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How To Be An Urban-Fixed Gear Hipster
By Tom, Hipsterpad.com |
Cyclists are hip again. And I’m not talking about the guy with the full Lance Armstrong costume and the three-grand, carbon-fiber wonderbike that spends more time strapped to the roof of his Lexus than it does on actual pavement. No, I’m referring to those hip guys and girls riding around on their singlespeed messenger-style bikes, jeans rolled to mid-calf, and an oversized courier bag slung over a shoulder, gracefully flowing with the pulse of downtown traffic.
You've no doubt seen them and asked yourself, "Hey, how can be I as hip as them?" The answer, my friend, is right between your legs: Get yourself--or better yet, build yourself--a fixed gear bike. Or at least dress like you have one.
About Fixed Gear Bikes
Fixed gear bikes, or "fixies," are the simplest bikes ever invented. They have one gear and no freewheel, which means they can't coast; you pedal all the time. Most don't even have brakes, because you can (theoretically) stop them by applying back-pressure with your legs. But most of the fixie hipsters you see don't bother to stop much, anyway, as they've mastered the skills used by NYC bike messengers of scanning ahead, anticipating traffic patterns, and finding "holes" to slip through unscathed. As for the bike itself, the true hipster will take an old 1970s-era European ten-speed--a Peugeot, Cinelli, Bottechia, or the like, and strip it of its gears, brakes, cables, and shifters, and then rebuild the rear wheel to accommodate a single cog.
Other less-hip riders will simply buy one off the shelf; Bianchi, Redline, Raleigh, and others are flooding the market with inexpensive urban fixed gear bikes to satisfy the increasing demand. But even these are modified to withstand the rigors of urban assault riding: decals are removed to thwart thieves, handlebars are flipped and chopped, and the frames are often swathed in rubber inner tubes to protect the finish from bike lock damage and to give the bikes a stealth look.
For countless examples, Fixedgeargallery is the illustrated bible of all things fixed.
The Riding Outfit
To designate yourself as a fixie hipster on or off the bike, you must adopt the fashion style of the new urban athlete. Leave the lycra shorts, rainbow jerseys, and cleated Italian cycling shoes for the Tour de France wannabes.
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A too-small T-shirt emblazoned with an obscure high school sports mascot is de rigeur, as is some sort of hat--either a vintage cycling cap, a Kangol-style Ivy, or some quasi-military khaki cadet cap. |
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Rolled-up jeans are required, and retro Vans slip-on shoes both look cool and eliminate the risk of laces getting caught in the chain. |
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Socks are optional, but if you go that route, it's argyles or nothing. |
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Plastic-framed Buddy Holly glasses complete the look. |
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If you add Asian-themed tattoo “sleeves,” you get to move to the front of the hipster line. |
Riding Accessories
Accessories are simple: you have to have a messenger bag, and generally speaking, the bigger the better. Chrome, Timbuk 2, and Reload are among the most popular brands, offering dozens of custom features. But to be really hip, you must have a cell phone holster on the shoulder strap. This not only facilitates access to your phone, but passers-by might mistake you for an actual bike messenger with a radio, instantly increasing your hipster cred.
Riding Technique
As for riding technique, if you go brakeless you’ll want to learn to skid-stop. Unweight the rear wheel by putting your crotch up against the handlebar, and lock the rear wheel with your legs. With no weight on it, the tire will skim the surface of the road like a hydroplane. It's difficult to control and it takes awhile to stop, but it can save your pride should an errant pedestrian step in front of you. Nothing is less hip than crashing in public, so practice this and other evasive maneuvers before hitting the streets. Or simply take the less-hip option and just install a front brake.
The fixie revolution is upon us. Bikes are cool again, and the bandwagon is ripe for jumping. Sure, you can still pedal around on that old mountain bike, BMXer, or road bike, and each will get you from point A to point B just fine. But riding a hipster fixie is about much more than motion. It's about a movement.
- Tom -
Comments
PBR
If you don't swear that Pabst Blue Ribbon is the greatest beer ever and so
cheap too, you are no urban fixed gear hipster at all
Brendan
Your recommending the wankers who visit this site:
1) Just take up fixed gear cycling, one of the most difficult to learn and
fatal cycling disciplines (more fatalities than any other form)
2) And, you advise not wearing a helmet
YOUR AN IDIOT.
pete
i'll stick with my 10 gears and high life
singlespeed
Hey Tom...I take it you are of the KnickerDouche discpline eh?! You don't
even have your friggin hip lingo correct...
They are fixed wheels, not fixed gears. A singlespeed freewheel bike is a
fixed gear.
You are a CHUMP!
Me
Seems like a bunch of you are upset because it's so easy to tell that
you've spent all that money and time on becoming followers. The truth hurts
sometimes, I guess.
Anonymous
To Singlespeed:
You're the chump. One speed bikes with a freewheel are referred to as
singlespeeds. Bikes with a FIXED(as in locked in place) cog on the rear
wheel are referred to as fixed gear bikes.
