Review: Fixed Gear Magazines
Jul 01 2008
Posted by Jussi in bikecycle art, fixed gear, fixed gear magazines, review, shopping, track bikes, urban riding |
While there are a great bunch of fixed gear -related websites and blogs, like I listed here for you, there aren’t that many real printed FG magazines. But as everyone knows, sometimes it is nice to actually have a real magazine with high quality print in your hand, right?
Unfortunately print media is pretty damn difficult and expensive, especially if you want to keep it independent, as everyone who’s worked with struggling niche market lifestyle magazine will tell you any time you ask about it. Despite this, there are some brave people who keep on doing it so let’s check their product out.
The first Fixed Gear magazine, from USA has already reached Issue #3. Very nice and high quality pics but usually bit thin on the substance and actual text articles. Very nice nonetheless.
From London, very nice first issue, good pics and lots of real articles too. Downloadable as pdf, here.
Vapors - The Track Bike Edition
General lifestyle magazien but their special track bike issue is pretty cool, you can read it online here.
Not fixed gear magazine as such but they’ve run some cool articles, like this here.
An example of the Japanese magazines, which there are plenty of apparently. But since I don’t speak or read Japanese, I cannot really say so much of this. Someone has scanned some pages and even translated them, click on the link above to see it.
And then the summary:
Ok, even if there aren’t that many of them but this is def a good beginning. If you know of more fixed gear magazine, please hook me up.
Some Fixed Gear Blogs
Jun 24 2008
Posted by Jussi in fixed gear, fixed gear blogs, track bikes, urban riding |
It’s raining outside so it’s time waste some of your (or your employer’s) time reading nice fixed gear related blogs. And there are lots of them, actually much more than I though when I first got the idea of listing them. The blogs below are not in any particular order but just listed out for your convenience. Some of the blogs are proper blogs, some are more like picture galleries or blog shops but all are equally entertaining. Obviously there are many more but let’s just start with these:
http://cyclingwmd.blogspot.com
http://bkkfixed.wordpress.com/
http://barriebloor.blogspot.com/
http://fixedgearbikes.blogspot.com/
http://ofixiepixieo.blogspot.com/
http://www.positivecycling.com/
http://supermakuri.blogspot.com/
http://johnprolly.blogspot.com/
http://www.trackosaurusrex.com/pblog/
http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/
http://njs-keirin.blogspot.com/
http://njsframes.blogspot.com/
David Byrne’s NYC Bike Riding Lessons
Jun 18 2008
Posted by Jussi in Uncategorized, bikecycle art, traffic safety, urban riding |
David Byrne, of the legendary Talking Heads fame, is an avid cyclist who been riding a bike in New York City traffic for more that twenty years. So even if he does not ride a fixed gear bike, when he’s willing to give you some lessons about riding in a big city, I think we ought to listen very carefully. During his ‘career’ as a cyclist he’s also been hit by a car had his bike stolen last year and got some ribs busted when he wiped out on West 14th Street (upon which two cops appeared and immediately wanted to know if a) he’d been drinking and b) he was David Byrne. Yes to both questions.)
So read and learn:
“Since I’ve ridden a bike in NY for almost 20 years now as a means of transport I’ve learned some lessons.”
1. New Jersey drivers have rarely seen pedestrians before. Bikes they’ve seen even less. They cannot see you, so if you see Jersey plates, be careful.
2. Limos and town cars think they rule the road. The only time I’ve ever gotten hit was by a limo.
3. Food delivery guys have been instructed by some malicious deity to always drive facing traffic, and to force other cyclists heading towards them into unseen traffic coming up from behind. It’s unfair to judge immigrants based on their bicycle behavior, but….since the Yuan is now no longer tied to the dollar I suspect things will be heating up in the near future.
4. No one has yet designed a helmet that is safe, light, aerodynamic, ventilated and most important of all- attractive. (admittedly this is subjective) A lady on 25th st was selling raccoon tails out of a shopping cart once (cheap too!)- so I tried tying one of those on to my helmet. But it didn’t really help.
5. I’m thinking those masochistic looking skinny seats might be more comfortable in the long run than the big soft cushy ones.
6. The landlord and the city building code people let me install a shower in my office because I ride a bike to work. Really.
