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After viewing the site you posted I'm gobstopped....

A quick check in from Miami, America where lanes have a painted bike and signage saying said bike can use the whole lane! It works well as cars have to respect the nodder as well as the competent cyclist. Just having the signs makes one feel like the cars are reminded all the time that we have as much right as you.

I did not mean to hijack this thread so I will throw it back to the BIg luuve fest for the forum and a thanks to BMMF for taking the right meds to start it all!

We have not seen it yet but we are told that its not unusual to see a couple in their 90's at a dead stop in the middle lane arguing about where to go... They have something called "Silver Alert" on the major highway, an electronic sign warning that an "80 yr old Alzheimer's patient is lost, type of car and license #" - who the fuck gave them the keys?!?

It is a tropical trip! As someone said Miami is so nice because it is close to America... Lots of different languages and on the bike a very relaxed cool group at least the fixed crowd. Racer types (I can blend in on the weekend), not so much as the Latin macho thing sometimes gets in the way. But all in all bikies are good here.

Traffic for the most part is made to go 30 - 35 mph and so as a hard core city rider I find it friendlier than other faster cities in the US. Having said that the combination of Latino/Carribean/oldalmostdeadnortherners makes for some wildly creative/insane driving and you can't let your guard down.

I commute 3-4 days 20 miles round trip and sometimes I stretch it out because the climate and dead flat terrain make it fun to just keep going. Rain only makes for a nice warm change in the routine of sun! The only odd thing is that aside from a small fixie crowd there are very few who do commute but lots of weekend warriors, I mean lots and on the weekend the only bike friendly routes are filled with many groups.

From an Old St denizen for 5 years back in the day when I was pretty much alone on a bike on my commute from Fullham Rd it was a huge addition to my sad little life in Amerika to discover the forum.

Many thanks for all the shits and giggles and fond rememberances of London that you bring every time I check in. Like the priceless banter by all the inmates above, man-medicine, cuntitude, etc. Also Velocio IS genius, end.
If any Foremger get to Miami PM me and I will lend a fixie and take you out on the good rides, like the 305 Wednesday night Beers ride - dead flat, 22 degrees c and a great crowd of usually upwards of 100!

Sorry I couldn't open the link, my sister lives there so I can give her a heads up.

Which part of Hackney?

Dad? Mum?

Cog convocation

Missed the part about UK residents only... Will get my Hackney based sister to go in on it!

Have been following this from across the big pond and after initial thoughts of very cool but too far away I can't not try to get in on it, so I will give it a go at Seedrs and see if I can be a first adapter type on a global scale... don't know if it will work but here goes.

Good luck Velocio from day one on this forum you have impressed the bike shorts off me and I don't even swing like @Hippy.

Sorry, couldn't resist, so here's the serious answer... Stay calm, sit in between 4th and 8th place til the last lap then stay alert and get on any thing that look serious going by. Do not get stuck, get out before you get shut down but still on a wheel then jump with 50 meters left unless your very strong and you can go earlier. Good luck!

Early hooning is a common symptom of inexperienced bike racers and virginal young men so if you are older just do the last few laps like you would your partner and if you are young learn to delay the fun.

Nice one T.T.R.B. and Velocio, glad Haymarket crasher is on the mend!

If you have the time the Glass Flowers at the Harvard Peabody museum, they are 100 years old and mind blowing (the museum has other things worth seeinf also but do the flowers first).
The Maparium at the Christian Science Church main office building next to the mother church off Mass ave. near Copley Square. It is an 18 foot stain glass globe made in the 30's and is a mini wonder.

Sorry if this is too late, just saw your post.

This was 1 of the answers to "what is a fixed gear bike" question on the walmart description page for the bike - At 39 lbs. 11mph is about right!!

A: The wheels are linked to a subatomic inertia stimulation substrate, which means the wheels never actually stop turning. It is locked at 11Mph and in order to stop you must dismount and lift the bike off the ground. Remember to wear your helmet!

+1 Sounds like someone from this forum...?

Coffee out of nose, on keyboard. ++1, sorry if you can't type later...

My version of this ride was to go through the old Callahan tunnel in Boston (not Lincs.) on the track bike 25 years ago. Its about 3/4 of a mile and I drafted a truck and was so high on fumes at the toll booth that the cop who tried to stop me looked like mickey mouse and I was laughing hysterically as I dodged around him. The rest of the 25 mile ride was on shit highways, I was trying to get north asap and the bridge added 1 hour to the ride. It was a great experience and I may be the only one to have done it but like the above I wouldn't recomend it.

At 50 plus I think of life as to short to not make a challenge a thing of beauty but in my youth I too was drawn to the prosaic and had some great rides. So good on you for making it and telling us about it.

Riding the fixed makes
Me feel like my dog after he
has gone to get done

It looks really good but it still is big and I guess that is alright for you but i will still go with the little wheels - they do just fine and that is compared to some very expensive hardware some of my road mates ride.

As to building your own - definitely the way to go.

Clive I too have never met you but I sincerely appreciate the long drugged (I hope) description. One learns about the most interesting things in this forum - like what to expect the next time one falls off his bike.

Feel better and rest now so you ride faster later.

What's to stop me just cuttin a frame in half on the toptube and downtube and then adding a hinge on both? Couldn't that be viable? If all I want to do is convince the train people that I'm conforming to their standards.

Go for it - thats what those coupler things that screw together are for...

Its ok Hippy were not in the 70's any more.

I too did not know him but that Spring show/making art was way cool - to bad - RIP

The weight thing is not that big a deal either riding or carrying but if you use it a lot then it does get old and it is nice to make it as light as possible. On a day in the city I will make 5 - 8 stops folding and baging my bike and after 15 -25 miles I like that it is light.

If your just going and coming then it probably does not matter - although the small fold is nice on crowded trains... Good Luck. Give us an up date when you get on it.

P.S. a very light bag, even a dust bin bag will cancel out any questions about having to convince anyone about your right to the bike + train question.