Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Relationship of Cars and Fixed Gear bicycles

Is it just me, or am I seeing a huge pattern of people that used to build cars (mostly Hondas or other imports) that have now ventured into the whole Fixed Gear arena? I'm seeing huge similarities between both worlds, instead of buying sweet JDM Mugen, HKS, or ARC parts for their cars, it's just like buying NJS Nitto, 3Rensho, or Sugino parts for your bike. I just saw a person in the main "show your bike thread" with an "i-VTEC" sticker on his fork.

I've built up several hondas, an Evo, and I've given up on my G35 ever since I got into biking, but does anybody else see this trend happening? Instead of spending $1,600 on the wheelset for my G35 I can build an entire new bike for half of that, so maybe that's why.

I can count to potato.

that's more of a west coast thing. asians with spikey hair and a bad hype-habit chillin' with their bros out in Cali, more often than not. but the white kids in the 'burbs will pick up on it as well. it's all just conspicuous consumerism and they've moved onto the next fad that they think will get them some teenpuss.

^^holy crap that is funny.

I believe what you are basing this idea that tuners have moved on to FG's on is a logical fallacy known as "Observational Selection". Observational selection is the process of keeping the sample of data that agrees with your premise, and ignoring the sample of data that does not.

The correlation you are seeing stems from the fact that this forum is primarily full of guys in the 16-30 year old range. This would be the target age group for "import tuners" and "former import tuners". In my only-semi-scientific opinion; this is a correlation not a causation thing.

don't forget about optional stopping and social constructionism! Hey, lets talk philosophy...

I've built up several hondas, an Evo, and I've given up on my G35 ever since I got into biking, but does anybody else see this trend happening?

!!

Yeah it might be the return on investment thing.

If you drop $3,000 to tune up your Civic, nobody is going to know the difference - at least, not without you pointing it out to them, which makes you a supa******.
If you drop $3,000 on a bike, you are a star.

I am not sure if I agree on the entire idea ... but I do think many people I know who enjoy tuning their bikes also have a background in working on automobiles. I think it might just be a personality thing. They seem to enjoy working on machinery. I love working on my bike, obviously, and cars are of some interest to me also. But since I do not own one, I haven't really had the chance to learn about auto repair and maintenance.

huge pattern might be a bit of an overstatement.

Yeah it might be the return on investment thing.

If you drop $3,000 to tune up your Civic, nobody is going to know the difference - at least, not without you pointing it out to them, which makes you a supa******.
If you drop $3,000 on a bike, you are a star.

There's a difference between spending (wasting?) money and investing. People throw the word "invest" around a lot, and there's no investing going on when it comes to bikes unless you're buyng some super-rare bike-in-a-glass-case type thing and you're going to auction it off for possible profit.

No, trendsters SPEND money on stuff, not invest. The only return I can think of is social points and a neato feeling.

There's a difference between spending (wasting?) money and investing. People throw the word "invest" around a lot, and there's no investing going on when it comes to bikes unless you're buyng some super-rare bike-in-a-glass-case type thing and you're going to auction it off for possible profit.

No, trendsters SPEND money on stuff, not invest. The only return I can think of is social points and a neato feeling.

"Invest" means something like "give up in exchange for future advantage". There's no requirement for that future advantage to be in the form of monetary gain.

The return on investment is exactly what you guessed it is: cool points and social status or, as psirue concisely put it, "teenpuss".

$3K into your civic will get you very little admiration and teenpuss.
$3K in your bike will get lots more ooh's and ahh's, in addition to teenpuss.

Thus, greater return (ooh's, ahh's, teenpuss) on investment ($3K).

Trendsters should invest on moving out of their parent's house. :p

I am not sure if I agree on the entire idea ... but I do think many people I know who enjoy tuning their bikes also have a background in working on automobiles. I think it might just be a personality thing. They seem to enjoy working on machinery. I love working on my bike, obviously, and cars are of some interest to me also. But since I do not own one, I haven't really had the chance to learn about auto repair and maintenance.

this. it's more about fixing/tweaking things and enjoying subtle differences for me. i try not to attract attention whenever possible… as much as i love the idea of a 911 clubsport, ducati SS, or blingy 3Rensho, i'd get irritated really quick with that sort of attention.

