Freestyle on fixed - I don't get it

Can someone who does it give me a pointer. What do people get out of doing freestyle on a relatively awkward framed, big wheeled bike that they wouldn't get out of a BMX. I have ridden BMXes for 30 years and go back to them now and again and I know one thing - if I want to do anything approaching tricks I would grab the BMX over the road/track bike any day.

Is it the additional challenge?
Is it the ability to actually ride the bike a distance in between tricks?
Is it because you look too grown up/large on a BMX?

Not trying to stir anything up, just interested.

They look cooler on Dray Walk.

I must say ive wondered this as well, in fact i have been considering trying to cobble together a BMX for the specific purpose of pissing about with tricks and stuff....the idea of trying to do tricks on my fixed baffles me....but then i do ride an old road conversion so the geometry is probably all wrong anyway...

Becasue its fun.

For the same reason I try to pull wheelies and trackstands on my beater, I always come a cropper, but I get bored just riding along sometimes.

Who cares how small a BMX looks in comparrison to the rider. Kids bikes FTW.

WHere's Paedobear?

WHere's Paedobear?

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OWZB3s_5kM"]YouTube
- Pedobear dance[/ame]

People says the same with BMX, the same with MTB, the same with Cyclocross...

admittedy a track specific frame doing trick is quite unheard of, but the fixed wheel ablitiy make for interesting trick that BMX usually can't do with freewheel.

People says the same with BMX, the same with MTB, the same with Cyclocross...

admittedy a track specific frame doing trick is quite unheard of, but the fixed wheel ablitiy make for interesting trick that BMX usually can't do with freewheel.
Bullshit.

People says the same with BMX, the same with MTB, the same with Cyclocross...

admittedy a track specific frame doing trick is quite unheard of, but the fixed wheel ablitiy make for interesting trick that BMX usually can't do with freewheel.

Wouldn't be impossible to put a fixed hub onto a BMX though would it? (although would make for some interesting riding without ability to sit at required height!)

Not sure how people could say the same about BMX or MTBs as they were designed for the purpose they are used for weren't they?

it's fun, little bit trickier than other forms to pull tricks

Bullshit.

Well summarised, and tricks on fixed/track specific bikes aren't exactly rare, you've been to trixiedix haven't you Ed?

Because they've never ridden bikes before fixed got cool and have yet to ride a bmx.

ha, yeah i've never seen an emo riding a bmx

Tricks on a bike? WTF?? Get a skateboard!

Not sure how people could say the same about BMX or MTBs as they were designed for the purpose they are used for weren't they?

I meant the evolutionary process, sorry should've made that clear, what I am saying is that the process in creating a bike to fit a purpose (MTB, BMX, etc.) always start with something that wasn't designed for certain task.

before MTB arrived, it was cruiser with big balloon tyres for instance, and the design as time go by evolved into the bike we see today.
Right now I think that's precisely what the fixed gear trick bike is now, we're already seeing the process of using track bike to perform trick, and that encourage people to create frame to do these task (look at the Volume Cutter for instance, the BMW, Charge, SuperTed's Vans bike etc.)

right now it look silly and pointless to some, but give it time and we'll have a bike that bridge the gap between BMX and MTB.

isn't it hard to believe that this bike tend to be used off road before MTB came? that's the point I´m making.

I meant the evolutionary process, sorry should've made that clear, what I am saying is that the process in creating a bike to fit a purpose (MTB, BMX, etc.) always start with something that wasn't designed for certain task.

before MTB arrived, it was cruiser with big balloon tyres for instance, and the design as time go by evolved into the bike we see today.
Right now I think that's precisely what the fixed gear trick bike is now, we're already seeing the process of using track bike to perform trick, and that encourage people to create frame to do these task (look at the Volume Cutter for instance, the BMW, Charge, SuperTed's Vans bike etc.)

right now it look silly and pointless to some, but give it time and we'll have a bike that bridge the gap between BMX and MTB.

Yep, got you now. I maybe just need to wait for the evolution but I think that would have to take a large directional change to come up with something between a BMX and an MTB from a road/track bike.
I personally like cruiser BMXs as they seem to fit the bill quite well. Can be ridden a good distance with seat up yet still agile enough to have fun on.

Precise and concise as always Ed;)

I think there's a difference. BMX evolved into what it is today because there really wasn't any bikes that were solely designed for the types of tricks bmxers wanted. Same with mountain bikes, they evolved into what they are because nothing else suited the purpose.

Well it is a bit of a "why do dogs lick their balls question" Kerley.

I don't do tricks or any of that stuff, but if I could, I would, whether I was out on my fixed wheel bike or on my BMX.
And if you can do something and it's fun, you may as well do it as often as possible.

Backwards circles?

Also, strictly speaking, I suppose the point of freestyle is the interaction between the person and the object. So long as you are talking about freestyle, rather than gnarly stuff, it doesn't really matter what you're using. You might as well ask people that juggle with clubs why they don't just use balls, which presumably are much more practical.

Also, I found lerning a couple of basic tricks ( trackstand and skids) really helps while riding on the road.

Also, I found lerning a couple of basic tricks ( trackstand and skids) really helps while riding on the road.
Trackstanding and skids are not tricks, they're some of the basics of riding a fixed wheel bike on the road.

That'd be the equivelent of claiming that pulling a brake lever or trickling some speed off using a coaster brake was a "trick". If you can't do it you shouldn't be riding a bike on the road as you are a danger to yourself (and more importantly others).