515 Crew

[@nonymous]

I honestly think there should be some sort of training and licensing program for bicyclists starting at age 14. This would give them knowledge of the rules of the road and the illegality (and stupidity) of riding bicycles on the sidewalk past age 14. There are obviously drawbacks to this sort of program, but I think everyone who rides a bike (or drives a car, for that matter) on the street should be well versed in the laws and know how to contribute to the safety of the roadway for himself and others.

training program? it's a bike. it's the city's responsibility to provide bike lanes. 95% of the roads don't even need expansion, they just need a painted line on them. drivers and cyclists would be exponentially safer if they had lines to stay inside.

you cannot compare riding a bike to driving a car. speed, maneuverability and visibility are infinitely different between the two. sure there are morons that ride bikes who make dangerous mistakes but people who drive cars need to be more aware of cyclists, plain and simple.

[joseph]

but people who drive cars need to be more aware of cyclists, plain and simple.

i think itd be more in the "cyclists" interest to become more aware of cars. i mean whos gonna win that game of chicken?

[robdigi]

Interesting how you put the correct english word for what you are trying to describe in quotation marks, like using that word is pretentious or something.


anyway,


it is in the best interest of both drivers and cyclists to look out for one another because injuring a cyclist is not going to be a fun thing for a driver, in the legal sense. you are driving a ridiculously large hunk of metal, it's your job to make sure it doesn't crush people. there is no entitlement to careless driving, even if you are following traffic law... you can't use "I had a green light" as an excuse to potentially kill someone.

[joseph]

Interesting how you put the correct english word for what you are trying to describe in quotation marks, like using that word is pretentious or something.


anyway,


it is in the best interest of both drivers and cyclists to look out for one another because injuring a cyclist is not going to be a fun thing for a driver, in the legal sense. you are driving a ridiculously large hunk of metal, it's your job to make sure it doesn't crush people. there is no entitlement to careless driving, even if you are following traffic law... you can't use "I had a green light" as an excuse to potentially kill someone.

yeah, youre right about my ""s. thats usually how cyclists and vegans and straight edge and metalheads talk about what they are. i wouldnt intentionally hit anyone on a bicycle just like i wouldnt intentionally hit another car.

[joseph]

http://www.kevincyr.net/index.php?/project/camper-bike/

[Thom]

Certainly not trying to re-invigorate an old argument, but I thought maybe since the bike lanes down ingersol are done(ish) we might have a chance to share some experiences.

To start, a friend recently sold me a frame and some parts and helped me make a fixed gear. It's not a track bike, but it's real lightweight and basic. I've been riding it without cages/straps or brakes. That's dumb as fuck, but the parts I ordered haven't come in yet and I just can't wait to ride it. I'll post some pictures if anyone wants to see it when it's done.

I rode the bike lane on ingersol the other day, and it was NICE. I rode fast, and didn't have to worry about trying to slide around parked cars. I wish all major streets in des moines were like this, and I hope they will be soon. My only concern was that cars park on the other side, and people have a tendency to just fling their doors open and jump out into the bike lane. People will eventually figure out this is a bad idea I hope.

Let's try and keep this thread positive!

[Nickyouredead]

Certainly not trying to re-invigorate an old argument, but I thought maybe since the bike lanes down ingersol are done(ish) we might have a chance to share some experiences.

To start, a friend recently sold me a frame and some parts and helped me make a fixed gear. It's not a track bike, but it's real lightweight and basic. I've been riding it without cages/straps or brakes. That's dumb as fuck, but the parts I ordered haven't come in yet and I just can't wait to ride it. I'll post some pictures if anyone wants to see it when it's done.

I rode the bike lane on ingersol the other day, and it was NICE. I rode fast, and didn't have to worry about trying to slide around parked cars. I wish all major streets in des moines were like this, and I hope they will be soon. My only concern was that cars park on the other side, and people have a tendency to just fling their doors open and jump out into the bike lane. People will eventually figure out this is a bad idea I hope.

Let's try and keep this thread positive!

Look Thom, you either ride a bike and don't pay taxes, or you drive a car and hate people that ride bikes. NO POSITIVITY.

[tylerjames515]

You will always need to be aware of getting doored Thom. Almost happened to me the other day when I was using Walnut's bike lane the other day and I almost ate shit. It's inevitable.

[tylerjames515]

also, this is my ride. single speed right now 'til I get some money to convert it.


Hit me up sometime, any of you.

[Thom]

Nice wheels dude!

Let's go out and ride soon! I've been riding just about every day for the last few weeks.

Are you (or anyone else) planning on doing Gears n' Grinds (may 23rd) or The Alley Cat Race (may 18th)?

I think I'm gonna do both.

[tylerjames515]

Tell me more about this alley kat thing, and I want to do Graham's ride, but of course I'm broke so I probably won't register and just do it anyway.

