Photoshootin'

I have to agree with Jos a little on this one. I love bikes, trikes pretty much anything with pedals and a chain (except 'bents - that's just WRONG! ;-) ). And bigging up track/fixed riders because they can do what? The bmx boys can do much better, and as for the real bike gymnasts - well, take a look at the video... but wearing lycra doesn't look too cool...

So I do get kind of annoyed by the fixie-trendy thing - on the other hand if people suddenly get into riding bikes, then that's gotta be good hasn't it? As long as they stick with it, I don't really care why they got into it. But hey, two of my best friends have started a shop and are making a living from the fixed gear thing so that's cool too, I suppose.

To be honest, I don't really like cliques, and I am little suspicious of the fixie thing as a bit cliquey...

I ain't been riding fixed as long as Jos (only 15 or something years) but here in the UK back then, apart from literally a handful of couriers, it was only old men that rode fixed wheel. So it's kind of funny to see turn around and become a youth cult...

Oh, here's a story that illustrates my point:

I was asked to go on the "Today Programme", a very popular news show on BBC Radio 4, to comment on a cycling 'news' story. Before we went live, the presenter John Humphreys was trying to set me at ease (I was very nervous) by asking by about cycling. He had just started again after a break of 40 years. And he said "I used to ride a Hercules, with a fixed-wheel. Do people still ride fixed-wheel?"

I laughed.

Anyway, I think it's ok to promote fixie culture as long as it's not at the expense of cycle culture in general - and as long as you get paid for photo-shoots.