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London Fixed Gear and Single-Speed is a community of predominantly fixed gear and single-speed cyclists in and around London, UK.
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@docus
Here's my story. WARNING: it's long and probably very boring.
I grew up in Northern Ireland. I started on BMX when I was 8 (23 years ago!) - I had a DP Firebird that I rode around all day, jumping makeshift ramps in the garden and cruising the streets. I rode that thing for hours and hours every day. My family moved to England when I was 10 and I kept up BMXing until I was about 13. I was lucky to live near a decent race track. I always came last though, I was more of a dreamer than a racer...
Then, aged 13, I got a Peugeot 12 speed racer, which I loved and rode everywhere, much faster than a BMX!
I moved up to uni in London when I was 19, and rode an old 3 speed Sunbeam from the 1920s. That was a beautiful bike, heavy as lead, but stately. I rode it from Chalk Farm to the Strand every day. It's rusting away in my parents greenhouse now, with tendrils growing around the spokes. I must rescue it (or rather, him: he's called 'Watson'!).
Then, aged 21, I returned to BMX again and went through a succession of bikes: a lovely GT Performer (now belonging to my sister) with rad 3 spoke Skyway Tuffs, an SE Racing Quadangle, and then an SE Racing Floval Flyer (also with rad Skyway Tuffs). I rode those bikes every day for years, into uni and then on my daily commute into various workplaces. I lived near Cantelowes in Kentish Town and had fun on the ramps (I was always a bit crap though).
About 3 years ago I realised I was a fully grown man and needed a proper bike. I got a beautiful Chas Roberts Reynolds 831 road bike, fully Chorus equipped, light as a feather. I had the racer bug again! A little later I got a Pinarello frame super-cheap and swapped all the gear from the Roberts onto that. I had bike building fever!
By then I had moved to the east end and my commute was pretty long. About a year ago I felt I wanted to spice things up and decided to give fixed a go - but it was a long time before I managed to get everything together. I read a lot and waited for the right frame to come up (I wanted something by an English builder). I eventually got myself a Chas Roberts track frame. I built it up slowly, enjoying learning and hunting for stuff. It was finished about two months ago, and when I took it out for its maiden voyage I realised withing 30 seconds that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE riding fixed. I can't imagine I'll ever go back. I commute 25 miles a day on that thing, up Highgate West Hill, weaving in and out of traffic and loving it. SO FAST! Here it is on Velospace: http://velospace.org/node/2969
I think having ridden BMX was a big factor for me, riding fixed feels like having all the best things about the simplicity of BMX back again, but new and different (and a bit more grown up!). Some people have been a bit disparaging about the supposed 'Zen-thing' with fixed, but I must say that for me it does bring about a special feeling of connectedness, both inwardly and outwardly. But then I've always been a bit of a mystical twat. (Take a look at my avatar and you might see why...)
Thanks for reading!