This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Sports

"Fixie" Bikes, The Newest Cycling Craze

Though bicycling has been growing in popularity for years, the newest trend is based on fixed gear bikes, which may be dangerous for amateur riders.

In the last few years, bicycles have risen in popularly all over the world, both as a useful mode of transportation and  a fun and healthy hobby. The most recent trend in cycling has been based on fixed-gear bikes often referred to as “fixies”. These are bikes which have only a single gear and cannot coast. If the wheels are moving, so are the pedals.

The very first bikes were fixed gear, but more recently, they have been primarily used for track racing. Competitors prefer fixed-gear bikes because they start moving faster and gain momentum more quickly than bikes with multiple gears. Bikes used for track racing do not have brakes, as they are unnecessary when racing.

A few weeks ago, a young man riding a fixed-gear bike without brakes slammed into a car at the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue and Artesia Boulevard. The rider flew over the handlebars and landed on the windshield. The young man was not too seriously injured, but the incident brings up a relevant question. With their recent rise in popularity, how safe are these “fixie” bikes?

Find out what's happening in Cerritos-Artesiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The answer, it turns out, is very safe. In addition to fact that biking is still statistically safer than driving a car, fixed-gear bikes  are no more dangerous than any other type of bike. However, it can be quite dangerous when amateurs choose to ride bikes lacking brakes. The only way to stop quickly on a fixed-gear bike without brakes is to lock the back wheel up and skid to a halt. “It takes much longer, in time and distance traveled, to stop, and is not nearly as effective as regular rim, or disk, brakes,” said cyclist and Cerritos resident Ed Johnson.

The majority of fixed-gear bike riders use front wheel brakes. Even seasoned cyclists are hesitant to ride bikes outside of a race setting without brakes. “I'd never do it and I'm a freaking sensational rider,” quips James Pham, a life long cyclist and online bike shop owner.

Find out what's happening in Cerritos-Artesiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Fixed gear bikes have become increasingly popular for a few, very understandable reasons. With fixed gear bikes, the rider has much more control over the speed of the bike, enabling the rider to accelerate and decelerate quickly. Riders often say they feel more connected to the bike and to the road, much like driving a stick shift car instead of an automatic.

With a fixed gear bike, a rider can perform many useful and fun tricks, such as a “track stand”, which is a way to keep the bike upright while not moving. Fixed gear bikes can also go backwards and are generally more maneuverable. Since they are stripped down to their most basic parts, fixed gear bikes are also incredibly easy to maintain and riders can put many miles on them before having to replace wheels or chains. “Kids will come in to get new tubes sometimes. Tubes and tires, that's about all that can go wrong with them,” says Richard Velasco of .

Because of these particular attributes, fixed gear bicycles have been a used heavily by bike couriers for years, delivering packages quickly in cities with heavy traffic. The recent cultural trend around “fixie” bikes has been partially based on the style of bike couriers. These trends include tight pants or shorts, to prevent clothing being caught in the chain causing a crash, as well as thin layers of clothing to keep the weight down.

The “fixie” bike trend has become so popular, Vans has two lines of shoes based on the “fixie” theme. Their second line includes images of chains and single gears printed on them, as well as integrated reflectors for night time riding. “The whole game is changing right now and it's opening up a lot of new doors for people ike us, that can adhere to that demographic,” says Mike Altieri of Citygrounds, an exclusively fixed gear bike shop in Long Beach.

Another major reason that “fixie” bikes have become so popular, is that they can be a fun DIY project. Many “fixie” bikes are just old road bikes, striped down and converted to a single fixed gear. The customization options are endless and many fashion trendy people like to give their bikes a bit of personal flair by painting them, adding accessories, or modifying the handlebars and wheels. “Its just self expression, you'll see a kid with a blue tire in front and a pink wheel and a purple rim in the back,” quips Richard.

The only problem with the trendy use of the bikes, is that for the sake of looks, amateur riders will remove the brakes. “Fixie” bikes often have a minimalistic style, which is heightened by a lack of brakes. Though it may be more visually attractive, there are no legitimate reasons for riding any bike without brakes.

But, in the end, the dangers of bike riding, even without brakes, are minimal. The incident with the young rider earlier this month, is the first serious incident involving a fixed gear bike in Cerritos' history, according to the . You are much more likely to be involved in a serious accident while driving on the freeway than riding around town on a bicycle, no matter the make, model or style. As long as riders pay attention to their surroundings and take proper precautions, biking is one of the safest and healthiest hobbies to have.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Cerritos-Artesia