Is fixie the new cool?

ollietrex

Discuss and vote?

DirkVoodoo

Well, for me the lack of gearing and simplicity make it the perfect bike for around town. I don't have to fine tune gears or constantly scrub grit out of parts. Wipe the chain and lube it, pretty much it!

Plus there is the whole "zen" connection with the bike. Not to mention the knowing looks from other cyclists that you are part of the fixie group (and the flipside of which is the scornful looks from couriers!)

In my book, they are cool!

blorg

I voted "fashion phase" as it clearly is. Having said that they are great fun to ride, very different from a normal bike and as such I'm looking for one at the moment! I am particularly interested in working on my pedalling technique.

Not to be cool now you understand; I'll probably go for a Langster as it seems like it is the lightest and most bike for the money but definately the least cool of any fixie (mass market bike pushed by a major manufacturer and is frightfully common after all.)

lukester

Fashion phase, too ubiquitous to be cool, but highly utilitarian, so am in the market for one too

In spite of my best intentions, I don't like riding the road bike every day to work, save that for the hills, so find myself riding my old beater bike, which is slow and heavy and chain needs replacing. Fixed gear road bike seems the perfect solution. Also I tell myself it will help me develop my spinning technique for all those fantasy races I'm going to ride

Found these oddities on my travels...

fish-head

Don't touch those Unipacks. They're death-traps.

I'll always be fond of fixed gears as they re-introduced me to road cycling and to the art of bicycle maintenance.

Harrybelafonte

Fashion phase, however with all such phases when it passes the genuine people will still be left using them.

It's still to get to the pinnacle of the phase where we're all cycling around in Rapha and 3/4 length trousers with peaked hats

Caroline_ie

Fashion Victims!! The lot of ye!!
On a more serious note ... I have been looking at them for about a year when I saw a few of my cyclist team mates were using them for commuting ... that got me intrigued. I will be browsing around France for sz 43/44/45 frames next week, but doubt very much I'll take the jump ... I am a coward... too scared of the lack of freewheel. :pac:

stuf

they'll cease to be cool the exact moment mine is finished and on the road

Thomas_S_Hunterson

stuf wrote: »

they'll cease to be cool the exact moment mine is finished and on the road

Get some gears and don't ruin it for the rest of us:p

stuf

Sean_K wrote: »

Get some gears and don't ruin it for the rest of us:p

Naa - and once I'm done with fixies I'm going to ruin skateboarding

TinyExplosions

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Fashion phase, however with all such phases when it passes the genuine people will still be left using them.

It's still to get to the pinnacle of the phase where we're all cycling around in Rapha and 3/4 length trousers with peaked hats

But Rapha gear is so cool... it's the Assos of fixed gear chic

Itsfixed

Personally I think its always been cool but thanks to the fashion phenomenon, more and more people are cottoning on to its essential virtues. They're not a flash in the pan. Fixies are going mainstream and are now set to remain a fixture (no pun intended) in the ranges of many large and small cycling brands. I made my first fixie in 2003 and bought a new one in 2004, so its not like they haven't been widely available for at least a couple of years now.

The genuine popularity of the fixie is helped by the fact that today's bikes are getting more complicated. This is particularly true for everyday urban biking, including commuting, where the simplicity of a fixed is a godsend - means less to go wrong and less time spent having to fix or replace things. Its also aesthetically appealing, harking back to bikes from decades ago that simply look much more elegant than the horrible. clunky, plasticy pseudo mountain bikes with 21 million gears and nobbly tyres that are patently unsuitable for urban use.

Fixies aren't for everyone, but the number of times I've read or heard about folks who, once they've looked beyond their initial scepticism about them, have never looked back once they've tried.

There are a whole load of other reasons why I like fixies but I suspect I'll bore people to tears.:D

niceonetom

i think they have always been, and will always be, great fun. whether that equates to cool? i have no idea, and i care less and less with each passing year. frankly, i used to be cool and with it, but then they changes what it was and now i find whatever it is strange and scary. it'll happen to you... that said, the condescending looks (both from couriers and true fashionistas) do get tiresome.

i also reserve the right to administer my own condescending looks. if you have no brakes and don't stop at lights because you can't - you're a wanker. if you have any stickers with things like "one less car" or anything about "gas prices" - you're definitely a wanker. carbon track wheel on a budget ebay frame? - wow, wankertastic.

basically everyone who rides a fixie is a wanker. except me obviously.

this is a very common attitude within 'the scene'.

Gavin

niceonetom wrote: »

i also reserve the right to administer my own condescending looks. if you have no brakes and don't stop at lights because you can't - you're a wanker. if you have any stickers with things like "one less car" or anything about "gas prices" - you're definitely a wanker.

