Fixed Wheel Bicycle Trend, Westminster, London

Most crazes strike young people. There are times in a young persons life when having a skateboard, a Yo – Yo or a Barby is a drug like necessity, a pathway to acceptance, a passport to friends for an insecure mind.
Next time you cross the road – check out the vehicle of choice for London’s 20 to 30 something middle class, retro t-shirt wearing, technology imbued coolster.
It’s normally an old looking bicycle (nothing really new about that) except that it has no gears – often no breaks, and has its rear hub locked to its rear wheel. This is called a FIXED WHEEL BIKE.
Simplicity is it’s mantra. When the wheels go around the peddles go around. Forward or backward. Many bikes have not brakes (although apparently this is illegal) and stopping is achieved by skidding the rear wheel.
The popularity of these things is growing so fast that the piles of discarded cogs and de-railers are no doubt being sold back to china as scrap to make more bicycles.
I first heard the term Fixed Gear at the bike mechanics near the Castle Climbing Gym at the start of this year when a young woman was making the decision to “Fix” her bike. (sounds a bit like “fixing” a puppy)
“Wow! Fixed gear in London!” She said excitedly. “I can’t believe I’m going fixed in London! I’m going to die!!”
I haven’t seen her since.
I should say that I haven’t ridden one. I will. I have a friend who is right into “the scene” and he’s offered to let me ride his. So far I’ve found excuses not to.
These bikes must work. Many bicycle couriers choose to ride them. There can be no better proof of their usefulness than that they are selected by people who are paid to ride quickly and safely around the centre of London.
I think fixed bikes demonstrate that most bicycles are unnecessarily complicated. You don’t really need 24 gears and the ability to ride over rocky trails if you only cycle around London.
Proponents of this style point out that riders of fixed bikes are more observant of the road as they are locked into a continuous state of flow with the traffic. They can’t “freewheel”. They make the argument that the increased danger of being forced into continual movement is mitigated by the increased concentration this necessitates. I’m not quite sure if this is true but I like the sound of it as an argument. I’ve done a lot of rollerblading through city streets in the past and that offers a similar experience of having to be aware – knowing that you can’t stop but can only change direction, jump or slowly reduce speed. I would have been much safer on a regular bicycle – but I would have had nowhere near as much fun. “Fun” is probably the key here. People ride fixed bikes because they offer something exciting in an otherwise very boring environment – ie getting home from work though urban London.
“Go play in the traffic!” is a buzz phrase you hear bandied around the scene.
Like any trend I think that this one will burn out in a year or so and the cool kids will move on to something else. Bicycle riding is obviously only going to grow in popularity and the lesson demonstrated by these fixed wheel bikes, that simpler is better, will be headed by both riders and manufacturers. Like in Holland – we are heading for a city with more bikes, simpler bikes and a better environment because of it.