Comments on: Darn Fixies!

By: james

james — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 15:37:23 +0000

here in austin texas there is a big bike culture, i would say though that the fixie bikers are just the same. we all stay mostly in the bike lane and follow traffic laws.

By: Bi Hipster Tight Pants

Bi Hipster Tight Pants — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 07:09:47 +0000

Hipster: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hipster

Every time I see one of those dolts it makes me want to punch a baby.

By: Devon

Devon — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 21:51:41 +0000

I ride a fixed gear to deliver legal documents all over downtown Sacramento. I cut corners, run lights and stop signs and ride against traffic when I have to but I’m considerate of the fact that cyclists generally make motorists nervous and I don’t do any of the things I mentioned if it inconveniences anyone or puts them in danger. I have to do these things to maintain efficiency otherwise I might as well be driving a car to make deliveries. What I find unnecessary is the myriad of kids on fixies causing problems in traffic for no other reason than to do it and be seen doing it. To them I say: you are a douche bag. Get a BMX bike and go to the skatepark. You’re probably too much of a pussy to do that anyways.

By: Formerfixie

Formerfixie — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:33:23 +0000

This post is an obnoxious rant that is only concerned with trashing a group of people (hipsters, hatever the hell that means) for riding in a manner he objects to, which includes: taking a lane of traffic, which a cyclist had a right to do as part of traffic; cutting cars off, which is sometimes necessary because cars are speeding and it’s the only way to change lanes; and running a red light, which every cyclist does because red lights do not address the reality of bicycles at intersections, many of which have sensors that won’t change for cyclists.

It’s an absolutely unfair standard to expect every cyclist to represent other cyclists. That’s a standard that no other road-user is held to and I find is disturbing to see opinion on a site that sells itself as promoting commuting by bike. This sounds like an old man telling those damn kids to get off his yard. It just perpetuates the distain the public has in general or cyclists.

So fine, be mad at the hipster cyclist that you think will cause a motorist to take his agression out on you. This line of reasoning continues to place blame on cyclists rather than the motorists actually killing people. It’s great to see such wonderful writing on a bicycle blog. Good job guys!

By: Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:03:03 +0000

Formerfixie, don’t you worry that other motorists will see other “idiots riding bicycles” and lump YOU in with them, regardless of how safe, competent and visible you are?

I know I do — normally I don’t give a crap what people think, but I do NOT want some motorist’s misplaced anger taken out on me because some douchebag (unskilled fixter, chad-like MTBer, “guy on bike” or any other flavor of idiot) did something stupid in front of them in the past.

By: Formerfixie

Formerfixie — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:15:09 +0000

I’d prefer to see idiots riding bicycles rather than driving cars, regardless of their style or obnoxiousness. Guess this site is just another forum for shallow name-calling all in the quest of your “movement.”. Maybe the name should be changed to Bike Snob, oh, sorry, that’s already taken…

By: Finkmoney

Finkmoney — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 22:08:59 +0000

Formerfixie: “Why don’t you lighten up and worry about yourself rather than the fashion and riding habits of cyclists.”

It’s also about an advocacy movement in this country and people that ride around like 12 year-olds that don’t know any better are a detriment to the movement. I personally am for as much bicycle infastructure as possible, but these jerks are serving as a bad example as a whole.

And if I wanted to dress like a hipster, let’s face it, nobody really WANTS to dress like that….

By: Finkmoney

Finkmoney — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 22:05:17 +0000

Here in Seattle, you can’t spit without hitting a fixie hipster (not necessarily a bad thing, the spitting part I mean). While a vast majority are idiots that run red lights and cut cars and busses off, there are a big number that are very polite and follow the rules of the road like the rest of us.

I don’t understand the culture. I don’t get the tight pants/vans/chucks/floppy knit hat thing. And as a matter of fact, most hipsters make me want to punch them straight in the neckpiece, but I do respect the ones that follow protocol.

And BTW, fixednotfixie and fixiesRbikes2, I LOL’d at your comments. Thanks for the laughs, guys!

By: Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:00:55 +0000

“It could be worse. In the suburbs where I grew up, they all drove cars.”

Amen, Philly!!!

By: phillycommuter

phillycommuter — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:38:08 +0000

Philadelphia has a large and long-standing hipster/fixedgear culture. It is a large city with lot of roads and not a lot of hills. I ride a longish commute in Philly and I constantly find myself having to defend bicycling in general from the automobile using denizens of our fair city. “Dangerous” fixed gear bicycles feature prominently in the rants of the last 10 years. By now, I know a fair number of guys and gals in their mid thirties who ride singe speeds of some kind. They generally ride as safely as the next person.

I hate to plat the “get off my lawn” card, but I generally identify the problem as being irresponsible kids in their early 20s. There are some smart and responsible ones I am sure, but there are a lot of angry and reckless post adolescents on fixed gears these days.

It could be worse. In the suburbs where I grew up, they all drove cars.