No fixies in Beijing

Beijing as China’s undisputed Hipster capital of China is in shock this week as China’s Boy’s in Blue are issuing a crack down on fixed gear bikes that are sans brakes. In recent months there has been a spate of accidents by brakeless fixed gear bike riders which have ended in the rider leaving the mortal coil for the great bike ride in the sky, now it seems GuLou district in Beijing are cracking down on riders who are without brakes and handing out 500RMB fines, at least according to the AntHill website in English

The anthill

I don’t generally post news on the Anthill, as it’s designed for narrative writing and there are too many China news aggregators anyway. But this is breaking news I discovered myself and have to share: the municipal authorities for the Gulou area of central Beijing have, as of midnight last night, made riding fixed gear bicycles in the area against the law.

I found this out last night when out on the town with a friend who was wheeling his fixie down Guloudongdajie. A policeman stopped us, inspected the front of my friend’s bike, then shook his head and said we were to come with him. At the police station on Baochao hutong, he pointed out a notice plastered outside, outlining the new regulation.

We couldn’t believe our eyes. Fixies have been made illegal due to “safety concerns”, and there is a 500 RMB fine for riding one in the Dongcheng district. We badgered the policeman for more information, and he (grudgingly) fetched someone else who told us that fixies were not safe (“???”) because of their simpler mechanism with no gears and no brakes.

This is patently ridiculous for so many reasons. For starters, it’s only a certain kind of fixed gear bike that doesn’t have brakes. But that’s beside the point. If you’re going to pass a law to protect cyclers, make it mandatory to wear a bloody helmet and have bike lights. It’s like addressing food safety concerns by outlawing eating while walking down the street.

Frankly, this seems directed at the expat population. Fixed gear bicycles are popular in this area of Beijing, and mostly among foreigners. There’s a store on Wudaoying hutong which specialises in them. Poor guys, I guess they’ll be “asked to tea”. What will Beijing’s hipsters be reduced to? Are they going to outlaw Fei Yue trainers next? Or maybe brunch?

I asked the policeman if there was anywhere else this regulation was in force. Yes, he said. The French concession in Shanghai. Worse and worse. Can anyone in Shanghai confirm this?

I think having brakes and being able to stop your bike is probably more important than wearing a helmet, and lights are only needed at night.

Don't get it, what is illegal? Brklzz ridin or fixed gear in general?

soon ............... 1 billion fixies for salez on ebay

So, it's nothing to do with "no fixies", it's brakless they are after.

Now I have a Katie Melua earworm. Thanks a lot.

soon ............... 1 billion fixies for salez on ebay

9 million surely

It seems like the Beijing Constabulary are being entirely sensible. They were only prompted by a spate of accidents, and are only taking action against brakeless bikes. And its only a fine.

True Hipsters can afford the 50gn Tax, for everyone else there is brakes.

Do people still go around on bikes without brakes? Thought that was just a fad from a few years ago.

It seems like the Beijing Constabulary are being entirely sensible.

^This.

Do people still go around on bikes without brakes?

Believe it or not, some will still maintain it's actually 'safer' that way...

Donuts!

.

Believe it or not, some will still maintain it's actually 'safer' that way...

The latest issue of FIXED apparently made a fuss about that, "reading" traffic and what-not in their safety paragraph.

Do people still go around on bikes without brakes? Thought that was just a fad from a few years ago.

Well the idea, or at least the 'proper' idea, is riding 100% pure track racing bikes on the streets. But I imagine most people who ride 'brakless' are not in fact doing this. Anyway, brakless thread>>>>>>>

Well the idea, or at least the 'proper' idea, is riding 100% pure track racing bikes on the streets. But I imagine most people who ride 'brakless' are not in fact doing this. Anyway, brakless thread>>>>>>>

I dont think tubs would combine well with brklss street riding.

Yeah. It's not the most amazingly well thought-out ultra sensible idea, but it has a certain charm.

Interesting article...

Same story here in Japan... but to be fair it is pretty dangerous on the roads around where I live and a shit ton of mountains, so I'm not too bothered.

Also walking and eating/smoking is frowned upon here :s