Perhaps, and just as comical as if used by regular commuters. Track bikes and fixed gear bikes are still bicycle fish out of water in Center City Philadelphia (or any other city with nutty stop-and-go traffic and frequent wet conditions) despite their alleged "street cred" for simplicity. No brakes - what could be simpler - Maybe no seat?

I do ride a singlespeed, because I hate derailers, and because of the flat lay of the land, there really is no need to shift in the city. I wouldn't mind riding a fixed gear, but I prefer having the ability to coast in traffic. Most of the brakeless riders I know are well in control of their bikes and they know how to stop and ride just as well as anybody with brakes. I did see a guy riding a brakeless, geared bike, but he was a true idiot. I saw him have three near accidents in three blocks.

As for being a fish out of water in Philly, I think this city might have the highest per capita number of fixed riders. I see more here than in BOS, NYC, WAS, ATL... etc.

Single speed = sensible if gears aren't needed.
Fixed gear on city streets = masochistic and trendy.
I'm happy to see bicyclists riding anything but don't find owners of trendy or race oriented bikes any more "worthy" or "serious" than those riding old Huffys, Sears, x-marts or any other bike that meets the owners' needs.

The reference to brakeless drivers in control reminds me of the Philadephia Flyers owner making excuses for one of his players who was killed while driving after getting drunk at the owner's party:<paraphrase IAW my memory of the quote>"He could drive better drunk than most people sober." Yes, true until it wasn't.

Masochistic and trendy.

http://sheldonbrown.com/images/scb_eagle.jpeg

http://www.antbikemike.com/images/Bu.../step12big.jpg

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2005/feb/snyder1.jpg

So?

Some would say people who play golf are masochistic and trendy as well.

Did you feel the breeze on your face, because that just went over your head.

I am sorry I completely disagree. Although having toured on the West Coast over the summer I agree Philly is fairly flat, I still think a fixed gear is a trendy thing rather then a wise thing in Philly. You obviously are not ridding around Philly only in the center city. If this is the case I completely understand, the singlespeed and more power to you. In fact I have wished I could go that way. However, I personally like to go for long rides into the city and to New Hope and such. I live in Germantown at the top of Schoolhouse Lane which is a pain as it comes at the end of my 10 mile (one way) commute. I think the hills in Manyunk would be a pain in the behind on a single speed, as would rides into the burbs. On the singlespeed I can see it being a preference, on the brakeless thing I think it should be illegal. It is amazing how many messengers I have seen nearly get killed by not having brakes and having to turn quickly instead. Would you be allowed to drive a car at 20 mph without brakes? Why should you be able to ride a bike at the same speed without brakes? (Yes, I understand that a car can cause much more damage but I still wouldn't want to be hit by a bike going 20 mph.) You may have to take my opinion with a grain of salt as I am biased. I was picking up my sister in South Philly for a drive to the Poconos when I was STOPPED at a red light when there is this huge crash into the rear side of my car. My girlfriend sister and I jumped, got out of the car only to see a biker on the driver side and a track bike with no brakes still on the passenger side where he hit. I was much more worried about him then the dent he put in the car. He kept saying he was fine but he was worried about the bike (track style tires). The tire was a little bent, I have two dents in the car (I chalked it up to city living) but he was fine. He said "I wasn't paying attention I am so sorry...etc." But jeez imagine if he had done the same right in front of a moving car! You NEED brakes people. It is NOT cool to go without. -- sorry for the rant.

Hardly. If one of your pals (or mine) rides a high wheeler for pleasure, and another had a fetish for unicycles, I still would not be any more impressed with their suitability for commuting in busy Center City Traffic. Choosing a fixed gear, stripped down, no comfort bike for commuting or utility cycling in Center City Philadelphia is not the mark of a great thinker IMO and it is immaterial how much other cycling knowledge is possessed by the fixed gear bike fancier. Any single speed in rideable condition such as a Schwinn, Huffy, Columbia, Sears etc with coaster brakes would be a more useful and safer bike for commuting in flat cities than any esoteric fixed gear custom job, even if not considered worthy by the bicycling intelligentsia.

