Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Is it wrong that I enjoy riding my fg....

And not doing mad bar spins, jumps, skids, trackstands, backflips, no footed can-cans and all of that other awesome stuff? Not that I have ANYTHING against those people at all, but some of the fixed gear communities in CA seem to look down upon those that just enjoy riding. I stopped at a light today and put my foot down, meanwhile another fg rider came next to me and trackstand the entire light. When it turned green I swear he gave me a look of "welp, your street cred is back down to 0." Is anybody else getting this or is it just me?

what's that, I didn't hear you, I only listen to people with street cred :)

I learned to track stand, thinking it would allow me to accelerate faster from a dead stop, but I learned that pushing off from the ground is faster...now I just track stand because I think its fun. Forget street cred, as long as you are riding, thats what matters. I notice a lot of people standing around in groups with their rad new track bikes, basically just showcasing, doing the occasional trick, blah blah blah. thats lame....

Trackstanding is like the 2nd reason why I love riding fixed.

i can skid, i trackstand at lights, and i can ride backwards for like 10 seconds. its all in the name of fun. i'd much rather be hauling ass somewhere. doing stupid little tricks is for drunk nights in the cul de sac.

i can skid, i trackstand at lights, and i can ride backwards for like 10 seconds. its all in the name of fun. i'd much rather be hauling ass somewhere. doing stupid little tricks is for drunk nights in the cul de sac.


couldn't have said it better myself

According to some people, it's wrong to enjoy anything.

i think its mostly about attitude. A LOT of fixed gear riders and people that do tricks on them, are hipsters plain and simple. i could'nt care less if you want to barspin your bike or anything, what gets me is the ****ty elitest, everythings ironic, attitude.

I also just enjoy riding, but doing the occasional skid or trying to see if i can trackstand for a whole light is also fun.

To answer your initial question, yes. You should hate riding your bike. It has also recently come to my attention right here on BF that you shouldn't find anything about your bike visually appealing. Ever.

Having a hideous bike that you can't stand to ride is the all the new rage.

He's right. It's either that, or you risk being a tarck faux-messenger poseur.

He's right. It's either that, or you risk being a tarck faux-messenger poseur.

Man, that's so ironic.

You are what you want to be, plain and simple. I spend time working on tricks (unemployed) because they are fun. I can barspin, wheelie, bwc, working on Keo and Prolly spins. I am 35 and I was a skater kid before there was such thing as concave...so I want to make the most of my bike...it's fun. I am no hipster, I'm a college educated (did I mention unemployed) adult that loves to ride my bike. Do what you want, if someone hates it's because their mom's spanked them too much. Oh, and I like to trackstand at lights for two reasons: 1. because I don't have to come out of my clips 2. it makes my girlfriend mad because she can't

Great thread! :crash:

Man, that's so ironic.

No it's not!!!!
Do you people even know what ironic means!??!?!

This whole "what ironic means", confusion started with that Alanis Morriset song.

The ironic thing about the song being that every example she gave as to what is ironic was indeed not ironic. (unless that was actually the goal, to make a song ironically wrong, and therefore validate the title... hmmmm... I wonder....)

No it's not!!!!
Do you people even know what ironic means!??!?



Isn't it a light chicken gravy?

No it's not!!!!
Do you people even know what ironic means!??!?!

This whole "what ironic means", confusion started with that Alanis Morriset song.

The ironic thing about the song being that every example she gave as to what is ironic was indeed not ironic. (unless that was actually the goal, to make a song ironically wrong, and therefore validate the title... hmmmm... I wonder....)

It's really ironic that you didn't notice the italics in sanderswm's post.

I did, unless he was being sarcastic about the other guy saying hipsters have a everything is ironic attitude.

In that case its alright.

I did, unless he was being sarcastic about the other guy saying hipsters have a everything is ironic attitude.

In that case its alright.
You got it man. Hipsterism is all about being ironic. Even when you're not.

I did, unless he was being sarcastic about the other guy saying hipsters have a everything is ironic attitude.

whoa!

someone being sarcastic about irony?

lock this thread now.

And not doing mad bar spins, jumps, skids, trackstands, backflips, no footed can-cans and all of that other awesome stuff? Not that I have ANYTHING against those people at all, but some of the fixed gear communities in CA seem to look down upon those that just enjoy riding. I stopped at a light today and put my foot down, meanwhile another fg rider came next to me and trackstand the entire light. When it turned green I swear he gave me a look of "welp, your street cred is back down to 0." Is anybody else getting this or is it just me?

Well doing a trackstand is useful, like when you are at a light. Who knows if he can do bar spins etc. I can not do a track stand, but I wish I could, and I will learn soon.

i just wish they knew more tricks. It's sooo lame to see all guys on track bikes doing the same 2 "tricks" over and over. holy S**T was that another wheelie? Grand.

I like to trackstand at lights for two reasons: 1. because I don't have to come out of my clips 2. it makes my girlfriend mad because she can't

Nice

You are what you want to be, plain and simple. I spend time working on tricks (unemployed) because they are fun. I can barspin, wheelie, bwc, working on Keo and Prolly spins. I am 35 and I was a skater kid before there was such thing as concave...so I want to make the most of my bike...it's fun. I am no hipster, I'm a college educated (did I mention unemployed) adult that loves to ride my bike. Do what you want, if someone hates it's because their mom's spanked them too much. Oh, and I like to trackstand at lights for two reasons: 1. because I don't have to come out of my clips 2. it makes my girlfriend mad because she can't

this is the attitude that hipsters need to adopt.

tricks are for bmx imo

your signature makes me think you like to do bad things to small children, its really gross! Have a good one!

