or not. they were actually doing things that had never been done before, on bicycles not designed for it, and back then there were no alternatives, no bikes purpose built for tricks.

fixed riders are doing things that have been done before, years ago, on bikes not designed for it, while there are purpose built alternatives.

there are a million different somewhat valid arguments, and a million plain ridiculous ones, but nobody is going to change anyone else's mind, so it's a waste of time even trying.

the way i feel, is i could really care less what anyone does, as long as they're having a good time. live and let live. i'm not gonna get worked up over it, throw my bike away, and liken myself to a genre of music because of it.

Honestly?

It wouldn't be an issue if people were just Dorkin' around in their parking lots. Everybody does that. But, these dudes are making videos (and selling them) and hyping it up like it's something special.

When they put themselves out there like that, they have to take the criticism with the praise.




Well...anywayz. I just did a 30 second track stand to a wheelie. I'm gonna make a DVD. Available at a track boutique near you for $20.



Anybody pick up on that old school BMX ref?

Here's what kids were Dorkin around doing in parking lots 20+ years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2r9fnFYYkY


You kids don't impress me.

:thumb:

You could also argue that a lot of the flatland stuff came from artistic cycling, which has been around since the late 1800's. (on fixed wheel bikes).

Sick vid. They look like they're having fun, even poking fun at themselves.
You guys and bike-forum-superiority frowns don't seem to be having much fun.

Coming from someone who rides bmx, and a track bike, and rarely does tricks on the later, i will say i do from time to time, because it is a good change of pace.

As far as most tricks being easier on a bmx; of course, but does that mean they're more fun? If those kids are having fun more power to them. They're not the ones who refuse to do tricks or deny they do so they wont be called a hipster.

GROWUP, act young, have fun! Trust me, people will like you more...
well, except your bike-snob better than everyone 'cause they only use their bike to "ride"(hipster?) friends.

:thumb:

never seen so much judgemental crap. Don't like something then don't do it! Let others do whatever they like as long as they don't screw with you! Stop acting like a bunch of *****es with nothing to do.

I ride past that spot in the video almost every day. I try not to make eye contact.


bf

Yea, cause that's a characteristically adolescent behavior. It's not older folks who are known for being irritated by what they see other people doing. That's not the generalization at all. No, it's those kids running around complaining about the clothes those old people are wearing.
</sarcasm>

I don't want to live in a world where people can't ***** and moan about the silly things other people are doing. I must concede that the OP's sentiment hits home for me.

I can see the fun of screwing around on your fixed gear and doing tricks. However, I can see a lot more fun in screwing around on your bmx and doing tricks. Something about fixing/replacing track wheels seems unappealing to me... Maybe I just don't understand because I don't do it.

Oh goodness. You know what really burgundies my knickerbockers? Those young getabouts that think they own the black pave on their even-wheeled cyclomatrons are truly too much. I say, we were achieving such velocity on our steam-driven carriages at much less an effort. Why should one participate in such tomfoolery? It is the Dickens, i will tell you.

This video is neat, though that one fellow at the beginning is in need of a nose hair trimmer.

From an artistic standpoint, IMO that sort of riding needs to be done on a 20, 24, or a decent "urban MTB" with a small, flickable frame.

To me, it seemed the OP was quite upset b/c some young "punks" were trying to invade his turf and bring something sassy into his "sit'n'spin" comfort zone...but I could have misinterpreted things.

After watching that vid...I don't get what the big deal is, really. Sure it looks oafish and sloppy on a FG, but if somebody has just 1 bike that happens to be an Amazon FG and wants to do a slo-mo bar spin or a clumsy-looking 180' off a 6-stair...why should it ruffle the feathers of somebody who rides for a different reason entirely?

The spice of life.

Is it becoming hip to hate hipsters? I don't see what the big deal is. Most of them are kids and young adults who have built up a fashionable culture around bikes. I really don't see how this negatively affects the traditional bike culture. In my opinion it just enriches it. Sure this culture may go out of fashion but when the dust settles there will be a couple of former members who have developed a life long commitment to bicycling.

So please give me a clear reason why these kids negatively affect the bicycle community. Make your argument as to why they are “stupid”.

To whom are you directing these questions?

This was my favorite part:

"As a skateboarder, it really pisses me off that those kids that rode bikes kept riding bikes."

Umm...to the participants of this thread that have called "hipsters" , or kids doing tricks on fixed gear bikes, stupid. It was a general inquiry to the anti-hipster crowd.

Using a fixed gear road bike or track bike for tricks is as stupid as using an expensive silver butter knife as a screwdriver. Yes, it may work. But there are much cheaper, durable, and purpose built tools that will do a better job.

Is that answer good enough?

Well, I think it's passed that actually, and now it's mainstream to hate hipsters:

Article on hipster hating in our largest national newspaper

So I guess that means that hipsters were hip, then it became hip to mock them. Now that it's mainstream to mock them, does that mean hipsters are hip again?

Man I'm glad I gave up trying to be hip. Being 30 is so liberating, I don't have to be old or young!

