. Handlebars, chains and that extra wheel are just clutter that diminishes the cycling experience...I'm passing up that fad and going straight to a unicycle. You feel at one with a Uni.

Emo's has been in Austin (and Houston) way before emo (as in the spinoff of goth/punk) started going mainstream.

I need to head back there sometime. I've not had my eardrums busted out by some random band trying to bang raw riffs in ages.

Fixies are out, tireless is in (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfRekj46Vq8&feature=related).

HAHAHA

I sure hope that's a joke and not a fashion trend, though, as I'd guess that it's surpassingly dangerous.

definitely girl arms.

note the shaved legs.

Why does this make me think that this describes most roadies just as well ?

Pcad come to mind...

:lol: