[CR]Why Fixed Gear?

(Example: Framebuilding:Norris Lockley)

From: "NIGEL LAND" <ndland@btinternet.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <MONKEYFOODQqgpZvTvG0000099f@monkeyfood.nt.phred.org>
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 17:08:23 -0000
Subject: [CR]Why Fixed Gear?

Oh, four letter word! Dear Dale, Humble apologies but is this a novel excuse for not signing off? I had to take off for the day to collect the aged in-laws and didn't have time to finish the email on fixed gears. "No problem", I thought, "just stick it in the outbox and finish it off when you get back"...So, I log on when I get back and bingo, off goes the unfinished message.... Anyway, I hate to be fashionable - my current fixed is a Hobbs of Barbican circa 1953 rather than a modern off-topic fixie, though I will probably drop it in favour of my Grubb with track ends (greater adjustment). An oft quoted reason for riding fixed if you are a courier and assuming you can do track stands, is that you can leap away from traffic lights and do amazingly cool things like riding backwards (I am working on that). Plus, you never get into that annoying situation where you are stopped and in the wrong gear. Indeed, there are so many reasons for riding fixed I am wondering why gears were invented...Does Mr D Rayler have the answer to that question?

Nigel Land
Barton on Humber
UK
Nigel Land
Barton on Humber
UK