This appeared in the Columbus Dispatch newspaper along with Photo's that did not make it into the downloaded version from the paper. Not a bad article, but when it hits the mainstream media in middle American newspapers, you know you have arrived.
https://shop.dispatch.com/newsarchive...569:6:2&md=dir

is there a log-in for that?

I don't want to register to read the article.

You can use my login

fixedgearhead@ecr.net

Password: stilton

interesting article. not like the usual "THESE PEOPLE ARE CRAZY THEY SHOULD ALL BE LOCKED UP!!! DID YOU KNOW THEY CANNOT STOP?!?!!?" crap that comes out in most major newspapers...

thanks for sharing

Yea I know. I still thought the whole tone of the article was positive and aside from that, all to common reference, was favorable. Now I guess I should start looking at the garage sales here, after a couple of weeks have passed, and pick up a few "slightly used" fixed gear bikes that are being let go for next to nothing because the owners have moved on the the next trend.

fixedgearhead

high-wheelers?

uhh... when 'performance' and other fashion conscience cos pick something up; its already a trend.

Sadly, I agree with the statement that "It takes the fun out of fixing something up and learning how the bike works.'' I nod my head in disappointment for 90 percent of the 'how do I' posts.

Its just a bike!!! take it apart and figure it out. Every 9 year-old kid in my day could figure it out; certainly not rocket science.

sorry for the rant. and thanks for the use of your accnt, fixedgearhead...

unicycle commuting.... Yeah that's where it's at....

Didn't I post something about this a while back here?

Stevo, love you mean it, attitude leave it.

Some people don't have mech skills. 9 year olds, etc. Just don't. So, they learn from working on stuff, FG bikes are a method. And they then develop a love for bikes, etc. So, if they, including me, don't have the natural ability or nack for it, don't knock it. AND if you don't care for the "how do I post", then don't read them.. move on.. Just because your Jonnyknowhow, and it's annoyingly simple for you doesn't mean they are dolts and to be belittled.

there are those amonst us who aren't mechanically inclined. Take my 130 $$ "spinning out the threads on the hub putting a lockring back on" mistake. And those same people probably wanted to buy a starter bike and not have to invest in a crapload of tools to build the thing up. Granted, most of it can be done with pretty basic tools, but i know that even my father and grandfather, both with tool collections, don't have anything to use on a lockring, a bottom bracket, a freewheel, or headset cups. And i wouldn't trust myself doing any of that anyway.

I bought my bike from the same kid responsible for the above quote, both the Clintonville Bikesource and Baer wheels are my LBSs. Don't let that kid fool you with his anti-commercialist quote. He tries to sell me some new useless thing every time i go in. Nice kid and all, but Bikesource is a pure corporate shop. I'd love to learn how the bike works, but they certainly aren't offering any mechanic classes, and I don't like experiment with the workings of my primary method of transportation.

That being said, I promise, in all sincerity, that when i find that perfect old Merckx steel frame in my size, i'll do everything to build that bike up short of building the wheels. And i may even do that, if i can convince Dave from Baer to show me how. I do want to learn how it works, but I needed a place to start, and the Langster was it.

I have bought completes right out of the box. I have also built some amazing frankenstein bikes. All that matters is that you love the bike you ride. Most of the people on this singlespeed forum will probably end up working on their own bike and not spending a boat load of money on some shop to do some basic repair work.(road weenies come to mind) But I think it's great to have some place to ask questions and get some feedback from people. If it annoys you so much then just don't look at those posts. You will not be missing anything.

No more true statement has been posted on this forum in a LONG time. You rock for that.

Curse you karsten, and all your thunder stealing. No sooner than me hitting submit reply and getting sent back to the thread did i see you'd beaten me to my point. Amen to that my brother.

Thankyou for the kind comment WK.

yes, thanks for sharing

-t

It's now my signature line, accredited to you.

Thanks for putting it all in perspective.

do you all realize that Clay in the article = Singlespeed on this forum**********?

hehe..what up Clay!!

randy

Sure, but don't overlook the fact that most of us have day jobs-- if I'm at the computer typing a question about bike parts, I'm probably at a desk in some godawful office complex, chained to a PC and a coffee mug, not a work stand and a wrench. But..one can dream!

Hence, a good number of questions arise. Would I answer them all myself if I had the time or money? Yes, 98% of them would be figured out with elbow grease, trial and error and trips to the LBS. Looking stuff up in a repair book or searching the web would come next, and then trying to bother some forum folks halfway accross the country.

So there. Questions are interesting.

can you post it?

the article?

if you really want me to, i will. i thought about it earlier today, but thought better of it later.

I think that with a little bit of general, not neccessarily bicycle, mechanical knowhow one can put together and take apart an entire bicycle and put it together. The right tools help too, though.

I actually knew a guy back at school in Athens (Ohio) that used to get around town on a unicycle. I don't care how many times you saw him go down Court Street - it still caught you off guard...