Larry,
I'm neither a fixie fan nor a non-fan. Right now in my 50s I like having gears. The idea of a lighter, steelier, more responsive machine that you can't just stop is kinda exciting, really!
What I really do like about what you say is the idea that fixies are a fad now, just like bell-bottoms and long hair were for at least some of us.
I'm also very sad that these folks aren't learning the correct basics about cycling, the fundamentals of fit, gearing, and positioning. However, when I had 16 to 25 year old legs, I didn't really care too much either (hey, none of those comments, you lot!!). I did know when my butt hurt!
Some will remember that there was something more to cycling than what they and their cohort did, and others won't. You will have helped those that will remember. Just keep trying, without sending them away. It's good work.
Ken Freeman Ann Arbor, MI USA
Chris,
I read with interest your posting to the CR list.....unfortunately, I do not see happening where I live, what you described as happening where you live.... Portland, Oregon is a hotbed of bike 'happeningness'; unfortunately, it seems to be kind of a closed loop here....local hipsters think nothing of dropping $500 on wheels to put on a Sears 'Free Spirit' frame ; nor do they put any thought into proper gearing, sizing, or positioning....I work in a local shop that services this crowd, and to put it honestly, I want to vomit over some of the machines that I have to send out...well-meaning talks about the above-mentioned subjects are met with hostility or carefully affected slacker 'don't care, doesn't matter' blank stares.
While I am glad to see youngsters riding, rather than driving, I also sadly fail to see the future of our sport in any of this movement...it is completely fashion-driven; there are no future Lance Armstrongs, Gibby Hattons, or Marty Nothsteins to be found in this so-called 'Keirin Culture' (most of them cannot even pronounce 'Keirin' correctly, and 90% of them smoke)....personally, I look forward to this fad's inevitable bust; then I will be able to liberate these sadly misused frames from their former owners, and then pass them on to more appreciative users.
Feeling extra grumpy & curmudgeonly, Larry Myers Portland, OR, USA
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