Be Honest
09-21-08 | 01:21 PM
#202
K2ProFlex baby!
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,134
Likes: 59
From: My response would have been something along the lines of: "Does your bike have computer controlled suspension? Then shut your piehole, this baby is from the future!"
Bikes: to many to list
__________________
You see, their morals, their code...it's a bad joke, dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these...These "civilized" people...they'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve
You see, their morals, their code...it's a bad joke, dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these...These "civilized" people...they'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve
09-21-08 | 03:02 PM
#203
thread derailleur
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,095
Likes: 1
From: beyond Thunderdome
Bikes: 82 Bianchi ECO Pista, Pake, Kilo TT, some *** bmx i found underneath an old house
Who dragged this back up? 
09-21-08 | 03:38 PM
#204
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 771
Likes: 0
i think 'wow, it's great to see more people out riding bikes these days, rather than sitting around getting fat and killing our planet in their cars'
09-21-08 | 04:45 PM
#205
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 532
Likes: 1
I sold my Miyata to someone who asked, "you selling that?" on the spot 12 years ago (with bag still strapped on my back full of packages) because I had enough of the no-insurance-dangerous-job-inhaling-box truck fumes all day-career. I walked off the rest of my runs & took a desk job.
I have a family too so now I ride for the enjoyment. Fortunately for me, those in-traffic instincts are still with me all these years later. But I find myself on bike paths & out of traffic all too often.
I don't hate, per se, someone riding with a brake. It's just it seems like they're either too scared to be riding fixed gear, or too lazy.
The other day I saw this guy on a fix going down one of Manhattan's steepest hills sans brake. Man, he was really cranking to slow the bike in traffic. I yelled to him, "yeah! No brake!" His head whipped around quickly & I saw him smile as if all of his effort was not going unnoticed. That's what I'm talking about. There's a dude I can kick it with.
I have a family too so now I ride for the enjoyment. Fortunately for me, those in-traffic instincts are still with me all these years later. But I find myself on bike paths & out of traffic all too often.
I don't hate, per se, someone riding with a brake. It's just it seems like they're either too scared to be riding fixed gear, or too lazy.
The other day I saw this guy on a fix going down one of Manhattan's steepest hills sans brake. Man, he was really cranking to slow the bike in traffic. I yelled to him, "yeah! No brake!" His head whipped around quickly & I saw him smile as if all of his effort was not going unnoticed. That's what I'm talking about. There's a dude I can kick it with.
09-21-08 | 05:17 PM
#206
Thread Starter
One skid from blown knees
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 913
Likes: 7
From: New York City
09-21-08 | 07:50 PM
#208
Avalokiteshvara
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 93
Likes: 0
From: MD
Bikes: LHT, Trek 930, Spot Longboard 9
Are you really worried that much about what other people think?
1. Get a life.
2. See number one
1. Get a life.
2. See number one
09-22-08 | 04:51 AM
#209
Top Tube Brake
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 175
Likes: 0
From: Honolulu, HI
1) When I see someone on a conversion a little piece of me dies and god kills a kitten. Not because I think down upon them or anything, I agree with a previous posters sentiment that "oh cool, another person out having fun". Mainly I am sad because hardly anyone riding in the city on a fg bike is on a real track bike. A few messengers have real track bikes.
2) I like my front brake. I like riding fast. I ride a higher ratio and enjoy riding as fast as I can into work. Sadly it means I am generally pretty nasty for about 20 minutes until I cool down... but I love love love riding fast, and If I am going to get in the way of a car I would rather be going as close as fast to them as I can rather than just rolling along like a blonde hottie on a beach cruiser switching between the street and the sidewalk like a downhill skier. So, I like my front brake because a few times it has saved me from getting in some hairy situations.
I am sure a lot of you believe in having some sort of spiritual zen-like chi-energy flow blah blah connection with your brakeless fixie, and I have yet to experience that, but I don't feel like you guys are any better nor am I missing out on anything with my little e-lever on my bars.
I do try and use it as infrequently as possible, but sometimes after a long sprint or if I know that running that yellow might put me at risk, I need to stop fast.
2) I like my front brake. I like riding fast. I ride a higher ratio and enjoy riding as fast as I can into work. Sadly it means I am generally pretty nasty for about 20 minutes until I cool down... but I love love love riding fast, and If I am going to get in the way of a car I would rather be going as close as fast to them as I can rather than just rolling along like a blonde hottie on a beach cruiser switching between the street and the sidewalk like a downhill skier. So, I like my front brake because a few times it has saved me from getting in some hairy situations.
