so i posted a blog (7 reasons why the fixed gear movement should not stop) in opposition to of this blog, and i took another look at it. i see alot of inconsistencies as well as very big misconceptions about "fixies" (oh how i hate that word) that i would love to point out. we'll start out with the into and then go into it reason by reason shall we?
"It seems to be a sad fact that every “underground” fashion scene will inevitably be taken over by pretentious wannabes. The most recent victim of this trend is that of the once-edgy bike messengers. Actual bike messengers are now faced with the decision to either just suck it up and be confused with mobs of posers, or simply change careers. Especially as the culture surrounding the ‘fixie’ has become more and more reminiscent of the cheeseball rollerblade (or ‘extreme inline skating’) scene that emerged in the 1990s.
reason 1)"Their Deity Is This Guy
Source
Does he look particularly happy? This guy’s an actual bike messenger in San Francisco, and he’s also the end-all be-all fashion icon for the Fixie “movement.” He wears layers of lightweight clothing because he’s an actual cyclist, who does this for a living. He has to wear tight-fitting pants because he’s on a bike all day long, and his shoes match the same pragmatic theme. He wears an actual courier’s bag, specifically made with bike messengers in mind."
one, i think that dude is smirking. two, bike messengers dont care. take keo curry for example- that dude was a bike messenger. now all he does is hang out with dudes who arent really bike messengers, but can bust his trick over and over again. he doesnt care. your source hasnt proved that this dude is a bike messenger either (no offense given if he is). even moreso, the reason why people dress like messengers is because (like you generally said) they know how to dress comfortably for these bikes. therefore, it becomes inevitable for people to dress similarly. in addition to all of this: NOT EVERYONE ON A FIXED GEAR WANTS TO BECOME A BIKE MESSENGER.
(sj bike party being hella mature)
2) "They’re Immature: Fixie-enthusiasts are like small children who crave nothing more than attention. They roam the city, funemployed and bored, looking to get noticed on their circuit between one hipster-friendly coffee house and the next. They usually began riding bikes because they were too broke to drive a car, then they got lucky with the Green frenzy. Conveniently, their pedestrian lifestyle became a badge of honor, and they capitalized on it."
there are many reasons as to why fixed gear riders are on a bike today. attention? it comes it goes. publicity about fixed gears? that as well. however stating that all fixed gear riders are immature is a bit of a stretch. sure we like to make it known that we ride bikes, but thats because there's an attitude towards fixed gear riding in the cycling world. immature? some of us are. but a few sour apples cant ruin the whole batch.
(sjbike party @ a stoplight. yeah, we stop.)
3)"they compete for the darwin awards: If they actually ride their fixed-gear bikes (a rare occurrence), they’re usually showing off and getting into trouble in city traffic. They’ve got a feeling of entitlement on the roadways since they’re cyclists and they routinely swerve out in front of cars. When a car darts out in front of them, they usually don’t have the skill it takes to stop their bike on time since they have no brakes."
that's ignorance at it's best. again, yeah there are stupid people out there (i.e. those people showing off), but there are also smart people out there who do abide cycling law. and even when these people do abide the law, motorists dont seem to understand the phenomena of bikes in the street. in turn, motorists feel as if the road belongs ot solely automobiles and therefore put cycling in the street in a bad light. the no brakes thing- youre right, there are a handful of people who do not know how to come to a complete stop due to lack of ability. and yes, having no brakes is kind of nuts. but those stupid few should not be held accountable for all the others.
(via ECMC)
4)"they've pissed off an entire country:The Germans are so fed of with Fixie-riders that they’ve banned fixed-gear bikes in Berlin. We’re talking about a country that has brothels specializing in taking care of virgins here. On top of that, they love David Hasselhoff too, so you’d think they’re pretty easy going folks. Fixie-riders were just too much for them. For the German-speakers out there, we think the image below (disdainfully) details why."
again, ignorance. it's not fixed gears theyve banned, it's brakeless bikes. so not only do brakeless fixed gear bikes have to deal with the berlin polizei, but as do the brakeless bmxers in berlin- and bmxers were doing it waaaaaay before fixed gears did. berlin polizei just think that being brakeless is too dangerous since they have such a big influx of fixed gear riders. it's not as big of a deal as you say it is. put this into perspective: the europoean cycle messenger championships was held IN BERLIN in 2009 during the ban.
