The Fixed Gear Forum have been co-opted.
#51
double diamond tram girl
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Originally Posted by pitboss
Breathing is obviously super popular in many bigger cities, and gaining popularity like crazy. One of the biggest reasons for our population's collective fascination with breathing is the romanticized association with what it sees as remaining alive. The manufacturing of lungs to facilitate the inhalation of the components which combine to make air represent a rejection of the trend to die prematurely for lack of breathing, and will push biodevelopmentalists further on the path of creating carbon breathing apparatus that will then be forced with blatant over-marketing and hype on teenaged asmatics who walk the sidewalks path on weekends. The "breather" image for most people, is the individual, exotic, stripped-down thoroughbred nose breather. The impossible conglomeration of years of evolution and adaptive radiation. Combine that with a few well-worn videos of people breathing via non-host "air induction" kits and you've created a monster. A marketer's wet dream. A largely fictional idea of a subculture ready-made for corporate co-opting. It happened to sleeping, and now it's happening to breathing. Pre-built alveoli? Oxygen tent campouts? All they need now is to come factory-direct with smoking scars and tar build up.
To be clear though, I have absolutely nothing against people who breathe unassisted--there's already way too much snobbishness in the air world to get caught up in that. Just as most people will never fully maximize their VO2 Max, like most people on iron lungs do not really have iron lungs. Hell, most people in a brass-helmet salvage suit will never truly salvage anything that is cool. My point is only that this gradual corporate takeover of our biological functions is happening right now, and it is somewhat sad to see what used to be a rejection of bland consumerist values subsumed by them. It seems to me to be against the spirit of what self-breathing used to be.
So your own lungs for all the other reasons you got it, but not because it's edgy and cool--make no mistake, lungs are on their way to being as mainstream as any other kind of vital organ. I would hope Wal-Mart never starts selling them, but they have gotten into self-cleaing diapers, so who knows.
To be clear though, I have absolutely nothing against people who breathe unassisted--there's already way too much snobbishness in the air world to get caught up in that. Just as most people will never fully maximize their VO2 Max, like most people on iron lungs do not really have iron lungs. Hell, most people in a brass-helmet salvage suit will never truly salvage anything that is cool. My point is only that this gradual corporate takeover of our biological functions is happening right now, and it is somewhat sad to see what used to be a rejection of bland consumerist values subsumed by them. It seems to me to be against the spirit of what self-breathing used to be.
So your own lungs for all the other reasons you got it, but not because it's edgy and cool--make no mistake, lungs are on their way to being as mainstream as any other kind of vital organ. I would hope Wal-Mart never starts selling them, but they have gotten into self-cleaing diapers, so who knows.
"The Pure Oxygen inside each canister is blended with essential oils as it leaves the canister and is available in 4 refreshing aromas: original peppermint, eucalyptus, yuzu-lemon and BRAND NEW Flower Power."
#52
yeahh, becky
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Originally Posted by pitboss
Breathing
#53
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Originally Posted by geoGraphicFTD
I didn't even know it was a sport. or well, I didn't know that the act of leaping over fences and tumbling between buildings had a specific name. then again, I also didn't know that riding a fixie made me an auto-hipster until after I got mine. guess I'm just fulfilling my position as a disgrace to pop culture.
#54
20-Something Desk Jockey
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Joke troll threads have been co-opted by a large number of people lately. Way to jump on the newest trend, hipster troll scum.
#55
on a steel horse I ride
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If we buy pre-built fixed gear bikes from Surly, the terrorists win.
#56
double diamond tram girl
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Originally Posted by I Like Peeing
Never heard of Soap shoes, the ones with the grind plates on the bottom? Freestyle walking 4 lyfe! I felt the same way about "auto-hipster" after building my first fixed, but those people would probably think I'm an ******* anyway.
ps you forgot to put "X-TREME" before "Freestyle walking 4 lyfe!" so necessary.
#57
Run What 'Ya Brung
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Three pages and no poster has shown up, skipped straight
to the end, and accused everyone of being luddites, haters,
elitists, etc. What gives?
to the end, and accused everyone of being luddites, haters,
elitists, etc. What gives?
#58
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"So ride your fixie for all the other reasons you got it, but not because it's edgy and cool--"
I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in south Florida that thinks my bike is edgy or cool(It's not very edgy at all actually). "Fixies" will become mainstream in South Florida when they come complete with air conditioning, an engine and a cell phone holder.
I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in south Florida that thinks my bike is edgy or cool(It's not very edgy at all actually). "Fixies" will become mainstream in South Florida when they come complete with air conditioning, an engine and a cell phone holder.
#59
Ride simple.
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I just love threads like this, but the weather is nice. Let's all take the bike of our choosing, regardless its creator, and go outside and play. This thread will be here when we get back.
#60
20-Something Desk Jockey
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Originally Posted by chillywater
"So ride your fixie for all the other reasons you got it, but not because it's edgy and cool--"
I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in south Florida that thinks my bike is edgy or cool(It's not very edgy at all actually). "Fixies" will become mainstream in South Florida when they come complete with air conditioning, an engine and a cell phone holder.
I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in south Florida that thinks my bike is edgy or cool(It's not very edgy at all actually). "Fixies" will become mainstream in South Florida when they come complete with air conditioning, an engine and a cell phone holder.
#61
in ur ____, ___ing ur ___
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well, SOMEONE had to do it.
#62
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I was just thinking, what if Fixies did become mainstream? IRO's sold at walmart, streets full of riders. Cyclists taking over the streets, private auto use drops dramatically. Sounds like my dream world.
#63
Don't smoke, Mike.
