I kept the number to one for 35 years. Just replaced the current one when it died. Never paid any attention to their gender. Four years ago, I put together another one, definitely female. She's into her prime years. Guess I should be worried.

Like you, I started riding them for winter training. (And quickly, winter commuting. So much better on snow and ice!)

Ben

I was hit by a car which destroyed my first road bike. So, I was bikeless and with very little money and still didn't know **** to buy another bike on craigslist. Friends at the co-op informed me they had a massive frame and they helped me build it up with parts from the wrecked bike and parts from the co-op.

I rode a cheap 6KU for about a month to decide if fixed gear was for me. I did paint it this absurd color, then I sold it to a buddy who uses it for bike polo:

What got me started was the suggestion by a local shop guy who's been into it since long before they were cool. I was fairly new back to road biking after a long break, and I was riding a vintage Italian bike. I decided to just try going for a ride, leaving it in one gear and pedaling continuously. I decided he was nuts.

But then I bought a basket case Motobecane Mirage, converted it with Sheldon Brown's instructions, and I've been riding fixed ever since. My friend still has that old Moto, 8 years later, and I've done a bunch of other conversions since. Now I ride a proper track bike, a gang-green Pista, and a single-speed conversion.

As with many others, an all chrome bianchi pista. This one to be precise in 53cm:



Yes, they used to come with the same truvativ tuoro crankset that earlier kilo tt's came with.

first fixie, first wheel I built, first frame I brazed (cracked and repaired)

I'm the opposite from TT. I wanted to try FG for road riding and bought a Wabi Lightning 6 yeas ago. It is the only FG I have and it meets all my needs. He has a Lightning as well in his stable.

Langster. It wasn't my first official SS because I had ridden BMX bikes as a kid but what got me into fixed was the Langster.

My first bike was an old, heavy, crappy Centurion I got for $25 from Salvation Army. Rode it for a few months before getting extremely aggravated with it. No matter how hard I pedaled, I couldn't keep up with my friends. Seriously, that thing was a tank, and probably not the correct fit either.

So I was hanging out with some friends from the punk scene, and he was like "yo check out this DVD I just got". And he threw in MASH. I was just completely drawn to it. I came from a skateboarding background, so the setup of the video with each rider having their own parts with music, instantly reminded me of skate videos. Not going to lie, skidding is the one thing that drew me towards fixed gear. Seeing the way the kids in MASH were bombing hills, weaving through traffic, and skidding to slow down/stop was mesmerizing. So I started saving my monies for a fixed gear. Bianchi was the brand I wanted most, so I saved up and got the Pista. I wanted the Chrome version, but the only Bianchi dealer in a 3+ hour radius didn't have my size. They did have the navy in my size though, which is what I ended up getting. I was disappointed at first, but grew to love it.



It only took me about 2-3 months before the front brake came off. Been riding fixed & brakeless ever since. Coming up on 10 years now. Since then, I upgraded parts on this bike. Unfortunately, about 4 years ago, it was stolen while living in LA. I was able to make an insurance claim, and I purchased a Super Pista as a replacement (my dream frame). I still want to get a navy Pista to build up for daily commuting though.

Height of my hipster days :

Wow and I thought I rode small bikes. What size was that?

49cm.

Same as my Super Pista. My Vigorelli is a 50cm, because that's the smallest size Cinelli offers.

I've been interested in FG for the past two decades. At the ripe age of 56 I finally plunged and swapped out my gears on this:

Free bike that I converted to fixed.
It was way too small, but I was hooked.
On my fourth FG now.

This spring converted a '74 Raleigh Grand Prix to a single speed. My first complete repaint/rebuild and my first single speed.
[img][/img]

2014 All-City Nature Boy. SSCX.