I’d love to see a decent singlespeed commuter bike with a nice comfy position, fenders, rack, rear-wheel lock and dynamo lights with the sort of cheerful colourscheme and styling of the fixed gear bikes being mass-marketed for about £200-250. I don’t object to the cheapness of that thing, just to its raging impracticality as a bike for being normal on or near.

🙂

If they’re riding something I’m happy enough for them. I don’t know how genuine it really is, but I’ve been out in Soho a couple of times in the last year and seen groups of attractive young people trundling around from one bar to another on bicycles. That’s cheering.

I feel a bit sorry for all the people who actually ride on the track like ourmaninthenotth as the good bike prices are being driven up by fashion w*nk.

I too have seen many of those unipack things at my bike shop job [never knew they were referred to as that] break down and had to help people who have no idea about bikes. Crap hubs, chains, headests, bbs, pedals… wow that is all the mechanical bits.

I ride a Brompton in town. Actually, I ride a Brompton more than any of my other bikes. Much more sensible. 😀

No no – Bromptons certainly are cool. Had a spin on one that a bloke down the pub had arrived on – was a hoot to ride. Mind you, I was in an advanced state of refreshment at the time, so probably anything would have been fun to ride.

Those ones with the red wheels are ten a penny in London. Usually ridden pretty badly or used as kind of walking accessory.

Eugh.

[hurt voice] my Brompton is cool[/hurt voice]

I’m going to have to get me a fixed (note, not “fixie” – I’m 32 and can’t go round pretending to be young and cool) for the road, but it also needs to have the practicality espoused by BD.

I love fixed on the track – mind you, riding on the track is addictive – and can’t see why fixed on the road wouldn’t be ideal. It would certainly get around my unwillingness to do any maintenance on my commuter.

And, although I appear to favour practicality, there is something still rather cool about young people, on bikes, chilling out in bars. Why is it excessively frashionale over here, but riding a bike to a nightclub in Amsterdam is a perfectly normal activity?

Seen that – the Solo it’s called. Looks ideal. Just not sure how I can get that, a cross bike and the Xtracycle conversion kit on a £1000 cyclscheme voucher…. 😯