[ilikehorses]

i don't understand the reasoning behind single speed or fixed gear bikes. seriously. it just makes it that much harder to use your bike as a reasonable means of transportation. (though, let's face it, for a lot people using fixed gear bikes, their bikes are not a means of transportation)

i've been thinking about putting my money into a serious road bike and knocking off all this "cheap bike" stuff i've done for the past six years. i want a nice bike!

[Shane]

Dude, it's because they are super radical and alternative, DUH!

[El Rhino]

i don't understand the reasoning behind single speed or fixed gear bikes. seriously. it just makes it that much harder to use your bike as a reasonable means of transportation. (though, let's face it, for a lot people using fixed gear bikes, their bikes are not a means of transportation)

Mine is for recreational purposes only. There's nothing wrong with having a bicycle as a hobby only. Being as I live in the SE 14th corridor and do not have a death wish, there's no way I'm riding on the streets.

[Nickyouredead]

i don't understand the reasoning behind single speed or fixed gear bikes. seriously. it just makes it that much harder to use your bike as a reasonable means of transportation. (though, let's face it, for a lot people using fixed gear bikes, their bikes are not a means of transportation)

i've been thinking about putting my money into a serious road bike and knocking off all this "cheap bike" stuff i've done for the past six years. i want a nice bike!

I want to be able to feel a ride in my legs again without having to bike 60 miles a day so I am building a fixed gear. There is a lot of fun in completely customizing your bike. Plus, simple set up equals a simple repair if needed. If you can look past the trend of it (which is a big IF), I think you'll find that it isn't that crazy.

When I am done you can buy my road bike, it is nice.

[ilikehorses]

i don't understand the reasoning behind single speed or fixed gear bikes. seriously. it just makes it that much harder to use your bike as a reasonable means of transportation. (though, let's face it, for a lot people using fixed gear bikes, their bikes are not a means of transportation)

Mine is for recreational purposes only. There's nothing wrong with having a bicycle as a hobby only. Being as I live in the SE 14th corridor and do not have a death wish, there's no way I'm riding on the streets.

i agree, there is nothing wrong with that. in fact, i was thinking about also getting an old 3 speed to cruise around on. but as transportation goes, i can't see how someone could honestly get around without gears.
and a lot of the dudes with fixed / single speed bikes act like it's their main form of transportation. and i just cannot believe that.

[ilikehorses]

i don't understand the reasoning behind single speed or fixed gear bikes. seriously. it just makes it that much harder to use your bike as a reasonable means of transportation. (though, let's face it, for a lot people using fixed gear bikes, their bikes are not a means of transportation)

i've been thinking about putting my money into a serious road bike and knocking off all this "cheap bike" stuff i've done for the past six years. i want a nice bike!

I want to be able to feel a ride in my legs again without having to bike 60 miles a day so I am building a fixed gear. There is a lot of fun in completely customizing your bike. Plus, simple set up equals a simple repair if needed. If you can look past the trend of it (which is a big IF), I think you'll find that it isn't that crazy.

When I am done you can buy my road bike, it is nice.

no, building your own bike is totally rad. but fixed gears as transportation are (to me) such a bad idea! i even looked it up and saw that due to their no-brake trend, they can cause knee problems. again, as a recreation, maybe ok. but as transportation, i think gears are needed. but these are just my opinions. i really hope someone can enlighten me on fixed gears. i've never understood it!!

[joseph]

and i just cannot believe that.

why not? its just like riding a bmx bike when you were a kid, or an adult as ive seen lately.(im talking about gears not fixed)

[tylerjames515]

Definitely agree with Nick, fixed gears are popular because it's a trend. I have no idea why you'd ride around with no brakes (besides to do bar spins of course .) Completely fucking pointless and dangerous.

The reason I'm single speed now is my gears would cause my chain to slip and fall off and I had no idea how to fix it, I didn't want to spend the money on it either. So I took them off since I never used them in the first place anyway.

Ed, you should definitely check out Nick's bike. It's a keeper!

[tylerjames515]

also, this is straight from http://sheldonbrown.com/

"Singlespeed vs Fixed Gear

The one-speed revolution actually involves two different styles of bikes, singlespeeds and fixed gears. These are not the same thing, although they have much in common.

A fixed gear bike differs in that it does not permit coasting; when the bike is rolling, the pedals will turn, just as with a child's tricycle. To enjoy the one-speed experience to the max, a fixed gear is the best choice if you ride mostly on pavement. A fixed gear gives a degree of control and one-ness with the bike that is not equalled by a freewheeling bike.

This site also contains several articles dealing with Fixed Gear Bikes.

Fixed gear is not ideal for all circumstances, however. A fixed gear is not well suited for seriously hilly terrain, and, more importantly, is not good for technical mountain biking. A mountain biker in difficult terrain must be able to control when each pedal is down, to avoid striking a pedal on rocks, logs or other obstructions. Similarly, jumping over obstacles is much more difficult on a fixed gear. If your single gear is low enough for off-road climbing, it will be too low to spin on the descents.

You don't have to choose once and for all between fixed and freewheel, because the same bike can be both, if you use a reversable "flip-flop" hub.

