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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)

first run in with the man

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Old 11-11-10 | 08:35 AM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by j3ffr3y
don't risk it, ask for a written warning. bike tickets count against your driving record iirc.
How could it count against your license? Are you required to have a license to ride a bicycle where you live? Seems unlikely.
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Old 11-11-10 | 01:18 PM
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just out of curiosity do you guys suggest going about 35 on a restored/rebuilt bike from the 70's? The other day as i was "cruising" down a hill, i was thinking, "I wonder if these 40 year old wheels/frame are going to just explode on me?"
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Old 11-11-10 | 01:43 PM
  #28  
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Obviously age isn't the relevant factor here, condition is. If they're clean and true and not rusting out and well maintained, you'll be fine.

If you're missing spokes and the nipples are seized and poorly tensioned and the rim is only a vague approximation of a circle, then you should be more careful.
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Old 11-11-10 | 03:00 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by xavier853
The cop didnt know anything about bikes. Couldnt pronounce Mercier or peugeot so I corrected him..
Maybe not the best strategy, for future reference.
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Old 11-11-10 | 03:05 PM
  #30  
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we's a murrican. Stop talkin frenchie, boy.
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Old 11-11-10 | 07:48 PM
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Originally Posted by dsh
Obviously age isn't the relevant factor here, condition is. If they're clean and true and not rusting out and well maintained, you'll be fine.

If you're missing spokes and the nipples are seized and poorly tensioned and the rim is only a vague approximation of a circle, then you should be more careful.
Not to mention that a 30 year old 36 spoke touring wheelset is going to be stronger than a modern 28 spoke road wheelset anyways, if both in good condition. Aero rims are stronger than box but the number of spokes makes a huge difference.
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Old 11-11-10 | 08:03 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by kyselad
Maybe not the best strategy, for future reference.
What would he have done? Given me a ticket for pronouncing something? After all it was my bike, i didnt steal my own bike
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Old 11-12-10 | 11:19 AM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by jtgotsjets
The easiest way to get a ticket is to ask for a warning.
Originally Posted by xavier853
What would he have done? Given me a ticket for pronouncing something? After all it was my bike, i didnt steal my own bike

trust me from my countless times being pulled over, loosing my license, loosing cars, and going to jail a few times you dont want to mess with cops, there are lots of loopholes in the law to where they can really f**k you over in life.
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Old 11-12-10 | 11:34 AM
  #34  
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SWEET! shuda cussed at him and forced the ticket - wud have been a nice badge of honor and a pissa good time to fight it in court! :-)

NICELY DONE!

... of course that's also a good way to get yourself killed ...
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Old 11-12-10 | 12:00 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by jimmytango
...Cop gave me a verbal warning for going 34 in a 25. He told me that if I didn't stop with my sh*t-eating grin he would give me a ticket.
that's awesome!
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Old 11-12-10 | 05:42 PM
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Originally Posted by evilcryalotmore
I got pulled over for not having a reflector. But I had to little lights. And he said that would work. But i need reflectors....
california!? wow I definitely pass cops on the way to school or around town.. never got pulled for taking off reflectors. haha I actually never knew it was mandatory.
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Old 11-13-10 | 02:50 AM
  #37  
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i had a cop jump out in front of me on foot, because i was riding my friends coaster brake road bike and he said

"those one of those fixies son?"

No!

"I dont see no brakes son"

ITS A COASTER BRAKE LOOK AT THE HUGE HUB!

"But, i dont see no cables"

>_<


luckily he let me off without arresting me for some bull**** i didnt do...
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Old 11-13-10 | 04:55 AM
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Originally Posted by jimmytango
ok first, why barefoot? second, i dont have a drivers license. something about how cops dont like people driving at 90 mph while falling down drunk... third, i was actually on sheridan. right where it goes into evanston. it was glorious.

also, yeah, he had a little grin too so he was being cool about it. i think he just pulled me over cuz going that fast its easier to lose control and die or w/e
Originally Posted by dsh
Why don't you back up and explain why you were barefoot in the first place?
I was riding clipless, and walking in carbon-soled road shoes is not comfortable (to me anyways).

Originally Posted by scroca
How could it count against your license? Are you required to have a license to ride a bicycle where you live? Seems unlikely.
It may not count as points against you, but it will still go on your record (the points thing varies from state and region). And if it is a moving violation, and you don't have a drivers license they can still suspend your license, and then arrest you if you don't pay the fine. Again, this will vary from place to place.
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Old 11-13-10 | 08:54 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by crackrocksteady
i had a cop jump out in front of me on foot, because i was riding my friends coaster brake road bike and he said

"those one of those fixies son?"

No!

"I dont see no brakes son"

ITS A COASTER BRAKE LOOK AT THE HUGE HUB!

"But, i dont see no cables"

>_<


luckily he let me off without arresting me for some bull**** i didnt do...

