Advocacy & Safety - Geared bicycle advocacy

Hang this from your multi-geared machine's/machines' rear fender/saddle/light/etc.:

ONE LESS (censored) FIXIE (http://www.jaysmarine.com/onelessfixie.jpg)

:p

-Kurt

Enough with the hate toward fixed gears

Enough with the hate toward fixed gears

Enough with the hate towards geared bikes ;)

-Kurt

Enough with the hate towards geared bikes ;)

-Kurt

I have both so :love:

When you use "fixie" are you referring to hipsters? I know some people that think fixie is hipster term, maybe you're one of them?

When you use "fixie" are you referring to hipsters? I know some people that think fixie is hipster term, maybe you're one of them?

Referring to hipsters, yes. Supposedly, within their subculture, they hate the word (preferring the haute terminology "fixed gear," stated with an aura of as much deeply-voiced distinction as an unshaven 19-year-old hippie in Vans can muster)

-Kurt

So what were to happen if I went up to a hipster girl and said "fixed gear," stated with an aura of as much deeply-voiced distinction as an unshaven 19-year-old can muster? Consider after about 1/2 cm my facial hair seems to not get any longer and my voice is rather deep for a 19 year old because I'm pretty tall big guy.

So what were to happen if I went up to a hipster girl and said "fixed gear," stated with an aura of as much deeply-voiced distinction as an unshaven 19-year-old can muster?


Maybe you'll get lucky.

-Kurt

Can I hang that from this ?

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/ccmpathfixed1.jpg

ooooh I wish I had a picture of my friend's fixed gear beach cruiser with bullhorns

Can I hang that from this ?

Why not? :D

-Kurt

Referring to hipsters, yes. Supposedly, within their subculture, they hate the word (preferring the haute terminology "fixed gear," stated with an aura of as much deeply-voiced distinction as an unshaven 19-year-old hippie in Vans can muster)


There are inevitably two guys at the stoplight on fixies. One has a $900 Bianchi or Waterford with blingtastic anodized chain, one or no brakes, and cards stuck between his spokes. The other is generally riding a converted Trek or Schwinn with a Krylon paint job, $100-a-set eBay wheels, a full set of brakes, and a crankset he probably pulled off of a mountain bike he found on the side of the road.

It's worth noting that the second guy is, almost without exception, a better cyclist than the first.

Because he doesn't have spoke cards? Why do so many people dislike those anyway?

I swing both ways...

But I just found some dusty old Schwinn road bike in the dumpster...can't make out the model..P A something...Neat orange color...I'm just about to take my dremel to it..

It's old nobody will care...

:D

Why not? :D

-Kurt

`cause it's got a brake on it. ;)

Kevin

I confess to being a total gearhead geek. :) I not only have at least 12 gears on every bike I own, but I also custom select my chainring and cog tooth counts to form ratiometric progressions as logarithmically smooth as I can make them, subject to the limitations of small integer division and multiplication.

But I just found some dusty old Schwinn road bike in the dumpster...can't make out the model..P A something...Neat orange color...I'm just about to take my dremel to it..

Don't worry. You'll just end up in Bicycle Hell for drewing a Paramount.

Bicycle Hell is a place full of fire, smoke, burning, torture, and anguish; where He will send you to live, suffer, burn, choke, scream, and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time.






Just like a framebuilder's shop.

-Kurt

I've been riding a fixie for ten years now, and I was not aware of a "hate movement" toward them. Anyone care to clue me in as to what's going on, if anything?

The only thing I've seen is that bit about "fixies are the new rollerblades". That just tells me that rollerbladers have realized that bikes are more fun and efficient, which could explain the greatly decreased number of bladers I'm seeing every year.

Hang this from your geared machine's/machines' rear fender/saddle/light/etc.:

ONE LESS (censored) FIXIE (http://www.jaysmarine.com/onelessfixie.jpg)

:p

-Kurt


I don't get it. Do you mean multi-geared when you say geared? Unless you're talking about a bike where the pedals are directly connected to the wheel, all bikes have gears. Fixed geared bicycles just happen to only have one.

What's wrong with having only one gear anyway? Where I live it's so flat that even on 4 hour rides I stay in the same gear combination. It actually seems pretty senseless sometimes that I'm hauling around devices on my multi-geared bike that never get used.

The ones without the cartoony expletives fit on rear fenders better:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1247/1277869085_2e405e66c1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnatrivendell/1277869085/)

I don't get it. Do you mean multi-geared when you say geared?

