If you have paid attention lately to recent cultural trends, one of the biggest and growing scenes had to be the cycling community. One of the most active sectors of the cycling scene is the fixed gear community or sometimes referred to as track bikes.
Definition of a Fixed Gear Bike: “Fixie is short for “fixed gear,” meaning the rear wheel and the pedals are connected through a single gear anchored to the rear wheel.Unlike standard road bikes, there is no way to coast, there is only one gear and brakes are optional. Simply put, when the wheels are moving, the rider’s legs are moving.”
Courtesy of: Jim Wirtanen
Besides the obvious health benefits of biking in general there other reasons people choose to ride fixies. 1. They are easier to maintain and in general are lighter weight then your average mountain bike. Some people choose to ride without brakes, its more so of a personal choice. Although it may be safer in a city like St.Louis to ride with one brake at least lol. There are other options such as a single gear so that you can still coast, since a fixie will have you pushing a lot of energy, especially uphill.
If you would like more information check out these sites below:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/deakins/how-to-fixed-conversion.html
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/