7. I can gallery hop or hit the clubs at night or in the afternoon cheaply and efficiently. It beats cabbing, and the subway is sporadic at night.
8, There’s a man near me who usually dresses in white and pink and rides a teeny pink child’s bike- decorated with aluminum streamers.
9. I once got a ticket for running a red light on my bike. Fair enough. I hope that if I obey the traffic rules then I will in turn be given the space and rights any other vehicle would receive. I decided to contest the ticket downtown, and got another ticket for the exact same thing on the way to court. I usually stop at red lights, like cyclists do in Europe, though sometimes I do feel ridiculous stopping for nothing.
10. Avoid bombs, package searches, fear of public transport, or claustrophobia- ride a bike.
Max Knight’s The Walking Bike
Jun 18 2008
Posted by Jussi in Uncategorized, bicycle design, bikecycle art, track bikes, urban riding |
You like fixed gear bikes, yes? So you probably like sneakers too, right? Ok, then you’ve probably already seen this monstrosity, right?
It’s the Walking Bike designed by the artist Max Knight for Yorgo Tloupas at the Intersection Magazine. But one question remains: Why?
The bike appears to be fixed gear, so what did he do, take a pair of Aerospokes, sawed off the rim parts and raided the local Footlocker, or what? I do understand about conceptual art but still.
Respect To Where Respect Is Due
Jun 16 2008
Posted by Jussi in Uncategorized, fixed gear, track bikes |
Track cycling is the mother of the fixed gear bike trend.
Bike messengers might have taken the track bikes out of the velodrome and on the street of the big cities during late 1990s but the ultimate respect goes to track cycling. It’s also probably good to remember that European road cyclist used to, and many still do, train on track bikes on the road during the winter season to develop their cadence, pedaling technique and strength. In similar manner Japanese Keirin track cyclists train on long rides on mountain roads with their track bikes with high super gearing. Anyhow, the point being that even if NYC bike messengers have managed to (involuntarily) popularize riding fixed gear bikes in the urban environment into a mass trend, the roots are still on the velodrome.
Pure speed on the oval track, no brakes, gears or other nonsense, just pure simplicity, bike handling skill and raw muscle power. So even if you’re never going to take your bike to a velodrome, the respect is still due. Remember this.
Skid Patch & Gearing Calculation Graph
Jun 13 2008
Posted by Jussi in fixed gear, tech tips, track bikes |
When you’re riding a fixed gear bike, one thing you’re always thinking about is the perfect gearing for you, the gear inches and the number of skidspots each combination of different cog and chainring will give. Obviously, the more skidspots the better since your rear tire will last longer and so on.
Well, now I’m going to make it very simple for you, thanks to a certain Mr. Dennis Trimble. No need to calculate anymore, just point your finger on the graph. Nice!
Are you maybe thinking about converting that old road bike that you found lying somewhere on the road side or in a trash bin into a fixed gear bike? Maybe you should think twice.
Bike Snob NYC said: “If you found your bike in the trash, put it back…” but Mr. Carleton, a very wise man, put the same time a tad bit more eloquently on Bikeforums.net. While I might not completely agree on all of his views, he certainly has some good points to learn from, so here’s the open letter to all of you:
My dearest Noob,
Stop trolling dumpsters, thrift stores, garage sales, and your friend’s and family’s basements for “vintage” bikes. Yes, there are gems out there. But, most are turds. And you know what they say about polishing turds.
Hey. All you want is a sweet ride, anyway. Right?
“But, I want something unique to me…”
There is plenty of room to be unique by using bikes made within the last decade or two.
“I don’t want to buy new.”
No, you don’t have to buy a brand new frame and brand new parts to make a sweet ride. But I do strongly suggest starting with a good foundation, especially if you are starting with nothing and have your heart set on “building my first bike” as opposed to supporting corporate greed by buying a bike from a multi-national.
“I’m not starting with nothing. I already have this old bike…”
Yeah, that bike you pulled out of the dumpster pretty much equals nothing…it’s actually probably negative-stuff. Now you OWE the universe. Beware of free sh*t.
1: Older does not mean better.
2: Old as sh*t does not mean “Vintage”. It just means “Old as sh*t”.
3: “Vintage” doesn’t necessarily mean great, or even good for that matter.