5)"This Is Serious to Them
Source
Five years ago, this bike would have been hilarious. Now, it’s a beacon of pretentious hipster fad-following. Just like the bar-room hipster wearing $500 worth of designer clothes to look like a bum, these guys only use the most expensive components they can afford when building their bikes out of beat-up old frames. It’s all about appearances to them, not necessity. Funky looking bikes used to be cool, now they’re just loud."
ahhhh, this pic was pulled from wired blog: 5 inexplicable fixie fashions. thats an ugly ass bike. not all bikes are built like this. sure there are alot of people running converted bikes, but there are another group of people running legitimate track bikes. to put it in perspective, the fixed gear community is steadily growing. so dudes ran converted bikes with nice components whenever the money came. now, keeping tabs with the fixed gear world, bike companies are aiming towards the fixed gear community making fixed gear components redily available. coincidence? NAH.
6)"This Is “Manly”
Source This guy and his purple shirt (with matching rims) looks ridiculous, but to Fixie-riders he’s a regular Joe. This is a good example of what happens when recreational sports-cyclists get caught up in the fixed-gear craze. Their bright colors and bike shorts don’t get thrown away, they just become the foundation for a extra-weird hipster wardrobe that we all have to endure."
in my opinion: that dude looks pretty gay. purple: not metal. velocity's: kinda overrated. again, the reason why fixed gear riders dress this way is because it's comfortable. vans are the sh*t when it comes to riding bikes. just because they look nice doesnt mean they dont serve function- look at the sole: there is a reason why the middle part of the bottom of the sole is a different pattern. now, the reason why some fixed gear bikes colormatch: no idea.
7)"theyre always walking: Spend enough time on a city street and you’ll see a Fixie-rider walking his bike down it. Since there is no free-wheeling on a fixed-gear bike, the rider needs to keep pedaling the whole time in order to keep moving. Most Fixie-riders are undernourished and sleep-deprived, so actually riding the bike would just be too much for them to handle for long periods of time (i.e. anything over 15 minutes)."
not really. come over to san jose during bike party. this ride goes on in the middle of the night, and the ride covers 40+ miles for people who treked far from downtown town sj. sleep deprived? who needs sleep anyway? alot of riders can ride for hours soley for the feeling of riding- i know i can. and i barely get any sleep any of these days.
8)"a hipster is a hipster: Whether he’s cruising a Smart Car, a Vespa or a fixed-gear bike, a hipster is still just another hipster. He’s just like any other hipster that rolled off the assembly line, with a PBR in one hand and his favorite M. Ward album in the other. Don’t be fooled by his new eco-friendly mode of transportation, it’s just the popular thing to do right now."
i concur. "hipsters are scene kids that made it to college."
9)"the worst kind of posers: Real bike messengers work hard, and some get seriously injured or even killed in accidents. It’s a risky job, and often a thankless one, with their main clients being the snobby suits in high-rise buildings who want their parcels ASAP. Posers running around acting like the real deal damage any respect these guys have earned, and that’s pretty damn lame."
again, these dudes can care less about the posers. in the end "fixies" are just a type of bike. we're not damaging anyopnes respect- if anything, as fixed gear rider's we pay sort of a homage and interest towards bike messengers and their duties. and yeah, there are posers- but our posers are among kanye west and pharell.
10)"An Excuse for Skinny Pants and Messenger Bags
SourceIt must feel like a fashion-dream come true for hipsters everywhere – a pragmatic excuse to justify their skinny jeans and faux-messenger bags. This probably played a role in their taking to the Fixi-rider fad so readily, considering most hipsters aren’t that prone to physical exercise. The problem is, now the rest of us have to put up with even more guys wearing skinny jeans and faux-messenger bags."
ive been wearing skinny jeans before they became the sh*t to do. i recall when the mexican chicks used to make fun of the skateboarders who wore skinny jeans in highschool. now all the chismoso cholo chicas are wearing skinny jeans. so i was there before the shift to skinny jeans. but i digress; i believe that's a dutch city bike, hipster, and a man purse. i believe you have the wrong pic.
11)"They’re Only In it For the Fixie-Girls
Source
This one’s a no-brainer. With girls like that riding around the city, it’s tempting to say “who can blame them,” but you’ve got to resist the urge. Anyone who’s ever driven through a bike-heavy city has taken at least a moment to admire the ladies in full cyclist regalia, traversing the motor-ways on their very high seats. It’s really no wonder why so many young men are hopping on the Fixie bandwagon, and because of the cycling community’s shared love of all things bike, these women actually go for them."
what fixie girls? LOL! (sorry, im not sexist, but there are a scarce number of girls riding fixed) but when they do ride fixed theyre usually tougher than the guys. i believe what you meant is guys get into it to show thier macho- which fixed gears sorta a are; grease and chains and riding dirty and what not. its more directed towards the non bike riding group of women who find men on bikes attractive... in any case, im sorry to say that riding fixed gear bike's hasnt given anyone the potential to pick up chicks.
12)They Make People Hate Cyclists
Source
Bikes are a good thing; they cut down on traffic, pollution, obesity, and make densely populated cities better places to live in by making them more tolerable. Among all the industrialized nations of the world, America, especially, has trouble letting go of cars and taking bikes seriously. Fixie-riders are damaging the hard-won progress in that movement through sheer annoyance. When other cyclists can’t stand them, you know there’s a problem."
this is true, ive seen this occur and youre correct in saying "when other cyclists can't stand them, you know there's a problem." but showing prejudice towards one form of cycling isnt quite accurate. you see, it could quite easily be bmx riders causing a ruckus, or even recumbent bikes or whatever you please. and yeah, cyclists are annoyed of us, but theyre also annoyed of bmx riders and cars and not having enough chamois cream and derailleur maintenence and steroids and...well you get my point.
13)"Go All Out Or Go Home
Source
Fixie-riders like to act as though they’re unique, crazy, creative and funky. The real fact is that they half-ass just about everything they do. If they really wanted to stand out, they’d man up and follow this guy’s example (picture above). He kept his gears and added a tiny dog (and a twelver of Coors Light) to his ridiculous ride. What have Fixie-riders done that every other Fixie-rider hasn’t already done? In the end, we’ll just have to count on the fad cycle, and hope that the obnoxious trend of fixed-gear bikes collapses under its own weight (of uncontrollable egotism)."
dude, that's a y foil. aint noboy riding no y foil up in here unless youre the lone wolf that bikesnob talks about.
its to early to say we half ass everything that we do, most of us are pretty broke and thats why a hndful of us have nice bikes, but a sh*t load of us hace POS bikes with nice components here and there- and that happens alot in the early times of a growing sport (i wouldnt necessarily call it a sport, but i guess i can call it whatever the hell i want...). for that, there is bound to be alot of repetitive stuff in the beginning but hey, progression is a slow at first but exponental process. mosher's got pegs now-WATCH OUT!
everyone is going to hate on this continuous migration towards fixed gear riding- im sure i hate it every once in a while. but it doesnt mean this hate should be fueled by ignorance. im just saying that there are facts and there are myths about fixed gear riding. this area of cycling is fairly new and is fueled by a younger audience than anyone intended; of course there will be some fightin' words flung at the fixed gear community. in the end, all these accusations should dissipate as the progression of fixed gear riding continues.
hellspeed,
jmik.
