Hipster headline - everybody drink!

/anything but a long-neck PBR - unless you can drink it unironically

None of them are in the south. Hipsters have a hard time being cool here.

rev. dave: None of them are in the south. Hipsters have a hard time being cool here.

Um, Austin?

My personal ratio: zero.

Kasira: rev. dave: None of them are in the south. Hipsters have a hard time being cool here.

Um, Austin?

You're in Texas. When convenient we claim we aren't in the south.

cmunic8r99: Texas is not part of The South - it's Texas.

No, when we need to be in the south, we're in the south. It's complicated. Here, let me show you this chart...

Wow, 100 fixies per person? Hard to believe.

/bad graph is bad
//should say per 1000, per 10,000, whatever

I used to ride a fixie. They don't even have a name yet for the kind of bike I ride now.

Riding a fixie is the worst possible thing you can do as a human being. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do. If you ride a fixie you are a worthless hipster shiat.

cmunic8r99: SharkTrager: cmunic8r99: Texas is not part of The South - it's Texas.

No, when we need to be in the south, we're in the south. It's complicated. Here, let me show you this chart...

YOU think you are in the south. No one else in the south does, though.

Actually, I don't even claim to be from Texas, I just happen to live here.

So... hipsters can't ride grown-up bikes, and can't even be trusted with the standard 'pedal backwards to brake' models that we give our children?

My bicycle has gears.
/and fenders
//and a cargo rack
///and brakes
////fark fixies

GuyWhoAgreesWithRetards: Riding a fixie is the worst possible thing you can do as a human being. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do. If you ride a fixie you are a worthless hipster shiat.

Now that I re-read the article. Isn't this the kind of bike you see all over Amsterdam? It is also the kind I rode as a kid, in the kid version of course Huffy, I think you can go backwards on them by pedaling backwards, or is that the brake, its been a while.
I would own one of these only because it breaks less than a 10-speed and I always seem to lose the chain on a 10-speed, then followed by losing the 10-speed since people always end up stealing my bike. But no one would ever think I am a hipster, too old, too boring etc...

GuyWhoAgreesWithRetards: Riding a fixie is the worst possible thing you can do as a human being. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do. If you ride a fixie you are a worthless hipster shiat.

Hahaha...maybe you're joking but count me in on this one.

Fixed wheel bikes were the domain of deadbeats in my experience.

Damn fixie hipsters.

That's some chart, 100 fixies per capita? Each person owns 100 bikes on the average? People are probably having a hard time moving around!

That makes track cycling the hippest sport. I had to explain match sprint to a friend a couple days ago. She just didn't get it.

/straight outta Carson

Whar Palo Alto?

WHARRR????

Kasira: rev. dave: None of them are in the south. Hipsters have a hard time being cool here.

Um, Austin?

Not that Austin. The other one. You've probably never heard of it.

The Smails Kid: Whar Palo Alto?

Palo Alto? No. Stanford maybe, but not Palo Alto.

rev. dave: It is also the kind I rode as a kid, in the kid version of course Huffy, I think you can go backwards on them by pedaling backwards, or is that the brake, its been a while.

No. Those still have a freewheel. Fixed gear bikes do not

Awesome Chicago isn't even listed, although that is pretty surprising.

Always wanted a real fixie (new window)

KarmicDisaster: That's some chart, 100 fixies per capita? Each person owns 100 bikes on the average? People are probably having a hard time moving around!

I see my work is already done here.

Also, I mislabeled my X Axis before mislabeling the X Axis was cool

rev. dave: GuyWhoAgreesWithRetards: Riding a fixie is the worst possible thing you can do as a human being. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do. If you ride a fixie you are a worthless hipster shiat.

Now that I re-read the article. Isn't this the kind of bike you see all over Amsterdam? It is also the kind I rode as a kid, in the kid version of course Huffy, I think you can go backwards on them by pedaling backwards, or is that the brake, its been a while.
I would own one of these only because it breaks less than a 10-speed and I always seem to lose the chain on a 10-speed, then followed by losing the 10-speed since people always end up stealing my bike. But no one would ever think I am a hipster, too old, too boring etc...

well, no. What you want is a single-speed. It still has a free-wheel and a rear brake, just no gears. It is a good idea if you live in a flat area and dont use much gears, and you can build one cheaply out of an old cheap 10-speed (wich should have sloted dropouts) by stripping the unneeded stuff. It saves you about 1Kilo and some maintenance.