+1 on those. Not too concerned about idiots spending excessive cash on bikes, it's hardly confined to the fixie scene.

Fixies with no brakes = fashion victims.

Free wheeling singlespeeds make sense to me, a simple efficient bike, perfect for flat area urban commuting. Fixed gear singlespeeds make less sense pour moi, but may be more fun.

DirkVoodoo

This is my current "fixie" here. It has a flip-hub and since the gearing is on the light side (39x16) I have used it only as a singlespeed...and love it!

I was behind someone on a road bike like mine (Orion) and managed to keep pace quite easily on the way home, except for his breaking of all the lights.

+1 on the looks, I was hoping for a steel framed vintage one as they do look very nice, but I couldn't say no to the hydroformed tubes of the Felt.

Also, if anyone knows whether or not I can simply swap out the chainring for a generic bigger one at little cost, lemme know!

ollietrex

I rode my fixie to work for the first time today and I can see why some people might want to use a free wheel (Maybe a bit safer). Personally I enjoyed every minute of it on the fixie and wont be going back any time soon...

TinyExplosions

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Also, if anyone knows whether or not I can simply swap out the chainring for a generic bigger one at little cost, lemme know!

Yes!

unionman

niceonetom wrote: »

basically everyone who rides a fixie is a wanker. except me obviously.

True dat.

I love riding fixed gear. Simple as that. The fashion aspect of it is very particular though - steel frame is essential, kudos for a self build, and somehow I don't think we will see the fashionista element here to the same extent as in New York or Portland Oregon, the most bike friendly city in the US and home of the five-year-waiting-list-and-too-beautiful-to-ride Vanilla Bikes.

As a middle aged, grey bearded, pot bellied Langster rider, I have done a great deal of work to make the Langster the least cool fixed gear bike in Dublin (you're welcome!). I don't even get condescending looks from couriers and fashion victims, they avoid eye contact with me because I probably look a bit mental and sad.

If you really want me to kill the trend, I might just bypass my desire to buy a Surly Steamroller and cut straight to the Bianchi Pista - of which I have only seen one in Dublin. So far. Give me two days riding one of those around town in my lycra, and no-one - absoloutely nobody - would be caught dead riding one as a fashion statement;).

niceonetom

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Also, if anyone knows whether or not I can simply swap out the chainring for a generic bigger one at little cost, lemme know!

easier/cheaper to change the cog. a 15t yould give you about 70" and a 14t would give you 75".

nice bike.

rp

ollietrex wrote: »

can see why some people might want to use a free wheel (Maybe a bit safer).

I don't agree about the safer bit: on wet or icy roads I find the feedback and control from fixed gear a whole lot safer. The only thing which could happen is to ground a pedal on cornering, but I haven't done it, its a real edge case.

fish-head

niceonetom wrote: »

that said, the condescending looks (both from couriers and true fashionistas) do get tiresome.

I think you'll find that that is a couriers bike, actually!

unionman

fish-head wrote: »

I think you'll find that that is a couriers bike, actually!

:eek:

And a pretty vile one at that

fish-head

Very clean though! Gotta admire the commitment!

niceonetom

fish-head wrote: »

I think you'll find that that is a couriers bike, actually!

yes, there is clearly no fashion victimhood there. none whatsoever. not a bit.

fish-head

niceonetom wrote: »

yes, there is clearly no fashion victimhood there. none whatsoever. not a bit.

Certainly not. Aerospokes are a serious alternative to a normally spoked wheel. :pac:

unionman

fish-head wrote: »

Aerospokes are a serious alternative to a normally spoked wheel.

Are you taking the Pista?

Chips Lovell

unionman wrote: »

...I might just bypass my desire to buy a Surly Steamroller and cut straight to the Bianchi Pista - of which I have only seen one in Dublin...

Meh, Pista Concept is way cooler;)

snollup

Itsfixed wrote: »

The genuine popularity of the fixie is helped by the fact that today's bikes are getting more complicated.

Really agree with this. Just bough a second hand CB chinook and already starting to wish I had gone with my original idea of a fixie. Not saying the CB is a bad bike (and boy is it quick compared to what I was riding).

Voted fashion victim but also reckon they'll be around after the phase has passed.

fish-head

unionman wrote: »

Are you taking the qiss?

NO. Yes. I am quite serious. Of course I'm taking the piss!

unionman

el tonto wrote: »

Meh, Pista Concept is way cooler;)

Jaw-droppingly beautiful. My hat is off to you sir.

lukester

unionman wrote: »

Bianchi Pista - of which I have only seen one in Dublin. So far.

I used to think the Pista was rare, but have seen 4 or 5 around in the past few months. And not all the same person

The cool thing is a bit ridiculous in my opinion. Dunno if anyone ever watched Nathan Barley (Chris Morris show, featured Julian Barratt of Mighty Boosh fame), where the chief 'idiot' rode around on a tiny little BMXesque bike, and had a stoopid cool Wasp phone. Thankfully we seem to be avoiding such excesses of hipster dandyism here, but London and NY appear at times to have gone off the scale. Reminds me of the ironic moustaches I saw last summer in Vancouver. WTF?

I admire a home built fixed, but only as much as I'd admire a home built geared road bike, or whatever. The upside of the fixed fever is there are creative souls out there making some nice bikes, as well as some abominations. And regular schmoes get to be able to buy a cheapish off the peg low maintenance steed, perfect for a commute.

What's cool to me is a genuine passion for anything. Sheldon Brown was cool for this very reason, because he couldn't care less about it.

Trying to be cool is very uncool

unionman

lukester wrote: »

What's cool to me is a genuine passion for anything. Sheldon Brown was cool for this very reason, because he couldn't care less about it.

Well said.

TinyExplosions

lukester wrote: »

I used to think the Pista was rare, but have seen 4 or 5 around in the past few months. And not all the same person

The cool thing is a bit ridiculous in my opinion. Dunno if anyone ever watched Nathan Barley (Chris Morris show, featured Julian Barratt of Mighty Boosh fame), where the chief 'idiot' rode around on a tiny little BMXesque bike, and had a stoopid cool Wasp phone.

Also had Noel Fielding in it too -loved that show!

trashbat.co.ck ftw

Harrybelafonte

It'll all get out of hand when they make a Langster Dublin

unionman

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

It'll all get out of hand when they make a Langster Dublin

Dub GAA colours, mudguards, ha'penny bridge logo?

Can't see it happening...perhaps just as well.

rp

unionman wrote: »

Dub GAA colours, mudguards, ha'penny bridge logo?

...and delete "st" from the name

unionman

rp wrote: »

...and delete "st" from the name

That's the Lang(st)er Cork!!:D

niceonetom

rp wrote: »

...and delete "st" from the name

wrong city mate. i think your thinking of the red and white one that emits an irritating high pitched squeal as you pedal and comes with a chip for you shoulder.

unionman

niceonetom wrote: »

wrong city mate. i think your thinking of the red and white one that emits an irritating high pitched squeal as you pedal and comes with a chip for you shoulder.

lol

Also comes with a towing rope for the hills, and 'I hate Dublin' / 'Peoples Republic of Cork' lettering on either side of the crossbar.

rp

unionman wrote: »

[Also comes with a towing rope for the hills, and 'I hate Dublin' / 'Peoples Republic of Cork' lettering on either side of the crossbar.

Sweet, but I don't see Cliff stocking that model any time soo'in.

blorg

rp wrote: »

I don't agree about the safer bit: on wet or icy roads I find the feedback and control from fixed gear a whole lot safer. The only thing which could happen is to ground a pedal on cornering, but I haven't done it, its a real edge case.

I've done this pedalling around a corner, bike flipped, wasn't nice at all. Wasn't on a fixed gear either!

flickerx

I was in London this weekend, and I went to Cavendish Cycles, Condor, and Brick Lane Bikes. I couldnt afford to buy anything, but I just wanted to have a look anyway. Bike porno for me. But over there it definitely seems to be more of a hipster/fashion thing. The prices on the components, jesus christ. I was checking out a nice stem to replace my own one, but was shocked by the price (£75 stg). Its definitely more about building a really expensive high end bike to be admired by others, rather than recycling the materials and keeping the costs down. And walking in there, especially with Cavendish bikes, I definitely felt like people were dressing up to go out to a club, with lots of poxy idiot haircuts and trendy label clothes. Dublin is a bit blessed in that way that we're not so much up our own holes. And if anyone was to be riding around on some high end shiny thing, some mad yoke in a tracksuit and sovreign rings would just nick it anyway.

fish-head

It's funny, when I got my frame in Cavendish last December they were a bunch of normal guys. None of them looked like fashion victims, no skinny jeans or haircuts or anything and now all of a sudden it's all gone a bit wonky!

However, it would be nice if there was somewhere with a decent stock of fixed gear parts.

flickerx

fish-head wrote: »

It's funny, when I got my frame in Cavendish last December they were a bunch of normal guys. None of them looked like fashion victims, no skinny jeans or haircuts or anything and now all of a sudden it's all gone a bit wonky!

The other customers I meant, not the staff.

fish-head

flickerx wrote: »

The other customers I meant, not the staff.

Ah I see!