In mid-2005 I lost my driver's license due to a history of seizures, and realized I needed to get back into biking, a passion I had in high school when I commuted on an MTB and rode a lot of trails.
In my research about refurbing my playa-dusted old bike I found Sheldon's site and happened upon the fixed-gear section. After reading the testimonials I knew I had to give it a shot.
Travis at Freewheel on Hayes recommended I try out a Pista, saying they were a decent value and easy to upgrade if I wanted to over time. I didn't have the scratch for a new one so I found one for sale on Craigslist..
I went to the guy's house for a test ride and as I took off, he said, "have you ever ridden a fixie before?", I said no and took off. After rocketing up and down a few hills and feeling genuinely scared/inspired/etc I plunked down my cash and rode away smiling.
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Funny fixie crash memory: Riding through a pedestrian tunnel on a wet day. Wet tires, wet tile floor. I take my foot off the pedals like a cheeky bastard, ride down the slope, through the flat, then up a small slope on the other side. I go to use the (front only) brake to stop as I can't use my feet, and whoops! There goes the only FRONT TIRE SKID I've ever experienced, and about 20 seconds later I'm picking myself up off the floor, whimpering with a banged-up knee.. lol