bikes

deviant · Post by **deviant** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:34 pm

how many people here actually ride fixed gear? (apart from huhuhuge)

nic · Post by **nic** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:56 am

aroes does

CoB · Post by **CoB** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:15 am

deviant wrote:how many people here actually ride fixed gear? (apart from huhuhuge)

i ride a single speed, not fixed gear... well, it can spin freely.
i am not entirely insane.

well, i only rode it a couple times so far (it is new[to me])
yesterday i rode from my brothers house back home and i was so wrecked after the ride i vomited.

will take a photo of it maybe

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:09 am

deviant wrote:how many people here actually ride fixed gear? (apart from huhuhuge)

Hell no.

Forsaking developments in gears and brakes just to look cool.... I'll leave that for others...

deviant · Post by **deviant** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:19 am

only a matter of time wasn't it.

as if free/fixed makes you look any different, apart from the fact your legs keep moving all the time.

deviant · Post by **deviant** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:20 am

In other news... I got a flat tire on the way to work today

Feigan · Post by **Feigan** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:28 am

damn.

where you packing a tube?

deviant · Post by **deviant** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:38 am

was in my other bag :-/

DBoy · Post by **DBoy** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:36 am

anyone interested in a melbourne beats team for this
www.justcycle.com.au

Great cause. They run music and art programs for youth - so it fits the Melbourne Beats world too.

Anyone?

Feigan · Post by **Feigan** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:26 pm

the 120km looks awesome.

Donna Buang would be a MONSTER!!!!

1600mtr elevation @ 6.5%

I did a 150Mtrs at 7% the other day and almost passed out.

DBoy · Post by **DBoy** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:30 pm

Know any riders in Melbs mate? Would be great to get them in this.

Feigan · Post by **Feigan** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:38 pm

Just emailed it to my dad.

wll fwd it to another couple of guys aswell.

Get Spiesy on to it - he's back on the bike and Eric Ryan just bought a new bike too

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:48 pm

deviant wrote: only a matter of time wasn't it.

as if free/fixed makes you look any different, apart from the fact your legs keep moving all the time.

It is a trend mate. Nothing less.

Fixies (aka track bikes) aren't exactly new. And yes, I reckon they do look heaps different - I think that's the point.

Feigan · Post by **Feigan** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:08 pm

Direkt wrote:
deviant wrote: only a matter of time wasn't it.

as if free/fixed makes you look any different, apart from the fact your legs keep moving all the time.
It is a trend mate. Nothing less.

Fixies (aka track bikes) aren't exactly new. And yes, I reckon they do look heaps different - I think that's the point.

Agree with spies - expensive fashion accessory for Hipsters

how's your moustache?

:Teef:

deviant · Post by **deviant** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:25 pm

Direkt wrote:It is a trend mate. Nothing less.

Just like wearing lycra?

DBoy · Post by **DBoy** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:39 pm

Feigan wrote:Just emailed it to my dad.

wll fwd it to another couple of guys aswell.

Get Spiesy on to it - he's back on the bike and Eric Ryan just bought a new bike too

Thanks mate!

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 2:05 pm

deviant wrote:
Direkt wrote:It is a trend mate. Nothing less.
Just like wearing lycra?

I certainly hope not!

deviant · Post by **deviant** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 2:45 pm

Henri Desgrange, (L'Équipe article of 1902) wrote:I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five.
Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer?
We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!

trend

aroes · Post by **aroes** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 2:53 pm

DBoy wrote:anyone interested in a melbourne beats team for this
http://www.justcycle.com.au

Great cause. They run music and art programs for youth - so it fits the Melbourne Beats world too.

Anyone?

I'd be keen as, but alas I highly doubt I'd be ready in time what with broken leg woes

Always next year I guess

Direkt wrote: It is a trend mate. Nothing less.