4: “Vintage” was probably introduced to the fixed-gear crowd as a way of luring suckkas. Like “Digital” batteries and “Ladies” razors (add a 25% premium for both).
5: The “Vintage” bikes that you guys are pulling out of your grandparent’s garages, dumpsters, and thrift stores are probably Wal-Mart bikes from 20+ years ago. yaaaaay.
6: It’s in the dumpster for a reason.
This is not directed to those that, for some only-god-knows-reason, are in love with some only-a-mother-could-love frame. There is no hope for those guys. Just the dumpster divers and the thrift store regulars who expect to have a good experience with all of this.
The crux of my argument is: If you are building a track/fixed bike from scratch or just a handful of ingredients, start with a good track or fixed specific frame.
“Oh, but I already have a bike with a cranks, BB, and a front wheel from this dumpster bike.”
They are probably crap. Most people with nice bikes KNOW they have nice bikes and try to sell them (or unload them for ungodly prices to unwitting noobs) before throwing them into the dumpster.
(I love analogies)
It’s sort of like if you are making dinner and you use what you got in the fridge and cabinets to make the best meal you can. Sometimes you wind up substituting one thing for another because for one reason or another you can’t get to the supermarket for the proper ingredient. But who in their right mind would go to the supermarket and buy the replacement ingredient and bypass the proper ingredient…especially if it’s the MAIN ingredient?
It’s one thing if it’s not a big-deal dinner. Like, “It’s just Wednesday night and I need something in my belly”. This would be the equivalent of a spare, Franken-bike, beater made of spare parts. But, not your big annual Thanksgiving/Christmas type dinner (meaning your main or ONLY bike). For that, you want to start with the best turkey you can afford. Not the $5 turkey-esq stuff from 7-11. Be patient and save up for a good Turkey or Ham. It’s worth it. Trust me.
Now think about this…if you are going to spend the same amount of money on the other parts of the dinner (veggies, desserts, bread, wine, etc…) (Translation: cranks, wheel set, stem, bars, etc…) and don’t forget that it takes the same amount of your precious TIME to prepare the complete meal (bike). Then why skimp on the Turkey?
A little planning goes a long way.
“Aren’t conversions supposed to be cheap?”
Well…there’s the cheap way then there is right way.
They are supposed to be cheap, but usually aren’t. I watched as a friend sunk $800 in parts and labor to convert a not-so-special 80’s Bianchi road bike. That’s not counting the cost of the frame. She was NOT happy when she got the bill. Even if she did the work herself she still had $600 in parts to pay for.
“But I heard that it’s soooo easy…”
Yes, there is this story (that I have dubbed “The Hipster Myth”, BTW) about how once, some guy got a bike from a thrift store for $5 and made a conversion in 15 minutes by adding only $50 in parts and he was skidding that night. Yeah. And you can hit a full-court basketball shot, too. But both would be ugly, unreliable, and unlikely.
“But, Carleton, we aren’t as rich as you. “.
I know, noob. Don’t worry.
If you do need to cut corners then cut corners on the accessories that that can be easily upgraded later.
Here’s a little secret:
(Whisper)
Buy a nice to very sweet track frame then buy a crapload of components for super, duper cheap from the Pista, IRO, Fuji, Langster, Capo, etc… owners after they upgrade. Those stock parts from $500 bikes have little to no resale value on the used market.
- If you can’t afford the Dura-Ace crankset right now get a used stock set from somebody’s Pista for hella cheap.
- Can’t afford those Phil Wood/Deep V wheels? Ride some stock Langster wheels for a while.
- Stock steel Deda bars from a Pista are actually decent and can be had for like $15.
- Post an ad on craigslist like, “WANTED: Stock Pista Wheelset - $50″. You will have a complete wheelset with tires before the end of the day.
(End Whisper)
“Why not buy nice parts, then upgrade the frame later?”
Well, noob, because many of the nice parts you buy will be designed to fit your non-standard conversion. Then when you finally get your nice frame some parts won’t fit and you will have to buy them again.
“But, I want to Lurn.”
When it comes to bicycle assembly, care, and maintenance you will learn the same amount from any bike you build from the frame up. The biggest lesson you will learn is that it’s a lot easier to build a bike when you have the proper parts.
“How do you know all of this?”
