Simon and List
As much as I enjoy this subject being debated, it urges me to correct people who talk about 'Fixie' as if it was a fad.
Early cyclists were perceived, as reckless, rebellious, anti-social - when they were riding penny farthings. When people started getting disenchanted with early derailleurs, there was a revival of fixed gear in the 1930s. The 'retrogrouch' Jack Taylor brothers rode fixed gear for their work bikes, as Ken Taylor said 'it gives you more control in traffic'. And I happen to know that the late Norman Taylor rode a 65" fixed gear for most of his rides with the local hard-riders, out and about in the North Yorkshire Moors.
As the current generation of stopwatch racers want carbon fibre there are more old road frames out there than meet demand. And thankfully, these frames are now getting used. It's not even like fixed gear shops (Tour de Ville and Brick Lane Bikes to name perhaps the most notorious ones) are creating a shortage of nice parts like SLJ derailleurs.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with fixed gear. Indeed, there's nothing wrong with young, cultish and appearance driven people appreciating bicyles in that bubble which is 'cool'. The only thing that detracts from their campaign is a lack of mudguards and occasionally brakes.
For a landscape akin to most of Englands, rolling hills and no long climbs, fixed gear is fine.
Mark Lawrence Oxford, United Kingdom
________________________________________ From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of simon duval smith [simonduvalsmith@hotmail.com] Sent: 13 October 2009 11:32 To: classicrendezvous Subject: Re: [CR] Fixie Fad comment
I could not agree more; London streets are awash with silly trendy track cyclist wannabees/fashion victims, rising fixed wheel or single speed on butchered (often quite vintage) road frames. As I do my 20 mile commute across town on my 1980 Peugeot PKN10E (with 12 speeds), I often tell them that I will object to paying for their knee operations in the future as they pull the wrong gear and strain muscles and joints. I have a fixed gear track bike - a 1950 Claud Butler, it is used on the track, where it belongs. Cycles should be pedalled at 90-110 turns of the chainwheel per minute - any less is damaging to the body.
There is a whole industry in London here chopping up road frames and selling the fixed result to saddos who think it is cool to ride a minimalist machine with orange wheels and silly little cut down roadster 'bars.
There, rant over...
Simon Duval Smith
London
UK