Originally Posted by
Mike Mills
"Let's see, how can I sell more bikes? I've got an idea. Let's dress one up like an old fashioned bike and see if it sells."
The second top tube is purely for style. This whole bike seems to be about style. There is nothing retro about this bike, other than a few, inexpensively implemented styling cues.
This whole fixed gear and single speed thing seems to be a fad. The riders I see (mostly in their late teens) seem more intent upon showing off and getting noticed than anything else.
It's not a bad bike and this is not meant to be a "put down". I'm just calling 'em likes I sees 'em.
Yes, fixed gear is a fad, but there's a lot of good to be said about it. There's a lot of bad, too, like other fads. It's disgusting that it's hip to go brakeless. But young people have to ride through that invinceability stage, it seems. Riding fixed builds skills such as spinning. If you train in the winter in a low gear, that spinning ability comes in handy in the summer. Plus it keeps you warm. It also exercises more muscles. My hamstrings ache after a ten mile fixie ride. And so do my chest muscles! My upper body is woefully underdeveloped, so this can't be a bad thing.
But fixie isn't a way of life or religion for me. I don't ride fixed much. I just jump on my fixie for fun. Or if one of my other bikes needs repairs. Or if I need to toss the bike in the car, as it has no fenders and breaks down small. It's also light.
The fact that that Kilo bike has heavy elements of style that are pure style and no function isn't different from most bikes. Aesthetics always play a major role in consumer products.