I wanted a FG since they started becoming popular in 05, but all my friends at the time would make fun of the hipsters riding them. I had a trek mtn bike that I had since I was 12-13 and I was 5'7-5'8 at the time. I rode that until college, I would go on off-road trails and everywhere, although no more than 30 miles a week.

I was scared of not being able to touch the ground with my feet while on the seat, so I decided not to get a road bike, but another mountain bike. A gt-lts3. I was riding this 14-20 miles a day. My friend who noticed I was riding a lot got a fixed gear from some website with a flip flop hub, brakes, and the drop down handle bars.

We went riding one day, and he had never really rode a bike before, but here he is keeping up with me, and I'm spinning hard with toe clips. He's got open pedals.

I didn't want to spend more than $200 on a bike, so I browsed craigslist day in day out, and someone posted a link to walmart and I found the mongoose genisse.

So I got the walmart mongoose, and my commute to school was sooo much easier, but I still wanted the street cred of no brakes and riding fixed. So I rode to a near-by bike shop and picked up a cog 15t (it's what they recommended at the shop) puts me at 78.7 g.i.

I kept riding with the brakes on, and learned how to skid and slow down without brakes and took them off 3 weeks later.

It's been 2 months since I took the brakes off and now I want a lighter bike, deep v wheels, drop down handlebars. It's an addiction, where ever I am I wish I had my bike with me, I feel like it's an extension of who I am. I ride my bike everywhere now, I feel like the narrator from dirtbag diaries.

I ride 25-30 miles a day now, and have a few questions:

1. When I'm coming up to an intersection I slow down, by slowing down the pedaling, and skid if it's in the morning (the only time I have energy anymore). I feel like I'm out of control if I try skidding when I'm going too fast, like the handlebar gets shaky and I can't quiet lock out my leg. I'm wondering if I got a deep v wheel if that would add to the stability?

2. I was in sf the other day and spotted a few FG riders. How in the world do these guys have the balls to be flying down these hills with no brakes into busy intersections. I've gone down some steep hills, but I'm pedal pacing if I need to stop soon.

3. Whats the best way to come to a stop at a stop light? Pedal pacing? Skidding?
What happens if I need to come to a sudden stop? I can stop in about 20 feet if I'm spinning at my top rpm.

4. Modify walmart bike, or sell and get a better bike?