this was posted...

on a bulletin (the person will remain anonymous to protect their identity) of a myspace page. i won't post this on myspace, because even though i have one, i don't like it. i just keep it to stay up to date on music. my comments will follow.

legal note...this is an exact copy, just copied and pasted. i even took the time and included the pics. that were on there...

enjoy...or not...

and i quote:

"Fixie Is A Fad !



Did you know it was the first type, dating back to the 1890's?
The technology for freewheel was not there as of yet.


Fixed gear was popular in the 1920's for track racing.


Did you know that Cleveland had a velodrome during that time of fix gear popularity?

Now it's a fad.



Don't get me wrong- I will get (had been planing on) a fixed gear bike (Kona Paddy Wagon of course), for a different type of ride sometimes. But I'll be freewheelin' it mostly.


Some of my friends ride fixed gear on the cross country trails (mountain bike).
Been there yet? It could be the new fad!
What happens when you need to hold your pedals for clearance? Mmm.


It (fixed gear) is not for cross riding, that's for sure. I guess it's just cool for commuting to college and the store for a 40 oz.


"

my comments to this:

one: if you pick up a paddy wagon and ride it with a freewheel, then you're not riding a fixed. that would be a singlespeed.

two: fixed mtn bike riding is not a fad. there used to be a site called 63 xc that was around for years. this is nothing new.

three: dictionary.com defines fad as a temporary fashion...manner of conduct. since fixed gear riding as been around since the conception of the bike, and is still around; i would hardly call it a fad. it's not going anywhere. now has it become more popular in recent years? yes. i see the hipsters out in tremont riding them in their cool cloths going to cool places.

fourth: fixed is more than welcome in a cross race. as well as the aboved mentioned 'two'.

fifth: to answer the question about pedal clearance...it's called skidding or setting up your pedal rotation.

sixth: do you know the 'training' benefits to riding fixed? when i don't have a lot of time to ride, even a little on the fixed helps tremendous amounts with my other riding. this goes hand in hand with my personal notion of quality over quantity. i ride about five different styles of bikes, and each one gives me something that the other is unable to. so consequently my skill level increases. now, this is not a universal law (you don't need to go to the shop and buy five different bikes, but i'm sure we'd be glad to help), but this is something that has worked for me. i see cross skills in my mtn riding. cadence skills in my road riding. you get the idea

seventh: this is going to be a personal experience one; so bare with me:
i've been riding singlespeeds for well over eight years now. i was on single before it was popular (and that is the correct word to use. not fad). i've been on fixed for about three to four years now. riding it off road about two years. the first time i road my fixed cross bike off road...it was a religious experience. and those don't happen too often. it changed my view of riding. my style of riding. the feeling that you get from riding fixed off road is beyond compare. you feel the 'flow' of the trail much more. it's not just pedal, pedal, pedal, shift, shift, pedal. there becomes an almost (for lack of any better term) 'unity flow' to the trail.

so there's a short list of responses. i could go on, but i won't. to me this bulletin sounded like it was an attack against fixed riding, and if it was please don't get one. a wise man once said 'if you're not now, you never were.' think about it. these seven things were not put here to convince you that you need to pick up a fixed gear (be it road, cross, or mtn); nor is it here to self justify why i do it (well, maybe seven was). it was however put here to show the idiocy of your own statements.

amitabha...