| Some of you may have heard the kid down the | | | | pedaling but the back hub still spins). The |
| street or even seen the young punk on the | | | | sprocket is screwed directly on to the hub |
| corner riding around and what looks like a 10 | | | | and there is no freewheel mechanism. That |
| speed bike. However, if you take a closer | | | | means you can't coast on a fixed gear bike. |
| look, you'll discover that there aren't 10 | | | | Your feet are always pedaling. As exhausting |
| speeds on that bike. In fact, you'd probably | | | | as this sounds, it does provide you with more |
| discover that there is just a single speed. | | | | efficiency when pedaling. |
| That's because these kids undoubtedly took | | | | |
| their parents old Schwinn, took off the | | | | Most fixed gear bicycles only have one gear |
| derailer, put on a fixed-gear or track-bike | | | | ratio. This means there are no additional |
| hub, took off the brakes, slapped on some | | | | gears to switch to. Your typical BMX bike is |
| crazy "mustache" handle bars, rolled up their | | | | a single speed gear, however, BMX bikes tend |
| pants, and rode down to the closes critical | | | | to have freewheels (aka you can COAST!). |
| mass ride with their new converted fixed gear | | | | |
| (OR spent a few hundred bucks to have someone | | | | WHY DID FIXED GEAR BIKES TAKE OFF? |
| do it for them). | | | | |
| | | | Some say the popularity of fixed gear bikes |
| In any regards, fixed gear bikes are all the | | | | can be traced back to bike messengers. |
| rage in the hipster population. And it | | | | They've been using fixed / single speed |
| couldn't have come at a better time. With gas | | | | bicycles for years as it helps them get |
| prices at an all time high and the need to go | | | | around faster (back to the whole efficiency |
| "Green", you can't blame the kids for huffing | | | | of movement thing). Bike messengers were also |
| it on 2 wheels for free and no exhaust smoke | | | | known for being renegades on some level and |
| rather than spending close to hundreds each | | | | having a "punk" attitude. This combined with |
| month just to go a few miles down the road | | | | the general popularity of bikes, |
| and spew forth fumes for miles (come on admit | | | | skateboarding, surfing, and anything else |
| it - you've driven to places that you totally | | | | that allows the youth of today to break free |
| could have walked to). So if you're new to | | | | of government mandated roads and public |
| this fixed gear bike thing and are curious | | | | transit system and blaze their own trails |
| about how it all works, here's a quick breeze | | | | across the land (and look good doing it too). |
| through the basics. | | | | |
| | | | WILL THE FIXED GEAR BIKE CRAZY LAST? |
| HOW A FIXED GEAR BIKE WORKS | | | | |
| | | | Who knows. I honestly hope so because it is a |
| It's simple. Fixed gear bikes are exactly | | | | way to cut down on pollutants, spend less on |
| that - fixed! Also known as a fixed wheel | | | | gas, stay in shape, AND make a statement - |
| bicycle, it's basically a bicycle without the | | | | ALL AT THE SAME TIME! Who could ask for |
| ability to coast (coast meaning you stop | | | | anything more (Toyyyota!). |