Fixed gear explosion...hits NY Times.
In this Sundays edition of the NY Times is a lengthy article on fixed gears and the culture that has gone along with these unique bicycles.
Unstoppable, by Jocko Weyland, Author of the article and the book: "the answer is never: a skatboarders history of the world", does a good job of exploring people and independent buisness that have built this culture in NYC.
King Kog , fixed gear boutique in Williamsburg
and Johnny Coast , bicycle frame builder.
There is also an amazing photo series connected with the article...here are a few samples...
Jason Chaste, Gina Marie and Austin Horse in front of King Kog on Hope St, Brooklyn,
Delroy Walters, track champion, at the Kissena Queens velodrome
(from left to right) Austin, Morgan, Carlos and Yatika
There is also audio from the participants in this awesome photo slideshow.
Well, there goes the neighborhood. It has been a long time coming for the popularity of fixed gears to explode...If its good for bikes...its good for bikes. The only thing I fear is the police and the city council, with its infinite wisdom and lack of priorities...LIKE banning pedicabs...is now going to use this against us. We don't want to see the same thing that happened in Portland Oregon where the create a LAW on bikes without brakes. More fuel for the cops war on bikes...to now try and pass legislation that all bikes must be equipped with hand brakes...oh wait...that is a law. Will it be enforced?
posted by Michael Green at 5:49 AM
-->
3 Comments:
Hey. Great blog! Look forward to checking in regularly.
I think the law says “Every bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement.”
That means that the coaster-brake found on three speeds and kids bikes is nice and legal, but the poorly adjusted Wal-Mart bike probably can't lock the wheels. It is piss-poor wording for legal standards, because locking the wheel is NOT desirable under any circumstances especially for a two wheel vehicle. There is good reason for Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) in cars and trucks. Keeping a stick clipped to your handle bars so you can jam it into your front spokes is a perfectly legal braking system, but that disc brake set up might fail the legal requirement if you don’t know how to nose wheelie.
It also presents the problem of enforcement – there is no official inspection or testing program (nor could there be), and many riders would not be prepared to lock their front wheel in any circumstances.
Anyone know where to find out about the history of these laws? Considering early braking systems, I’m sure that the original laws pertaining to bicycles did not have this requirement, and that the law as written must have come sometime after WWII. Any law history folks out there who might know when this law was passed?
Delroy looks like he is still very young.. awesome...
My latest article on Advantix For Dogs Info can be found here..
Post a Comment
<< Home