Fixie riders….

Been looking at them and trying to work out is it chicken or egg..?

All Fixie riders seem to wear the same gear, as in the retro peaked hat, jeans, same type of tops etc. Ok the same could be said of mtbers, but what we wear tends to be for function rather than fashion as, let’s be honest, it ain’t fashionable..

So do people who ride fixies ride them for fashion, to complete an image, or vice versa. I only ever see them in the city centre, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one out in the ‘burbs. And there is definitely no bicycle courier industry in Liverpool so it definitely isn’t that.

but what we wear tends to be for function rather than fashion

Methinks the lady doth protest too much.

At what point are baggy shorts anything but fashion?
They flap about.
They flap about when wet.
They flap about when it’s sunny.
They offer no protection from the cold.
They are an Americanised affectation, along with peaks on helmets and the whole ‘I’m a mountain biker don’t you know’ statement dressing.

…and don’t get me started on bloody Camelbaks and the interminable amount of crap that people think they have to transport all around the countryside…

but what we wear tends to be designed to disguise our massive unwieldy bulk rather than fashion

Whenever I’ve ridden my fixie I’ve worn baggie shorts and the STW favourite MP66’s, I look teh awesomez.

It’s just people having fun on bikes man. You get a few people who are actually couriers, a few people who are massive try-hards and everyone in the middle who just likes riding bikes with one gear and no freewheel. Some people ride with brakes, some without. Some wear lycra, some wear tight jeans and vests.

If you look at LFGSS, a lot of people who got into fixed gear in 2007 cos it was cool are now involved with road racing, CX, track racing, mtb and TT’ing. I started riding fixed gear cos it was ‘cool’, now I’m a member of a cycle club and race TTs and hillclimbs fixed. More people on bikes = good thing.

Regarding how people dress, it’s just group behaviour innit? People mimic the behaviour of others in their perceived group, which is why you wear baggies to MTB in rather than the far more practical lycra.

At what point are baggy shorts anything but fashion?

A layer of fabric thicker than lycra between my arse and the ground when it goes wrong – I’ll show you the lycra wearing scars if you want but it’s NSFW. I also have some permanent skin damage resulting in no skin feeling on both my outer quads. I’ll stick with baggies. That and they have pockets can be waterproof & windproof and are more comfortable and don’t tell everyone your religion.

…and don’t get me started on bloody Camelbaks and the interminable amount of crap that people think they have to transport all around the countryside…

Yep maybe we should all shove out spare tubes up our arse 🙂 If i’m going out I like to carry a tube or 2 (I don’t enjoy walking my bike home) a pump, probably some food and a tool. Throw in some food and maybe a jacket (weather can make you miserable) then thats a decent amount to carry. Why not throw it into a bag? I like to stay hydrated and drink a bit more water couple that with my bike doesn’t have bottle cages – and why should it? My dropper post is not compatible with a saddle bag.

whats next?

anyway don’t get me started with intolerant gits who feel the need to judge everyone else, if there is one thing I can’t stand it’s intolerance…..

Prob cos it’s mainly younger peeps riding them innit. Relatively new bike craze – all good no? When was the last time bikes were cool, MTB 1990?

Yeah you get the ‘all the gear’, someone who’s just bought a fixie off the shelf but so what? The MTB scene is FAR worse. I saw some guy on a MTB recently who looked like something out of a Mad Max film: All black, full face mask/goggles or whatever, camelback etc. Looked like he had just rode through a nuclear holocaust. Ridiculous.

Hi,

Used to ride my fixie every day for the whole year. Also all my longest road rides – including Cov to London and back – around 280miles in 23.5h non-stop – was done on fixie.

Don’t give a monkey about fashion, for me is just another bike.

Ride it hard 🙂

Cheers!
I.

All black, full face mask/goggles or whatever, camelback etc. Looked like he had just rode through a nuclear holocaust. Ridiculous.

His looks or that you decided that from seeing him that you didn’t like the way he dressed?
Full Face, fairly valid in plenty of places
Goggles, great idea for keeping stuff out of your eyes and fit better with a FF rather than glasses.

Au contraire. I actually thought he looked pretty cool. In a ‘future steampunk’ stylee. I just thought it a bit much for a suburban street. But then I guess he may have been on his way back from HELL.

fixies are a good way of removing hipsters from the gene pool.

I commute on mine and I don’t wear trendy clothes and I don’t have a beard.

I got fed up with mashing derraliurs and cassettes with everyday, all year commuting.

My fixed wheel is as about 6-7 years old and it still has the same chain and sprocket/chain ring. I have only changed tyres and brake pads and oiled the chain in many thousand miles of all weather commuting.