Screwing screws with a pure silver butter knife, that sounds pimp for sure. As long as it gets the job done!!!

I suppose you are going to complain about people who drive Ferrari's and Lamborghini's around the center of the city where they can barely make it out of 1st gear for 80% of the time.

No. THIS is pimp...AND it gets the job done:

http://p1.pinkbike.com/photo/1899/med/mpbpic1899568.jpg
Dave Mirra's gold plated Haro.

Yup. That's just as stupid. Also just as stupid: Hummers, H2, and H3s and any other SUV that never touches dirt.

i like practicing tricks on my fixed wheel bike
it makes me a better rider and it's fun
i am not exactly pulling 180s off of stair sets but practicing stands and hopping up onto things and riding off as well...practical trickery

yes, a bmx bike is the right tool for the job but i think people like to push limits and see what's capable, so why not do tricks on your fixed road bike?

Assuming you only want one tool in your apartment and you need it for spreading butter and as a screw driver it makes sense to have a butter knife used as a screwdriver. These kids may want a bike that they can commute on and do tricks on - to them a fixed gear is a viable solution. Are you suggesting that they own two bikes: one for tricks and one for commutes? Not everyone has the money or space to have two bikes.

Is it easier to do tricks on a BMX? If so it means that it is harder to do them on a fixed gear and therefore more challenging - maybe they like the added challenge.

This post is pure Carleton.

i thinks its fun to make fun of these kind of things just kind of on of a surface level, simply because its easy and its something that some of us have been into for 10 plus years, but the truth is as long as people are riding their bikes its ****ing awesome. i dont give a **** if you have 43 gears and you only ride it to walk your dog. its all for fun. the truth is i quit riding bmx about 10 years ago when i got my track bike and i never in a million years thought i would see people doing **** like that. maybe some of us are jealous we didnt start it? its like vert skaters making fun of skaters who quit skating vert and only skated street back in the day.
but it is still fun to make some jokes....

But is it not like using a plate as a throwing disk and vice versa? It is absurd beyond reason to use one's tools for purposes other than that for which they were built. Fun is the device of plebians and should not be used for such a refined sport as the single-speed track bicycle. Would you use a plastic tray as a sled? Would you put a hat on a cat? Of course not! So why should one use his or her collection of tubes welded together and propelled by the device of a crank, chain, and cog for a purpose other than that which it has the name of and was, indeed, built for? Just as a BMX bike only belongs on the BM, a Track bike only belongs on the track.

yes i would use a tray as a sled. just like i would use a garbage can lid. and i would put a hat on a cat because it would be funny. theres a crazy theory called evolution. bmx and track didn't exist since the big bang. where do you think mountain bikes came from? they evolved out of creativity. also what the **** is a bm? a ****? are you saying a bmx bike belongs on a ****? or are you saying a bmx bike belongs on a "bicycle motor?"

I want to clarify my position on this using a few statements:

- I don't feel that goofing-off on a track bike is bad. It's fun.
- I do feel that if one is going to graduate from goofing-off to becoming a stunt rider, a track bike is not the right tool for the job.
- I do feel that making, posting, and/or selling videos of you doing lame tricks is...well...lame (sorry, folks).
- I feel that all bicycles are essentially the same. However, due to rider's demands and ingenuity, they have evolved into several different directions. This is why "hardcore" fixed freestylers keep asking for more rugged parts and/or use BMX components. BUT what they don't realize is that eventually these freestyle fixies (or whatever they will be called) will take years to evolve from this:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3421/...8c1faaae_b.jpg
(Prolly's Milwaukee Bicycle Co fixed gear)

into something like this:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/...7421916a_b.jpg
(Volume Sledgehammer 26")


...which has existed for years. Why not just buy one now? SRSLY.

Some people like cats, some like dogs. Watching fixie tricks is much more fun for me than waching someone on a BMX bike doing whatever the bike was made for. It's not something i'd pay for, it's not something i'd pay more than a few minutes attention to if i saw it in real life, but it's still interesting to watch. I really don't care at all for BMX bikes. I wouldn't care at all if someone did loop-the-loops all day through fire and lions and knives and mirrors and tornadoes on a BMX bike, but i'd say, "Hey, that's neat!" if someone was doing the flip the frame around the front wheel thing on a track bike.

I hate seeing track bikes being ridden like bmx bikes. Track bikes belong on the track and if not on the track, to be ridden fast. They were never intended for tricks, the design of a fixed gear cannot hold up to the abuse. It makes me laugh when I see the young fixie kids riding with the bmx kids trickin it up in the parking lot.

because it doesnt have a fixed wheel! haha. i like how all these fixie riders rip off bmx tricks and give them new names. history repeats itself once again.

If you follow the link you will see that the owner describes it as a "fixed gear 26". Ha! :D

Here's a question though. Why is it when someone rides a BMX out on the streets (I've seen them at Alleycats, Mass, commuting, etc.) people think it's funny ... but when someone does a barspin on a track bike, it's lame/stupid?

I mean ... why is it such a big deal? CAN'T WE ALL GET ALONG?!?!?!?