So u learn how to track stand yet??? i bet u have been practicing huh?? get that street cred up. :thumb:

your signature makes me think you like to do bad things to small children, its really gross! Have a good one!

that signature may be the funniest thing i have read here, but it is off the wall without the context.

i just wish they knew more tricks. It's sooo lame to see all guys on track bikes doing the same 2 "tricks" over and over. holy S**T was that another wheelie? Grand.

Exactly.

One would think that because these people cop an attitude they'd at least be on par with bmx flatland or something as rad.

But nope, this is basically it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH4Uak0-0tc

yawn.

there were ten times as many tricks in quicksilver as any fixie vid I've seen. :) But Kevin Bacon IS a total badass.


Whats amazing is its like the elephant in the room, everyone pretends that every time they see a wheelie to 360 its the first time. And they all throw up their hands and go OOOOOOOHHHH SNAAPPP.


Its like none of them have ever seen a trials vid or a BMX comp

...I stopped at a light today and put my foot down, meanwhile another fg rider came next to me and trackstand the entire light. When it turned green I swear he gave me a look of "welp, your street cred is back down to 0." Is anybody else getting this or is it just me?

This happens to me. Doesn't help when I'm dressed like a hard-core roadie. I don't do any tricks on my fg - I have a BMX bike for that.

Then I see the same trickster when we're riding BMX flatland sessions. I can turbine, roll, scuff, link and spin on the front or back wheel. I'm not the best flatland rider, but definetely better than any trickster on a fg bike.

I guess my street cred is earned back in that instance. BTW, I was doing handstand "Gumby" trackstands, combo'd from a half boomerang from the pedals back in '87.

Watch and learn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCfStHFD9Rk

this is the attitude that hipsters need to adopt.
I challenge you to go ask 1000 hipsters about their attitude towards riding.

I'm guessing 1000 of them will give the same answer Brig did.

"Just ride, man, who cares what anyone else is doing. It's so zen."

learn to track stand and wheelie a road bike, but they'll still think they're the shiit

its kinda funny when you can just blow by hipsters on their fixies, cause you actually use your bike to ride, and ride fast. So when you blow them away in a sprint and the hipster needs to stop for a smoke break, fashion check, and am-i-still-cool check. Feel satisfied that you can outride them rather than out-trick them.

It is not okay to ride your bike for fun. It's about the tricks. Walk it somewhere do your tricks. Then walk it home. Oh yeah, you'll need an outfit and a sober expression.

haha!

its kinda funny when you can just blow by hipsters on their fixies, cause you actually use your bike to ride, and ride fast. So when you blow them away in a sprint and the hipster needs to stop for a smoke break, fashion check, and am-i-still-cool check. Feel satisfied that you can outride them rather than out-trick them.

Oh my god, who are these hipsters all of you are apparently obsessed with and where can I find them?

Do they know you guys have a secret hideout here on the fixed gear section of bike forums, where you talk about how much faster and.. um more sensible you are (swoon)?

Oh my god, who are these hipsters all of you are apparently obsessed with and where can I find them?

Do they know you guys have a secret hideout here on the fixed gear section of bike forums, where you talk about how much faster and.. um more sensible you are (swoon)?

Hah!

Oh my god, who are these hipsters all of you are apparently obsessed with and where can I find them?

Do they know you guys have a secret hideout here on the fixed gear section of bike forums, where you talk about how much faster and.. um more sensible you are (swoon)?

Seriously this us against them mentality is absolutely ridiculous. Reminds me how the most racist people are found in completely homogenized communities.

Seriously this us against them mentality is absolutely ridiculous. Reminds me how the most racist people are found in completely homogenized communities.
The best part is it's so fiercely "us against them", but 100% of the "thems" think they are "us'", so there's really no "them" at all.

its kinda funny when you can just blow by hipsters on their fixies, cause you actually use your bike to ride, and ride fast. So when you blow them away in a sprint and the hipster needs to stop for a smoke break, fashion check, and am-i-still-cool check. Feel satisfied that you can outride them rather than out-trick them.

You know that trying to invalidate another person as a cyclist because you pass them when they don't even know you're racing is about the same thing as someone trying to invalidate you as a cyclist because you can't ride a backwards circle right?


Or are we still doing irony?


Unless you're dropping people at either group rides or races, you're a total dork thinking it makes you awesome to just pass people on the street.

its kinda funny when you can just blow by hipsters on their fixies, cause you actually use your bike to ride, and ride fast. So when you blow them away in a sprint and the hipster needs to stop for a smoke break, fashion check, and am-i-still-cool check. Feel satisfied that you can outride them rather than out-trick them.


and after you beat them do you give yourself a cookie for winning?

you can get moving on a fixed gear, but for most usage, they are not even close to being the optimal bicycle for going fast.

The best part is it's so fiercely "us against them", but 100% of the "thems" think they are "us'", so there's really no "them" at all.

mind = blown.

Reminds me how the most racist people are found in completely homogenized communities.


You know that trying to invalidate another person as a cyclist because you pass them when they don't even know you're racing is about the same thing as someone trying to invalidate you as a cyclist because you can't ride a backwards circle right?

i have nothing to add. i just thought i'd quote these two lines to increase people's exposure to the ideas they express.

I'm so glad I'm too old to care about anything anymore.