Origins

There is alot of tension/confusion about to whom we, non-messenger fixed riders owe our allegience. Some feel that the only legitimate fixed riders are messengers, that they are responsible for the heritage. I would credit them with keeping fixed alive, even reinventing it, but having raced road I now consider myself a recultivator of early cycling tradition, of something pure. I know this is abstract, but how do you all feel?

the first significant number of street track bike riders started years ago. And it was amongst the jamaican messengers in new york who had previosly been riding track bikes in jamaica as youths. Years and years ago, and probably still today, riding a track bike in jamaica was more common than riding a freewheel one. I have spoken to many people 50 plus that used to ride them....

what about racers who rode with a fixed wheel in the winter time?

i love jamaica! reggae, jerk chicken, and fixed riding! beat that!

Nathan Barley invented it.

Why does it matter anyway?

Not all messengers couriers ride fixed anyway.

I can't see any reason for ppl to hate on you cause you ride fixed and aren't a courier. If you dress like one and act like one and aren't then maybe but you're free to do whatever you like.

tallsam Nathan Barley invented it.

I bet Nathan Barley is riding a fixed wheel shopper nowadays.

You're confused as to whom you owe allegiance to?
I'm sorry.

Sorry you feel the need to owe allegiance.
If you owe allegiance to anybody it would be Pierre and Ernest Michaux, Pierre Lallement, Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbrun, and Ernest Michaux.

(And most messengers aren't legetimate riders much less fixed-riders. Hell, some aren't even legitimate!)

It's a giant roadie conspiracy.. first we ween you on 'winter training' bikes.. then you see the other shiny components you can fit.. before you know it you're head to toe in lycra, clogging your girlfriend's razor with your legs hair!

when can this subject stay dead ?
This nothing about who is more true or a fake or whatever. It is just a social behaviour
that roots back to cave man. And it will continue to go on in may subcultures to come

Any subculture does credit those the most that dedicate themselves to the maximum
to it. May it how many hours you ride, tatoos you have, how addicted one Punk Rocker is,
which level you are in WoW , amount vintage vinyl a DJ has.. gathering knowledge and perfecting
certain skills is time consuming and sometimes also expensive.

This lifestyle is mostly not comfortable and costly and the majority
does choose not to. There is to isses coming out of this setup

1) The lack of self confidence in the 'noobs' that want to keep some comfort yet get high esteem from the
outside that they are part in the subculture
2) The hardcore protagonists first advocating and than loosing elitism as subculture grows or gets media attention
combined with the grudge that cash can buy necessary 'relics' quickly and so circumventing their
slow 'righteous' ascend.

Who owns any style in this media driven globalized world. Industries will always pick up the hip sh1t
to create business. A true 'delivery man' does certainly not care cause he is to busy hard earning his living.

So now I made my speak ...I hope this thread will dry up.

Not to derail but is english not your first language breglis?

I don't mean to offend. Just wondering.

yeahh indeed.. GERMAN
spotted my accent ey ?

no worries 3rd generation after the war is cool about our Nationality again.
Everyone may know..hehe

Riding fixed is not a subculture or an identity, you owe allegiance to no-one.
Couriers are no more authentic than you, all bikes are good.
Fixed wheel riding has been continually practised since the bicycle was invented and will continue long after this current trend has dwindled.
Most fixed wheel enthusiasts are not fakengers, but fakengers do exist.

Cycling is cycling..... put your time and effort into it and you will soon feel good about it..... As long as u are not stumping up loads of cash for a bike that u will ride twice, because u think it's cool and u can afford it!

After buying my bike, I found out that my dad used to ride a fixed wheel bike around London back in the mid-'60s. I hadn't known about it until then and thought it was pretty strange that he used to ride for the same reasons as I do now. (Although I don't think the 52-13 ratio he used to use is practical with today's stop-go traffic!)

trampsparadise ...

.... Hell, some aren't even legitimate!)

ha ha ha!

Put as far as the original post goes. A bike is a bike is a bike. Enjoy it.

^^ What winston said ^^

JimL After buying my bike, I found out that my dad used to ride a fixed wheel bike around London back in the mid-'60s. I hadn't known about it until then and thought it was pretty strange that he used to ride for the same reasons as I do now. (Although I don't think the 52-13 ratio he used to use is practical with today's stop-go traffic!)

Exactly... and I've got a great uncle who used to ride a fixed at his club in the thirties, and he had an uncle who rode fixed around the turn of the century... and he.... (falls asleep at keyboard)

As above fixed wheel goes back as far as cycling.

Middle-class kids pretending that they get their style from black subculture... now that's a whole other topic...

breglis yeahh indeed.. GERMAN
spotted my accent ey ?

no worries 3rd generation after the war is cool about our Nationality again.
Everyone may know..hehe

no way I was gonna guess at German. lol

jonaent (Jon) Cycling is cycling..... put your time and effort into it and you will soon feel good about it..... As long as u are not stumping up loads of cash for a bike that u will ride twice, because u think it's cool and u can afford it!

Actually if ppl want to do this then please go right ahead. It keeps the bicycle business afloat and sure enough those bikes will end up on the 'bay for way less than they should be. We should be encouraging this sort of behaviour.

architectom There is alot of tension/confusion about to whom we, non-messenger fixed riders owe our allegience. Some feel that the only legitimate fixed riders are messengers, that they are responsible for the heritage. I would credit them with keeping fixed alive, even reinventing it, but having raced road I now consider myself a recultivator of early cycling tradition, of something pure. I know this is abstract, but how do you all feel?

No one, just myself. I rode a Cannondale tourer for a while because I toured and liked the bike. I still don't think you can get a finer production bike than the 'dale. I ride fixed because one of my mates let me try his and I liked how it handled. The Cannondale gave way to a Bianchi Pista because the Pista was more fun, and the Pista gave way to the Courtney because it is a much better frame (the Bianchi looks cool but it is an entry level bike and it shows). I ride what I ride because I like it, eat meat because it tastes good and read the books I read because I enjoy them. There are over 6 billion people in the world and if anyone gets snooty about my choices in life, there are plenty others who don’t and who are probably much better company anyway.

I am not above elitism (I have my own), but I find elitists laughable more often than not.

Alex
I am not above elitism (I have my own), but I find elitists laughable more often than not.

Well said.

as british subjects isn't our only allegiance to the queen?

she can kiss my brooks and be grateful for the opportunity.

I swear my allegiance only to God and to the Queen. :)

winston Riding fixed is not a subculture or an identity, you owe allegiance to no-one.
Couriers are no more authentic than you, all bikes are good.
Fixed wheel riding has been continually practised since the bicycle was invented and will continue long after this current trend has dwindled.
Most fixed wheel enthusiasts are not fakengers, but fakengers do exist.

can we get this printed up on the main page?

and automatically use it ever time this sort of thing is mentioned.

Yeah, like FAQs ever work..