M. Desgrange, founder of Le Tour de France, famously argued the case for the fixed gear with his rival
Paul de Vivie (better known as "Velocio").
A bike like the Wright Brother's rode, designed, built, loved and sold, back in the
days before Lycra
No derailleur, no shifting, no freewheeling - just a solid connection between the chain and the rear wheel.
Racers ride them for winter training.
Sheldon
"Coasting Is Bad For You" Brown (Alpha–wrench and many a cyclist's Guru) prescribes fixed-gear for
"fun, fitness, form, feel & 'ficciency!".
Lacking fragile derailleurs, fixed gears make great travel bikes and are gaining popularity in off-road applications - see
63xc.com – the Offroad Fixed Gear Site
It's a great way to give a whole new life to that old steel–tube ten–speed that you never ride anymore.
(
Sheldon's site is the mother lode of conversion information)
They've got a certain rebel-youth attraction (What cyclist isn't a youth at heart?) – Messenger turned author Travis Hugh Cully
fawns over fixies in his
book "The Immortal Class: Bike Messengers and the Cult of Human Power".
Striped of cables and extra ecoutraments, the bicycle takes gains a beautiful simplicity.
Then, there's the "Retro-Grouch" snob appeal...
Competition Track cycling is done on derailleurless track bikes, some of which can be quite
extreme (
also.)
"Stayers" are easily recognized by the reverse-raked fork which allows for close pacing behind a motorized pace vehicle.
They're used in setting cycling land speed records – See
Dr. Abbott.
Often at the other end of the spectrum, there's a huge collection of Fixie Photos in the
Gallery – mostly road bike conversions.
Here's some submissions from the Triangle:
And here's some more submissions from around the state:
I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five.
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