BTW if I thought it made me more worthy to bask in the glow Sheldon Brown's bicycle collection, I would post a picture of a bicycle that was more practical for commuting in Philadelphia (the subject of this thread):
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/images/superbe54-big.jpeg

Even this bike would have problems due to probable crappy braking when the rims are wet. Otherwise a real winner for practical city cycling.

I wasn't aware that there was one right answer to this question. I had mistakenly thought it was a matter of what a given person enjoys and finds to work for them. I be sure to file this away for future reference, chief.

Whatever.

Personally, I don't get your fetish for trekking bikes, but that's your thing, so cool. Ride on.

-Trevor, who has commuted on hybrids, mountain bikes, road bikes, single speeds, but prefers a fixed gear for speed, responsiveness, and--yes--comfort.

I commute on a fixed gear with a brake. I find it more comfortable and easy to control than a coasting bike, specially in traffic. Slow speed control becomes easier with a fixed gear, since you do not have to reach for the brake all the time, but that might be just me.

Perhaps you missed the beginning of this thread when a poster was criticized for only providing his wife an "unworthy" bicycle for commuting a flat 4 miles in Philadelphia during the public transit strike. And that the use of such a comical bicycle would induce scorn and/or laughter from those who appreciate and use "worthy" bicycles.

My point: the bike types laughed/sneered at by some (maybe most) "experts" may be the most suitable for the actual task. Conversely, those bicycles designed for sporting events and specialized competitions may be least suitable for city cycling; especially for beginners/non-club-type enthusiasts considering bicycling as an alternate way to commute during (and possibly after) the strike.

The use of esoteric competition bikes for routine city cycling may be good for stroking ego and impressing a relative few bicycling aficionados, but I wouldn't know.

In an effort to return this thread to a happy place, may I refer everyone to this nice article about bike commuting in today's Inky: http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/n...t/13076597.htm.

Here's a login for the Inky site from bugmenot.com:

cpunk@cpunk.org
cpunks

Happy biking, all!

While I agree that, in principle, the bike in question is far better suited to practical tansportation than nearly anything available on the American market, the OP explained that the "comical" appearance while riding and unsuitability for the commute stemmed from a grossly low gear ratio, which he is working to fix. Would you rather have the OP's wife struggle along as if stuck in the low gear of a multispeed bike? I should think a bunch more gear-inches to be ia huge improvement.

I'd have to assume that the OP's purchase of the bike, along with his wife's fondness for it, show that its good qualities are appreciated. Personally, I think it is great to see a picture of something that looks like a real bike.

Paul

We are in agreement about the bike's "worthiness" for commuting. If only LBS's, and better yet, department stores would offer such a choice at a decent price as found elsewhere in the world.

For a non-enthusiast just starting out, better a "comedy" of easy cycling in a low gear ratio on a single speed than a "tragedy" of strugling and giving up in a too high gear ratio. Unless she is looking to race taxis to her destination from day one.

Just wondering, did the wife in question have a problem with the installed gear ratio? If so, then hubby is doing the right thing by suggesting/installing a higher gear.

Thanks. That article does make me happy.

She didn't have a problem with it when we lived in CC. But, with a 4 mile commute that is a lot of crank revs. Plus she has 24 x 1.75 tires on there which have a significantly higher resistance than do 700 x 23. But, her friend is lending her a moutain bike which should allow her a better selection of gear ratios.

I did notice that by 6:30 pm the traffic has pretty much cleared out. I don't know if more and more people are leaving earlier to "beat the traffic". If that is the case, productivity in a lot of businesses must be suffering.

Best line in that article: "Guys in suits, women in heels, the confident and the wobbly are taking to the streets and - illegally - the sidewalks, forcing pedestrians to watch their step."

At least they pointed out that sidewalk cycling in CC is illegal. That is my one pet peeve about all of the new commuters is that so many of them are on the sidewalks. I have seen some of them really moving too, and they get annoyed when peds don't get out of the way.