no relation at all. i mean, im an audi tech and have been 'messing' with cars my whole life, and i ride a fixed gear. explain my friends who i ride with who dont give a **** about cars and even wear socks that have the 'no cars' sign on them. how could they have possibly gotten on a fixed gear bike without first being interested in cars? seriously, a thread like the 'vws and fixies' thread is cool, i like both, but there is no correlation.

also i have a problem with overkill syndrome. there's a guy in my town who just sold his lotus exige and bought a new ferrari, and he can't even drive it… not that he goes much of anywhere other than to park it in front of the bar on saturday nights.

i 'accepted' the lotus since we do have a few (poorly maintained) back roads around here, and it's a nimble, unique car, but a ferrari? come on.

not that i ride my felt to its capacity ever.

I've got well over $3K tied up in bikes and bike accessories and I get no teen-puss. I guess I'm doing it wrong. http://www.easttnriders.com/forum/images/smilies/102.gif

I've got well over $3K tied up in bikes and bike accessories and I get no teen-puss. I guess I'm doing it wrong. http://www.easttnriders.com/forum/images/smilies/102.gif

Me too. My friends think it's outrageous, but it's way less than the average person spends on a car monthly.

I agree with the 'its probably people that just like to tinker' thing. I used to like playing with older European cars, but trying to live in a city, without a driveway of your own, with a project car, gets to be a PITA. Bikes are just as fun to wrench on, cost a tiny fraction of the money, assist with fitness, and even once you have a fast one, you don't have to worry about tickets, impoundings, etc :)

I've built 4 Jeeps (CJ3a, CJ8, XJ, TJ), an 84' Blazer, a '68 shortwide, and now I drive a 1990 Mercedes so I don't have to work on a car ever again.

Working on bikes is a lot cheaper of a hobby, it's healthier, and I'm not constantly getting tickets/DWIs.

Another weird correlation I've seen, as a drummer myself, is that a lot of cyclists are also drummers. Does anyone else play the drums out there?

I am a drummer. I like the mechanical workings of things and figuring out how things work. I think this discussion is more about what kind of persononality is attracted to tuning cars, bikes, drums, etc.

I am a drummer. I like the mechanical workings of things and figuring out how things work. I think this discussion is more about what kind of persononality is attracted to tuning cars, bikes, drums, etc.

i was going to make a thread about music/bikes but not anymore...i'm a drummer as well

details on your setup?

I've got well over $3K tied up in bikes and bike accessories and I get no teen-puss. I guess I'm doing it wrong. http://www.easttnriders.com/forum/images/smilies/102.gif

yeah where is all this teenpuss i've been hearing about?

We just go where ever the carbon fiber leads us. :)

Yeah it might be the return on investment thing.

If you drop $3,000 to tune up your Civic, nobody is going to know the difference - at least, not without you pointing it out to them, which makes you a supa******.
If you drop $3,000 on a bike, you are a star.

yeah for 3k, tuning a civic and you think you won't notice a difference, BS. or any car. :lol:

i like my car
http://www.slowdowntogofast.com/host/upload/DSC_0180-sized.jpg

and my bike (although it now has lime green deep vees that arent hellaflush :))
http://www.slowdowntogofast.com/host/upload/Thehour.jpg

i love my fixed..... but it sure as hell can't do this (just in case you wanna know it's 3.5-4ft deep) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYl-FfYNu4g&feature=related

Jeeps are my other obsession... and sittin on 37's with a full custom 4linked solid axle swap was the only logical option...

But needless to say my bike gets more miles on it through the summer than my truck

Used to build hondas but don't own any cars anymore. Been building/fixing bikes since I was a kid. I guess I was sort of the neighborhood mechanic.

Bfc ftmfw?

I'm actually a moto-head. I ride off-road and SuperMoto - cycling + gym keeps me in shape for it. Moto and cycling is a great marriage.

lol hondas

people that care about how people see them (vanity) are going to choose tuned cars and fixed gears... or luxury cars on lease and cervelo's or titanium bikes if they can afford them.

i like my car
http://www.slowdowntogofast.com/host/upload/DSC_0180-sized.jpg

and my bike (although it now has lime green deep vees that arent hellaflush :))
http://www.slowdowntogofast.com/host/upload/Thehour.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/10g0dc1.png

I think way more like BMW or VW than Honda. It's more bobo on this side which is pretty assy stuff, but much less freshy knomsayin? And teenpuss unfolds easier in a 540i type of back seat.