I read the internets, son.
Actually I’ve:
- Converted 4 or 5 bikes
- Owned 5 or 6 track/fixed specific bikes
- Owned 30+ bikes in my life
- Worked at a few bike shops
- Owned and modified 10+ cars (the same principles of upgrading and modifying apply)
“Why are you telling us this.”
I don’t want you guys to get so discouraged during your build and give up on cycling. I’ve noticed several “I was building this conversion but gave up…” for sale ads on CL lately. Yeah, it’s a fad right now. But, that fad could attract some lifelong riders that didn’t ride before.
Fixed Gear Movie Trailers Galore!
Apr 30 2008
Posted by Jussi in Uncategorized, bike films, shopping, track bikes, urban riding |
As the Fixed Gear Boom ™ keeps blowing up like a huge helium balloon getting ready to burst, an inevitable side-effect, the movies, are popping up like shrooms after the rain. Just like with skateboarding, BMX, snowboarding, mountain biking, inline skating and every other extreme sports, there needs to be movies that you can buy and marvel at, look and learn how you should dress and look, glue the sticker that came with the DVD to your bike, and even try to learn some new tricks from the movies, right?
Well, the fixed gear scene has its own films too, here are trailers of the four biggest ones so far, although only the MASH SF is out already. The three others, Council Of Doom, Fast Friday and Macaframa shouldbe out during this summer.
And there are others out there already, like the Bootleg Sessions and the Japanese Street Life, and undoubtedly there will be countless others later but let’s start with these (all courtesy of YouTube). And I date you, just try counting the number of barspins, leg over the bars skids, and all the aerospoke and HED front wheels…
Mash SF
Council Of Doom
Macaframa
Fast Friday
Sprocket Man Says: Safety First!
Apr 28 2008
Posted by Jussi in Uncategorized, tech tips, traffic safety, urban riding |
When riding your bike, one thing should come always first and that’s the safety.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission knew this when they came out with Sprocket Man Comic.
A what, you might ask?
“Meet Sprocket Man, on a bike safety adventure. As he zips through town, Sprocket Man explains the dangers on his street. Learn how he uses his logical powers of reasoning to avoid obstacles and injuries. Explore helmet safety, bike mechanics, and street smarts with this super-safe super hero!
(Ages 6 up)”
I’ve no idea when the comic came out but it smells like 1970s and reminds me of a my early youth when I was really into Super Hero comics. I’m still member # 630 of the Finnish Spiderman Club, by the way. I even have the diploma stashed somewhere.
Anyhow, click on the link below and download the pdf to read the Sprocket Man’s cool comic style bicycle traffic safety guide. There’s also some pretty basic bike maintenance tips in there. Even if his bike has more gears that necessary (that’s more than one) and coasts too, it’s all good.
Sprocket Man says: Think Bicycle Safety (pdf document, 3.41 mb)
But just like every comic book Super Hero has his/her nemesis, not everyone likes Sprocket Man… here’s the second opinion:
“SPROCKET MAN!!! The BICYCLE SAFETY SUPERHERO! Like every government sponsored “educational” comic I have ever seen, Sprocket Man teaches valuable safety lessons by ORDERING THE READER AROUND LIKE A FASCIST DICTATOR. Apparently since he is wearing long johns with a gear on the chest and flings freewheel gear sets at hippies who are trying to steal bicycles, we are supposed to welcome his authoritarian dictatorship and obey his orders”
The Four Horsemen from Luke Stiles on Vimeo.
Bike messengers and particularly the bike messengers of NYC, some of whom started riding track bikes on city streets sometime during the late 1990s, are pretty much the reason why fixed gear bikes are trendy today. We all carry a messenger bags and dress bit like them when we are riding out bikes in the city traffic and so on and so on. Hence also the title ‘posenger‘, or ‘fakenger‘.
But anyway, if you ever wondered what it was like to be a bike messenger in New York City, check out this video above ‘cos it’s probably your best chance to see what it’s really like out there on the mean streets.
It’s a film by Luke Stiles with four guys, Crihs, Pablo, Cali, Yatika, bombing down Broadway in NYC and it’s filmed with four cameras simultaneously from the perspective of the four riders.
It’s probably the speediest and gnarliest city-riding video out there right now.