Bicycling Douche Bags

[theevilchemist]

How Come 90% of the bicycling assholes in Chicago all ride fixed gears? These are the people who ride in the middle of the street, on the wrong side, on & off sidewallks, blow off stop signs, lights, and then get indignant when they almost get hit. I saw one guy almost become pavement smear b/c he was riding on the sidewalk and rode through the

Comments

[the_axel]

Riding a fixie has become trendy.
People who follow trends are aresholes.
Ergo most fixie riders are arseholes.
QED.

You aren't being grumpy.

[greylock]

I don't even know why you would need gears on a bike (but, then, I once rode around on a bike without a chain so....) and even I'm aware of this so-called hipster obsession with fixed-gear bikes.

It seems to involve wanting to be a bike courier or something.

[sinibar]

You rode a penny farthing? :)

Trust me, as someone whose main form of transport for 30+ years has been a bicycle, gears are important. I guess for most road use, in a fairly flat area you could get away with 3.

[the_axel]

Same reason you do on a car - mechanical advantage.
Low gears up hills & when going slowly.
High gears down hills & when going quickly.

Fixed wheels used to be only found in velodromes.
Racing cyclists started using them on the streets for training (they force you to build up both strength (when you want to be in a low gear) and speed (when you want to be in a high gear).
This lead to fixed wheels being available on street frames.
Couriers started using them 'cos they are lower maintenance & more reliable than geared.
Hipsters decided that couriers are cool.

& so another good thing is ruined by douchebags.

[marchenland]

There does seem to be a certain kind of assholishness that goes along with riding a fixie, for reasons I can guess at. Something about "Oooh, I don't need your silly gears," mentality turns into the "Oooh, I don't need your silly RULES," or something.

[the_axel]

No it isn't.
Mostly because you can't freewheel.
A single speed is easier than a geared bike.

[opalexian]

No, fixed gear guys are the new BMX, except faster and thinking they live more dangerously since their bikes are more practical for general city riding (just the riders aren't.) On nice days we sometimes have groups of them in the middle of campus doing stunts on their bikes. They think they're invincible with no gears and one brake. Bleh. At least they don't normally run people over at school (at least not that I've seen.)

[gnat23]

This is the sort of behavior they'd like to emulate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLzGj10fg2g

I HATE HATE HATE this. It sets back the fight for bicyclist's rights 5 years. :-P

[chaotropic]

lots of them in portland too. very irritating. very, very irritating.