“My fixed wheel”
Thankyou.
Fixies are ridden by trednies with strange beards and skinny jeans etc.
Fixed wheels are ridden by cyclists who know how to ride through the winter and worship at the alter of Beryl Burton

I doubt if you’d even notice that I ride a fixed wheel unless you try to keep up with me down an easy descent. I don’t wear special “fixie” clothing.

Same clothing on my fixies as I wear on every other bikes.
Baggies, yep.
Don’t have a beard, no.
Do have brakes, yes.
Do ride offroad, yes.
It’s just another bike, yes.
Commute on fixie, yes.

It’s just part of the culture. Much the same as the culture around mountain biking and if you’re naive enough to think that mountain biking is just riding bikes with function over form –

I don’t ride a fixie but I still enjoy the culture that goes with it. It’s fun, it’s bikes, it’s harmless. Soak it up and stop being a judgemental and miserable sod.

Relatively new bike craze – all good no? When was the last time bikes were cool, MTB 1990?

Yup, that’s why I think they’re great. Bikes became cool to use in urban areas again. umop3pisdn sums it up really.

…and don’t get me started on bloody Camelbaks and the interminable amount of crap that people think they have to transport all around the countryside…

How times on here do you read people ripping into others for being unprepared? What kind of idiot goes for a ride without a tube/multitool/chain breaker/warm layer, etc?!

me me me! I ride a fixed wheel.
I ride it because it’s fun, it slows you down a bit (zen baby), because it hurts up hills and because they require little maintenance.
I do think some ‘fixie’ riders are pretty cool though.

‘Fixies’ may be a “relatively new bike craze” but people have been riding fixed gear bikes for decades and way before the MTB was created, or it was socially acceptable to wear your sisters jeans.

I prefer teens riding bmx’s without brakes than hipsters on fixies without them. They seem to be able to stop when needed, unlike the others. IME one of these groups is more likely to jump a red light and weave through pedestrians whilst riding too fast, ****s.

I ride a fixie… I do it because no manufacturer on earth can make components that can deal with the incredible torque my surprisingly skinny legs mash out…..

DrP

Confession time. I think I might fit all the criteria.

Live in London
Very skinny jeans
Silly haircut
Big lustrous beard
t-shirt with skulls on
Black hoodie with white drawstrings

But, what I don’t do is ride a ‘fixie’, it’s a track bike that gets ridden on the road and the track.

Fakenger FAIL, Huws 😉

I wear the same clothes when I ride my fixed as I do when riding any of my other bikes.

If I’m riding to/from work, I wear the clothes I’ll be wearing at work.

If I’m on a ‘proper’ ride, I wear bike clothes.

Fixed wheels are ridden by cyclists who know how to ride through the winter and worship at the alter of Beryl Burton

The old boy at the end of my street has the fixed wheel bike he raced and rode all over Yorkshire in the 50s/60s hanging up in his garage.

My commuting bike is a fixed gear. Bought a Genesis flyer second hand and absolutely love it. Bought it partly because I wanted to be different (Lowestoft is a bit behind the fashions) but mainly because I ride single speed bikes whenever I’m at the in laws in Serbia. It’s nice just to pedal and relax

At what point are baggy shorts anything but fashion?
They flap about.
They flap about when wet.
They flap about when it’s sunny.
They offer no protection from the cold.
They are an Americanised affectation, along with peaks on helmets and the whole ‘I’m a mountain biker don’t you know’ statement dressing.

I disagree, I always wear baggy shorts over my lycra. It’s not a fashion statement, I just don’t like people seeing the outline of my penis.

I commute fixed, then mtb at the weekend. Fixed gear bike is light and less to go wrong, and I do ride with a brake. Just like riding bikes really.

Awe not this again.. 🙄

It’s a bike, it’s use is getting from A-B and the rider needs to feel comfortable.

😉

All Fixie ridersHipsters seem to wear the same gear,

Its just fashionable in their circles to ride a fixed gear bike.

Cyclists who ride fixed gear bike IMHO just wear cycling gear.

Fixed commuter here. I just wear normal roadie type lycra though. I’m too old to be cool now…

Hipsters and fakengers are scum, but the bikes are just part of the outfit. It’s not about the bikes its about pretending its about the bikes.

there are a fair few bicycle couriers/companies in liverpool btw – though they will mostly be wearing something more comfortable than jeans.

Hipsters and fakengers are scum

That seems a little harsh, did one steal your girlfriend?

I just don’t like people seeing the outline of my penis.

Afraid that you don’t quite measure up?

they have a reinforced crotch to cope with the extreme gnar and resulting arousal

Doesnt bother me what people wear on their fixies. As long as you haven’t got a set of those narrow flat bars on it.