On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 07:47:09 -0800, David Oswald <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > This is an off-topic question, but does that bike have any brakes or > gears? How does one stop?
(everyone who's already heard the "fix gear love-in" may tune out and delete; we have a "newbie" here...) Sorry, David, I know you're not really a newbie, but you've not been here long enough to know that I love fixed gear bikes, especially track bikes. So, since you asked, you have to sit through this. Take notes, there'll be a short quiz afterwards. <vbg> Track Bikes 101: Here's my bike: http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2870605 Neither of those people are me, but the Rossin is my bike. It's what they use on velodromes, like in the Olympics. One gear, no freewheel (so you can't coast) and no brakes. Brakes, gears, changers, all that stuff has mass. Take 'em off, and you have a lighter bike. Fine, you say, makes sense on a track, isn't it insane to ride that way on the street? Well, no, not really. One can stop easier than one thinks, using just your legs to slow down the pedals. Really. Once you know that your stopping distances are a bit longer, you ride accordingly, and change your reflex from "brake!" to "turn!" - you're always aware of an "out", just like blading. What's the advantage on the street? Simplicity of mainenance, ease of repair, quick acceleration. That's why lots of couriers use them. If you go back to the pic, the bike peeking into the frame on the right has front brakes, and I would advise anyone riding a fix gear bike for the first time to run front brakes (or both front and back) for minimum one year before going brakeless. Here's my friend Vivian, not a courier, and accountant who couriered to put herself through school: http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2815736 A better view of a track bike with a front brake. And, here's another view of my bike, just 'cause I think it's so pretty (even though you can't really see the drivetrain): http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2938717&size=lg So, there you have it. Some (apparently, like Mr. Loveless <vbg>) think it rather dangerous to ride fixes in town. I would beg to differ, if only because I've ridden a track bike now for about 8 years, some 6 years brakeless, as a courier in Toronto. I've ridden road bikes, mountain bikes and track bikes in town, and none is inherently more or less dangerous than another; knowing the limits of both rider and machine is what's important. There. Aren't you glad you asked? <vbg> cheers, frank PS: There's not really a quiz now, I just said that to get you to pay attention. <LOL> -- "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson
