Fixies more popular than ever

Of all the places to get your bicycle news, the  Arkansas Democratic Gazette ran this article on Monday, November 19th; Fixed-gear bicycle sales ride high among admirers. The article written by Don Mayhew, talks about some of the reasons that Fixed Gear bicycles are of increasing popularity.

For a growing number of avid cyclists, the fixie is in.

“Fixies” are fixed-gear bicycles. One gear. No freewheel to allow coasting. You pedal, the bike moves. You stop, it stops. Some don’t even have brakes.

While such a machine might seem to have limited appeal, the popularity of fixed-gear bikes has expanded beyond the big city messenger subculture that spawned them somewhere during the past decade.

Read the complete article here.

This is one of the things on my wish list. I have wanted a fixed gear bike for quite some time. There is the appeal, but also the aspect of cross-training on a fixed gear. Learning how to spin better, and building a smoother style all appeal to me as a road cyclist. Thing is, there are some hills here, not many, but a few. I think I might be better served with a combination Fixie/SS. The rear wheel would have a "flip-flop" hub, one side fixed gear, the other with a single gear freewheel. The hub could be flipped around to ride fixed one day  then single speed the next. The best of both worlds.

Hmm.. I wonder if my wife would notice another bike hanging in the garage…