Go figure.
Donkey
James
Mountain bikes are for the mountains. Hybrids won't do you much justice
either. BMX bikes are for skate parks. Try riding one of those on pavement
and you won't get anywhere. If you're going to go cruise through Manhattan
traffic on a Cruiser bike, just get off the road.
With that said, you make a good point about Fixies. They're great for urban
ridingl. Flipped and chopped handlebars are so much more comfortable and
provides power when you need it. The simplicty of a Fixie makes the bike
pretty much feather light. Not to mention, they're also fun for just
showing off a few tricks out of boredom.
I wouldn't say Fixies are the best for urban riding, however, and frankly,
the comments about road bikers are a bit insulting. I know a lot of
dedicated road bikers who train every day to shave seconds off lap times
and spend time, money, and effort perfecting their racing machines. Aside
from collecting all the types of bikes I mentioned above, I also collect
road bikers and I do, too, have "carbon-fiber wonderbikes" as you like to
call them. No, mine is not strapped to the roof of a car. Rather, I'm one
of those guys out there right now riding every day just for the love of
riding. Personally, I feel modern day road bikes are works of art, crafted
by years of trial & error in international road races. That is why I must
defend them. Carbon road bikes are far lighter than Fixies. Before the UCI
made the rule to require road bikes to be roughly 15 pounds, carbon road
bikes were 12 pounds and lighter. Even with all the componentry and
complexity, road bikes are still ultra light. They're designed so that
energy is efficiently transfered to the wheels and not lost anywhere else.
Since the wheels are lighter, there is less rotational weight. The carbon
also makes the ride less bumpy and more comfy. With the benefit of a range
of gears, going up an incline is faster. Going down a decline is also
faster. I'm sorry to say this but, a road wonderbike will beat a Fixie
anytime through a city and will look elegant while at it.
la buttana
youre just pissed off that some dimwit cut down to your little trends.
i laugh at fixed gear fags that cant even ride a fixie properly.
spandex Dave
Thank you James, it comes down to what econ class you are in. If one is
poor one drinks PBR and rides a $700 fixie, if one is not poor one drinks
import beer and rides a $7000 carbon. Both art and room for both.
And its "i laugh at fixed gear fags WHO cant even ride a fixie properly.
g
So what is the next trend for the wanna be cyclist-trendy fag hipster,
buying a Harley and applying a bit of homo-fixie magic to it and pose as
motorcycle rider looking for an angry fix?
winkle pie
ive only been riding fixed for 2 years but going back to free wheel and
gears when my fixed wheel got stolen was the worst 2 weeks of my life.
is it even worth arguing about though? you have your gears and we will just
look cool.haha
Tron Rock-it
There is an awful lot of the word fag being used. What point does
improperly used adjectives convey? Aside from unintellectual bigotry, some
of you are only proving that you cant think through your own hatred and
self inability.
Gears are great for hills , long rides and all the rigamarole. Brakes are
great for stopping too. A multi speed bike can be a wonderful addition to
any good collection.
Fixed gears are an art in them selves. It takes great skill to ride
fixed. They require huge amounts of strength, control, and most of all
awareness. They are great for cadence training, and quick reflex muscle
development. Both being important for racing and speed. Oh, and they look
awesome when made into your own personal beast.
Regardless of what you ride, it is the love of cycling that is important,
not witch social faction you follow. There has and always will be trends
that people submit to. Conforming to non conformity still makes you a
conformist.
Just Ride. Enough Said.
yeahhh
you all need something better to do.
fuck gears!
i ride a fixed gear bike because it's fun, it connects you to the road
better than a bike with gears, and there's less parts to break.
until your article, i had no idea i was making a fashion statement.
"fixie" is the new "emo".
(guess it's cool to break out my Promise Ring and Mineral albums now!)
vaginabreath
@ spandex Dave
And its "i laugh at fixed gear fags WHO cant even ride a fixie properly.
sorry, but if you wanted to be really correct it would be WHOM
ur a tool
o.k. i ride a fixie and its not about being cool. we just do it becasue it
is fun. ur just too obsessed about what people think about you. ur a tool.
Derek
"YOUR AN IDIOT."
well that's ironic.
"sorry, but if you wanted to be really correct it would be WHOM"
no, it is in fact 'WHO'.
Greg Formager
You want to be poking around town with a bunch of gears on your rear hub?
Not me. When I hit the downhills I want to be clanging it hard, repping at
least 120 rpm - no regrets. It's an act of love.
hmm..
What is a person called who rides a fixed gear, wears normal jeans that
aren't rolled up and tshirts that aren't skin-tight, has no messenger bag,
and keeps a distance from areas one might go to be seen riding his/her
'hip' fixie (college campuses, coffee shops, etc.)?
Just curious..
Holy
i agree with Tron Rock-it, its so stupid to be fussing about all this,
cyclists should be happy that more people are riding their bikes. all this
arguing is stupid and pretentious.
AAAARRRGGGHHHH
It's just a bike , get over it.
It is a bit like saying "Classical music is the only REAL music" , in the
end it's all pretty much the same shit in a different wrapper yeah ?
Or shall we pick a different branch of cycling each week to put shit on ?
This week I hate those damn trendy kids with training wheels , like it's
all cool to learn to ride anyway.
Next week , old people on tricycles....
tiglen
C'mon - get a sense of humor! Humans are ridiculously tribal so you have to
laugh at these things.
The EXPLOSION in Sydney Australia over the last 6 months (yes as always,
very behind the times) has provided my girl/hybrid-riding self much
amusement as I gradually see each fixie novice realise the next step in
cool accessorising on the road to urban warriordom:)
Fixies are beautiful and at least more people wanna cycle - but if your
going to be a cliche at least admit it and laugh!
nick
there seem to be a lot of really literal people reading this blog. i think
evolution has left people born in the early 90s with no understanding of
humour unless it's signposted with flashing lights and ali g. You know the
author is taking the piss yeah??? (e.g. brendan)
poser
ur such a fucking poser....
bmx
fixie hipster scum...go ride brakeless in traffic, dont forget your argyle
sweater
Stephen
Yeah I think this dude was just joking in the first place
Riley
It's just a bike. Do I ride a fixie? Yeah. But people are talking shit.
Just because some people are into something doesn't mean they are "hipster
fags" or whatever. Go drink your starbucks and listen to coldplay, dill
hole.
Matt
bmx bikes are nice ride for twelve year olds.
keicharones
As a college student in a relatively small town, I cannot find much reason
for a car. I would rather not spend all of my money on a bike, rather than
the bills that come with owning a car. For me it's been a great experience
learning the completely baffling physics of a bicycle and saving as much
money as I have. After riding for a little under a year now, I've noticed
a few things... It's only the bros, clones, uneducated and depressed people
that show hate towards the fixed gear community. I've met some very nice
and quite a few interesting people who showed great interest in my bike,
that I would obviously not have met otherwise. In the years to come, when I
can afford to drive a car again(maybe), I really doubt I'll choose to drive
over ride.
Those who dislike bikes for anti-trendy reasons, or whatever other reason
argued, keep to yourself for awhile. There are far too many cars on the
road as it is.
Meade
Fixed gear bikes among hipsters is on the way out. I live in Richmond, VA-
a hipster capital of the world, and its soooo 2006.
I think that Hipsters want to be more ironic may buy a rather mainstream
brand like "Diamondback" and a road bike or mountain bike, while the
wannabee hipsters (non hipsters) buy the fixed gear bikes to look neat, and
then dress up like Lance Armstrong. While the hipsters will ride the
non-hip Diamondback mountain bikes complete with a basket in front of the
handle bars.
bc
wow what a bunch of douchebags. you need an article telling you how to be
this or that and what to wear along the way? i ride a bike because i have
places to go. i ride a fixed gear because i found it fucking cheap without
knowing there is a whole group of people that ride them because someone
said they are cool. unbelievable.
i do hope you hipsters stick around because after a few beers at smoke
daddy i love laughing at you as you walk down division trying so hard to be
different. of course when it all goes away at least mommy and daddy will
continue to pay your bills as you desperately search for the next trucker
hat trend. punks.
R3SP3CT
i think sarcasm does not translate well in written form. i ride a fixed and
a geared road bike. trends come and go and the people riding for the wrong
reasons will sell the bike soon enough...
Em-C Squared
My first bike was a fixie...when I was six years old, I inherited a steel
goliath that was probably eighty years old and weighed twice as much as I
did. This is the bike I learned to ride on, and it occurs to me now that my
parents either had astonishing foresight with regard to pop culture, or
they were trying to kill me - sending their kid out on a brakeless bike!
Horrors! But this means that I was a hipster BEFORE it was cool! I even
wore glasses, by NECESSITY - no cool-sighted posing here! Never mind that
the training wheels *may* have put a small dent in my burgeoning hipster
cred. Thirty years later I can finally thumb my nose at the other kids who
made fun of me as they whizzed by on their light-as-air Huffy's. Who's
laughing now, huh?! Go me!
hahaha
Lighten up people. I ride "fixie", road bikes, tri bikes, mountain bikes,
bmx, whatever. It's not about the fashion, just enjoy the ride no matter
what you ride.
SAM
i ride a fixie, and enjoy it.
the blog made me chuckle... it's true about the modern hipsters. why get
upset about it?
Faisal
well, I don't see a point on biking a single gear and the hassle of
stopping and practice breaking away from ur " lime light"
regardless of un-wearing a helmet
what about rubbing grand-maz' purses on the street. Isn't that cooler and
hippier?
Frankly speaking, I haven't seen a gentleman driving that style.
This is purely nonsense; hopefully you will recover soon.
kerouacky
possibly in a generation of men who aren't mad
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