No doubt riding fixed has become trendy, but to say that everyone who does it is showponying is a bit rich imo. Not all that long ago I was of the opinion that all fixie riders were poseurs (see hipser bashing threadlol) but after doing a bit of research I've changed my tune. There are a shitload of people who ride fixed for perfectly valid reasons who live and breathe cycling. Sure there are the wannabes who spend umpteen thousand dollars on vintage Italian frames and Aerospoke wheels in order to get the perfect look, only to find that if it's raining or they have to ride up a hill they magically transform into girly men and stay at home smoking bongs. But on the other side of the coin there are people who personify the fixed ethos, throwing together a bike by whatever means possible and riding way harder than you or I probably ever could.

Any 'scene' has wankers. Ever ridden down Beach Rd on a Sunday? Epic lolz a plenty. After 5 minutes you'll lose count of the amount of fucktards you'll see on $8000 Colnagos with matching team kit and shaved legs, who struggle to shift up from the small ring riding on the flat with a tail wind

Riding fixed on public roads isn't my thing, but to those who do it with passion on their own terms, good on you

nic wrote:aroes does

lol

Post by **system** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 3:00 pm

can anyone recommend a shop with good, cheap single speed bikes? don't really want to blow over a grand on a 'secondary' bike.

aroes · Post by **aroes** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 3:02 pm

oh and back on the topic of the ride dboy posted, here's a comprehensive rundown of donna buang on climbingcyclist.com.....awesome site http://theclimbingcyclist.com/climbs/ya ... nna-buang/

by the looks of it not the hardest climb in vic, but in saying that, you'd def want to get some serious kms into your legs and train on some big long hills before attempting it

Post by **huge** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 3:03 pm

i started riding fixed cos i didn't have the tool to put the freewheel on. for me there is no need for any more than one gear so why bother with them? you would be surprised at the number of the completely opposite to hipsters people that come in to the shop and want to buy a bike from me*. sure a lot of them are impressed by how the bikes look, but they are mostly interested in them for their simplicity and efficiency.

* all the bikes we've sold have been freewheel

Post by **huge** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 3:03 pm

system wrote:can anyone recommend a shop with good, cheap single speed bikes? don't really want to blow over a grand on a 'secondary' bike.

can do for under a grand

CoB · Post by **CoB** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 3:10 pm

fixies make good training bikes for ppl who are cycling seriously.
ppl that claim to be "cyclists" that get around in groups wearing lycra and acting like fags with their expensive as shit "pro" bikes don't really put much effort into it cos the bike does all the work.
then they say they do it for exercise, and say people who ride fixies are posers.
but surely that is more posering, because .. oh, because why aroes said lol

there is a site where u get to customise the colour of most things without changing much about the bike for $500.
forgot the name of it.

ps. bike junkyards are popping up all over brisbane.
crazy times

EDIT: i am not one of the people described in my post, i just wanted a bike to go to the shops with.

aroes · Post by **aroes** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 3:23 pm

CoB wrote: "cyclists" that get around in groups wearing lycra and acting like fags with their expensive as shit "pro" bikes don't really put much effort into it cos the bike does all the work.

Not sure I agree with this statement. Sure expensive bikes are lighter, but there's no such thing as a bike that "does all the work". Climbing a big hill at a decent pace is fucking hard no matter what bike you ride

I'm all for spending heaps on a carbon fibre bike with a computer and shaving your legs and wearing lycra and all that stuff, but if you're gonna put that much effort into having the right gear, you need the skills to back it up. Cyclists with no balls will endlessly blow their own trumpets on the basis of how expensive their equipment is, but get them out on the road and they'll get dropped by a seventy year old on a bike looks like a pre war relic

CoB · Post by **CoB** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 3:29 pm

well, the bike does MORE of the work

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 3:52 pm

CoB wrote:fixies make good training bikes for ppl who are cycling seriously.
ppl that claim to be "cyclists" that get around in groups wearing lycra and acting like fags with their expensive as shit "pro" bikes don't really put much effort into it cos the bike does all the work.

The bike makes it easier, so you can go faster - but a real cyclist who is after either fitness or competitive gains still puts in the same amount of work regardless. He's just getting more effective and efficient results.

How's your cadence going up a hill on your fixie?