Cool story brah
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Old 11-14-10 | 01:58 AM
  #40  
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From: Toronto
Originally Posted by MrJay

Riding right before they put down the pavement (right after they've stripped up the old pavement) is not fun.
Half of the first stretch of my first (and only, to date) alleycat was like that, not fun indeed
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Old 11-14-10 | 03:39 AM
  #41  
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I was pulled over and ticketed for riding my bike on the wrong side of the road. I moved over to that side because my buddy was in taking up the bike lane and I saw headlights behind me and wanted to move out of the road. It was 1am on a monday night, empty road. headlights were the cop car. $148 ticket since in california a ticket on a bike is the same as one in a car, at least price wise. complete bull sh1t
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Old 11-14-10 | 06:39 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by peach-picker
trust me from my countless times being pulled over, loosing my license, loosing cars, and going to jail a few times you dont want to mess with cops, there are lots of loopholes in the law to where they can really f**k you over in life.
Yep, much easier for them to write you up and just the inconvenience alone isn't worth it. To fight it you have a court date, time off work to present your case. There are laws on the books that are antiquated or just there to hassle someone as a tool.

My only run in to date is riding on the sidewalk thru Bal Harbor, FL. Upscale area in Miami, lot of older folks as pedestrians. Anyway they were upgrading the crosswalks for the nearly dead and the roadways were funneled into a single lane. Cars were crowding the gutter and curb, so I couldn't get by them. So I rode on an empty stretch of sidewalk to get past the particular intersection they were working on. I got a verbal warning, took it for what it was. Police were there only to supervise traffic and make sure road workers were safe. You know, thinking back about it, the city didn't put those steel covers over the slab of asphalt they had taken out, the drop was a good foot deep or so. I think if someone gets hurt from that the city is liable ? Course it is A1A, a federal highway if I'm not mistaken. I know further into Miami, they have these 2" thick steel plates/covers over road construction like that.
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Old 11-14-10 | 01:57 PM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by fuji86
Yep, much easier for them to write you up and just the inconvenience alone isn't worth it. To fight it you have a court date, time off work to present your case. There are laws on the books that are antiquated or just there to hassle someone as a tool.

My only run in to date is riding on the sidewalk thru Bal Harbor, FL. Upscale area in Miami, lot of older folks as pedestrians. Anyway they were upgrading the crosswalks for the nearly dead and the roadways were funneled into a single lane. Cars were crowding the gutter and curb, so I couldn't get by them. So I rode on an empty stretch of sidewalk to get past the particular intersection they were working on. I got a verbal warning, took it for what it was. Police were there only to supervise traffic and make sure road workers were safe. You know, thinking back about it, the city didn't put those steel covers over the slab of asphalt they had taken out, the drop was a good foot deep or so. I think if someone gets hurt from that the city is liable ? Course it is A1A, a federal highway if I'm not mistaken. I know further into Miami, they have these 2" thick steel plates/covers over road construction like that.
those steel plates are death traps when theyre wet. a friend died last year from losing control on one. lost traction slid sideways and got nailed by a truck. ill go out of my way to avoid them if its wet out.
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Old 11-14-10 | 02:16 PM
  #44  
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so many fixie outlaws in this thred. ya'll are pretty badass.
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Old 11-14-10 | 10:45 PM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by jimmytango
those steel plates are death traps when theyre wet. a friend died last year from losing control on one. lost traction slid sideways and got nailed by a truck. ill go out of my way to avoid them if its wet out.
Didn't realize that, I know I have to slow down for them anyway, I ride the same route enough that I know where they are. Hitting the front edge of one at speed and it has to mess up your rims ? At the very least, the jolt I get is unpleasant enough. I'll slow down and pop a 2 inch wheelie to get the front tire over the front edge. Still have to go slow though, the rear wheel has to hit that front edge too.

Time Bandit: Wouldn't say in my case a fixie outlaw, more like a victim of circumstance to get a verbal warning, and I think the officer understood that, just had to do her job and get me off the sidewalk just in case someone's grand mother decided to walk her lap dog ?
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Old 11-15-10 | 12:15 AM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by Bent Life
Cool story brah
damnit i was gonna say the exact same thing...
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Old 11-15-10 | 02:14 AM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by fuji86
I'll slow down and pop a 2 inch wheelie to get the front tire over the front edge. Still have to go slow though, the rear wheel has to hit that front edge too.
screw that. bunnyhop the sucker. i hop potholes when i cant get around them for traffic.
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Old 11-15-10 | 03:11 AM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by jimmytango
screw that. bunnyhop the sucker. i hop potholes when i cant get around them for traffic.
And that's probably why that dude's friend lost control and died ? Those plates are pretty long patches and if you're still moving at a good rate of speed and try the bunny hop thing, you may still be going too fast when you do land on that wet steel plate and the bike may come out from under you and then you slide out into traffic and a truck is unable to stop in time ? We're all trying to share the road, cyclists shouldn't be riding fast on a wet road anyway, not if they want to live a long life ?

Last edited by fuji86; 11-15-10 at 03:14 AM.
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Old 11-15-10 | 06:11 AM
  #49  
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i was the dude in question whose friend died. she wasnt hopping anything. she just slid out. front tire lost traction and she slid to the left and a truck couldnt stop. there is now a stretch of damen avenue that i will not ride cuz i hate looking at her ghost bike. i just avoid the plates in general. i only hop little holes, and thats only as a last resort. i hate riding on wet roads in general, and i dont possess the bollocks to even try snow and ice.

EDIT: not trying to be a jerk fuji. sorry if it comes off as such.

Last edited by jimmytango; 11-15-10 at 03:09 PM. Reason: Had to apologize for the jerkiness.
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Old 11-15-10 | 08:08 AM
  #50  
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fuji86 = served
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