Chart is pointless if you don't correlate with the topography, I mean it is far more stupid to use a fixie in San-Fransisco than New-York

"Fixie Index" measures hipsterness flatness of major American metropolises by percentage of fixed-gear bikes per person.

FTFY

I would kill to get my electric blue 1986 GT Pro Performer back.
Then compete on HELL Track!

Unless someone can explain Orange County, I'm going to call shenanigans.

dennysgod: [www.fatbmx.com image 600x428]

Damn fixie hipsters.

Those aren't fixies, are they? I'm pretty sure BMX bikes are single-speed with a freewheel. And possibly a coaster brake. I could be wrong-- none of the bikes we rode as kids in the '80s were fixies, but I suppose it's possible that the pros use them or something.

That aside, who in their right mind rides a fixie off a racetrack? It's a ridiculous fad. Single-speed bikes make sense-- lower mechanical complexity, much greater reliability, and less expensive. If you're not in Le Tour, it's an excellent way to go. Fixies, on the other hand, have no freewheel, and many have no brakes. This means that stopping is as hard and as slow as getting up to speed-- you have to gradually slow the bike with muscle power. There's no reason to ditch your brakes.

I'm not saying you can't ride a fixie in traffic-- people obviously do. But these are velodrome bikes-- they're supposed to be ridden on a track where you can stop by just coasting in a circle when you're done, and where the trivial weight and aerodynamic savings of eliminating the brakes and freewheel might translate into the .001s advantage you need for a gold medal. So here's a good rule of thumb: if you're in any danger of getting a gold medal, consider a fixie. Otherwise, get a single-speed with at least one brake.

Ramien: So... hipsters can't ride grown-up bikes, and can't even be trusted with the standard 'pedal backwards to brake' models that we give our children?

Look at it this way: if you hate hipsters, let them continue to ride their brakeless fixies in traffic.

raygundan: dennysgod: [www.fatbmx.com image 600x428]

Damn fixie hipsters.

Those aren't fixies, are they? I'm pretty sure BMX bikes are single-speed with a freewheel. And possibly a coaster brake. I could be wrong-- none of the bikes we rode as kids in the '80s were fixies, but I suppose it's possible that the pros use them or something.

That aside, who in their right mind rides a fixie off a racetrack? It's a ridiculous fad. Single-speed bikes make sense-- lower mechanical complexity, much greater reliability, and less expensive. If you're not in Le Tour, it's an excellent way to go. Fixies, on the other hand, have no freewheel, and many have no brakes. This means that stopping is as hard and as slow as getting up to speed-- you have to gradually slow the bike with muscle power. There's no reason to ditch your brakes.

I'm not saying you can't ride a fixie in traffic-- people obviously do. But these are velodrome bikes-- they're supposed to be ridden on a track where you can stop by just coasting in a circle when you're done, and where the trivial weight and aerodynamic savings of eliminating the brakes and freewheel might translate into the .001s advantage you need for a gold medal. So here's a good rule of thumb: if you're in any danger of getting a gold medal, consider a fixie. Otherwise, get a single-speed with at least one brake.

I'm not sure I get the whole Fixie thing. Are you saying a fixie doesn't have a coaster brake? I.E., you can't just stop pedaling while leaving your feet on the pedals to stop?

stewbert: raygundan: dennysgod: [www.fatbmx.com image 600x428]


I'm not sure I get the whole Fixie thing. Are you saying a fixie doesn't have a coaster brake? I.E., you can't just stop pedaling while leaving your feet on the pedals to stop?

Correct. No freewheel. If the wheels are moving, the pedals must be moving as well.

raygundan: Ramien: So... hipsters can't ride grown-up bikes, and can't even be trusted with the standard 'pedal backwards to brake' models that we give our children?

Look at it this way: if you hate hipsters, let them continue to ride their brakeless fixies in traffic.

But when they get Darwined the media rants about "a cyclist" was maimed/killed... Maybe it is the elitist in me but not everyone on a bicycle is a cyclist. My ten year old rides a bicycle, I am a cyclist. The difference is measured in the thousands of kilometers accrued during the year.
A commuter on their bike could be a cyclist.

\can't even use a single speed around here.

stewbert: I'm not sure I get the whole Fixie thing. Are you saying a fixie doesn't have a coaster brake? I.E., you can't just stop pedaling while leaving your feet on the pedals to stop?