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I just noticed how badly Nathan needs to do a load of laundry.
#64
sVe
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I hear base jumping without a ´chute is where it´s at. Be a trendsetter.
#65
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Bah. Pretty soon minivan-driving soccer dads will be riding fixed gear bikes from their houses to their law offices!
(Oh, wait. That's me. Never mind.)
(Oh, wait. That's me. Never mind.)
#66
i'd leave the sweet stuff
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come on ppl. i only read teh first post, but that's all i needed to read. you people are all elitist jerk-snobs. if ppl want 2 ride bikes, they should, no matter where they come from or where they going.
it's a free country and no ppl has teh right to tell other ppls what 2 by or not.
i 4 1 am going to my high school tomorrow and i'm going 2 talk to all my preppie friends about fixed gear bikes and get them to coem to teh next allycat race! so there!
it's a free country and no ppl has teh right to tell other ppls what 2 by or not.
i 4 1 am going to my high school tomorrow and i'm going 2 talk to all my preppie friends about fixed gear bikes and get them to coem to teh next allycat race! so there!
#67
i'd leave the sweet stuff
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oh, i almost forogt: luddites! the lot of ya!
#68
da magic wheel
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Originally Posted by joshuastar
come on ppl. i only read teh first post, but that's all i needed to read. you people are all elitist jerk-snobs. if ppl want 2 ride bikes, they should, no matter where they come from or where they going.
it's a free country and no ppl has teh right to tell other ppls what 2 by or not.
i 4 1 am going to my high school tomorrow and i'm going 2 talk to all my preppie friends about fixed gear bikes and get them to coem to teh next allycat race! so there!
it's a free country and no ppl has teh right to tell other ppls what 2 by or not.
i 4 1 am going to my high school tomorrow and i'm going 2 talk to all my preppie friends about fixed gear bikes and get them to coem to teh next allycat race! so there!
are you speaking english?
#69
.
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It's all very ironic. Yes, my bike is a recycled piece from the 80's that would have otherwise been landfill. I love that about it. But I've spent lots of money in the bike industry buying parts to convert it. We all have. If it's all about anti-capitalism, that's not what fixie culture is about. Perhaps conscious capitalism, but certainly not the pure rejection.
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#70
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"this bike is a ******** bike so get over yourself!!!" anyone interested in a sticker?
#71
Mmm cats
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Originally Posted by jamey
"this bike is a ******** bike so get over yourself!!!" anyone interested in a sticker?
#72
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Originally Posted by shapelike
I just noticed how badly Nathan needs to do a load of laundry.
#73
is probably wrong
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For the amount of time I spent reading the OP and the rest of the thread I could have...
Converted a Schwinn Varsity
Created 4 pairs of cut off shorts
Drank 6 PBRs
Made my own messenger bag
Talked trash on 5 "roadies"
and made fun of 7 people who started riding after I did.
I find it hard to believe other people feel the need to hate when lots of people begin to enjoy something great. Get a life.
Converted a Schwinn Varsity
Created 4 pairs of cut off shorts
Drank 6 PBRs
Made my own messenger bag
Talked trash on 5 "roadies"
and made fun of 7 people who started riding after I did.
I find it hard to believe other people feel the need to hate when lots of people begin to enjoy something great. Get a life.
#74
some new kind of kick
Originally Posted by jblon
Fixed gear bikes are obviously super popular in many bigger cities, and gaining popularity like crazy. One of the biggest reasons for our population's collective fascination with fixies is the romanticized association with what it sees as a punk, DIY messenger culture. The bikes represent a rejection of the trend and profit-seeking bike industry . . .My point is only that this gradual corporate takeover is happening right now, and it is somewhat sad to see what used to be a rejection of bland consumerist values subsumed by them. It seems to me to be against the spirit of what fixed gear bikes used to be . . . So ride your fixie for all the other reasons you got it, but not because it's edgy and cool--make no mistake, fixed-gear bikes are on their way to being as mainstream as any other kind of bike. I would hope Wal-Mart never starts selling one, but they have gotten into carbon fiber, so who knows.
1) The great irony is that messengers carry around stuff for . . . corporate law firms. How punk is that?
I don't care if you are rockin a SOMEC lugged track bike with Sugino 75s--if you are carrying a deposition or a court filing for a big-XXX law-firm then you are serving their ends. So your uber-hip niche actually never was that.
2) I agree vaguely with the sentiment behind this--or perhaps my interpretation of it. By commodifying fixed gear culture you can buy the experience of being alternative without actually changing your life in a meaningful way. The problem with capitalism is that it can transform it's opposite into a commodity and then make money off of the fantasy of resistance.
3) However--in the long run maybe the fixie craze will coincide with rising oil prices in a meaningul way--people will realize they can use their bikes for transportation and it will be--gasp--fun! That's an outcome anyone who actually endorses positive change should like. So sorry if your niche that made you feel special got blown wide open--welcome to seeing more people on bikes.
4) The paradox and truth about fixies becoming as mainstream as any other bike is that cycling as serious transportation is not mainstream enough!
That said a Surly Steamroller complete is a sick bike I wish I had one. I'm quite happy however with my SOMA Rush with Soma rims/hubs/no-name cogs and Bontrager bullhorns. I ride whenever I can especially when a car would be more convenient--
Last edited by Suttree; 05-21-07 at 12:48 PM.
#75
Sir Fallalot
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Originally Posted by Bikkhu
Yeah, a few months ago I wondered if it is about time someone to sprayed "LOCALS ONLY, DICK!" on Helsinki velodrome wall
Bikkhu, are you a member of CHH?