Originally Posted by orange-toei

I started riding track 5 years ago in Montreal. I bought a Fuji which I had to special order because nobody sold track bike back then. I rode for myself and enjoyed the simplicity. I encountered a few oddities like the guy who told me I was not a true track rider because I ran a front brake. I used to go from the bottom of the city to the upper town on a daily basis. I appreciated the safety of a front brake and could not care less.

I met a few fashion victims who had a very loose chain, I explained to them it was dangerous and they thanked me. I always found cyclist to be a fun crowd to hang around and I include all cyclist.

I now live in Japan where track bike are the ultimate fashion object. For some mysterious reason, I never see anybody ride, the bike are always parked in front of fashion boutiques. I now ride a very expensive Kiyo frame that was spray painted black by his previous owner. The bike really looks like **** but I still enjoy riding track just as much as I did in Montreal. I get odd looks by the few track riders I meet on the street. They are riding color matched bikes with matching messenger bags. I just smile and leave them in my shadow.