Yep. There's no freewheel, and no coaster brake (and no regular brakes, although this isn't *technically* required to be a fixie). The pedals are directly connected to the rear wheel by the chain-- hence "fixed." If you stop pedaling while you're moving, the pedals keep turning unless you force them to stop with the same muscle power that got you up to speed. It's extremely bare-bones. They're for track races-- removing the freewheel and brakes is the sort of thing you'd only do if you wanted to shave off a few ounces at the cost of your safety and convenience. Single-speed bikes, as the term is commonly used, are more like a normal bike with just one "speed." They have a freewheel, so that when you stop pedalling the wheel keeps turning but your feet can hold still. Unlike a fixie, they typically have brakes. They enjoy almost all the cost and simplicity advantages of a fixie while still being easy to stop and control.

In case I haven't made my own personal bias here abundantly clear, I think that fixies are silly outside of the velodrome. But single-speed bikes are an eminently practical thing, eliminating cost, complexity, and maintenance without sacrificing brakes and the ability to hold your feet still.

rockymountainrider: raygundan: Ramien: So... hipsters can't ride grown-up bikes, and can't even be trusted with the standard 'pedal backwards to brake' models that we give our children?

Look at it this way: if you hate hipsters, let them continue to ride their brakeless fixies in traffic.

But when they get Darwined the media rants about "a cyclist" was maimed/killed... Maybe it is the elitist in me but not everyone on a bicycle is a cyclist. My ten year old rides a bicycle, I am a cyclist. The difference is measured in the thousands of kilometers accrued during the year.
A commuter on their bike could be a cyclist.

\can't even use a single speed around here.

You probably *could*, but you'd end up like the single-speed mountain bikers-- when building the bike, you end up having to choose a gear so low for the terrain that you've got a top speed of like 8mph when you're pedaling like a crack-addled hummingbird.

raygundan: stewbert: I'm not sure I get the whole Fixie thing. Are you saying a fixie doesn't have a coaster brake? I.E., you can't just stop pedaling while leaving your feet on the pedals to stop?

Yep. There's no freewheel, and no coaster brake (and no regular brakes, although this isn't *technically* required to be a fixie). The pedals are directly connected to the rear wheel by the chain-- hence "fixed." If you stop pedaling while you're moving, the pedals keep turning unless you force them to stop with the same muscle power that got you up to speed. It's extremely bare-bones. They're for track races-- removing the freewheel and brakes is the sort of thing you'd only do if you wanted to shave off a few ounces at the cost of your safety and convenience. Single-speed bikes, as the term is commonly used, are more like a normal bike with just one "speed." They have a freewheel, so that when you stop pedalling the wheel keeps turning but your feet can hold still. Unlike a fixie, they typically have brakes. They enjoy almost all the cost and simplicity advantages of a fixie while still being easy to stop and control.

In case I haven't made my own personal bias here abundantly clear, I think that fixies are silly outside of the velodrome. But single-speed bikes are an eminently practical thing, eliminating cost, complexity, and maintenance without sacrificing brakes and the ability to hold your feet still.

Thanks. I had a cheap (Kmart) BMX bike as a kid. It only had a coaster brake. I thought that's what a fixie was, and I was gonna argue with you about them being hard to stop. The coaster brake was far superior to my later BMX with freewheel, at least in the laying rubber category.

stewbert: The coaster brake was far superior to my later BMX with freewheel, at least in the laying rubber category.

I do miss that feature of my cheap BMX bike. To be clear, though, a bike with a coaster brake can still freewheel. That's the "coaster" part of it. The brake engages when you pedal backwards.

I live in hipster mecca. : (

I'd like to know what's hipster too main stream critical mass and does it apply towards being a hipster. Could you imagine if they all imploded? That'd be amazing.

On-Off: Chart is pointless if you don't correlate with the topography, I mean it is far more stupid to use a fixie in San-Fransisco than New-York

I was going to say the douches in San Fran deserve some credit for their dedication.

I'm kinda disgusted that my town made the top 25 list. I'm not shocked, but the recent hipster trend in Monterey has made for some crappy music in bars, too many idiots on the bike path, and too long a wait for a cup of coffee.

Maybe making a top anything list will mean it's not obscure enough and they'll go away.

My main ride is a former 18-speed that that I found cheap at a thrift store, and had a single-speed freewheel hub put into, which I like a lot. I would never ride an actual fixie bike without a brake, because I can't imagine being able to stop hard from cruising speed by backpressure alone, and with a brake there would be little point to the bike being a fixie anyway. I guess I do ride one fixie, but it's a unicycle, so it probably doesn't count.

Clockwork Kumquat: I guess I do ride one fixie, but it's a unicycle, so it probably doesn't count.

This is Fark. It counts. You hipster.