Your argument is akin to saying all runners should run in thongs cause it makes it harder. Or swim in a 3-piece suit perhaps.

Acting like fags? Dude.... are you 10?

Post by **huge** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 3:57 pm

what's cadence got to do with anything?

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:02 pm

huge wrote:what's cadence got to do with anything?

Heaps dude.

There's an optimum cadence for cycling. All pro cyclists have a rather high cadence, as they believe 90rpm or thereabouts* on a lower gear is going to produce less strain on the muscles compared to pushing a big gear at say 70rpm for the same speed.

Mind you, I'm trying to recall numbers from when I used to ride seriously over 10 years ago...

Pushing a big gear up a hill is going to result in more fatigue, or perhaps not even climbing that hill at all. Gears do serve a purpose, they're not just there to add weight to the bike.

aroes · Post by **aroes** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:10 pm

haha this argument isn't gonna end soon

def hear what you're sying re: cadence direkt, but sometimes it's not about optimum wattage, it's just about getting to the top

http://vimeo.com/13001350

for those that don't know, mt ventoux is one of the tour de france's most brutal climbs

Post by **huge** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:17 pm

i pretty much roll everywhere i ride so i don't give a hoot about cadence.

CoB · Post by **CoB** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:21 pm

hahaha

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:22 pm

Aaah.... that's how you roll, I guess...

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:23 pm

aroes wrote:haha this argument isn't gonna end soon

def hear what you're sying re: cadence direkt, but sometimes it's not about optimum wattage, it's just about getting to the top

http://vimeo.com/13001350

for those that don't know, mt ventoux is one of the tour de france's most brutal climbs

PS: wattage and cadence are two different beasts...

aroes · Post by **aroes** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:24 pm

facepalm

deviant · Post by **deviant** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:28 pm

Direkt: I don't want to get into a massive debate here, because clearly your mind is closed to the idea.... but this is a good read about why people would want to ride a fixie..

http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html

edit: haha, looks like it already started.

CoB · Post by **CoB** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:32 pm

maybe i should just admit that i like the fact there are no wires going through the bike?
hehehe
ps. skid brakes ftmfw

deviant · Post by **deviant** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:33 pm

Direkt wrote:Acting like fags? Dude.... are you 10?

LOL, and your argument has been so mature.

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:40 pm

How have I been immature?

I think it's a trend. Sorry if I don't follow your logic Champ.

Lizkins · Post by **Lizkins** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:42 pm

gets popcorn

no wait, this is an argument about bikes. puts popcorn away and walks off

kidding

carry on

deviant · Post by **deviant** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:55 pm

Direkt wrote:How have I been immature?

I think it's a trend. Sorry if I don't follow your logic Champ.

Massively sweeping statements, huge generalisations, being patronising (champ), etc etc/../ would you like me to continue?

retzie · Post by **retzie** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:01 pm

Farken...

There is clearly a fixie trend happening at the moment, but I don't think everyone who rides fixed should be tarred with the same brush. There are many people who always have, and always will, ride fixed because it suits their needs/allows them to commune with their bike/they are a bike mechanic/etc.

So even aside from the fact that a lot of people aren't in it for the fashion at all, who the fuck cares about the people who are?? If people want to jump on a harmless bandwagon, good on 'em. I've probably had a chuckle at the hipsters and fat lycra road warriors in equal measure, all the while being the retard doing a road ride on a mountain bike. Each to their own, innit.

ladysummer · Post by **ladysummer** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:01 pm

deviant wrote:Direkt: I don't want to get into a massive debate here, because clearly your mind is closed to the idea.... but this is a good read about why people would want to ride a fixie..

http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html

edit: haha, looks like it already started.

My "Panache" is a plastic eagle which probably began life at the top of a small flag pole. It is a road find. It is held on to my old Bell Image by a plastic zip tie.
This is a marvelous conversation piece, and has broken the ice on a great many contacts with strangers. Someone on the 'net once said he thought it was cool, but that he could never do something like that, 'cause he still cared what people thought of him. Well, I too care what people think of me! I hope people will think that I am:

Independent minded.
Original.
A person with a sense of humor.
Somebody who doesn't take himself too seriously.
I believe that Igor conveys these attitudes as well as any clothing accessory could.