"It seems to be a sad fact that every “underground” fashion scene will inevitably be taken over by pretentious wannabes. The most recent victim of this trend is that of the once-edgy bike messengers. Actual bike messengers are now faced with the decision to either just suck it up and be confused with mobs of posers, or simply change careers. Especially as the culture surrounding the ‘fixie’ has become more and more reminiscent of the cheeseball rollerblade (or ‘extreme inline skating’) scene that emerged in the 1990s.
Since the whole Fixed Gear trend has finally been maxed out on douche, we thought it fitting to call this fad out for what it is. The following are 13 reasons why this fad should just call it quits."
let's face it, there are douches who ride fixed who think that because they ride fixed that they're the sh*t. and yes, it is the chosen transportation type of the hipster and/or hypebeast. but what is more important is that at least theyre on bikes not to sound repetitive. so what if they are fashionably inclined- if they actually utilize the bike for it's intended purpose as well as an accessory or whatever, then good for them. they look good AND can ride a bike. think about HFwido- that dude's raybans scream hipster, but that fool and ride so i cant really say sh*t.reason 1)"Their Deity Is This Guy
Source
Does he look particularly happy? This guy’s an actual bike messenger in San Francisco, and he’s also the end-all be-all fashion icon for the Fixie “movement.” He wears layers of lightweight clothing because he’s an actual cyclist, who does this for a living. He has to wear tight-fitting pants because he’s on a bike all day long, and his shoes match the same pragmatic theme. He wears an actual courier’s bag, specifically made with bike messengers in mind."
one, i think that dude is smirking. two, bike messengers dont care. take keo curry for example- that dude was a bike messenger. now all he does is hang out with dudes who arent really bike messengers, but can bust his trick over and over again. he doesnt care. your source hasnt proved that this dude is a bike messenger either (no offense given if he is). even moreso, the reason why people dress like messengers is because (like you generally said) they know how to dress comfortably for these bikes. therefore, it becomes inevitable for people to dress similarly. in addition to all of this: NOT EVERYONE ON A FIXED GEAR WANTS TO BECOME A BIKE MESSENGER.
(sj bike party being hella mature)
2) "They’re Immature: Fixie-enthusiasts are like small children who crave nothing more than attention. They roam the city, funemployed and bored, looking to get noticed on their circuit between one hipster-friendly coffee house and the next. They usually began riding bikes because they were too broke to drive a car, then they got lucky with the Green frenzy. Conveniently, their pedestrian lifestyle became a badge of honor, and they capitalized on it."
there are many reasons as to why fixed gear riders are on a bike today. attention? it comes it goes. publicity about fixed gears? that as well. however stating that all fixed gear riders are immature is a bit of a stretch. sure we like to make it known that we ride bikes, but thats because there's an attitude towards fixed gear riding in the cycling world. immature? some of us are. but a few sour apples cant ruin the whole batch.
(sjbike party @ a stoplight. yeah, we stop.)
3)"they compete for the darwin awards: If they actually ride their fixed-gear bikes (a rare occurrence), they’re usually showing off and getting into trouble in city traffic. They’ve got a feeling of entitlement on the roadways since they’re cyclists and they routinely swerve out in front of cars. When a car darts out in front of them, they usually don’t have the skill it takes to stop their bike on time since they have no brakes."
that's ignorance at it's best. again, yeah there are stupid people out there (i.e. those people showing off), but there are also smart people out there who do abide cycling law. and even when these people do abide the law, motorists dont seem to understand the phenomena of bikes in the street. in turn, motorists feel as if the road belongs ot solely automobiles and therefore put cycling in the street in a bad light. the no brakes thing- youre right, there are a handful of people who do not know how to come to a complete stop due to lack of ability. and yes, having no brakes is kind of nuts. but those stupid few should not be held accountable for all the others.
(via ECMC)
4)"they've pissed off an entire country:The Germans are so fed of with Fixie-riders that they’ve banned fixed-gear bikes in Berlin. We’re talking about a country that has brothels specializing in taking care of virgins here. On top of that, they love David Hasselhoff too, so you’d think they’re pretty easy going folks. Fixie-riders were just too much for them. For the German-speakers out there, we think the image below (disdainfully) details why."
again, ignorance. it's not fixed gears theyve banned, it's brakeless bikes. so not only do brakeless fixed gear bikes have to deal with the berlin polizei, but as do the brakeless bmxers in berlin- and bmxers were doing it waaaaaay before fixed gears did. berlin polizei just think that being brakeless is too dangerous since they have such a big influx of fixed gear riders. it's not as big of a deal as you say it is. put this into perspective: the europoean cycle messenger championships was held IN BERLIN in 2009 during the ban.
5)"This Is Serious to Them
SourceFive years ago, this bike would have been hilarious. Now, it’s a beacon of pretentious hipster fad-following. Just like the bar-room hipster wearing $500 worth of designer clothes to look like a bum, these guys only use the most expensive components they can afford when building their bikes out of beat-up old frames. It’s all about appearances to them, not necessity. Funky looking bikes used to be cool, now they’re just loud."
ahhhh, this pic was pulled from wired blog: 5 inexplicable fixie fashions. thats an ugly ass bike. not all bikes are built like this. sure there are alot of people running converted bikes, but there are another group of people running legitimate track bikes. to put it in perspective, the fixed gear community is steadily growing. so dudes ran converted bikes with nice components whenever the money came. now, keeping tabs with the fixed gear world, bike companies are aiming towards the fixed gear community making fixed gear components redily available. coincidence? NAH.
6)"This Is “Manly”
Source This guy and his purple shirt (with matching rims) looks ridiculous, but to Fixie-riders he’s a regular Joe. This is a good example of what happens when recreational sports-cyclists get caught up in the fixed-gear craze. Their bright colors and bike shorts don’t get thrown away, they just become the foundation for a extra-weird hipster wardrobe that we all have to endure."
in my opinion: that dude looks pretty gay. purple: not metal. velocity's: kinda overrated. again, the reason why fixed gear riders dress this way is because it's comfortable. vans are the sh*t when it comes to riding bikes. just because they look nice doesnt mean they dont serve function- look at the sole: there is a reason why the middle part of the bottom of the sole is a different pattern. now, the reason why some fixed gear bikes colormatch: no idea.
7)"theyre always walking: Spend enough time on a city street and you’ll see a Fixie-rider walking his bike down it. Since there is no free-wheeling on a fixed-gear bike, the rider needs to keep pedaling the whole time in order to keep moving. Most Fixie-riders are undernourished and sleep-deprived, so actually riding the bike would just be too much for them to handle for long periods of time (i.e. anything over 15 minutes)."
not really. come over to san jose during bike party. this ride goes on in the middle of the night, and the ride covers 40+ miles for people who treked far from downtown town sj. sleep deprived? who needs sleep anyway? alot of riders can ride for hours soley for the feeling of riding- i know i can. and i barely get any sleep any of these days.
8)"a hipster is a hipster: Whether he’s cruising a Smart Car, a Vespa or a fixed-gear bike, a hipster is still just another hipster. He’s just like any other hipster that rolled off the assembly line, with a PBR in one hand and his favorite M. Ward album in the other. Don’t be fooled by his new eco-friendly mode of transportation, it’s just the popular thing to do right now."
i concur. "hipsters are scene kids that made it to college."
9)"the worst kind of posers: Real bike messengers work hard, and some get seriously injured or even killed in accidents. It’s a risky job, and often a thankless one, with their main clients being the snobby suits in high-rise buildings who want their parcels ASAP. Posers running around acting like the real deal damage any respect these guys have earned, and that’s pretty damn lame."
again, these dudes can care less about the posers. in the end "fixies" are just a type of bike. we're not damaging anyopnes respect- if anything, as fixed gear rider's we pay sort of a homage and interest towards bike messengers and their duties. and yeah, there are posers- but our posers are among kanye west and pharell.
10)"An Excuse for Skinny Pants and Messenger Bags
SourceIt must feel like a fashion-dream come true for hipsters everywhere – a pragmatic excuse to justify their skinny jeans and faux-messenger bags. This probably played a role in their taking to the Fixi-rider fad so readily, considering most hipsters aren’t that prone to physical exercise. The problem is, now the rest of us have to put up with even more guys wearing skinny jeans and faux-messenger bags."
ive been wearing skinny jeans before they became the sh*t to do. i recall when the mexican chicks used to make fun of the skateboarders who wore skinny jeans in highschool. now all the chismoso cholo chicas are wearing skinny jeans. so i was there before the shift to skinny jeans. but i digress; i believe that's a dutch city bike, hipster, and a man purse. i believe you have the wrong pic.
11)"They’re Only In it For the Fixie-Girls
Source
This one’s a no-brainer. With girls like that riding around the city, it’s tempting to say “who can blame them,” but you’ve got to resist the urge. Anyone who’s ever driven through a bike-heavy city has taken at least a moment to admire the ladies in full cyclist regalia, traversing the motor-ways on their very high seats. It’s really no wonder why so many young men are hopping on the Fixie bandwagon, and because of the cycling community’s shared love of all things bike, these women actually go for them."
what fixie girls? LOL! (sorry, im not sexist, but there are a scarce number of girls riding fixed) but when they do ride fixed theyre usually tougher than the guys. i believe what you meant is guys get into it to show thier macho- which fixed gears sorta a are; grease and chains and riding dirty and what not. its more directed towards the non bike riding group of women who find men on bikes attractive... in any case, im sorry to say that riding fixed gear bike's hasnt given anyone the potential to pick up chicks.
12)They Make People Hate Cyclists
Source
Bikes are a good thing; they cut down on traffic, pollution, obesity, and make densely populated cities better places to live in by making them more tolerable. Among all the industrialized nations of the world, America, especially, has trouble letting go of cars and taking bikes seriously. Fixie-riders are damaging the hard-won progress in that movement through sheer annoyance. When other cyclists can’t stand them, you know there’s a problem."
this is true, ive seen this occur and youre correct in saying "when other cyclists can't stand them, you know there's a problem." but showing prejudice towards one form of cycling isnt quite accurate. you see, it could quite easily be bmx riders causing a ruckus, or even recumbent bikes or whatever you please. and yeah, cyclists are annoyed of us, but theyre also annoyed of bmx riders and cars and not having enough chamois cream and derailleur maintenence and steroids and...well you get my point.
13)"Go All Out Or Go Home
Source
Fixie-riders like to act as though they’re unique, crazy, creative and funky. The real fact is that they half-ass just about everything they do. If they really wanted to stand out, they’d man up and follow this guy’s example (picture above). He kept his gears and added a tiny dog (and a twelver of Coors Light) to his ridiculous ride. What have Fixie-riders done that every other Fixie-rider hasn’t already done? In the end, we’ll just have to count on the fad cycle, and hope that the obnoxious trend of fixed-gear bikes collapses under its own weight (of uncontrollable egotism)."
dude, that's a y foil. aint noboy riding no y foil up in here unless youre the lone wolf that bikesnob talks about.
its to early to say we half ass everything that we do, most of us are pretty broke and thats why a hndful of us have nice bikes, but a sh*t load of us hace POS bikes with nice components here and there- and that happens alot in the early times of a growing sport (i wouldnt necessarily call it a sport, but i guess i can call it whatever the hell i want...). for that, there is bound to be alot of repetitive stuff in the beginning but hey, progression is a slow at first but exponental process. mosher's got pegs now-WATCH OUT!
everyone is going to hate on this continuous migration towards fixed gear riding- im sure i hate it every once in a while. but it doesnt mean this hate should be fueled by ignorance. im just saying that there are facts and there are myths about fixed gear riding. this area of cycling is fairly new and is fueled by a younger audience than anyone intended; of course there will be some fightin' words flung at the fixed gear community. in the end, all these accusations should dissipate as the progression of fixed gear riding continues.
hellspeed,
jmik.
No comments:
Post a Comment