Many cyclists interested in simplifying consider going to a singlespeed freewheel as a way to "test the waters" with the idea that if they turn out to like that, they might later convert to fixed gear.

This is generally the wrong way to approach it, in my opinion.

I STRONGLY recommend starting out with fixed gear. If it turns out to be a problem, you can easily convert to freewheel later if you want to...but my bet is you won't want to if you give fixed gear a good try (typically takes a couple of weeks of regular riding to get past the strangeness, but then it's quite addictive!)

Most folks who set up their bikes with a fixed/free flip flop wind up using the fixed gear side pretty much all of the time. The freewheel option is mainly useful for when you have taken a longer than usual ride, and need to get home even though you're all tuckered out. "

[Thom]

Ed, I can understand why you wouldn't get it. I didn't get it for a long time, and I talked a lot of shit to people who rode fixed. I was no where near as polite as you are being about it .

I went out and rode one once, and then decided I had to have one. They suck ass if you are going down or up a hill, at least for me right now because I've only been riding about two weeks.

They are FUN. They ride smooth, fast and comfortable. It seems like you would have to be working all the time, but you really don't feel that way after you've been riding a while. I really enjoy how basic the bicycle is.

Sure, there's lots of hipster bullshit, and maybe some people are riding dangerously and have no clue what they are doing, but if you have half a brain in your head they are super fun.

[inx515xhell]

i'm always shocked at how many fixie faggots there are here. wayyyyyyyyyy too many hills in boulder for them to be practical.

[robdigi]

First of all, Thom: you're going to fucking kill yourself. Riding without brakes is one thing, riding without clips or straps is suicidal. You said you were riding fast... that means you have absolutely no way of stopping. No matter how strong your legs are, you can't fight inertia with mere downward resistance. The only way to stop short without brakes is throwing the bike into a skid, or skipping your tire, neither of which are possible without proper foot retention.

Riding brakeless is stupid, for most people. Unless you have a shit-ton of practice and can effortlessly throw the bike into a fishtail, you need a brake. I removed my brake about a year ago because I -never- used it, it got in the way, snagged my clothing when carrying the bike and limited my hand positions. I taught myself pretty early on how to stop by skipping the tire or going into a sideways skid (hockey stop). Again, unless you can do this sort of thing without getting out of the saddle and leaning over your handlebars like a n00b, don't even think about it. I ride through downtown traffic daily, dodging pedestrians and taxi doors, and it hasn't been a problem. I've had to make plenty of emergency stops. In an emergency I wouldn't be able to stop any faster with a brake. Basically, I would never ever recommend it to anyone, but if you're well practiced, it's not a big deal. Keeping your bike maintained is also key here- tighten the chain EVERY day, and tune up/tighten everything at least once a week.


Riding a single speed or fixed gear long distances isn't that hard if you train regularly. It's not as easy as doing the same task with a geared road bike, and it's certainly not practical, but it's definitely do-able. Not as hard as one would think, especially if your bike is light. I ride a track bike 20 miles round trip to work whenever possible (3-4 times a week). Climbing this fucker each way:






Why? It's more fun. That's all. It's a different style of riding, it feels different. It can't really be explained much further without trying it yourself. I'm a lazy dude, if it were really that much work I wouldn't be doing it. It's not for everyone. In fact, I would gladly buy a geared road bike so I could go on 60+ mile rides (I top out at around 40 miles on my track bike before getting too worn out) but I can't afford one right now. I'd still use my track bike for commuting though, because it's dependable and more fun for a shorter ride.

[robdigi]

As for single speed, I would recommend it to everyone. It's practical in that there's nothing too complicated to fix by yourself if it breaks, you can choose an easy gear ratio so hills aren't a problem (this is a bad idea on a track/fixed gear bike because you would have to pedal extremely fast when going downhill) and the ability to coast means you don't have to go slow on the downhill. Everyone should have a beater single-speed conversion... it's a great cheap introduction to cycling. Buy an 80's road bike and strip it down. You can build a nice one for under $200.

[robdigi]

oh, and bike porn thread needs bike porn.

here she is, fresh for the spring:

[Churro]

Sorry this took so long. This is what I'm currently riding. It's pretty cheap and pretty heavy, but it does the job. It has a flipflop hub that I just switched over to fixed 2 nights ago. I figured I'd try it out for a while.

[Thom]

I've been riding it without cages/straps or brakes. That's dumb as fuck, but the parts I ordered haven't come in yet and I just can't wait to ride it.

I stated as much myself.

I'm sick of you dinosaurs talking shit. I tried to be friendly. This town is doomed and you assholes can't even see why.

[El Rhino]

How is Rob dooming this town from the NYC area???

[robdigi]

"Dumb as fuck" is not an adequate assessment of that situation.

If anything I'm more concerned with how far every dead brakeless n00b sets back the acceptance of fixed gear/track bike riding within the cycling world.

[tylerjames515]

So Rob, should I get pedals with straps? My bike is in the shop now getting converted to fixed. I've got brakes on the front and have been hearing you don't really need a rear brake riding fixed.