Well he looks like a reasonable fellow.

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:05 pm

deviant wrote:
Direkt wrote:How have I been immature?

I think it's a trend. Sorry if I don't follow your logic Champ.
Massively sweeping statements, huge generalisations, being patronising (champ), etc etc/../ would you like me to continue?

I wasn't being patronising. How do you know my intent from a web post?

A generalisation (which is kind of the same thing as a sweeping statement) isn't immature like calling groups a of people "fags" in my book. But hey, what do I know?

Tell me fixed gear hasn't been an emerging trend for the past 5-years or so in Melbourne? Fairly decent generalisation in my book... I haven't seen Tour de France riders adopting it recently, so I dare say it's not the most effective or efficient way to ride. So yeah, I think it's a trend that flies in the face of logic - but so what, It's only my opinion. If riding a fixed gear bike does wonders for you - more power to you.

aroes · Post by **aroes** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:25 pm

Direkt wrote: Tell me fixed gear hasn't been an emerging trend for the past 5-years or so in Melbourne?

It definitely has dude, nobody's doubting that

Direkt wrote: I haven't seen Tour de France riders adopting it recently, so I dare say it's not the most effective or efficient way to ride.

Not in a stage race no, but I'd bet good money that a heap of them train on a fixed wheel. Also pretty sure Stuart O'Grady won a Tour de France time trial on a fixed gear bike

On the bright side, at least we're arguing about bikes and not religion or politics. Nothing wrong with a bit of healthy debate

FoundationStepper · Post by **FoundationStepper** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:27 pm

fixies are all the rage in beijing:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eliot_lari ... 528943415/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eliot_lari ... 528943415/

freaking hipsters everywhere with their modded (rust) coloured chains and bikes. even the old men and ladies are in on it. sheesh

but if we follow the trend over here we may end up with these beasties:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eliot_lari ... 528943415/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eliot_lari ... 528943415/

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:31 pm

aroes wrote:
Direkt wrote: Tell me fixed gear hasn't been an emerging trend for the past 5-years or so in Melbourne?
It definitely has dude, nobody's doubting that

Direkt wrote: I haven't seen Tour de France riders adopting it recently, so I dare say it's not the most effective or efficient way to ride.
Not in a stage race no, but I'd bet good money that a heap of them train on a fixed wheel. Also pretty sure Stuart O'Grady won a Tour de France time trial on a fixed gear bike

On the bright side, at least we're arguing about bikes and not religion or politics. Nothing wrong with a bit of healthy debate

Nicely put.

Serious about that Stuart O'Grady call? Seems odd... must investigate.

aroes · Post by **aroes** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:35 pm

just investigated.....not sure about the tour de france but he definitely rode one in the giro d'italia

he felt that it gave him an advantage, so wilier built him a custom bike

if anyone knows, he does.....man's got the results to prove it on the road AND track

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:37 pm

aroes wrote: Not in a stage race no, but I'd bet good money that a heap of them train on a fixed wheel. Also pretty sure Stuart O'Grady won a Tour de France time trial on a fixed gear bike

All I could find was this reference:
http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/200 ... ?id=wilier

1.15km prologue @ Giro d'Italia. Straight and flat course.

Fuck that's a short race!

Feigan · Post by **Feigan** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:46 pm

Direkt wrote:
huge wrote:what's cadence got to do with anything?
Heaps dude.

There's an optimum cadence for cycling. All pro cyclists have a rather high cadence, as they believe 90rpm or thereabouts* on a lower gear is going to produce less strain on the muscles compared to pushing a big gear at say 70rpm for the same speed.

Mind you, I'm trying to recall numbers from when I used to ride seriously over 10 years ago...

Pushing a big gear up a hill is going to result in more fatigue, or perhaps not even climbing that hill at all. Gears do serve a purpose, they're not just there to add weight to the bike.

80rpm - 120rpm I think is the range.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadence_(cycling)