Thank you - re-worded the original post.

The fixie thing is playing with my brain...

-Kurt

"fixies are the new rollerblades". That just tells me that rollerbladers have realized that bikes are more fun and efficient, which could explain the greatly decreased number of bladers I'm seeing every year.

Bladers are back on the increase around here, peaking approx 1996, troughing approx 2003. Anyways, I think most bladers from the peak period would be too old to roll a skittle bike wearing girl jeans, emo-bum hairdo and white belt. ;)

Really, I don't well understand the favor with which some people look upon fixed-gear bicycles. Of course, I'm a "new bicyclist," so maybe we could just say a fixie is "too hard" for me (it is). :)

Really, I don't well understand the favor with which some people look upon fixed-gear bicycles. Of course, I'm a "new bicyclist," so maybe we could just say a fixie is "too hard" for me (it is). :)

This may help you understand the appeal:

http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html

I just realized that I can easily be mistaken for a hipster :cry:. I've got Raybans(prescription lenses) a blue-white-yellow fixed gear, lots of spoke cards(from rides they were handed out, not stupid playing cards), rolled up jeans, and often I wear hippie-ish shirts. Then again, I have clipless pedals, a front brake, and a $40 converted Schwinn

This may help you understand the appeal:

http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html

I've read the article (I did so when I was researching bicycles to see which I'd like to purchase). I don't know, though, if this is the sort of thing anyone can "understand" by reading comments. I have nothing against fixed-gear bikes or those who ride them (why would I?), but the former simply isn't "for me."

One reason to skip fixies, you have to slow down for corners. When that inside pedal hits pavement life becomes much too interesting. Done it on the multi, didn't like it, now I coast if I'm going in fast enough to have a severe lean.

I've read the article (I did so when I was researching bicycles to see which I'd like to purchase). I don't know, though, if this is the sort of thing anyone can "understand" by reading comments. I have nothing against fixed-gear bikes or those who ride them (why would I?), but the former simply isn't "for me."

The only way to know if you would like a fixed gear is to ride a fixed gear and in doing that, it should be a bike that fits and one that is comfortable.

I built my first fixed gear without ever riding one... it was love at first ride and as I had been riding single speed for some years already had the legs for it.

Now I have 5 of them.

The geared bikes still outnumber the fixed gear bikes by a 2:1 margin.

One reason to skip fixies, you have to slow down for corners. When that inside pedal hits pavement life becomes much too interesting. Done it on the multi, didn't like it, now I coast if I'm going in fast enough to have a severe lean.

I've only ever struck a pedal on a geared bike. Once.

One reason to skip fixies, you have to slow down for corners. When that inside pedal hits pavement life becomes much too interesting. Done it on the multi, didn't like it, now I coast if I'm going in fast enough to have a severe lean.

Are you taking about training? Sure fixies may not be best for for training because you can't get "severe lean" on turns at high speed. Are you talking commuting and casual riding? How fast do go that you need to lean so much that your pedal will strike, and why not slow down before a turn like anybody else on the road? You can set a bike to allow a lot of lean anyway.

I'd love to ride fixies, but the hills in my area are not friendly.

Are you taking about training? Sure fixies may not be best for for training because you can't get "severe lean" on turns at high speed. Are you talking commuting and casual riding? How fast do go that you need to lean so much that your pedal will strike, and why not slow down before a turn like anybody else on the road? You can set a bike to allow a lot of lean anyway.

I don't train but I only have one speed, fast as I can go. :) The tires will easily hold for a 20+ mph right-angle turn from one street to another. The pedal scrape occurred with the pedal close to the bottom of the cycle while at the apex of a left turn, a truly scary sideways slippage ensued for just a moment until the pedal rotated further. A check of the speedo afterward showed 21 mph.

Curious though, how would you set a bicycle to allow more lean? I would think you only have crank length, pedal length, and wheel diameter to play with. Wheel diameter is kinda limited. Shorter cranks would help but that would cut into the available torque. Clips would help, I have rat traps, until the outside of the shoe hit. I assume that you can pedal throughout the turn.

Curious though, how would you set a bicycle to allow more lean?

Higher bottom bracket (as with genuine track geometry).

-Kurt

there's the shorter cranks. Surprisingly it makes a difference, I didn't think a few mm would but they do. Clipless pedals don't stick out as much as platforms. And it seems the taller bikes have higher BBs, I guess that isn't a set up you can make but it works for me because I'm tall. My fixie conversion is 67cm and my roadie is 62cm. The 67cm bike has a higher BB, so that and the shorter cranks + clipless give me good clearance. I don't think I'm ever going to lean a lot on it anyway because riding in the city I always slow down at turns, I never know what will waiting for me around the corner out here. You may even have left side drive on a fixie(some people have done it), which may be useful since I get more clearance on the non-drive side and right turns generally have me lean more than left turns.

is there the option of shorter BB spindle?

there's the shorter cranks. Surprisingly it makes a difference, I didn't think a few mm would but they do.

No kidding. I put a pair of 165's on my '78 Windsor Super Carrera - so happened to be the only length I had for the crankset I wished to mount on it - and I found them unbearable in comparison to 170's. Then again, I prefer 172.5, though only one of my machines has (or rather, had) that length.

-Kurt

I'm curious about 165 cranks because I'm used to the 175 cranks on my road bike, but I've spent enough money on my conversion for now.

I just realized that I can easily be mistaken for a hipster :cry:. I've got Raybans

Try vintage 80s Foster Grant coke dealer shades!

Isn't it kinda like a drinking problem? I've heard if you start wondering if you have a drinking problem, you probably do.

Well, if you wonder if you might be a hipster....

I've only ever struck a pedal on a geared bike. Once.

me too. this is my fourth year on a conversion with 165mm cranks and zero pedal strike so far.... and i ride wide platform pedals.

pedal strike is seriously overrated as a problem with fg bikes.

What's with the hatred towards fixies?


I just realized that I can easily be mistaken for a hipster :cry:.
And who cares if you look like a hipster, act like one, or even are one?

I personally act how I want to, completely ignoring what other people may think of me.

I chat it up with the "hipsters" at stoplights. Most of them are fairly cool people.

I'd love to ride fixies, but the hills in my area are not friendly.

It just means dealing with one of two situations:

1) Stomping a big gear up hills
2) Spinning out a little gear going down hills

The hills in western Washington aren't particularly kind for fixie riders, but I still manage to put in about 25% of my miles on one.

What's with the hatred towards fixies?

What's with the minty Colnagos, Cinellis, and Peugeot PX-10's subjected to hipster yahoos removing braze-ons and derailer hangers with vise-grips, their sacrilege hidden only by some cheap indie rock band sticker slapped over the damage?

-Kurt

What's with the minty Colnagos, Cinellis, and Peugeot PX-10's subjected to hipster yahoos removing braze-ons and derailer hangers with vise-grips, their sacrilege hidden only by some cheap indie rock band sticker slapped over the damage

okay, and what about the other 95% of fixed gear bicycles on the road?

i say a bike is a bike, i prefer gears and enjoy coasting from time to time ha. everything eventually gets its 10 minutes in the spotlight, this is the fixed gears turn. people have been riding them for years probably being made fun of much like most of us cyclists that ride a larger than 20'' wheel sometimes you get harassed. now the kids just think they are cool for the time being. maybe it will stay big and more people will start riding bikes, imagine that. id rather dumb cyclists running into me than dumb motorists...... or would i

Queen says it all!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpy4xNAnWzM

i prefer gears and enjoy coasting from time to time ha.

as the first guy i ever saw riding a fixed gear bike said to me: "oh you can coast, you just have to keep pedaling while you do it."

at the time it sounded dumb. now it just sounds obvious.

What's with the minty Colnagos, Cinellis, and Peugeot PX-10's subjected to hipster yahoos removing braze-ons and derailer hangers with vise-grips, their sacrilege hidden only by some cheap indie rock band sticker slapped over the damage?

-Kurt

Meh, so what. One of the nice features of steel frames is that derailleur hangers and braze ons can always be put back on and frames repainted. Besides, it's the vast minority of conversions that are classics and have those things cut off.
I personally don't care for classic 30's and 40's cars being turned into hotrods, but the owners have every right to do with them what they please. I don't see the point in getting worked up over it.

I've been riding a fixie for ten years now, and I was not aware of a "hate movement" toward them. Anyone care to clue me in as to what's going on, if anything? . . .

It seems to be pretty much the usual misguided attempt to enhance a shaky sense of self by demeaning others.

okay, and what about the other 95% of fixed gear bicycles on the road?

Show me the source of your statistics. http://www.gsn.com/buzz/images/smilies/devil.gif

-Kurt

So how do you feel about taking off the braze ons from a pretty average old road bike?