Fixed gear

Krönika skriven av Oliver Saunders

No brakes. Why?

If I had 1kr for every time I was asked that question I would certainly be a very rich man by now. The fixed gear scene is with out doubt experiancing a major now moment... shops, magazines, websites, blogs, parts, teams, events, sponsership are all now firmly attached to every major town around the world. Track bikes or fixies, velo de piste, pista or fixed bikes begin and continuie to be used as an olympic sport, under the title track racing. Held in a Velodrome and constructed of banks in an oval shape, no brakes are needed, only speed. Taking the bike from the Velodrome to the streets , well for this title, most agree it would be the New York messengers... you know the kids that run red lights and cut through traffic at great speed. The messenger seen have been conducting the work on track bikes for many years. A perfect moment to use a quote from a good friend, who was messerging in London a few years back. Explained perfectly the reason for making deliveries all day in the saddle of a bike with no brakes... well it makes something that is boring very exiting... it is difficult to explain, but riding a Track bike is like nothing else. Getting from A to B by bike is to be considered as the new eco way. Track bikes are pure in form, free from cables, gears and brakes, only the minium parts are used. Clean like a perfect cut suite. And extending your dress to your bike, has created the need to build bespoke bikes and has pushed the seen further forward. And to fuel this need the bike industry has gone Track bike crazy, every major bike company for 2010 all have track bikes and parts in there line up, all influenced by whats happening on the streets. Ending the conversation of all those shouting track bikes are simply a faze...well they said the same for skateboarding..... Riding a Track bike is to know that the bike is in charge, a machine that will never stop, you cant take any breaks, pedal pedal pedal... weather your going up or down hills....pedal pedal pedal...then using all you leg power to slow the machine down, gets easier with time. Like with any sport, practice makes perfect. Simply i love bikes. one gear, fixed wheel, low maintenance, highly dependable bikes specifically. Bikes that are works of art, and at the same time highly utilitarian transportation, Stockholm like all cities are a great place to ride bicycles. With many more miles to ride and cities to explore, I dont plan on stopping soon...

Oliver Saunders / Tandem

www.tandem-stockholm.blogspot.com