The trailing edge of fashion: Obey + Fuji fixie

Not pleased with already being a blight on the land with their posters and stickers everywhere from here to Hell's half acre, Obey has teamed up with Fuji bikes to create a cool -- but somewhat late-to-the-party -- fixie. It looks like this:






I wasn't aware that Obey had become a worldwide corporate juggernaut too big and narcissistic to stay relevant. But gimme a little credit: I was aware that anodized components had somehow come back into fashion. Like Alison Moyet always used to say, (in, by the way, what may be the worst song by the best synth band of the 80s), never say never. Can Zubaz, OK soda, and "trickle down economics" be far behind?



Easy 80s jokes. Sorry, I'm feeling lazy today. Last night, I had a big boner over taxes and the Wild. Bouchard shoots, he scores! The Fed writes me a big fat refund check! Yesssssssssss!

But seriously. That's a great looking fork, and props for going with the track drops instead of those idiotic bullhorns or pogo handles.

Esoteric Cycling Argument #293b: Track Bikes vs. Fixies

James at Bicycle Design has an interesting soliloquy on track bikes versus fixed-gear bikes, and which is to be preferred for urban riding.



Can you think of a good reason why a cyclist should not ride a track bike in the city, but a converted fixie is fine? (Assume no brakes on either bike.)



The only reason I can think of at the moment is this: Because riding a Velodrome-approved track bike is even more pretentious.

Riding the track in the comfort of your own cubicle

As the old saying goes: Unless you're the lead dog, the scenery never changes.

Still, helmet-cam dude pulls off the win after sucking wheel. Incidentally, you don't see a lot of helmet-cam footage from the velodrome -- probably because those funny fagbags don't have pockets.

London fixation: So, like, 2007

Just as we were pouring whiskey on the grave...

You can travel back in time. Or you can fly to England.

Fashionably late

Bianchi is teaming up with Rogue Status to create this fixed-gear atrocity beauty.
















With Specialized paving the way with its mainstream line of Langster fixies, who among the majors has not yet tried to cash in on a trend that, from our point of view, has already gone to seed? Trek?

In some circles of "journalism," there's an old axiom: Once the New York Times writes about it, it's no longer a trend. That would place the death of fixie nation on April 29th, 2007.

But of course, who the heck reads anymore?

Apocalyspe Averted: Sweet relief is on the way

Here's something to buoy your flagging spirit: The reverse-fixie-conversion, courtesy of my new idols at BikeCommuters.com

I sense a real trend to guide fixie nation into its long overdue twilight. Not talking about the utility bike (those are great, but they can be less delightful to ride) but the upright commuter.

Also, this brings to mind my own dream of building the perfect track bike with a coaster hub -- thus eliminating those cable lines that interfere with "the clean" beauty of a brakeless and gearless bike, while not gambling on my physical welfare.

Will this dream ever be realized? Doubtful. The truth is, it had been fueled by a misguided lust for the Masi Speciale, long since dismissed as unworthy of my unrequited admiration.

The idee fixe

While we've been watching as fixie culture sorta jumps the shark in slow motion, there are still some very interesting and entertaining details emerging each day, especially from the mainstream media.

The hipness of urban bike messengers, who deliver packages and letters in big cities, is another lure. For them, a fixedgear bike is a necessity, because they often have their hands full and stopping can be accomplished with only the legs (if they’re strong enough ).

That's a new one: They need fixed gears because their hands are full! (It might have occurred to them to use a coaster brake, or you know, Fred Flintstone it.)

Undoubtedly they gave up their mess bags months ago in disgust, after noticing that Chrome, Timbuktu, Baily Works, and Crumpler had all quietly been selling their wares to regular jerks.

Beyond that, I'd love to see a messenger stop a fixie at 20 MPH no-handed, that'd be a good one.

Should fixie riders be arrested and ticketed for riding without brakes?

I don't feel strongly one way or another about this, although I — like about half the people I've polled — have been T-boned by inexperienced fixie riders menacing our streets and overpasses.

But Ayla doesn't really have a prayer of getting out of this particular law -- the spirit and the letter are about having a breaking mechanism on your bike.

Extra credit: do click-through to YouTube and read the reems of comments, which appear to be about 10 to 1 in favor of mercilessly abusing and berating brakeless riders. (You'll want to shield your eyes from a certain misogynist element.)

Philly cheese steak gets exported to UK

Tom LaMarche, the Philly fixie sensation, has been "signed" to the UK's Charge bike team... based largely on the popularity of this YouTube Video.



Three things: Not clear what an urban fixie rider will do for Charge exactly.

Two, catching this much air is a great way for a fixie rider to get to coast for a few fractions of a second.

Third, why hasn't the world's greatest fixie rider been signed yet? Just cos she ain't street? Sheesh, she doesn't wear a helmet either (although we suspect that IS Spandex).

Look ma, no courier bag!

She is quite possibly the world's greatest fixie rider and she's German, and that's all we know about her at the moment, but we're busy trying to get an interview with her--for your edification, of course.



Some interesting notes for all you fixie geeks out there: Notice the extreme wheelbase, the 1:1 gearing, the modified seat, and the ghetto-style handlebar configuration.