June 2008 Issue - Cycling Utah

JUNE 2008 cycling utah.com 15Bike cultureFocus on FixiesBy Lukas BrinkerhoffThere are two wheels spraypainted yellow. The frame is achrome-finished color with thehandlebars extruding up and awayfrom the frame. It looks more like anormal bicycle than it doesn’t, but ifyou look closely at Lance Peterson’sform of transportation there aresome subtle differences. There areno brakes and the chain is fixed tothe rear wheel. Peterson, a localcyclist, rides a “fixie.”Peterson says he can easily cometo a skidding halt without the aid ofhand brakes. With the chain beingdirectly connected to the rear wheeland no way to coast, a “fixie” canbe stopped by using pedal forcesto stop the wheel. “I just shift myweight a little and push down on theupstroke,” explains Peterson. It’s assimple as that.Fixed-gear bicycles, or velodrometrack modified bikes knownas fixies, have gained popularityall over the country. The New YorkTimes featured an article, written byJocko Weyland, that read,They are fast gaining popularity,not just in those bastions oftrend followers, and not just among22-year-olds. Fixed-gear bikes arebeing ridden all over New York,by messengers, racers, lawyers,accountants and college professors-- a diverse and not necessarilyyouthful cross section of the city'spopulation. They're being riddenby people who work in sandwichshops and don't know or care aboutgear ratios and bike history, and bypeople who have been racing thesebikes for years in places like theKissena Velodrome in Flushing,Queens, with its banked, ellipticaltrack. They're ridden by militantvegans who are virtual encyclopediasof arcane bicycle history, bythrill-seeking members of renegadebike gangs like Black Label, byshopgirls, street racers, Critical Massriders, your aunt.The St. Petersburg Times inFlorida reported on the trend as well,“Fixed-gear bikes began to attractmore mainstream attention aboutsix years ago when manufacturersstarted making cheaper track bikes.”Since then the trend has spread fromNew York to Portland, ended up inFlorida and resonated all the wayacross the country, dropping fixieaficionados in all parts, includingLogan.Peterson has been riding fixedfor “1.3 years.” He says, “I put onefoot on the ground and one foot onthe pedal and it was magic fromthere.”Many fixie riders refer to a Zenlikequality of riding a fixed gearbike. The St. Petersburg Times said,"You really feel connected to thebike, which makes you feel connectedwith the road. It's a wholedifferent experience."This idea of having a “wholedifferent experience” on a bike hasturned what once was a fringe ridingstyle into the latest fad. Thetrend has thousands of websites thatcover every aspect of the ride. FromFixedgeargallery.com where fixieriders post the latest pictures of theirbikes to BikesnobNYC.blogspot.com who maliciously teases andpokes fun at the trend, whether youlike the idea of fixies or hate thetrend there is a website for you.One of the reasons the trendhas been so successful is the easeof entry. People who would like toride a bike but are impeded by thehigh-dollar price tag are drawn inby being able to build a bike on thecheap.Another local fixie rider, ColeGibbons, explains the “How” and“Why” he rides a fixed gear bike,“How--I bought a 1981 SchwinnVarsity from my neighbor that hehad chained to his railing last year.I had my eye on it for a year. Afterconverting it, it was a matter ofbaby steps to learn to ride. Why--Acouple of guys I raced with on theUSU Cycling Team had old conversions(one fixed and one freewheel).After playing around on theirs a bit,I decided a fixed gear conversionwould be a good way to have funwhile getting from point A to pointB. Plus, I wouldn't be so nervousabout leaving it chained up somewhere.”Gibbons used the parts alreadyon the Schwinn to build up his firstfixie, mostly by stripping the excessparts off of the bike. This enables20-somethings the ability to buy anold road bike and convert it. Mostof the parts that are on a regularbicycle can be taken off and aren’tneeded, the only thing that needs tobe purchased after the original bikeis a cog to fix the rear wheel to thechain and you are ready go.The trend has gained moremomentum as these first-time-onthe-cheapriders sell their first bikesto friends, just as Gibbons has done.He is now riding his second fixieconversion, he has upgraded fromthe Varsity. He says he is now ridinga 1990 Schwinn Paramount and soldhis older bike to a friend who is nowriding fixed as well.In March of this year, BicycleRetailer and Industry News reportedthe fabled high-end road companySerotta had hired a new man as partof their management team. Whenasked about his stable of steeds, hementioned a fixed-gear bike. Thetrend has reached the upper echelonof cycling culture. This can beseen as a good or bad, the writerof BikesnobNYC, whose identityis secret, claims it is a sign of thecoming of the end of the trend, the“Fixed-gear Apocalypse” as he likesto call it.As in all underground trends thatfind themselves in the mainstream,those who have been riding fixedtend to look down on those whodon’t. Both local riders see thingsin different light. Peterson says itdoesn’t bother him to see othersriding fixies, “I love it when I seepeople on bikes no matter what kind.One less car!” Gibbons echoed hissentiment.This idea of using the bicycle asa form of transportation instead of atoy has fueled the fixie trend. BothGibbons and Peterson mentionedgetting out of their cars as a reasonto ride their bikes and both use itas their main form of transportationaround town.Lance Peterson locking up a skid.As gas prices continue to stretchthe economy and push everydayprices higher, the trend of fixiescould be the next big alternativemode of transportation, which wouldplace the “Fixed-gear Apocalypse”prophecy up there with Weapons ofMass Destruction in Iraq and otherpredictions that never came about.Fixies combine simple bicycleswith gas and pollution independenceto form what many see as a perfectway to get around town. As Petersonput it, “I love the thrill of navigatingthrough our city streets without pollutingour lovely earth.”Photo: Lukas BrinkerhoffSupport YourLocal BikeShop!The Rotary Clubof American Fork proudlyannounces the Inaugural Utah...Join UsJuly 12, 20089:00 am atGreenwood Elementary School50 East 200 South • American ForkQuestions?Call 763-1216It’s simple. Race 21 miles and see who isthe king donut! In circuit style, ride 7 miles,then eat as many donuts asyou would like. No limit.Then, ride 7 more miles,eat more donuts, thenride the last 7 mile lap.Glory and adulation arewaiting for you at the Finish Line. Proceedsbenefit the Utah Amber Alert ID project.Visit www.utahtourdedonut.com for more informationFor eachdonut eatenyou’ll get a 3minute timededuction!Sponsored by: