Fixedgearfoco's Blog

Fort Collins Bike Town Meeting

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 @12:00 noon

Lory Student Center Room 208

A series of community listining sessions to identify issues in the Fort Collins bicycle comunity, and highlight oppertunities to get involved.  Both cyclists and non-cyclists are invited to share there thoughts, oppinions and information on all issues and events involving cycling throughout Ft. Collins.  This event is hosted by the Ft. Collins Bike Co-op, a community non-profit that supports the bike library a free bicycle rental opperation in Oldtown Ft. Collins.

Campagnolo Belt Buckle

 I’ll be the first to admit that fixed gears are trendy, and there for the image takes on that of the rest of pop culture.  Some of these pop fashion senses are fitting to the lifestyle, nike dunks; messenger hats; athletic fitting clothing.  But know it has progress to emo kids who’s skinny jeans are to tight to pull up all the way.  And I just don’t see how it could of made this progression, from the days when fixed gears were ridin in The Tour de France and real men smoked ciggerettes in preperation for the mountian stages, to kids rollin around on a pink fixie with a front brake wearing a pare of Miley Cyrus skinny jeans.  You may often catch me walking aroound with one pant leg rolled up but you will never catch me in a pare of skinny jeans.  I like to stick to the vinage fashion of cycling hense this 1976 campagnolo belt buckle, this nickle belt buckle is a classic handed down to me from my father.

Camron's Pass

Beside being fast and efficient, a fixed gear bicycle is very good exercise.  Because you are using your pedaling muscles backwards to slow yourself down, it is a very well-rounded workout for your legs.  I find it to be an especially good workout for my hipflexers, the hip flexer is the little muscle on the very top front of your thigh that almost stretches up above your pelvis.   I find this exercise to be especially handy being a backcountry skier.  When you are back country skiing, you hike uphill with your skis, ski boots, AT bindings, skins and whatever snow happens to hitch on top of you skis, and that becomes a lot of weight and lifting your legs and hiking in ski boot with all of that weight, is a workout especially on you hipflexers.  Riding my fixed gear helps keep me in shape to backcountry ski and it feels good to stretch out after a day of backcountry skiing on a fixed gear ride to the bar.

among many other reasons to ride a fixed gear