An alarming new commuting fashion?..

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GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
... single speed (okay nothing new there) without brakes! A fixie without brakes is one thing, granted it's a little stupid but at least you have some braking ability. Today I counted 5 people free wheelling down hill without brakes, one at fairly quick pace going down Castle Hill, of course he jumped the red light at the crossroads. :wacko:
 

XmisterIS

Purveyor of fine nonsense
Brakes are just so last season, dahling.
 

Beebo

Firm and Fruity
Location
Hexleybeef
There is a significant minority of cyclists who think that brakes and gears are an unnecessary luxury.

The fakenger look is all the rage in East London.

My issue is that as stopping and starting appears so hard they tend to keep moving at all costs. They creep at traffic lights and junctions, when they set off they wobble all over the place before getting up to decent speed.

There is a place for fixed cycling but central London in rush hour is not it. It puts them and other road users at more risk.
 

crumpetman

Well-Known Member
I have seen some BMX bikes with no brakes (not sure what the advantage is there) but not bikes used on the road! It's insane, I do not understand how they expect to get anywhere without crashing.
 

Tynan

Veteran
Location
e4
how do they stop?

after all, there's a lot of call for it in London traffic judging by the rims and brake blocks I get through
 

martint235

Dog on a bike
Location
Welling
What does fakenger mean?

I watched a fixie guy this morning who didn't know how to trackstand (I can do better on my road bike) fortunately for him he managed to wobble away eventually, unfortunate for the guy on a hybrid that he knocked off whilst wobbling. The hybrid guy didn't hit the floor but he had to unclip amazingly quickly. If I'd have been him, there would have been swearing!!!
 

Beebo

Firm and Fruity
Location
Hexleybeef
What does fakenger mean?


From the Urban Dictionary.
Fakenger
A bike riding poseur who dresses in messenger gear and rides a fixed gear but is not a messenger. They can be found in most major cities, ie Portland, S.F.That fakenger thinks he's hot shoot, but all he does is ride around all day being a jackass.
 

tyred

Legendary Member
Location
Ireland
I think Henry Ford once tell someone who complained about the brakes on his Model T that "brakes are only for people who want to stop" :smile:
 

Jezston

Über Member
Location
London
... single speed (okay nothing new there) without brakes! A fixie without brakes is one thing, granted it's a little stupid but at least you have some braking ability. Today I counted 5 people free wheelling down hill without brakes, one at fairly quick pace going down Castle Hill, of course he jumped the red light at the crossroads. :wacko:

You sure about this? How did you know they had no brakes?
 

Matthames

Über Member
Location
East Sussex
I have seen some BMX bikes with no brakes (not sure what the advantage is there) but not bikes used on the road! It's insane, I do not understand how they expect to get anywhere without crashing.

The advantage of not having brakes on BMX bike is that it allows the rider to do more tricks by being able to rotate the handlebars a full 360. Useful on a half pipe, but useless on the roads.

As for stopping, they use their feet by jamming it on the wheel.
 

Rob3rt

Man or Moose!
Location
Manchester
There is a place for fixed cycling but central London in rush hour is not it. It puts them and other road users at more risk.

That is utter bollocks!

There is nothing whatsoever wrong with riding a fixed wheel bike in London, it is no more dangerous than any other form of cycling in a busy city.

The problem is no brakes and unpractical componentry such as super narrow handlebars which dont afford adequite control.
 
That is utter bollocks!

There is nothing whatsoever wrong with riding a fixed wheel bike in London, it is no more dangerous than any other form of cycling in a busy city.

The problem is no brakes and unpractical componentry such as super narrow handlebars which dont afford adequite control.

Or riders who do not know how to pilot the type of machine they ride.

It's at least 15 years since I rode fixed (on a quiet commute around back roads), I wouldn't dream of jumping straight back on one and trying to commute through the city centre

Also I wouldn't dream of not having a front brake (although I didn't on the old one, I did a lot of things 15 years ago that I wouldn't do now!)
 

Rob3rt

Man or Moose!
Location
Manchester
Or riders who do not know how to pilot the type of machine they ride.

It's at least 15 years since I rode fixed (on a quiet commute around back roads), I wouldn't dream of jumping straight back on one and trying to commute through the city centre

Also I wouldn't dream of not having a front brake (although I didn't on the old one, I did a lot of things 15 years ago that I wouldn't do now!)

That applies to any bike.

Also your decision on how to proceed doesnt neccesarily reflect the suitability of fixed wheel bikes for the purpose of commuting, it reflects only on you and your confidence in operating such a machine.
 

4F

Active member of Helmets Are Sh*t Lobby
Location
Suffolk.
That is utter bollocks!

There is nothing whatsoever wrong with riding a fixed wheel bike in London, it is no more dangerous than any other form of cycling in a busy city.

The problem is no brakes and unpractical componentry such as super narrow handlebars which dont afford adequite control.

Well said and I agree totally. Fixed is fine in any busy environment but riding without brakes is like riding without your brain whichever type of bike you ride.
 
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