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No
brakes, no gears: the latest bike craze
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Check
out Moving Target's take on this article
The Observer, March 9, 2008
Stripped-back cycles popular with couriers are taking London by storm
Riding a bicycle without brakes sounds like a rash move, but a wave of
cyclists are eschewing traditional bikes for a stripped-down machine
known as a fixed-gear.
It is one of the most basic machines you can build with two wheels. A
fixed-gear bike - or fixie - has no derailleur as it has only one gear,
so as long as the wheels turn, so do the pedals. Its rider can't
freewheel and the only way to brake is to stand on the pedals.
The fixed-gear's renaissance supposedly stems from West Indian
immigrants in New York working as cycle couriers in the Eighties. They
had used them at home because they were cheap and easy to maintain, and
continued using them in the US. Their light frames and speed made them
perfect for work. It's popularity spread throughout the courier
community, finally crossing to the UK and other countries.
However, as the fixie craze has taken off so has the number of new
riders who enter 'alleycats' - unofficial road races consisting of a
series of checkpoints on a set route.
Alleycats originated in America and were organised for and by cycle
couriers but now inexperienced riders participate. Last Sunday in
Chicago, Matthew Manger-Lynch, 29, was killed in a collision with a
four-wheel drive after running a red light. He was competing in an
alleycat known as Tour Da Chicago. A similar race - the New York
Monstertrack, normally the biggest annual alleycat in the US - was
scheduled to take place on 8 March, but was cancelled after the Chicago
death. These races now take place in British cities and threaten to
colour public opinion of the growing urban cyclist subculture. Around
30 cyclists took part in one organised by art students in central
London last Thursday which finished with a party at a bar in Hoxton.
Roxy Erickson, 28, who is part of the women-only fixed-gear Trixie Chix
collective, said: 'Media reports don't show the community spirit, or
the eco-friendly side of cycling. A working messenger [courier] who got
hit by a doubledecker bus wouldn't get as much news space.'
The strength of the fixed-gear community is demonstrated on the
messageboards that are full of updates on the welfare of cyclists
injured in accidents, invites to parties and gallery openings as well
as alleycats (which are often held to support injured cyclists or
promote causes such as the war on drugs).
Andy Ellis, 28, who's part of London Fixed Gear collective and builds
fixies, explained why the bikes are so popular. 'You can't get more
linked to a bike than on fixed-gear. If you can freewheel, you can stop
pedalling, you only feel the road when you brake.
'There are aspects which compare to skateboarding, which I've done for
15 years. You enjoy travelling through the city in the same way, but on
a fixed-gear, it's faster and you have more control.'
The fixie's simplicity and grace appeals to the fashion conscious, many
of whom take customisation to extravagant levels, creating bikes with
imported track-bike frames and hand-built wheels that cost thousands.
Ellis said: 'At first it was anything to get them on the road, but I've
built three bikes for one guy in the last year and every time he comes
back he wants something more exclusive.' The fixed scene is also female
friendly.
The international fixed scene is now getting mainstream attention,
including official sponsorship from bike companies. A cyclist known as
Superted - part of the Fixed Gear London collective - is sponsored by
cycle brand Charge Bikes. There's also the Bike Film Festival, now in
its fourth year. This international event showcases films - many
amateur, which document cyclists' tricks and agility.
The most successful fixed-gear film is Mash SF, which featured the Mash
SF collective riding in San Francisco. 'It's the first big film about
fixed-gear trick riding,' said Laura Fraser, the London producer of the
festival and a fixed-gear rider. 'It's gone around the world.'
Tom Bogdanowicz, of London Cycling Campaign, the largest urban cycling
organisation in the world, says: 'Fixed is enjoyable and good for
fitness, but you have to acquire riding skills. Once mastered, the
bikes are good for urban cycling as they make you very aware of the
road and you can maintain speed at a level that's suitable for traffic.
They make you think ahead.' He suggested that anyone wishing to try
fixed in London should go to Herne Hill Stadium where low-cost training
sessions are on offer.
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