A lot of people on this board and this forum in general, have serious objections to our car centric society and all the harm that comes with it. The fetish-like worship of cars that comes with the tuner culture is an abomination for many here.

Just saying...

Not completely relevant to this thread but I giggle whenever I see it...

http://www.eshaun.com/pics/avatars/Lambo-Doors-So-Played-Out.jpg

although it now has lime green deep vees that arent hellaflush :)


I'm wondering how many people here are going to "get" that.

Not completely relevant to this thread but I giggle whenever I see it...

http://www.eshaun.com/pics/avatars/Lambo-Doors-So-Played-Out.jpg

Hah. I admit though I do like scissor doors. :(

I don't ride fixed, but I do have bikes. I used to spend all my money and time on car mods and care, but being a perfectionist and having limited time and money, I redirected my efforts towards bikes. It's easy to make my bike exactly the way I wish. Like dsh said, money goes much further on a bike.
I can tear the bike down to individual parts in just and hour, unlike my car. I can also do all of the work myself at home, whereas with the car I could not do alignments or mount tires and other specialized jobs. I like knowing that I did 100% of it. Also, if I break part of my bike, I can replace it quickly for a reasonable amount of money. Blow the engine on your car, and you are looking at lots of time and money to get it going again and possibly an expensive towing bill.

lol at that POS bimmer smokin broadies

I'm wondering how many people here are going to "get" that.

i was hoping at least a few

Bikes Its all about Bike.
3 Bicycles (no derailers)
2 Dirtbikes (450/250)
2 Supermoto Race bike(450/510 KTM)
1 Supermoto street bikes.

Racing actually brought me back to bicycles the need to work on my legs and increase endurance. Raced BMX as a kid and worked as a Messanger in early 90's. I have always loved two wheels

I'm wondering how many people here are going to "get" that.

I didn't get it, lime green? Takata green is the way to go :)

two wheels good, four wheels bad.

marg bar big three.


/2 line hate

+1 on tinkering

I have tinkered with tons of different types of vehicles throughout my life. When I was young, I had a gas powered remote controlled car that I used to wreck and rebuild on a weekly basis.

Then I got into dirtbikes and worked on those myself

Then me and my dad got into jet-skiing and worked on those a lot

Then I got into cars and tuned up a ricer for myself

Now I'm into bikes.

I was actually thinking about this the other day, and for me its the love of finely tuned machines. Whether they be cars, bikes, motorcycles, or whatever. This obviously relates to going fast and the preoccupation with speed that many interested in the above mentioned vehicles seem to have. Regarding the OP's assertion, I would personally say that a single speed and or fixed gear bike is more akin to older cars as they are fairly basic, both are often made from steel and they can easily be worked on by their owner. Whereas the rice rocket crowd would seemingly gravitate toward the ultra light, technologically advanced, carbon fiber clad world of road bikes.
If it matters, I am a muscle car guy and have owned a 68 Camaro, 70 Nova, 87 Monte Carlo SS, and currently have a 64 Chevelle.

that's more of a west coast thing. asians with spikey hair and a bad hype-habit chillin' with their bros out in Cali, more often than not. but the white kids in the 'burbs will pick up on it as well. it's all just conspicuous consumerism and they've moved onto the next fad that they think will get them some teenpuss.

pretty much. this kid i know made his bike match his integra. it's all about being cool man. but it's weird because they can't hide the fact that they more than likely have the bikes for the cool factor rather than the whole one less car on the road thing, because they love their poorly modified cars.

I was always into bikes and air cooled VW's because I LOVE wrenching on stuff and being as self reliant as possible...
My problem is that with VW's and cars in general I was always fighting a losing battle with $$$ vs. "the holy grail" of a perfectly tuned machine. My bike is such a simple machine that I can keep it in perfect order with my own tools and alot less money.
Riding a tight, fast, silent, efficient vehicle that I have tuned to perfection is an amazing experience.

It's because they're all too young to buy beer.

My brit motorcycle buddies all own fixed gear bikes... probably because they don't require much maint ;)

Not completely relevant to this thread but I giggle whenever I see it...

http://www.eshaun.com/pics/avatars/Lambo-Doors-So-Played-Out.jpg

first thing in this thread that doesn't have downs/aids on it.