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2009 - The year of the fixed gear bike?

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Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

2009 - The year of the fixed gear bike?

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Old 03-31-09 | 06:24 PM
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2009 - The year of the fixed gear bike?

Has anyone else noticed more bikes than ever so far this season.

I live in a small university town in Ontario, Canada but already this season (so far a few nice days for biking) I have seen more fixed gear bikes than on any other day last summer.

In toronto this past weekend I saw more fixed gear bikes in one day than I have seen in any other city on a single day ever. In fact I would say I saw more fixed gear bikes than non-fixed gear bikes.

Does this mark the beginning of the Apocalypse or was this just a freak weekend and all these bikes will be put away once the nice weather is here to stay?
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Old 03-31-09 | 06:42 PM
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i moved to LA a month ago and while in somewhat downtown and around burbank ive only seen maybe... 4. just a lot of spandex road warriors normally
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Old 03-31-09 | 06:47 PM
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Originally Posted by jhaber
Has anyone else noticed more bikes than ever so far this season.

I live in a small university town in Ontario, Canada but already this season (so far a few nice days for biking) I have seen more fixed gear bikes than on any other day last summer.

In toronto this past weekend I saw more fixed gear bikes in one day than I have seen in any other city on a single day ever. In fact I would say I saw more fixed gear bikes than non-fixed gear bikes.

Does this mark the beginning of the Apocalypse or was this just a freak weekend and all these bikes will be put away once the nice weather is here to stay?
Depends on your location. In the larger US cities the fad (that's what it is) is waning. But as all fads do, it's rippling out into medium and small cities as parts become readily available.
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Old 03-31-09 | 06:52 PM
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Was in PacificBeach and Hillcrest area of San Diego yesterday and I saw a locked up fixed gear and a guy doing a wheelie through an intersection on what looked like a Surly with risers. Surprised to only see two fixed gear bikes. I did see like 50 beach cruisers at Pacific beach though.

Oh and I saw another locked up in my college campus with bullhorns and no bar tape. First I've seen locked up there.
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Old 03-31-09 | 07:17 PM
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more like the decade of the fixed geared bike
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Old 03-31-09 | 07:18 PM
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maybe we just notice it more cause we have one? ie. when you buy a camry, ull see more camrys
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Old 03-31-09 | 07:18 PM
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I don't notice much of a difference from last year.

Anecdotaly I seem to be seeing A LOT more BMXs in Toronto than I recall seeing last year
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Old 03-31-09 | 07:19 PM
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Originally Posted by elTwitcho
I don't notice much of a difference from last year.

Anecdotaly I seem to be seeing A LOT more BMXs in Toronto than I recall seeing last year
Really? That's awesome.

Young or adult riders?
Racers or street riders?
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Old 03-31-09 | 07:52 PM
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I have been seeing a TON of BMX riders in Austin, too. Just as many as on fixies. The ones I have seen are anywhere from 16-35
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Old 03-31-09 | 08:10 PM
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ya, the bmx population in austin has exploded, they are everywhere.

i have not seen any fixed riders out where i live on the north side. downtown there are a lot though.
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Old 03-31-09 | 08:22 PM
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More like 2007 was the year of the fixed gear.

bmx is the new fixed!
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Old 03-31-09 | 08:24 PM
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>i moved to LA a month ago and while in somewhat downtown and around burbank ive only seen maybe... 4<

You need to get out more. Tons of ss/fg in Silverlake/Echo Park on Sunset Blvd., all along Melrose Blvd., and the areas around Western and Santa Monica Blvds. I saw two groups of FG riders last Saturday afternoon on one of the main drags west of downtown. (On the other hand, almost no one rides a bike in L. A.)
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Old 03-31-09 | 08:38 PM
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Originally Posted by carleton
Really? That's awesome.

Young or adult riders?
Racers or street riders?
Street bikes and guys (and a few girls even) that look between 18-30. Even had a guy moving along at a pretty fair clip with me yesterday that impressed the hell out of me riding this tiny bike and just standing and hammering next to me.

It's too early to see if the fixed gear thing has peaked but it's friggin awesome to see that bikes in general certainly haven't.
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Old 03-31-09 | 08:51 PM
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hipsters in NYC moved onto 80s BMX bikes a while back now. just wait. it's coming......

getting my Quadangle ready......
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Old 03-31-09 | 08:56 PM
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Originally Posted by nateintokyo
hipsters in NYC moved onto 80s BMX bikes a while back now. just wait. it's coming......

getting my Quadangle ready......
H*ll yeah. My buddy has a Mongoose from the late 80s (when Mongoose's were nice) in his parent's garage. Gonna buy it and clean it up for Ebay. Heh heh heh.
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Old 03-31-09 | 09:04 PM
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Originally Posted by carleton
Young or adult riders?
You asking that just reminded me of when I went to visit my dad a few weeks back in Washington. We went on this bike ride, and he rode my BMX bike I bought ~8 years ago (since he used to race when he was younger, and I rarely use it anymore, so I gave it to him), and I could not stop laughing. He looked so goofy on it. I mean, he is only almost 40, but I think it is due to the fact that he is my dad.
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Old 03-31-09 | 09:07 PM
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Here in Chicago, I am seeing more Fixed and Singlespeed than anything else. I saw a good 10 or so, and it was raining.
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Old 03-31-09 | 09:45 PM
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Outside my favorite bar in Columbus, Indiana I saw two fixed-gear bikes locked to a post. I didn't think there were two in the city. Typically, when a fad hits Columbus, it's been over for a while.
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Old 03-31-09 | 11:00 PM
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Originally Posted by jhaber
Has anyone else noticed more bikes than ever so far this season.

I live in a small university town in Ontario, Canada but already this season (so far a few nice days for biking) I have seen more fixed gear bikes than on any other day last summer.

In toronto this past weekend I saw more fixed gear bikes in one day than I have seen in any other city on a single day ever. In fact I would say I saw more fixed gear bikes than non-fixed gear bikes.

Does this mark the beginning of the Apocalypse or was this just a freak weekend and all these bikes will be put away once the nice weather is here to stay?
Ha I just noticed you're in Guelph. I used to live there until a couple of years ago and I don't recall seeing many fixies then. I can't imagine bicycle couriers being a good profession in Guelph either. I'm coming back to Guelph for a visit at the end of the month so I'll keep an eye out for fixies
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Old 03-31-09 | 11:02 PM
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Originally Posted by downtube42
Outside my favorite bar in Columbus, Indiana I saw two fixed-gear bikes locked to a post. I didn't think there were two in the city. Typically, when a fad hits Columbus, it's been over for a while.
Hmmm.....I used to live in Columbus. Is your name Diz by chance?

And yeah.....Columbus is quite the bustling metropolis.
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Old 03-31-09 | 11:36 PM
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I finally saw one locked up outside of a coffee shop / bar here in Houston. First one I've seen outside of a bike shop here. KHS Flite.
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Old 03-31-09 | 11:48 PM
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the height of the latest fixed gear craze was probably 2005 or 6.

it's fading fast.
road bikes and bmx are in in chicago/new york.
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Old 04-01-09 | 12:00 AM
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Originally Posted by nateintokyo
hipsters in NYC moved onto 80s BMX bikes a while back now. just wait. it's coming......

getting my Quadangle ready......
Bikesnob called this a while ago, I believe.
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Old 04-01-09 | 12:06 AM
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people realized tricks are better on bmx
and they can go faster on road bikes.
and others realized everyone and their mothers
rode fixed/ss, so they had to move on in order to retain the cool.

trikes in 2013.
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Old 04-01-09 | 12:09 AM
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future-retro 2013 style.

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