I am sure a lot of you believe in having some sort of spiritual zen-like chi-energy flow blah blah connection with your brakeless fixie, and I have yet to experience that, but I don't feel like you guys are any better nor am I missing out on anything with my little e-lever on my bars.
I do try and use it as infrequently as possible, but sometimes after a long sprint or if I know that running that yellow might put me at risk, I need to stop fast.
09-22-08 | 05:23 AM
#210
.
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 12,769
Likes: 38
From: Rocket City, No'ala
Bikes: 2014 Trek Domane 5.2, 1985 Pinarello Treviso, 1990 Gardin Shred, 2006 Bianchi San Jose
09-22-08 | 07:11 AM
#212
road curmudgeon, FG rider
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 677
Likes: 1
From: Gaithersburg, MD
Bikes: 1973 Nishiki Professional, 1990 Serotta Colorado II, 2002 Waterford Track
1) A properly done conversion (no changes to the frame such as cutting or dremeling off parts of that which make up a road frame) can be a good FG bike. It's esp nice to see a classic steel frame from the 70's being ridden instead of gathering dust. Even a lesser quality frame can make a good candidate for a FG conversion as long as it has horizontal drop outs (so as to get the correct chain tension).
Many of the old school road frames make a better FG than the cheap entry level FG specific frame (such as those from BD) because the tubing and workmanship is of a higher quality.
2) As for the use of brakes, that means the rider values his/her own life and that of others (such as pedestrians). As has been already posted, with a brake you can run a higher gear and thus go faster. No one who values their knees runs a 75-85" gear and tries to backpedal. At the track they tell all the noobs to NEVER backpedal so the only riders doing this are are the urban chic.
Many of the old school road frames make a better FG than the cheap entry level FG specific frame (such as those from BD) because the tubing and workmanship is of a higher quality.
2) As for the use of brakes, that means the rider values his/her own life and that of others (such as pedestrians). As has been already posted, with a brake you can run a higher gear and thus go faster. No one who values their knees runs a 75-85" gear and tries to backpedal. At the track they tell all the noobs to NEVER backpedal so the only riders doing this are are the urban chic.
09-22-08 | 07:37 AM
#214
Thread Starter
One skid from blown knees
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 913
Likes: 7
From: New York City
Thanks to the folks who actually answered the question, especially those who answered honestly.
Maybe the rest of you should start a blog or something.
Maybe the rest of you should start a blog or something.
09-22-08 | 11:47 AM
#215
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 275
Likes: 0
From: Benbrook Texas
Bikes: A 3-speed fixed, a single speed (freewheel), etc.
09-22-08 | 01:07 PM
#216
Senior Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 264
Likes: 0
Just kidding, but seriously, do think that road geometry with fixed-gear is wrong in some way?
bf
09-22-08 | 01:08 PM
#217
Steel80's
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 684
Likes: 43
From: NJ
Bikes: Breezer Venturi, Schwinn Peloton, Marin Lucas Valley
1.Good, they showed some initiative and creativity instead of buying another cheap made in China POS
2. Good, maybe they're not reckless or a poseur
2. Good, maybe they're not reckless or a poseur
09-22-08 | 01:23 PM
#218
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 675
Likes: 0
I ride a FG conversion and use a front brake. I used to ride no brakes, but then I began to feel it in my knees. So on the front brakes went and a drop in gear inches.
09-22-08 | 02:06 PM
#219
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
i refuse 2 b honest and resent the implication that i might b
02-19-10 | 07:38 PM
#221
Fresh Garbage
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 13,190
Likes: 30
From: Los Angeles
Bikes: N+1
I look at myself and think, what a ***.
02-19-10 | 09:17 PM
#222
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 173
Likes: 1
From: Berlin DE/NYC USA
I really dont understand the hatred for someone not riding the same kind of bike we do. If you drive do you hate anyone not driving the same kind of car as you? When I am riding I am always happy to see someone else riding. Dont matter if they are a hipster. Dont matter if they are on a 20 speed Colnago. Dont matter to me if they are on a cobbled up conversion. At least they are riding a bike instead of riding in a cage and waisting fuel.
02-19-10 | 10:11 PM
#223
Fixed-gear roadie
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,048
Likes: 0
From: Wilmington, NC
Bikes: 2008 Masi Speciale Fixed
This.
